FOOTBALL

[setshot]

  More of the same: SPORTING NEWS has picked Valpo to finish 10th. in the PFL this year. What a surprise. My guess for the season is that if VU doesn't beat Franklin in the opening game,we will be 0-5 before taking on Butler. in Indy. Can we win there?

[Valpo89]

Honestly, I'm not sure that Franklin is a winnable game. I think they're pretty good.

[IndyValpo]

Franklin graduated QB's #1 and #2. Their top returning QB threw only 5 passes. They also lost their top WR's.

Having said that, they did look pretty good last year.

[covufan]

We play Youngstown St. a week after they play Michigan State - could be brutal.  

Massey has our best chances for a win against Morehead St. and Campbell, and at Davidson.  My hope is that this team improves as the season progresses, and we end up with 2-3 wins, or at least 3-4 games decided by less than 10 points.

http://masseyratings.com/team.php?s=107811&t=8361

[milanmiracle]

Franklin graduated QB's #1 and #2. Their top returning QB threw only 5 passes. They also lost their top WR's.

Having said that, they did look pretty good last year.

If I remember correctly St. Joe started a wide receiver at quarterback (everybody else was hurt) and that ended up 50-7. Just saying...

[milanmiracle]

As far as I am concerned, as long as they don't get worse, it's an improvement. The team hasn't been good in a long time but they took sucktitude to a whole new level last year. Not looking for wins this season, but at least be in a few games and not lose by an average of 6 touchdowns. That'd be nice, let's start there.

[covufan]

As far as I am concerned, as long as they don't get worse, it's an improvement. The team hasn't been good in a long time but they took sucktitude to a whole new level last year. Not looking for wins this season, but at least be in a few games and not lose by an average of 6 touchdowns. That'd be nice, let's start there.

Not sure they can really get worse - an average of 9+ points on offense and giving up an average of nearly 47 points on defense.  I'd be really happy if they improved to 18 and 32, respectively. 

[vu72]

Latest blog entry from Coach Carlson:

http://blogs.valpo.edu/football/2011/07/28/are-you-ready-for-some-football/

[covufan]

Latest blog entry from Coach Carlson:

http://blogs.valpo.edu/football/2011/07/28/are-you-ready-for-some-football/

For you Tweeters, there is a link to Coach Carlson's twitter page.  Hopefully, there will be some positive tweets on Saturdays this season.

[blackpantheruwm]

What you all need to do is take a step back and realize what you have.  Tears would be brought to my eyes if we had a Pioneer League football team in Milwaukee.

[setshot]

 We realize what we have,0-20.Maybe,just maybe, we can win a game or two this year. If not,GONE WITH THE WIND!

[FWalum]

What you all need to do is take a step back and realize what you have.  Tears would be brought to my eyes if we had a Pioneer League football team in Milwaukee.

Thanks for the perspective.  Most of us do appreciate it and look forward to the success that I hope coach Carlson will achieve.

[milanmiracle]

As far as I am concerned, as long as they don't get worse, it's an improvement. The team hasn't been good in a long time but they took sucktitude to a whole new level last year. Not looking for wins this season, but at least be in a few games and not lose by an average of 6 touchdowns. That'd be nice, let's start there.

Not sure they can really get worse - an average of 9+ points on offense and giving up an average of nearly 47 points on defense.  I'd be really happy if they improved to 18 and 32, respectively. 

I didn't think they could get worse before last year either...I was wrong. I had no idea a team could be that bad. Trust me when I say I will happy if they don't go backwards again.

[valporun]

Don't forget, that first year with a new coach can be rough in perspectives that happen more off the field than on it. I recall a lot of you mentioning the injury issues, but there were also a lot of players between the start of camp and the end of the season, who walked away from football at Valpo because either they didn't like Coach Carlson's style, or they found they really didn't fit in the program.

I hope that we see a lot of improvement from the team this year, not only in performance on the field, but in the numbers (TDs/FGs, turnovers, tackles, playmaking, keeping the offense on the field a lot longer than 3-and-out). I would definitely like the numbers to improve, and lead to a win or two, before I lose hope in what Coach Carlson is doing with the program.

[covufan]

What you all need to do is take a step back and realize what you have.  Tears would be brought to my eyes if we had a Pioneer League football team in Milwaukee.

A state of Wisconsin's population should have more than one Div I-A football school.  Indiana, with a population of 6.5M (versus WI's of 5.7M) has four Div I-A schools - ND, Indiana, Purdue and Ball State.  Colorado, with a population of 5.0M has three football schools: CU (Boulder), Colorado State, and the Air Force Academy.  I would think with UWM's school population and Milwaukee's city population, they would be able to compete easily in the Div I-AA scholarship division. 

[historyman]

As far as I am concerned, as long as they don't get worse, it's an improvement. The team hasn't been good in a long time but they took sucktitude to a whole new level last year. Not looking for wins this season, but at least be in a few games and not lose by an average of 6 touchdowns. That'd be nice, let's start there.

Not sure they can really get worse - an average of 9+ points on offense and giving up an average of nearly 47 points on defense.  I'd be really happy if they improved to 18 and 32, respectively. 

I didn't think they could get worse before last year either...I was wrong. I had no idea a team could be that bad. Trust me when I say I will happy if they don't go backwards again.

In all fairness the new motto is "IT'S A NEW ERA FOR VALPO FOOTBALL!"

Coach Carlson doesn't say if it's going to be better or worse. :-)

[setshot]

PFL coaches pick Valpo to finish dead last. I hope we can prove them wrong. If not,and we go 0-11 again and 0-31 overall, we might want to consider dropping football.

[FWalum]

Maybe setshot would like us to use a version of the Obama motto for football "change you can believe in ...... next year".

[valpo95]

PFL coaches pick Valpo to finish dead last. I hope we can prove them wrong. If not,and we go 0-11 again and 0-31 overall, we might want to consider dropping football.

Setshot notes that not only is Valpo predicted to finish last in the poll, every coach in the PFL predicted Valpo to finish last.

We've got to remember that this team won 1 game in the 2009 season as well, so the cupboard was pretty bare when Coach Carlson arrived.  That means a lack of talent and experience, which is difficult to replace.  However, I think they will be vastly improved this year.

[historyman]

From a stoy I read on NCAA changes at the Presidents conference in Indianapolis:

Under the current playoff format, 10 of the division's 11 conference champions earn automatic bids and 10 teams receive at-large berths. The Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship conference, is the only conference that currently does not receive an automatic bid.

Under the new proposal, all 11 league champs plus 13 at-large teams would qualify for the playoffs. In a 24-team bracket, 16 teams would play first round games and eight teams would get a bye.

Not that valpo is close to winning the PFL but one proposal of the NCAA is to give the PFL chapion an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

[covufan]

From a stoy I read on NCAA changes at the Presidents conference in Indianapolis:

Under the current playoff format, 10 of the division's 11 conference champions earn automatic bids and 10 teams receive at-large berths. The Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship conference, is the only conference that currently does not receive an automatic bid.

Under the new proposal, all 11 league champs plus 13 at-large teams would qualify for the playoffs. In a 24-team bracket, 16 teams would play first round games and eight teams would get a bye.

Not that valpo is close to winning the PFL but one proposal of the NCAA is to give the PFL chapion an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

Not sure of these 10-11 conferences.  I count 14, including Pioneer and Great West, which is probably a new conference.

This is what I found:

COLONIAL
SOUTHERN
MISSOURI VALLEY
BIG SKY
GREAT WEST
SOUTHLAND
IVY LEAGUE
PATRIOT LEAGUE
OHIO VALLEY
BIG SOUTH
NORTHEAST
SOUTHWESTERN
MID-EASTERN
PIONEER

Even so, if they go to 14 automatic bids and 10 at large, I think the champion of the Pioneer should be able to compete with most champions of the other conferences.  Obviously, the Colonial, Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences would be tough to beat, but they would most likely get byes.  I think this could be a good recruiting tool in the near future, if it is passed.  Hopefully so.

[rlh]

From a stoy I read on NCAA changes at the Presidents conference in Indianapolis:

Under the current playoff format, 10 of the division's 11 conference champions earn automatic bids and 10 teams receive at-large berths. The Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship conference, is the only conference that currently does not receive an automatic bid.

Under the new proposal, all 11 league champs plus 13 at-large teams would qualify for the playoffs. In a 24-team bracket, 16 teams would play first round games and eight teams would get a bye.

Not that valpo is close to winning the PFL but one proposal of the NCAA is to give the PFL chapion an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

Not sure of these 10-11 conferences.  I count 14, including Pioneer and Great West, which is probably a new conference.

This is what I found:

COLONIAL
SOUTHERN
MISSOURI VALLEY
BIG SKY
GREAT WEST
SOUTHLAND
IVY LEAGUE
PATRIOT LEAGUE
OHIO VALLEY
BIG SOUTH
NORTHEAST
SOUTHWESTERN
MID-EASTERN
PIONEER

Even so, if they go to 14 automatic bids and 10 at large, I think the champion of the Pioneer should be able to compete with most champions of the other conferences.  Obviously, the Colonial, Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences would be tough to beat, but they would most likely get byes.  I think this could be a good recruiting tool in the near future, if it is passed.  Hopefully so.

Most years the Pioneer Football League Champion could NOT compete with a scholarship league champion....period....

[milanmiracle]

From a stoy I read on NCAA changes at the Presidents conference in Indianapolis:

Under the current playoff format, 10 of the division's 11 conference champions earn automatic bids and 10 teams receive at-large berths. The Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship conference, is the only conference that currently does not receive an automatic bid.

Under the new proposal, all 11 league champs plus 13 at-large teams would qualify for the playoffs. In a 24-team bracket, 16 teams would play first round games and eight teams would get a bye.

Not that valpo is close to winning the PFL but one proposal of the NCAA is to give the PFL chapion an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

Not sure of these 10-11 conferences.  I count 14, including Pioneer and Great West, which is probably a new conference.

This is what I found:

COLONIAL
SOUTHERN
MISSOURI VALLEY
BIG SKY
GREAT WEST
SOUTHLAND
IVY LEAGUE
PATRIOT LEAGUE
OHIO VALLEY
BIG SOUTH
NORTHEAST
SOUTHWESTERN
MID-EASTERN
PIONEER

Even so, if they go to 14 automatic bids and 10 at large, I think the champion of the Pioneer should be able to compete with most champions of the other conferences.  Obviously, the Colonial, Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences would be tough to beat, but they would most likely get byes.  I think this could be a good recruiting tool in the near future, if it is passed.  Hopefully so.

Most years the Pioneer Football League Champion could NOT compete with a scholarship league champion....period....

Got to agree with you here RLH, but I wish I didn't. Sad when the league champion can't compete with others in their division. If included in the playoffs I think that would change over time.

That said, I hope they do include the Pioneer League in the 1-AA playoffs (no I will not call it the other name). I think it would be good for the Pioneer League and raise the level of play within the league. Being able to play for something more than just champion of the intramural league is a good thing in the long run.

[covufan]

From a stoy I read on NCAA changes at the Presidents conference in Indianapolis:

Under the current playoff format, 10 of the division's 11 conference champions earn automatic bids and 10 teams receive at-large berths. The Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship conference, is the only conference that currently does not receive an automatic bid.

Under the new proposal, all 11 league champs plus 13 at-large teams would qualify for the playoffs. In a 24-team bracket, 16 teams would play first round games and eight teams would get a bye.

Not that valpo is close to winning the PFL but one proposal of the NCAA is to give the PFL chapion an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

Not sure of these 10-11 conferences.  I count 14, including Pioneer and Great West, which is probably a new conference.

This is what I found:

COLONIAL
SOUTHERN
MISSOURI VALLEY
BIG SKY
GREAT WEST
SOUTHLAND
IVY LEAGUE
PATRIOT LEAGUE
OHIO VALLEY
BIG SOUTH
NORTHEAST
SOUTHWESTERN
MID-EASTERN
PIONEER

Even so, if they go to 14 automatic bids and 10 at large, I think the champion of the Pioneer should be able to compete with most champions of the other conferences.  Obviously, the Colonial, Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences would be tough to beat, but they would most likely get byes.  I think this could be a good recruiting tool in the near future, if it is passed.  Hopefully so.

Most years the Pioneer Football League Champion could NOT compete with a scholarship league champion....period....

I'm not saying that the Pioneer Champion would go far in a 24 team playoff, just that year to year they should be able to compete with some of the other league champions, as long as they were not seeded.  In the 2010 Sagarin rankings, the Pioneer champion was Jacksonville at 144.  This compares to other leagues:

Big South - Liberty - 153
Great West - Southern Utah - 132
Ivy League - Penn - 111
Mid Eastern - SC State - 192
Northeast - Robert Morris - 143
Ohio Valley - Jacksonville St. - 118
Patriot - Lehigh - 112
Southwestern - Texas Southern - 157
Independents - S. Alabama - 122

I'm just saying that the Pioneer Champion should be competitive with those types of teams.  The conferences I left out had several teams much higher than Jacksonville, and the Pioneer would most likely not be competitive against those leagues.  Those teams and some of the at large teams would receive the 8 byes in the 24 team format. 

Maybe I'm thinking too positive, but I would say that the Pioneer team, going against the some of these league champions, would be competitive and win some of these games. 

[milanmiracle]

From a stoy I read on NCAA changes at the Presidents conference in Indianapolis:

Under the current playoff format, 10 of the division's 11 conference champions earn automatic bids and 10 teams receive at-large berths. The Pioneer Football League, a non-scholarship conference, is the only conference that currently does not receive an automatic bid.

Under the new proposal, all 11 league champs plus 13 at-large teams would qualify for the playoffs. In a 24-team bracket, 16 teams would play first round games and eight teams would get a bye.

Not that valpo is close to winning the PFL but one proposal of the NCAA is to give the PFL chapion an auto bid to the FCS playoffs.

Not sure of these 10-11 conferences.  I count 14, including Pioneer and Great West, which is probably a new conference.

This is what I found:

COLONIAL
SOUTHERN
MISSOURI VALLEY
BIG SKY
GREAT WEST
SOUTHLAND
IVY LEAGUE
PATRIOT LEAGUE
OHIO VALLEY
BIG SOUTH
NORTHEAST
SOUTHWESTERN
MID-EASTERN
PIONEER

Even so, if they go to 14 automatic bids and 10 at large, I think the champion of the Pioneer should be able to compete with most champions of the other conferences.  Obviously, the Colonial, Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences would be tough to beat, but they would most likely get byes.  I think this could be a good recruiting tool in the near future, if it is passed.  Hopefully so.

Most years the Pioneer Football League Champion could NOT compete with a scholarship league champion....period....

I'm not saying that the Pioneer Champion would go far in a 24 team playoff, just that year to year they should be able to compete with some of the other league champions, as long as they were not seeded.  In the 2010 Sagarin rankings, the Pioneer champion was Jacksonville at 144.  This compares to other leagues:

Big South - Liberty - 153
Great West - Southern Utah - 132
Ivy League - Penn - 111
Mid Eastern - SC State - 192
Northeast - Robert Morris - 143
Ohio Valley - Jacksonville St. - 118
Patriot - Lehigh - 112
Southwestern - Texas Southern - 157
Independents - S. Alabama - 122

I'm just saying that the Pioneer Champion should be competitive with those types of teams.  The conferences I left out had several teams much higher than Jacksonville, and the Pioneer would most likely not be competitive against those leagues.  Those teams and some of the at large teams would receive the 8 byes in the 24 team format. 

Maybe I'm thinking too positive, but I would say that the Pioneer team, going against the some of these league champions, would be competitive and win some of these games.

You're probably being a bit optimistic, but unfortunately the playoffs are seeded. Can you imagine Armanti Edwards playing Valpo?