FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

CardinalAlum · **Yesterday** at 08:26:31 PM

So happy for the Thunder win today over Wartburg! Congrats and way to represent the CCIW! Keep it rolling! NCC game had the worst field conditions I can recall for a turf surface at BW stadium! Kudos to everyone doing their part shoveling, including the President of NCC! Cards wore Hanover down eventually but the field conditions made for a crazy day! Happy with the win and ready for a great opponent in LaCrosse next week!

USee · **Today** at 12:42:20 AM

Quote from: D3fanboy on Yesterday at 05:56:23 PMBig time road W for Wheaton. Is Wartburg the new Linfield? Or just a corn-fed Hardin-Simmons?

More like Grove City, who some think is better than Wheaton.

hazzben · **Today** at 04:44:55 AM

Game ball goes to the Wheaton OLine. Kept a very clean pocket most of the day, and were effective on the ground. Wart's vaunted rush D isn't impenetrable when they face good Olines in the playoffs.

No idea who gets to the Semi's out of this quad, but it'll be a very good football team!

Pat Coleman · **Today** at 11:44:37 AM

Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 04:25:45 PMWheaton beats Wartburg 28-24! ⭐️
So much for the wonderful NPI analysis/rankings 🤪 🤯

BTW, Hansen Ratings had Wheaton as a 5-point favorite.

CarollFan · **Today** at 12:52:23 PM

Looking forward to Usee's analysis of DePauw. Statistically they have some better numbers than Wartburg on defense especially against the run where they shutdown UWW.

If I'm not mistaken they are the #1 rush defense in D3.

GusD · **Today** at 04:13:40 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on Today at 11:44:37 AM
Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 04:25:45 PMWheaton beats Wartburg 28-24! ⭐️
So much for the wonderful NPI analysis/rankings 🤪 🤯

BTW, Hansen Ratings had Wheaton as a 5-point favorite.

Exactly. Despite Wartburg being 10-0 AND playing at home, I wasn't surprised at all that Wheaton won. Not only Hansen but additionally, their only losses were to the numbers 1 and 2 in the county.
I'm just not a big fan of NPI.

USee · **Today** at 04:22:51 PM

Well, you can complain about NPI all you want but without it Wheaton is not in the field this year. No wins against RRO, though SOS may have been decent.

The new NPI encourages teams to schedule top 10 teams and particularly WIAC/OAC/HSC etc as the NPI boost will insure you are in the field at 8-2 and certainly 9-1.

GusD · **Today** at 04:26:07 PM

Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 07:00:29 PMWhile the field was swept prior to the festivities today, NCC employed the Shovel Brigade to keep the field playable during the game. Whenever there was a timeout, and as other opportunities such as changes of possession, walking off penalties, etc., presented themselves, the Brigade would run out on the field and shovel at 5 yard intervals - 5 yard line, 10, 15, and so on in order to keep the field as playable as possible. Each yard line seemed to have its own shoveler, so there was a sizable force involved.
I was advised that the shovelers were freshmen members of the team that did not dress today. I live about 5 minutes from the stadium and when I got home I found we had already gotten about 5.5-6 inches, so their efforts were invaluable as far s keeping the field as playable as possible. The Brigade should get next Saturday off as the forecast for Naperville is sunny and 75!

One of the crew that cleaned the field prior to kickoff, and again during halftime, was North Central President "GP." Nice to have a Pres and Administration that, while always putting academics first, so strongly supports the role athletics plays in the overall College experience.

GusD · Last Edit: **Today** at 04:41:51 PM by GusD

Quote from: USee on Today at 04:22:51 PMWell, you can complain about NPI all you want but without it Wheaton is not in the field this year. No wins against RRO, though SOS may have been decent.

The new NPI encourages teams to schedule top 10 teams and particularly WIAC/OAC/HSC etc as the NPI boost will insure you are in the field at 8-2 and certainly 9-1.

Well my angst may be somewhat misguided then because while I certainly can't be accused of being a Wheaton fan, it is just plain craziness for anyone to assert they didn't belong in this season's playoffs solely because they had two losses.
But I just can't help but think a system that placed NCC 4th has some flaws. That's all.

Cardinal773 · **Today** at 04:39:31 PM

It would be interesting to see NPI updated as the playoffs roll along. Maybe use the bowl games too.

USee · **Today** at 04:45:13 PM

Quote from: GusD on Today at 04:37:02 PM
Quote from: USee on Today at 04:22:51 PMWell, you can complain about NPI all you want but without it Wheaton is not in the field this year. No wins against RRO, though SOS may have been decent.

The new NPI encourages teams to schedule top 10 teams and particularly WIAC/OAC/HSC etc as the NPI boost will insure you are in the field at 8-2 and certainly 9-1.

Well my angst may be somewhat misguided then because while I certainly can't be accused of being a Wheaton fan, it is just plain craziness for anyone to assert they didn't belong in this season's playoffs solely because they had two losses.
But I just can't help but think a system that placed NCC 4th has some flaws. That's all.

No question the old system would have left Wheaton out but certainly would have had NCC as the likely #1 overall seed. NPI needs some adjustments for seeding purposes.

USee · **Today** at 04:49:43 PM

Interesting sequence with regards to clearing the snow in Waverly. I should start by saying I was watching 3-4 games and Wartburg was by far the best at clearing snow. They had an army and some big heavy equipment. NCC was at the other end of that spectrum.

At the end of the first half, Wartburg ran the clock down to 3.6 seconds and called timeout to attempt a fg. during the timeout the grounds crew went out and used shovels to clear a spot for the FG kicker. The problem was they clears a spot about 3 yards too close to the LOS. As the kicker lined up and kicked snow away from his path, just before the snap, Wheaton HC Jesse Scott called Timeout, ostensibly to "ice" the kicker, pun intended. Unfortunately, that allowed the grounds crew to come back out and use shovels to clear the correct spot and the Wartburg kicker promptly made the kick to end the first half. Those 3 pts proved big in the back and forth second half.

hazzben · **Today** at 04:52:44 PM

DePauw strikes me as very similar to Wartburg. A great rush D, that hasn't faced an offense that is the combo of balanced and as good up front as Wheaton is. Wartburg's offense scored 17 (at "vaunted" Walton-Hoover) against a Coe squad that other Top 10 teams laid 50 on. They just weren't going to keep pace offensively and needed a defensive score and Wheaton with some redzone TO's. Better weather would have only helped Wheaton IMO.

DePauw run D was the perfect poison for UWW, who is totally one dimensional. Good neutralizing good. But Wheaton's best weapon is their passing efficiency and a mobile QB. That's what will open up the run game for them against DePauw. That and the weather can't be anything but better Saturday, which will only make the passing attack that much more potent.

hazzben · **Today** at 05:03:57 PM

Quote from: USee on Today at 04:49:43 PMInteresting sequence with regards to clearing the snow in Waverly. I should start by saying I was watching 3-4 games and Wartburg was by far the best at clearing snow. They had an army and some big heavy equipment. NCC was at the other end of that spectrum.

Totally agree USee. Watched the Wart v Wheaton game on demand after getting home from Bethel. Wartburg ground crews were incredible. I actually took picks of the TV to send to the Bethel AD on how we could improve in another snow scenario. The lines, hash, sidelines and end zones were almost always clean. And at halftime the entire field was totally cleared. Made for much better second half footing than what I saw in person and in other Midwest games.