Insider: Whatever it takes

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Being a running back I get the privilege of seeing a side of the offensive linemen that many never get to. Granted it may not be the prettiest side, but I love these guys and I tell them they look good doing their job. The relationship between offensive linemen and running backs is a unique bond and I am fortunate to have been apart of such a brotherhood for years.

I can assure you that no unit on our team works harder than our line. These guys do nothing but bang shoulder pads from the first whistle of practice to the last. They are the heart and soul of our offense and do the majority of the dirty work, but they won’t find their name in the paper on Sunday morning (unless your name is Mike Ziefert).

In regards to running backs, offensive linemen love to assume the big brother role and take their back(s) under their wing. As if sacrificing their body so we can find our way to the end zone is not enough, they find gratification in seeing that we are well taken care of. For example, starting left tackle Andy Quain and his parents fixed the offense 80 lbs. of barbeque chicken a few Fridays ago at a campsite 15 miles from campus. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.

Last Saturday we took on an up and coming Elmhurst College squad who presented our team with quite a challenge. Coming out of the locker room at halftime, the score was 22-13 and the Bluejays were not about to lie down. They battled all the way to the end, but thanks to a strong running game fueled by the big boys up front and key plays when we needed it by the defense, we improved to 7-1 with a 64-42 victory.

This Saturday we take on North Central College who is 8-0 and 11th in the nation. The winner of this game will be granted the CCIW championship and an automatic bid to the playoffs, something this senior class has sniffed several times, but never brought home.

The bitter feeling of leaving Naperville, Illinois last year after a 31-10 defeat has been burning in the back of our minds going out to every practice this year. Whether it be a 7-0 victory in Kenosha over Carthage College or a 64-42 shoot out over Elmhurst, this Augustana team has found a way to put ourselves in position to play for the conference championship. Since we got on the bus after the North Central game last year we have been working towards earning this opportunity, and we are taking our ‘whatever it takes’ attitude with us as we step onto our field at 1:00 on November 5th.

Projecting the playoffs

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Welcome one and all to the game we annually call our playoff projections. It’s the wacky, madcap event where we take 21 automatic bids, most of which are not yet set, then figure out at-large bids, some of which will lose between now and Selection Sunday, then seed them and pair them up logically … or fiscally … or geographically … or randomly, depending on the bracket.

In doing this every year, we have to toe a fine line. We can call some conference races, leave some open, pretend we know what’s going to happen, or ignore what has yet to be played. This is an inexact science, but it’s an attempt to look at the entire field using the NCAA’s stated selection/seeding criteria. But you can’t simply try to project one bracket in isolation. How do you know if there are eight South teams getting into the field, and not seven or nine or 10?
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Immediate thoughts on Week 9

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Every year I spend my “fall back” extra hour of sleep right here, on the site. Then I look up and think, “crap, is that 2:15 daylight or 2:15 standard?”

So far, still daylight time, I believe.

There’s a couple of teams whom we won’t hear much clamoring for Top 25 consideration after today. Ferrum folks probably will continue. Waxing Greensboro isn’t entirely unique, however. You know the deal, Week 11. Until then it’s just talk.

Saw Wesley just crush Salisbury today. I’ve had the pleasure of watching Salisbury several times in the past few years with Dustin Johnson at quarterback (seriously, the guy is fun to watch), but the Sea Gulls were awful today. They had 11 rushing yards at the half and finished with 76 for the game. Wesley came out with a five-man front that had Salisbury in trouble all day. Meanwhile, Chris Warrick just picked the Salisbury secondary apart (other than All-American Byron Westbrook, whom they worked away from). He hit receivers in perfect stride, and when he didn’t, they came down with jump balls.

Obviously you have to worry about Wesley under less-than-perfect conditions. Dry turf is ideal but a playoff team needs to be able to play in the mud as well, like last week’s 47-0 loss at Brockport.

I would be very surprised now to see Salisbury make the NCAA playoffs. They may struggle at home with Widener next week, because Widener isn’t exactly a pushover.

The three teams who announced this week they were leaving the MAC went 0-3.

Meanwhile, I think those who sat through the entire five-game set at the Metrodome on Friday may still be recovering. Our photographer shot all five games for the league and I have barely seen him online since. (That and the St. John’s/St. Olaf game, which he shot but we have yet to see.) I hope someday the MIAC gets back into the Metrodome.

Interested in:
What Monmouth can do in the playoffs. Will they be like St. Norbert, competitive in every first-round game, or like Lake Forest, the only non-Norbert team to make the playoffs and a 45-0 loser to Wartburg?
Union finally playing one of the other Liberty League front-runners next weekend. Talk about a backloaded schedule. (St. Olaf knows what that is.)

Concerned about:
Hardin-Simmons, though maybe they have found their quarterback by default now.
Can DePauw make it to Monon Bell unscathed?
Rowan, with pieces dropping like flies. Today it was key defender Brian Bond tearing two knee ligaments against Brockport.

Crazy e-mail of the week:
There’s a good set to choose from, including one from a person last night advocating for Johns Hopkins to be in the Top 25. I gave him my honest assessment last night. But I think Hopkins coaches already know they were ranked too high in the AFCA poll … again.

Anyway …

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
[name removed] (xxxxxxxxxxxx@uww.edu) on Saturday, October 29, 2005 at 07:17:58 PM
—————————————————————————
Subject: UW-Whitewater
Notes: Don’t you think its kinda weird how Whitewater is ranked number 2 in the nation for D3 football and there were no players from Whitewater in the person-all americans and never get any recognition for what they have accomplished this season. I bet if you go and ask anyone outside the state of Wisconsin and ask them where Whitewater is they would not have a clue. Come on now show everybody out there what UW-Whitewater is all about and give them some props.
Thank You

Well, let’s see, recognition. Whitewater has had people on the Team of the Week twice this season, they are, as noted, ranked No. 2 in our poll, they’ve been on the front page at least twice … oh yeah, and Keith McMillan and I have been there this season.

If people don’t know where Whitewater is, it’s not our fault.