October 3rd, 2000 12:00am
True to their billing, the North Dakota State-North Dakota and IUP-Slippery Rock matchups were classics. They represented some of the best regional games Division II fans can expect to witness. But in a larger sense, they were nothing more than another game in the 2000 schedule, although in both cases, post-game write-ups tried to make a lot more of them than that.
Both IUP's coach Frank Cignetti and his counterpart at Slippery Rock, George Mihalik were quick to point out that despite the importance everyone had assigned to the game, the most important game for each team was still ahead - the next weekend in fact.
Slippery Rock heads to Shippensburg this weekend while IUP goes to Bloomsburg. A quick glance at the records of their opponents would not suggest anyone should think of these games as the most of the important of the year, but the point both coaches made was clear.
The buildup of both of Division II's top games last weekend had an impact on all four teams. They had to prepare for what to that date was the most significant game on their schedules. You don't just physically prepare for games like these. You have to prepare mentally - you have to get psyched. And then there is the letdown both coaches feared might be their most significant adversary the next weekend.
Although the D-II schedule only is approaching its midpoint already the postseason lineup is beginning to take shape. We are far enough into the season now that any slip can alter significantly a team's playoff position or maybe even eliminate it.
Cignetti knows his unit has to go into hostile territory where it becomes the focal point of Bloomsburg's season. Regardless of where Bloomsburg is in the rankings, a win over regionally top-ranked IUP could be that team's season.
Slippery Rock likewise has to venture onto a field that has a notorious reputation for being a tough venue for visitors. A letdown in Shippensburg and the Rock's entire season could be done.
It was quickly assumed that IUP and Slippery Rock will meet again this year. The assumption, of course, is that both will be in the tournament. Neither team can afford to take that assumption onto the field this week.
The same worry has to be on the minds of the North Dakota coaches whose teams likewise just went through an emotionally draining week of practice and a game with enormous consequences. Both teams have several real potential stumbling blocks ahead in their schedules. Neither, however, have the degree of difficulty facing both IUP and Slippery Rock this weekend - the weekend immediately after their emotion-ladened meeting.
An NFL coach whose name escapes me at the moment made the point in an interview that a coach can only get his team on an extreme emotional high only two or maybe three times in a season. The rest of the time you have to rely upon solid preparation and talent to win out.
Can Cignetti and Mihalik summon the emotion from their teams like they did last week? Probably not. The reality is both teams know their opposition is not the equal of last week's. Screaming, yelling, begging, or any form of emotional plea will not cut it - not this close to last week's ordeal.
But it is this week that could show whether either or both are really playoff caliber material. This is the week solid preparation and talent minus hype will either make this week just one more step to the playoffs or whether it produces a slip that could make football in December only a television event.
This weekend could also make or break whatever playoff hopes New Haven holds when it hosts Central Washington. This is an absolute can't-lose game for New Haven. A loss this Saturday and the team will play out this season for pride only.
It is obvious in this week's regional polls that the Northeast Region Committee is not going to overlook solid but losing performances against New Haven's I-AA competition. It will count them as loses - nothing more.
Another loss, especially at the hands of a D-II team, and the rest of this year is glorified training camp.
Is this fair? No. Is it reality? You betcha'. And the Rock and IUP thought they had pressure last week!
There is an interesting sidelight to New Haven's game, however. What if they slam Central Washington into the dirt? You know, they win by a huge margin. If IUP, Slippery Rock and all six other teams win, even barely win, New Haven will not move up in the poll. But how will the Northeast Region Committee rationalize that the number two-ranked team in the West, Western Washington, did not exactly maul Central Washington (the final was 35-22 with Western tallying its final score right before the final gun).
If I know the New Haven Chargers and their coach at all, I have to suspect they will be waiting at the gates on Saturday with more than typical game faces on. If they have a chance and can unmercifully run up the score, they will, if only to prove a point. They might not have any other choice. The way it looks now anything short of a massacre of its D-II opponents will not offset I-AA losses. The phrase, what's wrong with this picture keeps popping into my head.
Is there any pressure in Pittsburg Kansas this weekend also? Of course not, unless you believe the Gorilla's coach who basically laid down the gauntlet to his team this week. With two losses in league and regional competition, the Gorillas potential salvation must start with a win this weekend and even then it's a long shot. This is known in the real world as gut check time.
Perhaps the closest game this weekend to anything rivaling last weekend's two top games is Delta State's visit to Valdosta. Both teams are in the hunt for their league title and a slot in the tournament. The loser's playoff chances will be severely damaged. Valdosta has the most to lose since it's third spot in the South Region is barely ahead of a solid West Georgia team with Southern Arkansas not far behind. This is not an absolute must win for Valdosta, but no one on the team better think that.
Week six of its training camp sends Carson-Newman to Presbyterian College to allow the Eagles to notch their sixth win of the year. Two more such events follow this weekend before Carson-Newman plays its entire regular season in one game when it hosts Catawba October 28. There probably will not be any emotional pleas in the Carson-Newman locker room for the next three weeks. There better be in week four.
So how does this weekend look? First, none of the top teams in any region are likely to lose. The same is likely to be the case with all four teams in the second spots in the regions. It gets a bit murkier after that. West Georgia and Valdosta particularly have tough games this weekend, and Nebraska-Kearney has to hope Justin Coleman's injury last week does not hamper his performance.
What's the best game on the docket this weekend? From an overall national view it is probably the Valdosta-Delta State game, but for my money I would love to be in Pittsburg Kansas on Saturday. The combination of a team with talent that has under-performed and now been challenged by one of Division II's best coaches makes for interesting watching regardless of who the competition is, which for the record in this case is Missouri Southern State.
Central Washington's stop in New Haven might be a walk in the park compared to Missouri Southern's entry into the "Jungle".