FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[New Tradition]

Congrats to Broc Rutter and the rest of the Gagliardi Semifinalists!

Don't forget to cast your ballot here: https://d3football.com/notables/2019/11/gagliardi-voting

[79jaybird]

Happy early Thanksgiving to everybody.

Good luck to Wheaton & NC this weekend.  Go pull out some W's.

[USee]

HansenRatings spreads:

Mt Union -9.9 vs NCC
Wheaton -28 vs Central
St Johns -14 @Chapman

[matblake]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Seems cheesy,  but I'm really thankful for this community. I haven't been as active as in the past, but I still check in almost daily for the insight and conversation. It's great to have a place where it can happen and people who like D3 as much as(or more than) I do.

NC has its work cut out for them. I think that Hansen spread is probably a good barometer. What is really hard to quantify when you play Mount is their experience. Since each year they go deep into the playoffs, first they will have potentially 5 or 6 difficult games per year as opposed to 2 or 3 for a team that regularly advances to the second round. That game experience can really give you an extra encyclopedia of knowledge when facing difficult situations. Add in the fact that by the time they are seniors, they have had basically a whole additional season of practice because of the deep playoff runs/championships.

The Wheaton game has me concerned. Any time you play a team that won't "go away" it can be mentally taxing and mental errors can increase the upset snowball rolling down the hill. Add in the Thunder's problems with penalties, and the situation can get more dangerous. Plus Thanksgiving weekend is a weird time to play at home since the student section is diminished. That said, I think Wheaton has the athletes to overcome, but I hope to see the offense like it was against WashU instead of against Carroll/Martin Luther.

[MUC57]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Seems cheesy,  but I'm really thankful for this community. I haven't been as active as in the past, but I still check in almost daily for the insight and conversation. It's great to have a place where it can happen and people who like D3 as much as(or more than) I do.

NC has its work cut out for them. I think that Hansen spread is probably a good barometer. What is really hard to quantify when you play Mount is their experience. Since each year they go deep into the playoffs, first they will have potentially 5 or 6 difficult games per year as opposed to 2 or 3 for a team that regularly advances to the second round. That game experience can really give you an extra encyclopedia of knowledge when facing difficult situations. Add in the fact that by the time they are seniors, they have had basically a whole additional season of practice because of the deep playoff runs/championships.

The Wheaton game has me concerned. Any time you play a team that won't "go away" it can be mentally taxing and mental errors can increase the upset snowball rolling down the hill. Add in the Thunder's problems with penalties, and the situation can get more dangerous. Plus Thanksgiving weekend is a weird time to play at home since the student section is diminished. That said, I think Wheaton has the athletes to overcome, but I hope to see the offense like it was against WashU instead of against Carroll/Martin Luther.

I like and agree with your comments on Mount Union. Makes sense.

UMU vs NCC will be a great game. I'm glad it's at Mount. Two powerful teams going at it. I do favor The Raiders defense. So, who wins? Flip a coin!

As far as Wheaton is concerned - they are "spooky" good. Look at the NCAA stats. Would not be surprised to see them in the Stagg Bowl.
As I always say, see signature below, Go Everybody.

And while I'm here, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! 🦃 🍷

Let's hope for decent weather in all the games, no injuries and each team playing it's best.

[USee]

The Mt Union/NCC game should be entertaining. While I don't think it will be the shootout many predict, it will be fun to see the two best QB's on the two best offenses in D3 on the same field.

[MUC57]

The Mt Union/NCC game should be entertaining. While I don't think it will be the shootout many predict, it will be fun to see the two best QB's o the two best offenses in D3 on the same field.

You said it! 🏈

[Craft_Beermeister]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Seems cheesy,  but I'm really thankful for this community. I haven't been as active as in the past, but I still check in almost daily for the insight and conversation. It's great to have a place where it can happen and people who like D3 as much as(or more than) I do.

NC has its work cut out for them. I think that Hansen spread is probably a good barometer. What is really hard to quantify when you play Mount is their experience. Since each year they go deep into the playoffs, first they will have potentially 5 or 6 difficult games per year as opposed to 2 or 3 for a team that regularly advances to the second round. That game experience can really give you an extra encyclopedia of knowledge when facing difficult situations. Add in the fact that by the time they are seniors, they have had basically a whole additional season of practice because of the deep playoff runs/championships.

The Wheaton game has me concerned. Any time you play a team that won't "go away" it can be mentally taxing and mental errors can increase the upset snowball rolling down the hill. Add in the Thunder's problems with penalties, and the situation can get more dangerous. Plus Thanksgiving weekend is a weird time to play at home since the student section is diminished. That said, I think Wheaton has the athletes to overcome, but I hope to see the offense like it was against WashU instead of against Carroll/Martin Luther.

I think the NCC UMU game will be a good entertaining game.  You correctly pointed out an advantage Mount has in the amount of extra weeks of practices UMU gets by running deep into the playoffs almost every year. Many a junior at UMU starts his is junior year with an extra 10 weeks of practice (equivalent to a full extra year).  Mount Union leverages these extra practices by having intense practices scheme to maximize competition for position ranking. NNC often have very good teams and they have made the playoffs 8 of the last 10 years. This year the history hasn't yet been written, but in the 7 other playoff runs in the last 10 years twice they got past the 2nd round with the 2013 one point loss to UMU in the semifinals being the furthest they have gotten in football during the time period.  NCC is a top notice team and once they can consistently get further in the playoffs I expect them to also be able to leverage the luxury of additional practices.

I wish both teams good luck and good health. 

[joelmama]

1)  Whitewater is a MUCH more reasonable opponent for NC than UMHB or Mount Union.

2)  Is there a person on planet Earth who actually thinks Hope is a better team than NC?  What would the betting line be on a neutral field?

     * Again, we're looking at these blatantly ridiculous FAKE objective standards, in this case the regional rankings.  (FAKE objective standards, because of the woefully deficient data used for the regional rankings.  It's a way to avoid responsibility.)

The eye test is also a way to avoid responsibility, as it would effectively shut out half of D3 from potentially ever getting an at-large berth.  I don't by any stretch think that the present selection criteria is perfect -- especially using SOS when there are so few non-conference games.  But the only data we have is better than a smoke-filled room.

In its last four tournament runs, North Central's second round opponents have been MIAC, WIAC, CCIW, and WIAC institutions.  Mount is six levels above most of these teams, but you're not going to get a gimme after the first round in the Midwest, and any of the eight I noted earlier would be a challenge.

if they are at large picks and the goal is to take the five best thenyes half the teams have no chance and that is the way it should be imo if they don't pass the eye test

[USee]

Article from Cleveland Paper about NCC @UMU:

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2019/11/ncaa-d23-playoffs-dynamic-offenses-clash-when-notre-dame-college-plays-at-kutztown-and-mount-union-hosts-north-central.html

Mount Union is No. 2 in total defense (186.2 yards per game allowed), No. 2 in pass defense (106.5 yards) and No. 2 in points allowed (8.10 per game). The Purple Raiders also allow only 79.6 yards rushing per game, which is 15th in the nation.

"Our defense looks forward to it," Kehres said. "Anytime you look at your opponent and you see eye popping statistics, the focus is a little higher. We had a good practice yesterday. The guys are locked in to what the game plan is and are looking forward to Saturday."

[Jim Matson]

Mount Union vs...Mount Union? This looks good! Yeah, I'm a CCIW fan.

[USee]

Why NCC's coaches thought they could play Mount Union WR's 1 on 1 is mind boggling. Justin Hill is destroying them right now.

Good news is Rutter is being Rutter.

[Stagg Again!!]

Article from Cleveland Paper about NCC @UMU:

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2019/11/ncaa-d23-playoffs-dynamic-offenses-clash-when-notre-dame-college-plays-at-kutztown-and-mount-union-hosts-north-central.html

Mount Union is No. 2 in total defense (186.2 yards per game allowed), No. 2 in pass defense (106.5 yards) and No. 2 in points allowed (8.10 per game). The Purple Raiders also allow only 79.6 yards rushing per game, which is 15th in the nation.

"Our defense looks forward to it," Kehres said. "Anytime you look at your opponent and you see eye popping statistics, the focus is a little higher. We had a good practice yesterday. The guys are locked in to what the game plan is and are looking forward to Saturday."

12:05 left in 2Q... Wheaton's defense is definitely better than Mount Union's.  MUC can't stop NCC on the ground or through the air so far!  Of course, NCC can't stop MUC through the air either, so this should be an interesting one.

[Stagg Again!!]

Article from Cleveland Paper about NCC @UMU:

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2019/11/ncaa-d23-playoffs-dynamic-offenses-clash-when-notre-dame-college-plays-at-kutztown-and-mount-union-hosts-north-central.html

Mount Union is No. 2 in total defense (186.2 yards per game allowed), No. 2 in pass defense (106.5 yards) and No. 2 in points allowed (8.10 per game). The Purple Raiders also allow only 79.6 yards rushing per game, which is 15th in the nation.

"Our defense looks forward to it," Kehres said. "Anytime you look at your opponent and you see eye popping statistics, the focus is a little higher. We had a good practice yesterday. The guys are locked in to what the game plan is and are looking forward to Saturday."

12:05 left in 2Q... Wheaton's defense is definitely better than Mount Union's.  MUC can't stop NCC on the ground or through the air so far!  Of course, NCC can't stop MUC through the air either, so this should be an interesting one.

MUC WRs are definitely a good as advertised... too much speed for NCC's DBs.  Gotta get more push up front or the track meet will continue.

[cciw83]

I hope those announcers doing the MUC-NCC game are students and just learning how to call a game.  Wow!