Looking at the schedule a bit closer ...
Breaking it down in two-game segments:
1: Kutztown and Shepherd - Both at Miller Stadium. Very difficult start. Both have won here in the past and both will be strong this Fall.
2: The Erie duo. Week 3 is at Mercyhurst and then the #LIT-AF visit. The trip to Mercyhurst in Week 3 certainly has trap game potential coming off two big ones.
3: Two week road-trip: at Clarion and at SRU ... Clarion has been somewhat tough at home. We know what the trip to SRU is like.
4. Two week home-stand: California and Edinboro ... I guess it's a PSAC rule IUP must play SRU and Cal back-to-back every year.
5. Trip to Greensburg and then the regular season finale will be either the State Game or a trip to West Chester.
They have to get out of Segment No. 1 -- at minimum -- 1-1. An 0-2 start (it's possible) would be disastrous. They go 2-0, well, a special season could be lining up. IUP will be favored in Games 3-5. SRU in Week 6 will be a crapshoot as usual. They must be looking Sweep in Segment 4. Cal will be tough as always but the home team usually wins. The trip to Seton Hill in Week 9 should be a recovery week. Game 10 will be challenging either way.
Tough season to predict. Very tough schedule. Three of the big four games are in Indiana. I don't know how much that actually helps. The trip to SRU in mid-October will be one of those 9,500 crowds. Hard to take a guess until we see the final roster.
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IUP Golf has become a dynasty. The program is on a really epic run. I'd have to think based on PSAC titles they are the most dominant team in the PSAC the past 20 years -- any sport.Originally posted by IUPNation View Post
They also have a monster recruit signed for next year. This is a kid who easily could have gone D1 (or tried to break in to the pro ranks).Leave a comment:
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That's the conventional wisdom and you're probably right. However, when I look at the IUP team taking shape I see a lot of depth at most positions. At least, they have depth at skill positions e.g. QB, RB, WR, TE, and now with recent acquisitions, LB.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
The projected starting OL is a very seasoned group. Yes, if you drop down to the 2nd teamers then what you have is young players who haven't played much. On the other hand, if you have a 6th/7th OL that can play multiple positions you can keep yourself covered and I think IUP has that on the OL. The defensive backfield looks pretty strong and pretty experienced to me. They have at least 5 or 6 players who have been starters. Again, if you have to drop below that then you are dealing with young, inexperienced players. That can really hurt if you don't have depth in the defensive backfield but it's more a lack of college experience than lack of quality. The NWMSU's of the world have the same problem.
So, yes, there is a difference between the top PSAC teams and the top D2 programs. But I don't know if it's about depth. I actually think their starters are better.
The lack of scholarships hurts but I think those big programs just have a higher regional profile than we do. That is, in large part, due to less competition for players in their part of the country.
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Baseball swept by UPJ today.
That's 1-16.
Streak: L16
I get IUP is a 'revenue sport' school ... but, this is embarrassing.Leave a comment:
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IUP can use state money for sports - just personnel though. Student fees usually cover operations (travel, equipment, etc). Scholarships by order of PASSHE must come from external dollars (donations, fundraisers, ticket sales, etc).Originally posted by IUPNation View PostLeave a comment:
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Not sure how current or the accuracy of this data, but according to this web site ( https://scholarshipstats.com/football ) the in-state tuition at NW Missouri St is $5K less than IUP. So a $10K donation goes a longer way at NW Missouri St than at IUP.Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View PostLeave a comment:
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Different animals (and states)Originally posted by IUPNation View Post
To give you an idea of the IUP landscape:
Men's basketball has an extremely loyal following. There's certainly an 'inner circle' of heavy-hitting donors. If Joe isn't maxed out on a given year something is wrong. He also has everything to offer -- arguably the top arena in D2, facilities, etc. Saturday night at the KCAC is a D1 experience. It just is. A PSAC West coach once told me Joe's film room is nicer than their whole building. Keep in mind, 'maxed out' in D2 basketball is just 10 equivalencies. So, he doesn't need to raise near the money Tort does. Joe recruits nationally -- heck, internationally. That's much harder for football.
Football has been staggering around the 21-24 equivalency mark, on average, for some time. Some years a little better and some years a little worse. That will keep them a PSAC power. Beyond that, ... not so much. To win that last game of the season that you want, ... they have to get up over 30 equivalencies. The depth just isn't here right now. Our starters are as good as most elite D2 teams. Problem is by October and November, we've usually already lost several of them to injury. Now you're replacing them with low percentage money guys. The fall-off in talent is huge. Even getting 5 more equivalencies -- and going 'all in' on 5 full ticket guys or taking 10 'half money' guys ... would make such a difference. We've seen this time and time again when one of our teams get in to the Final Four. Most of the time -- SRU most recently -- they get walloped.Leave a comment:
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