The New 2013 FB Season

[milanmiracle]

Something is missing, but I can't put my finger on it.  I want so bad for these kids to experience victory or even competitve losses, but it isn't happening.

I think the 86-7 game answered a whole lot of questions for me. "You play to win the game!". There is nothing that took place at any point in that game that was "playing to win the game" OR playing to your teams strengths. Watching the coaching staff do that to those players made me angry, and I generally don't get angry about sporting events, they're just sports. However, nothing was done to stop the bleeding, or to be competitive at any point. Those kids who gave their blood, sweat, tears and let's not forget money were hug out to dry. Their coach allowed them to be humiliated, not just on the field, but on ESPN as well. How many of their classmates, friends and family saw that score roll across ESPN? In truth it get's me pretty riled up to this day. This program has done a lot of different things since Coach Carlson took over, but learning how to win and compete wasn't one of them. I often wonder if Coach Carlson is more concerned about the process than the result. At some point it doesn't matter HOW you make the tackle, just as long as the tackle is made.

I really want better for these kids, and nothing would make me happier than a few wins for the team.

[valporun]

Something is missing, but I can't put my finger on it.  I want so bad for these kids to experience victory or even competitve losses, but it isn't happening.

I think the 86-7 game answered a whole lot of questions for me. "You play to win the game!". There is nothing that took place at any point in that game that was "playing to win the game" OR playing to your teams strengths. Watching the coaching staff do that to those players made me angry, and I generally don't get angry about sporting events, they're just sports. However, nothing was done to stop the bleeding, or to be competitive at any point. Those kids who gave their blood, sweat, tears and let's not forget money were hug out to dry. Their coach allowed them to be humiliated, not just on the field, but on ESPN as well. How many of their classmates, friends and family saw that score roll across ESPN? In truth it get's me pretty riled up to this day. This program has done a lot of different things since Coach Carlson took over, but learning how to win and compete wasn't one of them. I often wonder if Coach Carlson is more concerned about the process than the result. At some point it doesn't matter HOW you make the tackle, just as long as the tackle is made.

I really want better for these kids, and nothing would make me happier than a few wins for the team.

That was the Jacksonville game in 2010, Carlson's first season. From looking at the stats, the QBs were 11-30 passing with 1TD and 3INTs. Jacksonville was fast too. It was like having their 100 and 200 meters sprinters scoring on us at free will, and our defense was a bunch of 10,000 meter runners. I felt that was a bad day, as it was a home game, and it might have been a lesson in humility, as their parents were there watching them get trounced. By the time this game was played, our 7th of that season, they should have known how to run the offensive plays in the system. The defense that game was bad, including 7 tackles for loss totaling 27 yards, and 2 sacks for 18 yards. Sure, they had 2 INTs, but looking at the drive chart, they looked like they were getting pushed out of the way by the tackling dummies. Some of the result needed to be put on the players in that game, even if the head coach or coordinators are the easiest to blame here, you have to blame the players for not executing plays and assignments. Sure, it looks like Carlson let these guys hang out to dry on their own, but based on how players were missing assignments and such on the field, what more can you do to fix the problem than let the players on the field solve it for themselves?

[milanmiracle]

Well, for one, keep the clock running and limit their opportunities. That's something a Pop Warner coach would know, I have to think Carlson could figure that out. I remember the game vividly, and VU was just outclassed on every level, that much is true. I also blame the players, because there were effort plays that were missed. Not acceptable. That's fine and it happens, but at some point you have to try to limit the damage. I don't believe that thought even entered his mind.

[usc4valpo]

I've met Dale and he's a really good guy. I admire his knack for organization. I don't think what they are doing in the off-season and on a daily basis has been seen at Valpo in a long time. I think he has brought a measure of discipline to everything that supports a "system." All of these are good off-the-field things that make a program competiive. If I was a player, I'd say that "we have a real program going here and I'll buy in." However, ...... what mystifies me is how, when the ball is kicked off on a Saturday afternoon, kids with good credetials and some measure of experience give up 21 (+ or -) points in the first quarter, fail to get a first down, and crumble before all competition except Campbell. Something is missing, but I can't put my finger on it. I want so bad for these kids to experience victory or even competitve losses, but it isn't happening.

62, I saw the word "system" and it caught my eye.  I just finished my systems design management certificate at MIT, so I wonder how I can apply my education to this gap-filled football situation at Valpo:

Setting up a "system" is a good idea, but of course not foolproof.  You need to breakdown and prioritize your football system to goals, stakeholders and concepts.  Layout the architecture of the football system to identify gaps, and see how it traces back to your goals and stakeholder needs, and determine approaches to close these gaps.  This is not easy of course but the approach provides direction. The football system also needs to be robust and subject to changes and enhancements - and perhaps this is where the architecture needs to be evaluated.

Also, regarding 62's first comment, I am sure Carlson is a good guy (but he needs to bag the Osteen quotes and not admit optimism synonmous with being a Cub fan) with good intentions, and likely a good coach.  Coaching at Valpo may be a square peg in a roundhole for him, as it likely has been for many.  This is why a holistic view and an objective, thorough evaluation of the football program - from players to parents to coaching to the administration to the university operations - is required.  Carlson has areas to improve, but there are bigger gaps in this football system besides coaching.

[VULB#62]

It's pretty clear that the PFL is not yet at an FCS level.  Our best (Butler, USD and Jacksonville) go down convincingly to FCS iron. Marist loses to an NEC team.  MSU loses to a middle of the road NAIA team. Campbell also loses big.  Drake and Dayton looked competitive in ther loses, but Drake's is to a n NAIA school. Only Mercer wins, but it's against another NAIA school with only 1200 students.  And, of course, we know the Valpo score. 

My daughter lives in Bozeman, MT and got her masters there at Montana State.  So I follow Montana State Bobcat football as well as VU.  In a previous post on this string, I stated that the PFL was not on a par with the scholarship FCS schools.  Here's yet another comparison to nail that one down:

Valpo goes into UND of the Big Sky and loses 69-10.  This afternoon in Bozeman in front of 21,000 fans, MSU beat another nationally ranked FCS school, Northern Arizona, 36-7.  But that is not the score that is of interest.  It was the Bobcat's game last week against UND at UND that is:  MSU  63 - UND 20.  UND is a scholarship Big Sky school.

CAN YOU IMAGINE IF VALPO PLAYED MSU?  100+ POINTS ALLOWED IS A GIVEN.

Gentlemen, who are we trying to kid?  The PFL is D-I FCS in name only. It's teams lose regularly to D-II and NAIA schools.  Time to reclassify the league into what it really is:   D-III.V

[milanmiracle]

It's pretty clear that the PFL is not yet at an FCS level.  Our best (Butler, USD and Jacksonville) go down convincingly to FCS iron. Marist loses to an NEC team.  MSU loses to a middle of the road NAIA team. Campbell also loses big.  Drake and Dayton looked competitive in ther loses, but Drake's is to a n NAIA school. Only Mercer wins, but it's against another NAIA school with only 1200 students.  And, of course, we know the Valpo score. 

My daughter lives in Bozeman, MT and got her masters there at Montana State.  So I follow Montana State Bobcat football as well as VU.  In a previous post on this string, I stated that the PFL was not on a par with the scholarship FCS schools.  Here's yet another comparison to nail that one down:

Valpo goes into UND of the Big Sky and loses 69-10.  This afternoon in Bozeman in front of 21,000 fans, MSU beat another nationally ranked FCS school, Northern Arizona, 36-7.  But that is not the score that is of interest.  It was the Bobcat's game last week against UND at UND that is:  MSU  63 - UND 20.  UND is a scholarship Big Sky school.

CAN YOU IMAGINE IF VALPO PLAYED MSU?  100+ POINTS ALLOWED IS A GIVEN.

Gentlemen, who are we trying to kid?  The PFL is D-I FCS in name only. It's teams lose regularly to D-II and NAIA schools.  Time to reclassify the league into what it really is:   D-III.V

The Intramural Football League Pioneer Football League is nothing more than a few member schools deciding they don't want to spend the money to compete on a D1 level for football and hiding that fact by forming a conference. Don't believe me? Why would they allow a one year member, such as Mercer? Think that would happen in the Horizon League? Yea, didn't think so. Adding the PFL champs to the playoffs is unfair to any team that actually tries to compete on the FCS level. I can't wait to see this debacle. It's a really good thing they don't have it set up like the NCAA tournament where the worst team plays the best team. Could you imagine the PFL champs having to play North Dakota State (who might I add beat Kansas State).

[VULB#62]

I believe you.  i believe you.  And I agree with you.

[milanmiracle]

I believe you.  i believe you.  And I agree with you.

Haha...that was good. 

[IndyValpo]

It's pretty clear that the PFL is not yet at an FCS level.  Our best (Butler, USD and Jacksonville) go down convincingly to FCS iron. Marist loses to an NEC team.  MSU loses to a middle of the road NAIA team. Campbell also loses big.  Drake and Dayton looked competitive in ther loses, but Drake's is to a n NAIA school. Only Mercer wins, but it's against another NAIA school with only 1200 students.  And, of course, we know the Valpo score. 

My daughter lives in Bozeman, MT and got her masters there at Montana State.  So I follow Montana State Bobcat football as well as VU.  In a previous post on this string, I stated that the PFL was not on a par with the scholarship FCS schools.  Here's yet another comparison to nail that one down:

Valpo goes into UND of the Big Sky and loses 69-10.  This afternoon in Bozeman in front of 21,000 fans, MSU beat another nationally ranked FCS school, Northern Arizona, 36-7.  But that is not the score that is of interest.  It was the Bobcat's game last week against UND at UND that is:  MSU  63 - UND 20.  UND is a scholarship Big Sky school.

CAN YOU IMAGINE IF VALPO PLAYED MSU?  100+ POINTS ALLOWED IS A GIVEN.

Gentlemen, who are we trying to kid?  The PFL is D-I FCS in name only. It's teams lose regularly to D-II and NAIA schools.  Time to reclassify the league into what it really is:   D-III.V

The Intramural Football League Pioneer Football League is nothing more than a few member schools deciding they don't want to spend the money to compete on a D1 level for football and hiding that fact by forming a conference. Don't believe me? Why would they allow a one year member, such as Mercer? Think that would happen in the Horizon League? Yea, didn't think so. Adding the PFL champs to the playoffs is unfair to any team that actually tries to compete on the FCS level. I can't wait to see this debacle. It's a really good thing they don't have it set up like the NCAA tournament where the worst team plays the best team. Could you imagine the PFL champs having to play North Dakota State (who might I add beat Kansas State).

And I thought you didn't post speculation. Mercer joined and said nothing about moving to the SC when they joined. No league adds a  team for one year on purpose. Ask the A10 about Butler. Ask the old Big East about TCU. As far as your comment on the PFL, so what. It makes no bones about what it is. When done well it is entertaining. We just do it very poorly.

You do realize to add scholarships means we either add women's sports or drop some men's to keep it even. I am ok where we are. We just need to do it better.

And to those who continue to call for us to play D3 football please stop. D1 basketball means all sports are D1 which is why the PFL was originally formed.

[milanmiracle]

And I thought you didn't post speculation. Mercer joined and said nothing about moving to the SC when they joined. No league adds a  team for one year on purpose. Ask the A10 about Butler. Ask the old Big East about TCU. As far as your comment on the PFL, so what. It makes no bones about what it is. When done well it is entertaining. We just do it very poorly.

Directly from Mercer -

"That includes football, which this fall will resume competition after at 72-year hiatus and play in the Pioneer Football League for 2013 only. Beginning in 2014, Mercer will award athletic scholarships in football to academically qualified student-athletes, as it does in other intercollegiate sports."

Since the Mercer announced joining the SoCon before ever playing a game in the Pioneer Football League...

The PFL wasn't very smart in vetting Mercer, and didn't realize that they would be going to scholarship football 1 year after joining the PFL? Becoming a scholarship football program isn't something you prepare for overnight. Maybe they weren't entirely truthful with their intentions, but that seems unlikely, no?

[VULB#62]

Gentlemen, who are we trying to kid?  The PFL is D-I FCS in name only. It's teams lose regularly to D-II and NAIA schools.  Time to reclassify the league into what it really is:   D-III.V

And to those who continue to call for us to play D3 football please stop. D1 basketball means all sports are D1 which is why the PFL was originally formed.
[/quote]

Indy, just to be clear, my comment is satirical -- you just missed the III.V  The reclassify was a my way of saying our league, in reality, competes at a level slightly higher than D-III.  Not saying we should go D-III, because as you and everyone on teh forum knows, none of those schools can becuase they have chosen to play D-I in everything else.

[usc4valpo]

It's pretty clear that the PFL is not yet at an FCS level. Our best (Butler, USD and Jacksonville) go down convincingly to FCS iron. Marist loses to an NEC team. MSU loses to a middle of the road NAIA team. Campbell also loses big. Drake and Dayton looked competitive in ther loses, but Drake's is to a n NAIA school. Only Mercer wins, but it's against another NAIA school with only 1200 students. And, of course, we know the Valpo score.

My daughter lives in Bozeman, MT and got her masters there at Montana State. So I follow Montana State Bobcat football as well as VU. In a previous post on this string, I stated that the PFL was not on a par with the scholarship FCS schools. Here's yet another comparison to nail that one down: Valpo goes into UND of the Big Sky and loses 69-10. This afternoon in Bozeman in front of 21,000 fans, MSU beat another nationally ranked FCS school, Northern Arizona, 36-7. But that is not the score that is of interest. It was the Bobcat's game last week against UND at UND that is: MSU 63 - UND 20. UND is a scholarship Big Sky school. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF VALPO PLAYED MSU? 100+ POINTS ALLOWED IS A GIVEN. Gentlemen, who are we trying to kid? The PFL is D-I FCS in name only. It's teams lose regularly to D-II and NAIA schools. Time to reclassify the league into what it really is: D-III.V

The Intramural Football League Pioneer Football League is nothing more than a few member schools deciding they don't want to spend the money to compete on a D1 level for football and hiding that fact by forming a conference. Don't believe me? Why would they allow a one year member, such as Mercer? Think that would happen in the Horizon League? Yea, didn't think so. Adding the PFL champs to the playoffs is unfair to any team that actually tries to compete on the FCS level. I can't wait to see this debacle. It's a really good thing they don't have it set up like the NCAA tournament where the worst team plays the best team. Could you imagine the PFL champs having to play North Dakota State (who might I add beat Kansas State).

Excellent, excellent post.  It provides the UNI's, EWU's and NDSU's  in the FCS playoff a tomato can gimme.  Kind of like college hoops when a 1 seed plays a 16 sed, but this is even more lopsided.

In reality, the Pioneer is Divsion 3 football.  It's too bad the NCAA cannot recognize this, but we are talking about an organization more inept than Congress.

[IndyValpo]

And I thought you didn't post speculation. Mercer joined and said nothing about moving to the SC when they joined. No league adds a  team for one year on purpose. Ask the A10 about Butler. Ask the old Big East about TCU. As far as your comment on the PFL, so what. It makes no bones about what it is. When done well it is entertaining. We just do it very poorly.

Directly from Mercer -

"That includes football, which this fall will resume competition after at 72-year hiatus and play in the Pioneer Football League for 2013 only. Beginning in 2014, Mercer will award athletic scholarships in football to academically qualified student-athletes, as it does in other intercollegiate sports."

Since the Mercer announced joining the SoCon before ever playing a game in the Pioneer Football League...

The PFL wasn't very smart in vetting Mercer, and didn't realize that they would be going to scholarship football 1 year after joining the PFL? Becoming a scholarship football program isn't something you prepare for overnight. Maybe they weren't entirely truthful with their intentions, but that seems unlikely, no?

Mercer joined the PFL in June 2011 beginning in 2013. Two years later they announced the SC bid.  I am sure it was always in their mind but there were a bunch of other realignments that made the move possible.