I would like to see the run game develop more.  It seems as if the linemen hit one guy and say, "Well, I did my job, I'm done)  They have got drive these defenders downfield.  If they can hole defenses to 3 sacks on the year in 6 games, then they can run block better than what they currently do.  UMHB has great running backs, just need better blocking.

(It's getting increasingly weird to even talk about a national poll when it's really close to being completely irrelevant with the NPI determining the at-large field... Unless I'm wildly missing the mark.)

Quote from: BergAlum2 on Today at 01:53:37 PMBig weekend for the Berg, two week stretch of ONU and Etta, which both I think have good chances of giving the Berg a second lost.  You Mount fans gotta be Polar Bear fans this weekend.  If the berg wins these two, I dont think Cap or Wilma will be taking us down, giving us hopefully our second playoff bid ever, and closing your chance at least for the OAC title.  Good news for ya'll, is it seems like Heidelberg always falls apart on big games when the season seems to be going well 

Berg getting a 2nd loss makes things easier.  But I am sort of rooting for the Student Princes to win out.  A Mount win vs BW and the 3-way tie at the top probably should get 3 OAC teams into the dance and a 4th playing in the bowl game.  Nearly half of your teams playing postseason football is quite the feather in the cap for the OAC.  9-1 Berg and 9-1 BW are easily in the playoff via NPI.

The 4th place coach will 100% vote for Mount as the Auto Qualifier to get their team into the bowl game.  So, then it's just the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th coaches voting.  All Mount needs is likely 2 of those coaches to vote for the best thing for the conference and the Raiders are playing some joke of conference winner on the road in week 1 of the playoffs and stealing a Pool C bid.

Quote from: Kira & Jaxon's Dad on Today at 02:46:18 PMRB Depth Chart:

Starter: Minner
Backup: Bokman

D-A-R-R-T

I think one of the points earlier this summer from awadelewis was Rhodes and Sewanee sticking together.  Fair point, I guess.  And--as someone who loves the traditions and rivalries of college athletics--very much appreciated.  The last 10+ years of conference realignments in any division has me throwing in the towel somedays.

But, you are right.  Centre has options.  Just north enough and south enough to get attention and would be a good addition to any conference.

Column D for me.

Quote from: D3 Poster on October 18, 2026, 09:20:16 PM~ "I knew the WIAC, and sir you are no WIAC"...sorry, couldn't resist. I do like the top of the NCAC, but the bottom has a long, long way to go.

NCAC as a whole is NO WHERE near the WIAC, my point was that, if you are one of the 5, you have 4 conference games which help you come December. That is not the case for most conferences

Quote from: lumbercat on Today at 01:01:53 PM

Quote from: TheJeff on Today at 11:10:48 AMCould Amherst go 5-4? Yes, but I don't think they've played their best football yet.

The offense is yet to piece together a complete game and Marek Hill has proved to be a legit QB with serious weapons at receiver. I felt offensive play calling restricted him vs Colby as they never went for the deep shots like they did in Middlebury. The lack of run game will hurt them against teams like Trinity and Wesleyan, but I think they can manage against Williams and Tufts.


The defense has been great to the run for the most part and seems more susceptible to the pass (concerning with Wesleyan on the horizon). As an alum, I trust Coach Mills and Coach Bussard will be able to game plan for the stronger offenses the next few weeks. With all that being said, I don't see Amherst winning a rock fight in the back half of their schedule.

Overall, they have not played a complete game on their way to 5-0. Question is: can they? Time will tell... my prediction is 7-2

Pretty easy schedule so far for Amherst. They were lucky to beat Bates and Bowdoin. Williams is the better team but anything can happen in The Game. If Shapiro is healthy they will struggle with Tufts.
By the way, what happened to Coach Ballard?

Amherst had no trouble on defense against Bates and Bowdoin. Let's keep in mind, Amherst had to start their backup QB against Bowdoin and started off down 10-0 minutes into the first quarter. Props to the backup, Livatino, for filling in, but let's not act like it wouldn't have been a different game with Hill. I have acknowledged their easy schedule thus far.

Williams will always be a tough game, but I can't agree that Amherst will have trouble with Tufts just because of Shapiro. Their run defense is #1 in the league (easy schedule, top 3 regardless) and I don't see them having trouble scoring on Tuft's defense. Shapiro was a non-factor against Amherst last year and if he's already dealing with injuries, I think they can contain him.

Quote from: MCScots2013 on Today at 02:05:54 PMTrinity to the SCAC could put the USA South in a pickle and give the CCS a reason to sponsor football.

Hear me out:

Football...
Maryville
Centre
Sewanee
Berry
Rhodes
Belhaven
Huntingdon
LaGrange

Non-football...
Oglethorpe
Asbury
Piedmont
Covenant
Agnes Scott (2027)

I guess. You could also do it this way and have a north/south division, since there aren't quite 12 without Rhodes and Centre, which I think would have better options. Play your division every year, 4 games, play 4 from the opposite division, leaving 1 OOC game at the start of the season and 1v1, 2v2, etc. to decide the championship and play out the last weekend. Very manageable for an area of the country that struggles to find reasonable OOC games.

North Football:
Brevard
Maryville
Greensboro
NC Wes
Southern Virginia

South Football:
Berry
Belhaven
Huntingdon
LaGrange
Sewanee

Once football is squared away, which is the hardest, just keep the CCS/USASAC split where needed for the other sports.

National - Poll 6 - October 20, 2026
Rank    School    Prev    W-L-T
1    Middlebury College    1    9-0-3
2    Rowan University    3    10-0-3
3    St. Olaf College    2    13-0-2
4    St. Lawrence University    4    10-0-3
5    Case Western Reserve University    5    10-0-2
6    University of Lynchburg    6    10-1-3
7    Williams College    7    9-1-2
8    Kenyon College    14    11-2-0
9    Hobart College    11    10-2-2
10    University of Chicago    9    10-3-0
11    Southwestern University    13    11-1-1
12    University of Scranton    16    10-1-3
13    Connecticut College    15    9-2-2
14    Calvin University    12    11-1-2
15    Montclair State University    19    12-2-2
16    Messiah University    20    12-1-1
17    Emory University    NR    11-1-2
18    Washington & Lee University    8    9-2-2
19    SUNY Cortland    18    11-2-1
20    Tufts University    23    7-2-3
21    Catholic University    10    9-1-4
22    Saint John's University    21    13-1-2
23    Roger Williams University    25    9-1-5
24    Salisbury University    22    11-1-3
25    Colorado College    NR    11-2-1

Records shown are through games of October 18, 2026

Also receiving votes: SUNY Oneonta, Babson College, North Park University, Bowdoin College, Ithaca College, Carnegie Mellon University, Wesleyan University, University of Redlands, Luther College, Denison University