For the Thunder this weekend they face Crown who is 7-3. Crown runs the ball 75% of the time and have averaged 5.5 yds per rush for 230 yds per game for the 16th best rush offense in the D3 land. Their pass offense accounts for 835 yds on the season (74-154-5 int, 48%) and 83 yds per game. The Thunder will have to stop the run this weekend.

Defensively they have found their footing in turnovers. 9 fumbles and 14 interceptions and they are top 25 in the nation in Turnover Margin. They are top 15 in getting off the field on 3rd down and 9th in red zone defense.

They lost to a 1-9 team and a 4-6 team and their best wins are over 5-5 Martin Luther (2x). They don't have any wins over a team with a winning record (Simpson is the only team they played that has a winning record).

 

Quote from: hazzben on Yesterday at 01:32:57 PM

Quote from: Mister36 on Yesterday at 11:53:07 AM

Quote from: hazzben on November 17, 2025, 05:49:02 PMBethel vs NCC in the quarters, assuming chalk holds, is a round too early as well. The biggest issue is probably that the weakest 1 and 2 seed combo statistically also got the easiest quad.

Here's the deal though, if we really think Bethel and SJU are Top 5 teams, we should expect to play top teams in the tourney at some point. If Bethel is really Top 5 or Top 3 or Top 2 (pick your metric), then we should relish the chance to prove it on the field. This is a really young team. 15 new starters IIRC at the start of the year. You get better playing elite competition. We have two good, playoff experienced teams to beat before we even get a chance to measure up against the NCC dynasty. I hope we get to see that, but until then we get to geek out over some great football and it'll all get sorted on the field. Best time of the year IMO!!

I definitely am looking forward to how the team stacks up against NCC/UMU - I just wish it were UMU first  . I hope the team and staff is as well, while also not looking ahead too much. I want nothing more than to come out of Naperville or Alliance with a W. For both teams each-other would be the toughest team they've played yet.

The more I look at our pod (or SJU's), "on paper" means very little. Bethel will have to win two very competitive games to make the quarters. Unless the MIAC is better than it appears, this will be the best we've faced since September. I'm hoping it shows that we are that good, and maybe Carleton, GAC, and the Cobbers are betting than we thought. We get to find out very soon.

The biggest bummer is the battle of attrition. It's hard to make it through the playoffs without injuries and playing higher level competition earlier increases the risk.

Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 03:25:11 PM

Quote from: GusD on November 17, 2025, 08:06:46 PM

Quote from: New Tradition on November 17, 2025, 10:22:39 AMLastly--I'm personally bummed about the Wash U ouster.  Loved having them in the conference.  I think they greatly elevated the level of play.  Go beat Stout!

I second this notion. WashU is an elite academic institution and an all-around class organization. Though only an associate member I feel its association served, at least in some small way, to help elevate the stature of the CCIW. During the course of WU's membership, they were without question the #3 team on the gridiron, lining up only behind NCC and Wheaton. They thoroughly deserve their upcoming trip to the Isthmus Bowl. Hopefully they end their conference affiliation with another W.
I understand the CCIW wanting a full member. I don't know if the possibility existed or not, but I wish there was a way to add that full member while still retaining WU.
The NCAC's gain is the CCIW's loss. 

Quote from: USee on November 17, 2025, 09:41:52 PMAs previously stated multiple times, WashU's CCIW ouster had nothing to do with them being a full member or not.

You missed my point, USee. I wasn't advocating for WashU to become a full CCIW member. Merely stating that I thought they were a credit to the conference, and that I wish they could somehow still be an associate member for football despite the addition of another full member. 

Yes GusD, sorry about that I misread you original post. I certainly wish WashU was staying. Much more competitive conference with them involved.

To be clear, if I'm reading correctly what Bleed is saying is that if the games went strictly by seeding neither UWW nor DePauw should host (the top 16 should be 2nd round hosts) but geography (which is code for "costs") won out and UWW and DePauw were paired together and then the higher seed of that matchup was declared the host.

As previously stated multiple times, WashU's CCIW ouster had nothing to do with them being a full member or not.

DePauw @UWW seems pretty straight forward to me based on NPI. Pat would know more than me....

Johanik finished the regular season with 9.5 sacks I believe. And this season he became Wheaton's all time leader in Tackles for Loss, surpassing NFL Draft pick Andy Studebaker.

I call BS on the lack of focus. You don't build a program like NCC and have a lack of focus, EVER. Ask the Mt Union faithful or the UWW guys when they were on a run. The great teams never lose focus, no matter the opponent, they focus on their own level of play and hold themselves to a high standard. That's what NCC has done over the past 5+ years and last Saturday was not a result of a lack of focus.

I think NCC 2010's analysis makes sense. Dual threat QB (like Smythe or Blaha?) will give them trouble. I don't understand NCC's lack of scoring though. IWU is the 7th ranked scoring defense in the league and gave up an average of 30 pts a game and NCC scores 24?

Another thing I'll add is that NCC's defense is very, very good. Their LB's drop into coverage and get underneath routes as well as I've ever seen. These guys get 15yds deep and look up the WR's. They are very well schooled on route combinations as well. One byproduct of that discipline is that RB's have hurt them on check downs out of the backfield this year and, as you can imagine, running QB's.

Hazz-2 things: 1-I didn't have to work hard at all, the comments were in two previous posts. 2-If you think I care about disrespect towards NCC, you have forgotten whom I root for. I welcome disrespect towards NCC, I search for it, I embrace it. I was simply pointing out what I read.

Art-RE: history between Wheaton and Wartburg....I am not aware of this, do tell?

NCC as a 4 seed is ridiculous and an example of a fix the NPI quants need to figure out. They are decidedly the team to beat in this field. Talking about a game vs UMU when NCC comes first is not what informed Bethel fans are doing....

Not sure I would consider DePauw a favorable home game. They are much better than usual this year. Took JCU to the wire. They have an explosive offense and a top 10 run defense. I think UWP got a better draw than UWW.

What a difference a year makes. Wheaton went 8-2 last year and missed the playoffs. At 8-2 this year they are in. The difference was a loss to UWO in the WIAC last year vs a loss to Mt Union this year. Hopefully this type of result helps other top 25 teams schedule the big boys (NCC, Mt Union, top WIAC schools) as the benefits are pretty clear.....

I mean there wasn't going to be a good spot for Wheaton. The other option was to play either Coe or CUW in round 1 and then go to Bethel in Round 2 if they won. Not sure that's a lot better than Crown/Wartburg. At least they are opposite NCC and Mt Union! I don't mind this bracket overall at all.

I think NCC's draw is pretty good as well. Not easy, but better than it could be as UWRF is on the opposite side and Mt Union isn't until the Semi's if both teams make it.

Quote from: NCC2010 on November 15, 2025, 04:01:18 PMNightmare scenario for NCC fans like myself with Johns Hopkins losing. Likely means UWRF in the quarters and if they get by them then a trip to Alliance in the semis...

It's likely NCC will sweep the POY awards when they are decided this week. Whomever Brad Spencer nominates for offensive POY will get it, likely Skokna. JP Sullivan is a virtual lock for DPOY and Spencer will get the COY award.

The interesting battles will be for first team and second team, though the coaches have settled in recent years for naming multiple players at each position to the first team. It used to be that just one player at each position was named 1st team and then multiple players got 2nd team and HM.