MIAA issues

[Brandon]

Re: MIAA issues

I think silo schedule is kind of a meh point as well. (However, I do want OOC, I just don't think it's why the MIAA has underperformed for 2 years in playoffs)

there is only 1 game in those two years (NW Mo vs Saginaw) that was much of a game for prepping for playoffs. I guess that would give some credence that NW Mo won that year having played Saginaw but NW Mo has also won a title in only silo schedule as well. Plus it was the very first game of 2013, how much could that have translated at the end of the season to prepping for a playoff run? 2013 NW Mo was just hands down better than everybody I don't think playing Saginaw (instead of Lindenwood who they didn't play in conference) first was why they won a title.

It's a factor, not necessarily THE factor, in a decline in the level of competition.

Others have mentioned that coaches are still trying to get the best players. I don't doubt that. Every coach is trying to assemble a team that's so much better than everyone else it can't lose. That's not reality, however, in Division II and coaches have to recruit players who are not the absolute elite in the country.

The problem is perception. What players are good enough to be stars? How big should their scholarship offer be? What players are good enough to be contributors? How good should their scholarship offer be?

There is no way to prove any of this (or disprove for that matter), but I do think the schedule has had an impact.

[Jungle Jim]

Re: MIAA issues

In 2001-02, Pitt State played SWAGU, Langston and Bacone x2. Those two years were the only ones where the non-cons were truly embarrassing.

The 2011 Billy Jewell and 2013 NWOSU were both last minute additions because of UNO and Truman leaving, so I think they deserve a pass there.

A few of the non-cons we scheduled were teams that we thought were going to be more competitive than they were: Chadron State was not good in 2009-10, but they were pretty decent in 2008 and were coming off a stretch where we thought we were scheduling a high-caliber in-region non-con. I think we expected UCO to be better from 2008-2010 when we scheduled them, too. Even East Central had been improving leading up to the two years we played them and then they regressed beginning at that point, if I remember correctly.

But I will agree the 2001-02 non-con schedules were indefensible. Kinda strange that we went that route, considering that from 1997-2000, we went 6-0 in non-cons playing Missouri State, North Alabama (x2), Texas A&M Commerce (x2) and Mesa State. A reasonable case can be made that the decision to go with pansies in 01-02 was a turning point for the Pitt State football program and we've really just had a few flashes in the pan since then.

'05 and '06 games against Panhandle State were an embarrassment too.

[jimbo slice]

Re: MIAA issues

What article was this?

nope. wasnt yelling at anyone. was reading the article about lt col steven fisher...purple heart recipient. ......carlson was the tie.

[GorillaBred]

Re: MIAA issues

'05 and '06 games against Panhandle State were an embarrassment too.

We only played Panhandle State once--in 2006. It was embarrassing. It was paired with East Central, which made that year pretty bad, too. I think our weak SOS probably cost us a PO spot that year, but I'd have to check to be sure. I could be wrong on my memory with this one, but I think that was another case of someone else backing out of a commitment and us wanting to add a home game. However, it might've been something weird. The story I vaguely remember (and could definitely be mis-remembering) is that we thought Delta State was going to come to Pittsburg back to back years in 05-06 and DSU believed it to be a home-and-home arrangement. We had no interest in going to DSU, so it fell apart after they came to PSU.

I know you're all going to read this and think, "How could that happen? Wasn't it in writing?" It probably was. One of two things is definitely true: either I'm mis-remembering it or someone really screwed up at the time.

Giving up a home game every other year for the Arrowhead game seemed to always put the University in a position where they felt like they had to have both non-cons at home for those years.

On the actual point of this thread, if anyone thinks the silo scheduling isn't contributing the MIAA's floundering, you probably haven't been around long enough to understand the MIAA's earlier rise to the heights it had. If anyone thinks it is the sole or near-exclusive contributor, you probably have your head in the sand as to the other issues causing decline at some programs within the conference. If anyone thinks the MIAA doesn't have issues relative to what it used to be like, then you're probably new to the conference within the past 2-3 years.

[NWFanatic]

Re: MIAA issues

NW also beat West Chester one year where WCU made the semis.

[Predatory Primates]

Re: MIAA issues

Teams who weren't hand picked whipping boys in bold
01 SWAG and Bacone
02 Langston and Bacone
03 Lincoln and St cloud They were supposed to be good, so I give it to them.
04 western state and hays
05 Delta and Hays
06 ECU and OPSU
07 TAMC And ECU
08 UCO and CSC

[Predatory Primates]

Re: MIAA issues

I guess they had UCO and CSC 08, 09, 10, so I think all the beck years, they tried to schedule decent game.

[GorillaBred]

Re: MIAA issues

I guess they had UCO and CSC 08, 09, 10, so I think all the beck years, they tried to schedule decent game.

Although, I think the 2010 games against UCO and CSC (the only two Beck era games on the list) were already scheduled before he became coach. I'm pretty sure the attempted uptick in scheduling came because of not making the playoffs in 2006.

[voicefromthestands]

Re: MIAA issues

It's a factor, not necessarily THE factor, in a decline in the level of competition.

Others have mentioned that coaches are still trying to get the best players. I don't doubt that. Every coach is trying to assemble a team that's so much better than everyone else it can't lose. That's not reality, however, in Division II and coaches have to recruit players who are not the absolute elite in the country.

The problem is perception. What players are good enough to be stars? How big should their scholarship offer be? What players are good enough to be contributors? How good should their scholarship offer be?

There is no way to prove any of this (or disprove for that matter), but I do think the schedule has had an impact.

How does the saying go? It is not your 11 best. But your best 11 that wins you games. Sometimes in the arms race coaches get so caught up in going for those all star players. And forget to build with players that fit the program. And I think that is some of the problems within the MIAA right now.

[Predatory Primates]

Re: MIAA issues

Although, I think the 2010 games against UCO and CSC (the only two Beck era games on the list) were already scheduled before he became coach. I'm pretty sure the attempted uptick in scheduling came because of not making the playoffs in 2006.

Would be curious to hear what year Broyles became AD and if it coincided with the bad scheduling.

[GorillaBred]

Re: MIAA issues

Would be curious to hear what year Broyles became AD and if it coincided with the bad scheduling.

According to the KS Sports HoF, he became AD in 1996. Scheduling stayed strong initially thereafter, but not sure how much of that was already done before he doubled down into administration.

[CatFan88]

Re: MIAA issues

That's a cop out. NW has only NW to blame for their problems. The same could be said for every other team.

I agree, if you don't think NW is still trying to get the top kids that they can to fill out their program because they now only have to win a weaker SILO scheduling conference... I mean c'mon man, really? We still get kids from Florida for Pete's sake. Our recruiting hasn't changed because we have SILO scheduling. Having said that though, now that there is a ***** in the armor, and other teams have crept up within the conference and even more so nationally, it gives kids other options closer to home or for many other reasons. It's difficult to maintain that level of consistency and national relevance for as long as Northwest did/has. There's a lot of reasons that could attribute to the supposed fall from grace... number 1 being a coaching change. We went from an offensive minded coach to a defensive minded one... honestly and unfortunately, we don't know how things would've worked out with Scott Bostwick at the helm. But that in itself has to change the approach of the staff at the top and the views of some recruits, doesn't it? We've obviously become more conservative and predictable in our play calling... most of that falls on Charlie and Joel, but you can't completely excuse the head coach or the mentality he brings in the approach to the games, can you? I hate the SILO scheduling too, but I think we're putting too much into it... the MIAA has always had plenty of sh*tty teams to play during the season, and I don't think that one out of conference game changes the face of NW's recruiting efforts or their ability to be good. It does give teams and their fans an idea of where they are on a national level before the playoffs, which is somewhat of a benefit, but I'm with PP... it's lazy to blame our shortfalls on it.

Missed my point. But that's OK. It sounded way better in my head than what got posted.

[Alfred33]

Re: MIAA issues

It's a factor, not necessarily THE factor, in a decline in the level of competition.

Others have mentioned that coaches are still trying to get the best players. I don't doubt that. Every coach is trying to assemble a team that's so much better than everyone else it can't lose. That's not reality, however, in Division II and coaches have to recruit players who are not the absolute elite in the country.

The problem is perception. What players are good enough to be stars? How big should their scholarship offer be? What players are good enough to be contributors? How good should their scholarship offer be?

There is no way to prove any of this (or disprove for that matter), but I do think the schedule has had an impact.

[UCObluejay]

Re: MIAA issues

nope. wasnt yelling at anyone. was reading the article about lt col steven fisher...purple heart recipient. ......carlson was the tie.

I wasn't suggesting you were.

[Finishempty Fred]

Re: MIAA issues

The only issue with the MIAA is it's fans. The sooner you realize that every school in D2 has the same number of scholarships, the better off you'll be.