Selection Sunday

[ironmaniup]

I mean, if they win that game they had a 1% chance of getting in, losing meant they had a 0% chance. They probably would have needed ODU to lose though, even if Cal had beaten WCU, ODU would have been the 7th team (unless the committee kept WV State in there, or threw NHU in).

Cal would have been 3 losses, as was both WVSU and Urbana lost to give them 4, ODU had one less win, because of their short schedule. And Cal had a really good SOS, even with St Anselm as an anchor. St Anselm beat Assumption last week btw. So Cal had a really good chance of getting in had they beat WCU. I suppose we'll never know now.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Listen here mother****ers, the rams of Shepherd are about to get steamrolled come Saturday. CLOWNS!!

Not sure where this comes from considering the typical expertise from the IUP classier fans. I guess it is game-on now!! The Shepherd offense can score on anyone. Granted they need to play that "perfect" game....no turnovers and stupid penalties...and steamrolled suddenly runs out of steam. Good luck you classy IUP fans

It's coming from those not familiar with history.

IUP has played Shepherd in four playoff games ... and lost three of them.

Granted, many of the players weren't even born yet back in the 1998 game - that miserably cold, windy day in Indiana. I saw it live. One of the strangest endings I've ever seen.

But, each time, we've heard about 'steamrolling' and 'Shepherd's never seen athletes like IUP's' and blah blah blah.

IUP likely is favored in this game out in imaginary Las Vegas, but ... come 12 p.m. Saturday they both have the same record.

IUP also may be home but playing at Miller Stadium comes with no home-field advantage. Even when the place is full it's a very dull, lame crowd. The biggest advantage is just not getting on the bus and sleeping in their own beds.

A real big factor in this game is the pairing of two of the most-penalized teams in the league. IUP has been flagged 103 times. Shepherd 117 times. Both give away 100 ypg in flags.

My early guess is that for Shepherd to win the game they'd need to score in the range of 35-42 points. Shepherd can run and pass. IUP has only played a handful of teams this year that can do both. It's a tough match-up.

[Ram040506]

It's coming from those not familiar with history.

IUP has played Shepherd in four playoff games ... and lost three of them.

Granted, many of the players weren't even born yet back in the 1998 game - that miserably cold, windy day in Indiana. I saw it live. One of the strangest endings I've ever seen.

But, each time, we've heard about 'steamrolling' and 'Shepherd's never seen athletes like IUP's' and blah blah blah.

IUP likely is favored in this game out in imaginary Las Vegas, but ... come 12 p.m. Saturday they both have the same record.

IUP also may be home but playing at Miller Stadium comes with no home-field advantage. Even when the place is full it's a very dull, lame crowd. The biggest advantage is just not getting on the bus and sleeping in their own beds.

A real big factor in this game is the pairing of two of the most-penalized teams in the league. IUP has been flagged 103 times. Shepherd 117 times. Both give away 100 ypg in flags.

My early guess is that for Shepherd to win the game they'd need to score in the range of 35-42 points. Shepherd can run and pass. IUP has only played a handful of teams this year that can do both. It's a tough match-up.

IUP should be favored. I just laugh at some of these idiots who obviously don't know much about Shepherd's program. Shepherd arguably has been the most successful Region 1 team of the last 15 years, yet we still get that sort of response from some on here.

With that said, Shepherd is beat up headed into this game, like most teams are after a full football season. But Shepherd more so than in year's past unfortunately. Truly anything is on the table for this game. I could see the young Shepherd team committing early turnovers getting in a hole and losing in a lopsided game. I could see a classic shootout as well coming down to the wire.

These are usually good games between 2 good programs, so hopefully we get more of the same. I was actually thinking on the way in to work this morning, next year IUP/Shep will play regular season. Shepherd should have a very good team next year as I'd imagine that IUP will as well. With Rivers gone, IUP vs Shep could be a 3 game affair next year if it all breaks perfectly lol!

[PSACfan1]

I have to assume IUP has the largest alumni base in the PSAC, looking at the last 35 years of enrollment data. Plus IUP has been a winner over most of those years, so those types of things drive the demographic of this site.

That is a fair point. However, the homerism from SOME the IUPer's is pretty off putting. I understand pulling for your team and being all in but sheesh

[Ram Tough]

It's always the same story. Shepherd doesn't have a chance. Blah ... Blah ... Blah. Poor little Shepherd.

[IUP24]

That is a fair point. However, the homerism from SOME the IUPer's is pretty off putting. I understand pulling for your team and being all in but sheesh

You gotta remember, you're new to this board. You haven't seen the evolution of most of these folks on this board. There's a lot of IUP posters that play a "character" because they know it makes people angry. I'll use him because he won't care if I do. IUPNation is the perfect example. Everybody hates him - I get it. Try private messaging the guy some time and actually talking football with him. Good guy and really knowledgeable and passionate about the D2 game. He gets a bad reputation on this message board, and I don't agree with him on everything he talks about in the general off topic threads, but I've exchanged messages with a bunch of other posters from other schools. Most long time people on here like IUPNation.

Some of the new IUP posters that show up and spew venom... Are you really going to judge everybody else because of them? You know that those are players coming on this message board. The majority of the most egregious posters on here are disgruntled parents and players. IUP seems to have that happen more than other schools. However, it doesn't happen like it used to. This is actually pretty tame now. There was an annual mass exodus during the Curt Cignetti years. A lot of players hated him. They came here to spew their frustration (because every player and coach reads this message board - which is actually hilarious).

The quality of this message board has regressed over the last 2 years. There's reasons for that, but I won't go much further. It's become a cesspool. And believe me, IUP isn't the only fanbase that has jerks that come on here and stir the pot.

[IUP24]

IUP should be favored. I just laugh at some of these idiots who obviously don't know much about Shepherd's program. Shepherd arguably has been the most successful Region 1 team of the last 15 years, yet we still get that sort of response from some on here.

With that said, Shepherd is beat up headed into this game, like most teams are after a full football season. But Shepherd more so than in year's past unfortunately. Truly anything is on the table for this game. I could see the young Shepherd team committing early turnovers getting in a hole and losing in a lopsided game. I could see a classic shootout as well coming down to the wire.

These are usually good games between 2 good programs, so hopefully we get more of the same. I was actually thinking on the way in to work this morning, next year IUP/Shep will play regular season. Shepherd should have a very good team next year as I'd imagine that IUP will as well. With Rivers gone, IUP vs Shep could be a 3 game affair next year if it all breaks perfectly lol!

I think you'll find that most of the IUP posters believe this will be a very competitive football game. I wouldn't use the players posting on this message board as your guide for what most of the IUP faithful think.

[iupgroundhog]

The quality of this message board has regressed over the last 2 years. There's reasons for that, but I won't go much further. It's become a cesspool. And believe me, IUP isn't the only fanbase that has jerks that come on here and stir the pot.

Yeah, you're definitely right there. This message board used to be a veritable paragon of virtue. I, too, long for the days gone by when the IUP fans and Cal fans showed nothing but mutual admiration. The great respect that IUP and Slippery Rock posters had for each other. It was so uplifting back then. Very nice. The degradation of the discourse on here is so disappointing. A sign of the times, I guess.

[Ram Tough]

I'll be honest. I just kind of laugh at those posters now. At this point, I know who the good and bad posters are. When some guy comes on here talking trash, I just laugh. It's funny how those guys don't usually last long.

On a side note, I used to despise Nation. However, I have come to realize that he isn't a bad guy. I'm also much calmer now than I was 10-15 years ago on this board. I talked a little trash back in the day as well. And every school has had its trash talkers.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

You gotta remember, you're new to this board. You haven't seen the evolution of most of these folks on this board. There's a lot of IUP posters that play a "character" because they know it makes people angry. I'll use him because he won't care if I do. IUPNation is the perfect example. Everybody hates him - I get it. Try private messaging the guy some time and actually talking football with him. Good guy and really knowledgeable and passionate about the D2 game. He gets a bad reputation on this message board, and I don't agree with him on everything he talks about in the general off topic threads, but I've exchanged messages with a bunch of other posters from other schools. Most long time people on here like IUPNation.

Some of the new IUP posters that show up and spew venom... Are you really going to judge everybody else because of them? You know that those are players coming on this message board. The majority of the most egregious posters on here are disgruntled parents and players. IUP seems to have that happen more than other schools. However, it doesn't happen like it used to. This is actually pretty tame now. There was an annual mass exodus during the Curt Cignetti years. A lot of players hated him. They came here to spew their frustration (because every player and coach reads this message board - which is actually hilarious).

The quality of this message board has regressed over the last 2 years. There's reasons for that, but I won't go much further. It's become a cesspool. And believe me, IUP isn't the only fanbase that has jerks that come on here and stir the pot.

The one thing I'll give the IUP posters on here is they stick around when things are good and bad. During Lutz's first two years at SRU ... SRU posters were ghosts on here. Now, all the Cal posters have just about vanished. During Cal's big run they were everywhere. By and large there's a core group. The rest mostly come and go. Every August when players report to camp and have down-time you get all the new accounts on here yapping. The give away is the 189 word sentence with no periods, commas or trace of the English language.

The football side of the board is dramatically worse than the basketball side. The basketball side is pretty civil.

[Captain Obvious]

The quality of this message board has regressed over the last 2 years. There's reasons for that, but I won't go much further. It's become a cesspool. And believe me, IUP isn't the only fanbase that has jerks that come on here and stir the pot.

As a long time lurker, I don't think it's regressed too much - though there are more posters that seem to come onto the board just to troll or start stuff without engaging in a fun or respectful (or respectfully disrespectful?) debate. On the outside looking it - it definitely feels to me like I have seen a few more personal attacks on the PSAC board this year, but it only takes one or two bad apples to make it feel that way.

[Clydes 'N Rams]

I think you'll find that most of the IUP posters believe this will be a very competitive football game. I wouldn't use the players posting on this message board as your guide for what most of the IUP faithful think.

I just hope the Rams can get thru a game with out the stupid PF ' s that have been way too prevalent this season, especially at critical times in the games.
Also hope the running game with the step up of DG this year can continue, to keep IUP's stout D guessing more on those big 3rd down plays.

And if the trend continues for both teams & the officials, they better bring two sets of flags due to overuse!! Expecting a great competitive game if it doesn't turn into a flagfest.

[iupgroundhog]

The quality of this message board has regressed over the last 2 years. There's reasons for that, but I won't go much further. It's become a cesspool. And believe me, IUP isn't the only fanbase that has jerks that come on here and stir the pot.

I would be interested in knowing how you think "the message board has regressed over the last 2 years." I don't see that.

Sure, because it's a sports forum there are a few people who enjoy "stirring the pot" as you say. If you don't like that then don't respond to them. Nation will always be Nation and now you basically have these ESU guys coming back at him with their typically banal quips. I ignore that. If other posters like to do that I feel it doesn't affect me.

I find the board really interesting. People talk about a really wide range of topics and the ideas just flow. It's good. IMO.

The other thing I see is a lot more and different posters from different schools. Some might find it hard to believe but this board use to be even more dominated by the IUP posters. It's a lot more diverse now from what I can see.

I just try not to judge what other people talk about in regards to whether it's "worthy." Let people talk about what they want to talk about.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'll be honest. I just kind of laugh at those posters now. At this point, I know who the good and bad posters are. When some guy comes on here talking trash, I just laugh. It's funny how those guys don't usually last long.

On a side note, I used to despise Nation. However, I have come to realize that he isn't a bad guy. I'm also much calmer now than I was 10-15 years ago on this board. I talked a little trash back in the day as well. And every school has had its trash talkers.

Lol ... Yeah, if you pick a fight with Nation you best be ready to go 12 rounds.

[TJ85]

Lol ... Yeah, if you pick a fight with Nation you best be ready to go 12 rounds.

Wouldn't have to get all crazy with people on here if they knew how to talk football