OK, so I’ve written in the past about my concerns about Rowan (Immediate thoughts on Week 7 and Week 9). Today my fears came true. Rowan couldn’t muster up enough offense (or, according to observers, much of a sense of urgency) in a 20-19 loss at William Paterson. When was the last time William Paterson was the lead story on D3football.com? Sept. 19, 2002, for a Mark Simon Feature on a pair of Pioneers who returned to football after returning from military service.
Funny, when I started to write that sentence, my assumption was “never” — but I checked it out.
Rowan needs to come out firing next week. They won’t get into the playoffs with two losses, not in their final two games. There might be a two-loss team that gets in the field somewhere, but not in this situation. Rowan wins and it’s in (beating both Cortland State and Montclair, the other two teams they’d be tied with). If Montclair wins, Cortland goes to the playoffs because Cortland beat Montclair.
Nice little 32-0 run, Whitewater. That was another one of the early scores that sent ripples through knowledgeable D-III fans.
Who’d have thought that we could have six potential playoff teams meeting at the Monon Bell, Cortaca Jug and Dutchman Shoes games next week? Cortaca won’t have any effect on whether either team makes the playoffs (Cortland’s at-large bid chances are a longshot at best, they wouldn’t even be the best two-loss team out there) but Ithaca is in and Cortland will be scoreboard-listening. RPI almost didn’t make it to this dance, however, needing a late TD to beat Rochester.
Capital had another great day on defense. In fact, if you throw out the Mount Union game, Capital has allowed just 7.6 points per game all season. Usually I’m not in favor of throwing out a game to make a point, but Capital has allowed just 11.4 points per contest even with that game, and shoot, for most of the past decade the Purple Raiders have been the Priceline of offense — you know, name your own score.
Only today did McDaniel refute my hypothesis that their 4-1 season could very well turn into 4-6. The Green Terror had lost four in a row before beating Muhlenberg today 13-6.
Ferrum clinched its first playoff bid since 1990, UW-Whitewater its first since 1997, and Johns Hopkins its first ever. Welcome to the show. See you on ESPNews in a week.
If Crown plays Southwest Assemblies of God and nobody reports a score, does it count?
E-mail of the day:
Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
K (xxxxxx@comcast.net) on Saturday, November 05, 2005 at 09:55:34 AM
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Subject: What About Rowan
Notes: I consistanly monitor your website and I think that it great, however you never write anything about Rowan football. Rowan has been at the top of Division III football for many years and you never give them any respect. I would like to see anything about Rowan football Thanks
I think the moral of the story is, don’t complain about lack of respect on Saturday morning. Save it for the blog. Ugh.
pcole:
No apologies necessary. You guys at D3football.com do a tremendous job given that your efforts are truly a labor of love. All D3 football fans are beneficiaries of your hard work, and I think all of us who blog here or merely view the website appreciate what you do. Get some well-deserved rest tonite.
Yeah Pcole I was just curious how Wabash vs Depauw could be left off the list. You guys are my first and only source for Div. III stats and learning about what is happening around the nation. Hope you guys continue your great work.
You’ve got to give Huntingdon lots of props. They are only in the third year of their football program and have only one loss (at Trinity) after leading until late in the game. If Trinity is possibly going to be the # 1 seed in a region, you would think the Hawks deserve solid consideration for one of the 32 NCAA bids. They have to finish business against Maryville at home on Saturday…but I can’t belive there are 32 teams in the country better than them.
Hawk Fan:
I’m in agreement about the tremendous progress that program has made in three years. Two years ago, Wabash beat the Hawks 61-13. Even as a Wabash grad, I dare say that a game played now would be quite different, although I would hope the winner would be the same. What do you think accounts for their success?
Hasbeen,
Yes, I was at the Augustana game where Augustana beat yet another ranked team. It was cold and wet and cold.
If you listen to student announcers for commentary, they will probably be biased for whoever they represent.
WHo is your team? Principia?
Well just to throw it out there, The Ferrum CNU game has become quite the rivalry. It may not be a long lived one, but it has had implications on playoff berths since the beginning. Though this years game does not have many implications on the Playoffs, CNU is probably looking to put a chink in Ferrum’s Armor.
lg1970.
Unfortunatley, the subjectivity is supposed to be out of the tournament selction procedures. So, yes, trinity would likely be the number one seed, and ferrum and thiel with unbeaten records would like be in the top 4 with mary hardin baylor. Its all about the numbers.
To answer your question about if wabash lost…it might then look like this:
1. UW WHItewater
2. Mt Union
3. Augustana
4. North Central
5. Wabash
6. MT St Joseph
7. Albion
8. Lakeland
Hawk Fan,
Good to see another HC fan here, welcome. I also feel that we are good enough to be in the field of 32 but we also have to realize that our strength of schedule(or Quality of Wins Index, as the NCAA calls it) is not very good as Trinity is the only team we have played that is above .500. It’s becasue of this that even with a win this week, we most likely still need several other 1 loss teams to lose this week. Then all we can do is wait for the selection show on Sunday to see if we can get in.
The Judge,
I just don’t like the fact that HC may be penalized for strength of schedule when (as an independent D III team) they have essentially said they will play anyone. It is not like they can be choosy in the make-up of their schedule.
HC is fortunate to have a great group of coaches (and AD) who truly understand the D III structure and how to recruit to it. Even with Auburn and Alabama having a “hold” on so many fans, the school still has its own fan base that is very passionate about what these young men are accomplishing. It doesn’t get much better as a college football fan to experience football games at this level!
I want to give some love to UWOshkosh for making the Playoffs. If they beat the underachieving UW-Lacroose on Saturday, they will be 8-2, with 1 loss to UW-Whitewater. The WIAC deserves 2 playoff bids due to the toughness of our conference.
I agree with UWPC77 Superfan. The WIAC deserves two teams due to the fact that they are the toughest conference in the nation. Divide that team up into different conferences and they would contend in every single one.
You know the CCIW is getting two.
SeanGOP,
Thank you for elightening about me student radio. Unfortunately, ESPN wasn’t airing the Augie-North Central game last Sat, so I had to settle for North Central student radio. (Sarcasm off) This is why I asked you about the game. Thanks for avoiding the question….twice.
Who’s my team? Wheaton this week.
Ferrum 42….CNU 17. CNU, while having been beat on this year, is a talented, well coached team….that also had a more than legitimate shot at the playoffs. If the Panthers can’t win the game by something close to those margins, their trip to the playoffs may be short.
Well I think the Offense will put at least 42 on the score board. I would not bet against CNU putting up around 28. CNU has played very well at times, losing to former #4 ranked team Rowan by only one TD. I agree this game will help show where Ferrum ranks on a national level. I am worried about how the team will react and play knowing for the first time all year that the game does not have that much emphasis on the playoffs other than seeding.
SeanGOP:
OK, your turn.
alright here is the prediction: FERRUM 56 CNU 21…..FERRUM’s offense is continue to come out strong and put up points at will, but the the first quarter will be the last of the struggles….both teams will come out firing hard, but after FERRUM gets up a couple look for CNU to fold up the tent, having nothing to play for, add also to the equation that FERRUM’s D tends to settle in and play their game in the second, and as in the first half FERRUM’s O will put up point late into the fourth. at halftime: FERRUM 35 CNU 14
My two cents…it will be a lot closer than any of you are suggesting. CNU has very little pressure, but they can’t lose any ground in recruiting (despite being a state school). They have a lot to play for, and my guess is that those athletes that they have will try to pull it together for one last effort against the Panthers. In the brief history of the conference, no team has won the conference out-right, so the Panthers will be up against an inspired CNU Captain team. My prediction…28-24 Ferrum.
Hasbeen,
Ok, yes I was at that game frozen solid in the rain. Well worth it to see two great teams go at it. I was quite nervous the whole time because I knew either team could pull it out. With North Central’s sizzling air game and Augie’s killer ground game it made the whole place freak out.
Don’t make excuses for North Central – they lost (barely, but they lost). I know North Central is going to the playoffs (they will win big this weekend), and I know Augie may have to play them again. I think I’d rather Augie play the Green Bay Packers instead of an angry North Central team.
I do know this, if you are in the CCIW and you make the playoffs, then opponents better be ready.
I’m sorry ESPN didn’t cover the game. You are lucky North Central radio covered the game, Augie games are rarely on the radio in the Quad Cities. I’d rather sit cozy in my pad and listen to the game while watching college football on mute instead of speed drinking hot chocolate to avoid freezing solid.
And yes, the Wheaton game makes me nervous because I know they are a darn good team (just like the rest of the CCIW).
Have a good one.
SeanGOP,
If this sites scenario holds true, you may not have to worry about an angry North Central. At Mount Union first round becuase they won’t match the CCIW up in the first round……Ouch!
Wheaton is up and down. Will be a tough game though.
Explain this to me about the CCIW. If North Central wins, and Augie loses at Wheaton, North Central is 8-1 and Augie 7-2 (Both 5-1 in conference). Does the CCIW take head to head over overall record? Just curious b/c everyone has crowned Augie already.
Thanks
I do not know of one single Division III conference that considers overall record before head-to-head in breaking a tie.
Hasbeen,
I have read that if Augie loses at Wheaton and North Central wins, that Augie will still be the conference champs (even though they and N Central would both have 1 conference loss) due to the fact that Augie beat N. Central head-to-head.
I am going to go through withdrawl after the Stagg Bowl.
SeanGOP and Hasbeen:
Glad to see the love again. Now if only a DePauw blogger would speak up…..
Ditto the withdrawal sentiment.
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