FB: Centennial Conference

[FourthAndShort]

Alright so this week in the CC appears to be the CMU vs. F&M game... and then everything else. Perhaps some bowl game considerations with the Ursinus vs. Dickinson game.

CMU 24
F&M 21

It's a must win game for both teams. If F&M wins, they are in the playoffs. Otherwise, they have to beat Hopkins to make it. CMU has to win out to have a shot. It's tough to say which F&M team is going to come out... the one that beat Ursinus by 32... or the one that played a 1 score game to a winless Gettysburg.

Dickinson 21
Ursinus 28

Ursinus on a down year still seems to have the upper hand here.

Gettysburg 14
Muhlenberg 49

Muhlenberg has to win out to make the playoffs. They should have no issue achieving that, but they'll play 4 quarters hard to ensure it.

JHU 66
McDaniel 7

I'm not sure there's much to say here. Both teams should just hope for no unnecessary injuries.

[FishHack76]

Wow. Didn't cover the running back coming out of the backfield.

What a game, though. A fantastic comeback by F&M. Congrats to both playoff-bound teams.

[CMU24]

If you ever wonder what that sound is over here on the Centennial Conference Board...

Is it the sound of crickets 🦗
Or the sound of silence 🤫
Or the sound of domination 💪

Whatever you want to call it, there is only one cause - the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays. 🏈

And they know that talk is cheap. All they do is win. 🏆

Not sure why you feel the need to post something like that "TheMan" but good luck to JHU as well as Muhlenberg and F&M. Would love to see the CC well represented and respected in the tournament.

[unionpalooza]

If you ever wonder what that sound is over here on the Centennial Conference Board...

Is it the sound of crickets 🦗
Or the sound of silence 🤫
Or the sound of domination 💪

Whatever you want to call it, there is only one cause - the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays. 🏈

And they know that talk is cheap. All they do is win. 🏆

Not sure why you feel the need to post something like that "TheMan" but good luck to JHU as well as Muhlenberg and F&M. Would love to see the CC well represented and respected in the tournament.

Where did The Man go?  Much like the Jay's pass coverage on the last play Saturday, he seems to have disappeared.  Gotta love these six-post heroes.

[The Man]

If you ever wonder what that sound is over here on the Centennial Conference Board...

Is it the sound of crickets 🦗
Or the sound of silence 🤫
Or the sound of domination 💪

Whatever you want to call it, there is only one cause - the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays. 🏈

And they know that talk is cheap. All they do is win. 🏆

Not sure why you feel the need to post something like that "TheMan" but good luck to JHU as well as Muhlenberg and F&M. Would love to see the CC well represented and respected in the tournament.

Where did The Man go?  Much like the Jay's pass coverage on the last play Saturday, he seems to have disappeared.  Gotta love these six-post heroes.

It's a message board; people post when they want to. 

Much like all highly successful Hopkins alumni, or in your parlance, "a six-post hero," The Man has interests outside of this board; The Man's posting frequency reflects that - not his team loyalty.

Almost positive this was a topic of discussion at Homewood on November 25, 2023...

[8i Technique]

Jumping back on with CC pics for week one of the 2025 post-season:

Muhlenberg 34 - Union 28
I anticipate a tight battle throughout the day, with Union taking an early lead. Muhlenberg turns to its big-play offense in the 2nd half and holds on for a 3rd trip to Alliance in the past 7 seasons (this time, in November). Mahaffey remains the wild card in this equation---hoping to see him running on all cylinders!

CMU 42 - Misericordia 14
Too much talent in Pittsburgh. The Tartans send their senior class off a with a memorable win to close out a season full of 'what ifs' and 'almosts'.



Dickinson 21 - Del Val 24
I absolutely think (and want) DC to find a way to win...but I will give the nod to a quality Del Val team in Doylestown.

Ursinus 34 - Leb Val 20
Back to back big wins in Collegeville for the Bears as their defense continues to cause chaos in the backfield. I'm taking Rios for 3+ TFLs and Machado for 3+ TD passes.

[Ice Bear]

Jumping back on with CC pics for week one of the 2025 post-season:

Muhlenberg 34 - Union 28
I anticipate a tight battle throughout the day, with Union taking an early lead. Muhlenberg turns to its big-play offense in the 2nd half and holds on for a 3rd trip to Alliance in the past 7 seasons (this time, in November). Mahaffey remains the wild card in this equation---hoping to see him running on all cylinders![/b]

CMU 42 - Misericordia 14
Too much talent in Pittsburgh. The Tartans send their senior class off a with a memorable win to close out a season full of 'what ifs' and 'almosts'.



Dickinson 21 - Del Val 24
I absolutely think (and want) DC to find a way to win...but I will give the nod to a quality Del Val team in Doylestown.

Ursinus 34 - Leb Val 20
Back to back big wins in Collegeville for the Bears as their defense continues to cause chaos in the backfield. I'm taking Rios for 3+ TFLs and Machado for 3+ TD passes.

I think this is a very solid assessment. Honestly, I'm hoping Union can keep the game competitive. I have a ton of respect for Muhlenberg and I think they will jump out on U and it'll be tough for Union to come back/keep up.

Union certainly has a couple of playmakers and a line that has played very well as of late. The D has also played well, kind of a bend but not break type D against tough competition.

Let's hope for a competitive game with NO INJURIES today. Regardless of winner id just like to send a healthy fired up team head out to Alliance next week. Congrats to both Union and Muhlenberg on great seasons.

[Ice Bear]

Mulenberg moves on with a gritty impressive W against a never give up Union team. I am so proud of the way Union fought but in the end the fumble and int cost them. Muhlenberg made some big plays, capitalized on the Union mistakes, and made fewer overall mistakes today. They deserved to win and I am wholeheartedly rooting for the Mules next week. Absolutely no shame in losing to a great team and program in Muhlenberg.

I will say I was so disappointed as the entire game was unwatchable because of technical difficulties. Man that was frustrating but mistakes happen and overall I'm grateful I could at least follow the stats from start to finish.

Congrats to Muhlenberg on the win and Union on a great season!

[Former CAC Coach]

Jumping back on with CC pics for week one of the 2025 post-season:

Muhlenberg 34 - Union 28
I anticipate a tight battle throughout the day, with Union taking an early lead. Muhlenberg turns to its big-play offense in the 2nd half and holds on for a 3rd trip to Alliance in the past 7 seasons (this time, in November). Mahaffey remains the wild card in this equation---hoping to see him running on all cylinders!

CMU 42 - Misericordia 14
Too much talent in Pittsburgh. The Tartans send their senior class off a with a memorable win to close out a season full of 'what ifs' and 'almosts'.



Dickinson 21 - Del Val 24
I absolutely think (and want) DC to find a way to win...but I will give the nod to a quality Del Val team in Doylestown.

Ursinus 34 - Leb Val 20
Back to back big wins in Collegeville for the Bears as their defense continues to cause chaos in the backfield. I'm taking Rios for 3+ TFLs and Machado for 3+ TD passes.

Wow!  Almost a perfect score prediction of the Mules/Union score....impressive

[8i Technique]

Mulenberg moves on with a gritty impressive W against a never give up Union team. I am so proud of the way Union fought but in the end the fumble and int cost them. Muhlenberg made some big plays, capitalized on the Union mistakes, and made fewer overall mistakes today. They deserved to win and I am wholeheartedly rooting for the Mules next week. Absolutely no shame in losing to a great team and program in Muhlenberg.

I will say I was so disappointed as the entire game was unwatchable because of technical difficulties. Man that was frustrating but mistakes happen and overall I'm grateful I could at least follow the stats from start to finish.

Congrats to Muhlenberg on the win and Union on a great season!

An exciting game with 2 quality programs pushing each other to the limits.

Yes, the ESPN 'technical difficulty' page was woeful, but the stats updates kept us on the edge of our proverbial seats.

Hoping the Mules and the G-Chargers cross paths again in the very near future!

[8i Technique]

Jumping back on with CC pics for week one of the 2025 post-season:

Muhlenberg 34 - Union 28
I anticipate a tight battle throughout the day, with Union taking an early lead. Muhlenberg turns to its big-play offense in the 2nd half and holds on for a 3rd trip to Alliance in the past 7 seasons (this time, in November). Mahaffey remains the wild card in this equation---hoping to see him running on all cylinders!

CMU 42 - Misericordia 14
Too much talent in Pittsburgh. The Tartans send their senior class off a with a memorable win to close out a season full of 'what ifs' and 'almosts'.



Dickinson 21 - Del Val 24
I absolutely think (and want) DC to find a way to win...but I will give the nod to a quality Del Val team in Doylestown.

Ursinus 34 - Leb Val 20
Back to back big wins in Collegeville for the Bears as their defense continues to cause chaos in the backfield. I'm taking Rios for 3+ TFLs and Machado for 3+ TD passes.

Wow!  Almost a perfect score prediction of the Mules/Union score....impressive

Thanks CAC COACH: I watched enough Mules games in 2025 to foresee the way this one would go...with a touch of 'fan's choice' energy to favor the Mules in my pick. Assume the only outcome I missed was the PAT Block/2-Point Conversion Fail.

I was somewhat accurate with the Centennial-Mac Bowl games:

1. CMU won, but in a tight contest--I was grading their offense with Joey McGinnis IV; had I known he wasn't playing, I may have adjusted CMU's total downward.

2. Dickinson and Del Val played the contest I expected, simply with less points on the scoreboard. The Red Devils had a 4th Quarter lead, but could not solve the Galasso-Migliori connection throughout the day, with their 64-yard connection earning the Aggies a come-from-behind victory.

3. Ursinus pulled away with a convincing win (in the record books) to complete a very solid season. I was completely off in my player impact hypothesis--Ursinus won with the ground game, putting up 243 yards, their second-highest total of the year (Moravian 258). LVC's final two drives were twarted with interceptions--creating a final score that was not indicative of the 17-13 margin, halfway through the 4th Quarter.

Congrats to all--now on to week 2 of the CC conference playoff run. Excited to see if F&M and JHU can do the league proud in home playoff games. As for the Mules, it will take a perfect game, a bit of magic (Mahaffey-style) and Mount Union mistakes to keep them in the battle at Alliance.

[UfanBill]

Mulenberg moves on with a gritty impressive W against a never give up Union team. I am so proud of the way Union fought but in the end the fumble and int cost them. Muhlenberg made some big plays, capitalized on the Union mistakes, and made fewer overall mistakes today. They deserved to win and I am wholeheartedly rooting for the Mules next week. Absolutely no shame in losing to a great team and program in Muhlenberg.

I will say I was so disappointed as the entire game was unwatchable because of technical difficulties. Man that was frustrating but mistakes happen and overall I'm grateful I could at least follow the stats from start to finish.

Congrats to Muhlenberg on the win and Union on a great season!

An exciting game with 2 quality programs pushing each other to the limits.

Yes, the ESPN 'technical difficulty' page was woeful, but the stats updates kept us on the edge of our proverbial seats.

Hoping the Mules and the G-Chargers cross paths again in the very near future!

I'm not so forgiving as my good friend Ice Bear when it comes to responsibility for the streaming snafu. I know I wanted to watch the game, not just follow the live stats. I even emailed the Muhlenberg SID to get his take on what happened. While he was very apologetic he doesn't believe they did anything wrong on their end. At this point I still want to watch the game. The Mules SID says the video does exists but claims the rights to it are owned by ESPN. He vowed to contact them about releasing the replay. I know plenty of Union fans and especially player parents who would love to have access.

[unionpalooza]

Mulenberg moves on with a gritty impressive W against a never give up Union team. I am so proud of the way Union fought but in the end the fumble and int cost them. Muhlenberg made some big plays, capitalized on the Union mistakes, and made fewer overall mistakes today. They deserved to win and I am wholeheartedly rooting for the Mules next week. Absolutely no shame in losing to a great team and program in Muhlenberg.

I will say I was so disappointed as the entire game was unwatchable because of technical difficulties. Man that was frustrating but mistakes happen and overall I'm grateful I could at least follow the stats from start to finish.

Congrats to Muhlenberg on the win and Union on a great season!

An exciting game with 2 quality programs pushing each other to the limits.

Yes, the ESPN 'technical difficulty' page was woeful, but the stats updates kept us on the edge of our proverbial seats.

Hoping the Mules and the G-Chargers cross paths again in the very near future!

I'm not so forgiving as my good friend Ice Bear when it comes to responsibility for the streaming snafu. I know I wanted to watch the game, not just follow the live stats. I even emailed the Muhlenberg SID to get his take on what happened. While he was very apologetic he doesn't believe they did anything wrong on their end. At this point I still want to watch the game. The Mules SID says the video does exists but claims the rights to it are owned by ESPN. He vowed to contact them about releasing the replay. I know plenty of Union fans and especially player parents who would love to have access.

I feel like SIDs always deserve a little patience. They are all absurdly overworked and
understaffed.

On the other hand. I have zero tolerance for whomever in the Muhlenberg athletic department thinks providing a hallway with a few curtains counts as a "visitor's locker room." They should never get to host another playoff game unless and until that gets corrected.

[8i Technique]

Coming into playoff week #2 with a perfect prediction record (4-0); let's see if I can keep the streak alive:

Muhlenberg 31 @ Mt. Union 49
For the Mules to have a puncher's chance, they will need a handful of breaks going their way. Muhlenberg's offense can create big plays and, if they are firing on all cylinders, does have the skill on offense to sustain drives and confound defenses. The real question is--how many drives WON'T Mt. Union find the endzone. The Mules create pressure from the 2nd level- but do not have the secondary talent to risk bringing 5+ if they cannot get a free-runner on the QB. If things go right for Muhlenberg (winning turnover battle, sustaining drives, 3-5 big plays in the first 3 quarters), we could see a similar situation to hte Hopkin's game (4th quarter,down by one score with the ball in Hopkin's territory). At home on November 1, they proceeded to miss on a 4th down conversion, give up a big play to Bay Harvey and, ultimately, lose by 21.

Flash forward to the end of November in Alliance...Mahaffey is back, though playing a unique role. Had he been on the field against the Jay's, there may have been a bit more magic in the air to pull off the Centennial Conference upset. If the P-Raiders come out like a 20 year old Mike Tyson, the Mules could be out of this before halftime-that isn't my bet, but if we see 21-0, 28-7, 31-10 on the scoreboard at the half, that is simply a top caliber team, primed to roll nearly anyone in their way after a bye week.

I've given my hopes and my fears...now my bet. Coach Milne has seen this scenario play out two times and will be as prepared as possible for a 3rd encounter. Even if the Mules do not have the size and speed on the defensive side of the ball to win one-on-one match ups consistantly, they know how to put players in a position to succeed. Mt. Union is going to score 35+ on Saturday. The question is, will the Mules do so, as well...I am taking the under, but wishing for the over. If they Mules can pull off their greatest victory since the '46 Tobacco Bowl, it will take an A++ performance from the offense and 2-plus turnover margin. That's not magic, that's supernatural.

F&M 31 v. Eastern 23
Two talented 9-1 teams that consistantly win one-score games against quality opponents.

Based on a more challenging path to their conference championship and the Tom Gilberg homefield advantage, give me the Dips in this faceoff by 8 points...yet another one score win.

JHU 31 v. Springfield 20

Hopkins has been seething for 2 weeks after dropping their perfect season at F&M. As they return to the friendly confines of Homewood Field, I have confidence they will NOT drop back-to-back games for the first time since 2008 (to whom: the M&Ms of the Leghigh Valley).

As for battling The Pride:
Over the past 8 weeks, the Pride has outscored their opponents by an average scoring margin of 30-9, with their closest contests being 14-point victory margins. JHU has the talent to win one-on-one matchups with their defense, but the question iremains, can they play their option responsibilities play-in/play-out for 60 minutes? My bet is that they can do it well enough to win, even if there are lapses from time to time.

As for the Blue Jay Offense, Harvey, Crotty and the Boys moving the ball in chunks, making a statement that the bottom-right quadrant is theirs for the taking.