FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[TCrawf5825]

Here is the string that started the string of insults.  There are good football based arguments on why I believe Thorne is a great coach adn common opponent mean very little.  I ahve yeet to hear a football based argument from either of those two why my post is invalid,  nothing more than insults and grief over typo's

TCrawf -- Just a comment about the NCC UWW game.  The Thornes are great at exploiting the other teams weakness. Today they viewed ONU as large and slow (at least slower than NCC) on both sides of the ball so they ran many different backs and wore ONU out.  NCC had 2 backs over 100 yards.  Not alot of passing today  The defense has been playing a lot of people all year and did so again today wore them out as well.  They had heat on the QB all game.  You could just see the ONU players playing higher as the game wore on.  My hats off to the kids from both teams though for playing a good clean game.  I have no good info on UWW but believe the common opponent thing does not apply and have all  the confidence in the world that if UWW has a weakness Coach Thorne will find it and make the most of it

U-SEE  -- Well Tcrawf, it's a good thing coach Leipold and his staff are taking a vacation on looking for opponents weaknesses to exploit or this game may end in a tie.

TCrawf -- Confidence in my teams coach does not require sarcasm on your part.  then again sarcasm is the last resort of a man with nothing intellegent to say

Teams ride emotional highs and lows throughout the year, not to mention other intangibles like injuries etc.  Teams match-up differently.  I believe common opponents to be a poor indicator and like I said I am confident in coach Thorne's ability to exploit the opponents weaknesses 

[skunks_sidekick]

If you think things were "chippy" against ONU, wait until you get a load of a highly motivated, chip on their shoulder, annoyed UWW team.  They have been the hardest hitting, trash talking, TOUGH team Mount has played in the last six years.  If NCC doesn't come out and match the nastiness and intensity, the game will be over by half-time. 

[TCrawf5825]

  Thanks for the input.  I have no doubt what you say about UWW is true.  I work with a bunch of ONU alums so I hear both sides of that one :-)    NCC certainly can't get a 4th down and 4 penalty for 12 on the field, then turn around and fumble the first punt like last week. 
   To add to the nastiness UWW is angry that they were not rated number one in the bracket.  NCC is on Christmas break which will help them focus only on football as they will definitely need to bring their best game

[usee]

So much for "being a bigger man" and "walking away".....

TCrawf, let's take a look at your line of reasoning and talk "football". What I was obviously trying to say is "finding an opponents weakness" is NOT and advantage of coach Thorne. This isn't UWW's first rodeo and you don't make it to 5 Stagg bowls by not finding and exploiting an opponents weakness. That seems pretty essential to any successful teams gameplan. You seemed to reiterate it as if John Thorne has a corner on the market in finding another teams weakness and exploiting it. All I was highlighting is the fact that Coach Leipold and his staff have made a playoff lifetime out of doing that better than their opponents. And they usually do it with better players (which a smart coach once told me "better players make plays better"). So if NCC wants to win Saturday, I hope they bring something more to the party than Thorne's ability to find and exploit an opponents weaknesses.

As to insults, I believe the first assault was when you referred to me as "unitellegent" in the above post. I don't recall referring to you personally in any post (which may be a first for me). Don't be throwing stones from you little glass hut. And if you don't like sarcasm you better find a different blog to participate in because I am not the only one using that as a primary means of communication.

[bleedpurple]

If you think things were "chippy" against ONU, wait until you get a load of a highly motivated, chip on their shoulder, annoyed UWW team.  They have been the hardest hitting, trash talking, TOUGH team Mount has played in the last six years.  If NCC doesn't come out and match the nastiness and intensity, the game will be over by half-time. 

Don't listen to Skunk. He's talking about the OLD UW-W. You know, the #1 seeds. We are just a bunch of nice guys wanting to play a little football. You know, throw the ball around the yard for a few hours. If we happen to knock you down (which is doubtful), we'll help you up. Nothing to get all excited about. Just a bunch of college kids hanging out...  

[usee]

Bleedpurple-- Do I detect a hint of SARCASM??? How dare you insult our board with such rhetoric. I am walking away to the D3.com racquetball board. 

[CardinalAlum]

Bleedpurple-- Do I detect a hint of SARCASM??? How dare you insult our board with such rhetoric. I am walking away to the D3.com racquetball board.  

You should check out the chess board.....Mugsy is a shoo in for the playoffs this year!   

[CardinalAlum]

I am going to be the bigger man and walk after this rather than banter back and forth with a little man like you.

So, you do know him personally!   

[usee]

I saw Mugsy is higher than me in the chessboard pickem's. He had Deep Blue over Kasparov in the wild card and edged me by a point!

[bleedpurple]

Bleedpurple-- Do I detect a hint of SARCASM??? How dare you insult our board with such rhetoric. I am walking away to the D3.com racquetball board. 

Just wanted to prove your point USee! And make one of my own... 

[CardinalAlum]

I saw Mugsy is higher than me in the chessboard pickem's. He had Deep Blue over Kasparov in the wild card and edged me by a point!

He is wise beyond his years and tough to beat!  

[TCrawf5825]

TCrawf, let's take a look at your line of reasoning and talk "football". What I was obviously trying to say is "finding an opponents weakness" is NOT and advantage of coach Thorne. This isn't UWW's first rodeo and you don't make it to 5 Stagg bowls by not finding and exploiting an opponents weakness. That seems pretty essential to any successful teams gameplan. You seemed to reiterate it as if John Thorne has a corner on the market in finding another teams weakness and exploiting it. All I was highlighting is the fact that Coach Leipold and his staff have made a playoff lifetime out of doing that better than their opponents. And they usually do it with better players (which a smart coach once told me "better players make plays better"). So if NCC wants to win Saturday, I hope they bring something more to the party than Thorne's ability to find and exploit an opponents weaknesses.

The above is what I mean by talking football, why not just do that in the first place.  You are right about one thing if sarcasm is the order of the day I shold find another board

[washdupcard]

TCrawf, let's take a look at your line of reasoning and talk "football". What I was obviously trying to say is "finding an opponents weakness" is NOT and advantage of coach Thorne. This isn't UWW's first rodeo and you don't make it to 5 Stagg bowls by not finding and exploiting an opponents weakness. That seems pretty essential to any successful teams gameplan. You seemed to reiterate it as if John Thorne has a corner on the market in finding another teams weakness and exploiting it. All I was highlighting is the fact that Coach Leipold and his staff have made a playoff lifetime out of doing that better than their opponents. And they usually do it with better players (which a smart coach once told me "better players make plays better"). So if NCC wants to win Saturday, I hope they bring something more to the party than Thorne's ability to find and exploit an opponents weaknesses.

The above is what I mean by talking football, why not just do that in the first place.  You are right about one thing if sarcasm is the order of the day I shold find another board

You see (too subtle?), you cannot be subtle when communicating with the highly educated football coaches on our board.  They don't deal in subtleties.  They clearly know more than you and I.  Do not question authority.

Memo to all future posters, make sure you explain to the highly educated, in dramatic detail exactly what you are attempting to communicate, so they can follow along..... you poop heads.

[washdupcard]

Getting back on topic.

I am extremely worried about NCC's offense vs. UWW's D.

I am not confident in NCC's ability to run the ball effectively.  I am also not confident in NCC's ability to alter their style and sling the ball all over the field this weekend.  If I'm UWW, I'm putting 8 in the box, manning up on the outside, and daring Stanek to beat me.

I hate to deal in cliches, but it seems to me that this weekend will come down to field position and special teams.

[cigarstore_indian]

    Cigarstore-Indian   I both played college football and coached it as well. High school too.  You're right that I got snooty with Cardinaldad which I appologize for but those other two were just getting sarcastic because I disagreed with their common opponent theory.   I know what pilepicking is and all that.  I believe the officials kept god control of the game. ONU had 9 penalties,  I recall 3 clips which were kids hustleing, a holding on big number 71 and a few procedure calls, not alot of late hits.  When you keep the ball on the ground many times over the middle you will get alot of piles and hustling kids will try to push it in their direction until the whislte blows.
   
   If someone disagrees with me then making a football argument is fine in fact I want to hear that which is why I am here but the "liar-liar pants on fire " type sarcasm with posts that don't support someons specific agenda are whats not called for,

I agree that aggressive play and hustle is a great practice for any player.  However, as a coach who has coached every level from youth league to college, I completely discourage late hits, even if it is hustle.  I make my guys do two up-downs for every penalty yard we get.  If it's a personal foul I triple it.  Personal fouls are inexcusable, ESPECIALLY if it comes after the play.  Sometimes a block in the back or a hold will happen.  But pile picking is intentional.  I'm not saying that ONU is a dirty team either.  I had the pleasure of watching NCC take the OAC plunge in the preseason back in '08 and loved how physical both teams were.  But physicality is different than frustration. 

As far as this week goes.  In 07, when NCC played UW-W, they out scored their opponent 17-7 for 44 minutes in the game.  That leaves 16 minutes where the Cards needed to keep it together.  I believe that this team we have will be able to keep those 16 minutes under control.  The defense has an unbelievable amount of depth, and the offense seems to be firing on all cylinders.  I also feel that Coach Thorne will try and limit the amount of mistakes made on special teams.  The seniors this year know what's on the line when it comes to UW-W.  They've played them and know to expect a BIG, physical team that will be aggressive.  And I'm sure they know that UW-W will be overly aggressive in order to prove that they are the "better" team (quotes around better because I believe these teams match up evenly).  I see the NCC defense stepping up big and shutting down Coppage.  And I think the offense will continue to roll.  This will be the most exciting game of the year in Division III football.