S136 Conference Reviews (II)
We spent some time reviewing the top ten teams and breaking down some of the rebuild projects that are coming up. I also talked about the RMAC and so that leaves us with a lot more conferences to cover.
Next up... I'm going to try tackling 2 more conferences in regards to where they are and where I think they will end up.
Ranked 8th in strength, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is making some noise bring in the 4th best recruiting class as a conference. When we look at the CIAA, there really are only 2 teams that are going to have a legitimate playoff push this season and that is Virginia State and NC Central.
VSU already beat NC Central 48-24 in week 6, so a rematch in the CC will likely result the same outcome.
I like Virginia State this year with Catfish_Jack taking over for the previous coach coral_reefer. In his first season, he brought in the best recruiting class this team has had since season 72! #5 in recruiting and currently 5-2 on the season with 2 losses to Cheyney 29-27 and another to Northern Michigan 55-17, they do have a shot still to win it. However, one dimensional teams are pretty match-up dependent and the two games they lost were night and day different in the outcome.
NC Central is 6-1 and dakjd901 has been averaging about 10-11 wins over the last 2 seasons since he took over. I think he is getting his foot though because his first two recruit classes were ranked 23 and 25, while this season he brought in the #15 class. RB Collins who is a redshirt Sophomore could be the star of this team to get them moving forward. Currently with a 67 core rating and nearing above 70 on the prime attributes across the board, I would look for him in the future. This team wins out but will probably lose the CC making them a 2 loss team heading into the playoffs.
Bowie State is not a rebuild but the newly appointed head coach Tipi48 is rebounding off a SIM run 8-5 team from last season. The previous regime didn't recruit a very good senior class and the SIM didn't do well on his sophomore class, so I'm sure it feels like a rebuild. Currently 2-5 after a crushing non-conference schedule, they only have 1 more game versus VSU that will likely be a loss. I'm predicting 7 wins for Tipi48's first year and chance to improve his team next year.
Prediction
Virginia State 11-2 Wins the CC - Playoffs NC Central 12-1 Loses the CC - Playoffs Bowie State 7-6
Arguably the best conference in Rockne D2, we find ourselves taking a look into the infamous GLIAC. Incredible jump out of the gate with 3 teams still 7-0 and 2 teams are 6-1! With so many competitive teams, I got NMU the front runner with their talent and depth. After that, it's really a toss up on who is going to beat who.
Northern Michigan is the horse of the conference this year and will likely runaway with the conference championship. Spthibodeau has his team playing very well and no team has come close to stopping them. Their defense is simply shutting teams down while they average 65 points per game versus human opponents. Only Saginaw Valley St could have a shot and giving them a loss before the CC but we will have to wait until week 12.
Ferris State is still on the radar but will be looking at the NC with an outside shot. Coachoatie's team is not quite on par with his previous runs but he has the ability to game plan well versus Northern Michigan. If NMU was to lose, I think this would be the team that could pose the most issues for them. Facing NMU would be great, however, that's not their biggest threat at the moment. The threat comes from Hillsdale week 11 where he is going to overcome a very hot Omcs1981 led team and do it in a convincing fashion to be on par with NMU's level.
Saginaw Valley State and Hillsdale are both battling for playoff spots and hopefully a shot at the CC. Out of those two teams, I like Hillsdale to have the best shot at finishing the season strong. SVSU led by ojpick (last seasons CoY) has not been able to overcome NMU in recent years and each of those seasons their teams have had great talent.
Omcs1981's Hillsdale squad looks really good this season with solid cores that can compete with Ferris St. I can see them pulling out a win but it's going to be close. FSU is more talented still but they are within 6 core points for the team rating and that is often close enough!
Now let's talk about an intriguing team who could make some noise this year. Findlay led by bobbybd has really turned his program around. At one point this team fell down to being the 87th ranked program and he built it up to #20 this season. Look folks, this newer coach gets it and he is doing a fantastic job here playing in one of the toughest divisions and improving. He beat Saginaw Valley State 36-24 and held Northern Michigan to 36 points which is the best of any team this season. His conference schedule is brutal since he has to play all of the human coaches and yet he is currently 6-1. It's going to be great to see them versus FSU and Hillsdale as Findlay is just as capable of winning either of those matches.
Jrob2517 is the new face in GLIAC and he takes on a the challenge of returning Indianapolis to their former glory. Bringing in the #60 recruit class in his first season, it's going to be a slow but hopefully steady improvement over the next few seasons. We'll keep our eye on this team who currently resides at 4-3 on the season and has to still play Findlay, NMU and SVSU over the next 3 weeks.
Predicitions
Northern Michigan 13-0 Wins the CC - Playoffs Ferris State 12-1 Loses the CC - Playoffs
Findlay 11-2 - Playoffs Hillsdale 11-2 - Playoffs Saginaw Valley St. 11-2 - Playoffs Indianapolis 7-6