Akua29 inspired me. Predictions:
NC = Centre
Runner-up: Bethany
ROCKNE
Season 133 DIII
Pre-Season GUESS Rankings:
- Centre (72.92/54.02):4AUTIGERS
Conference: SCAC
Last Season: 15-2; lost in quarterfinals
Past 10 Seasons: 1 national championship; 7 conference championships; 3 final four appearances; 2 NC appearances
Systems: Pro Set; 4-3 and Nickel
Strengths: Talent is balanced and very good. Passing offense may be considered the strength, but the rushing offense is not far behind, especially running behind that offensive line. I’m not sure if there is a deeper, more talented running OL in D3. For defense, the passing defense may be considered the strength, but the rushing defense is still championship quality.
Weaknesses: Punter (I’m nitpicking here-he is just a freshman)
Players to Watch:
Joe Singleton, RS Jr. QB: He is only a JR but is already the 6th best QB in D3. An athlete with a strong arm and elusive. The only possible concern is his GI. He threw 8 INTs last season. Will he be able to avoid interceptions in the playoffs against good secondaries?
David Bell, RS Sr. RB: No. 4 RB in D3. He is both strong and elusive. This guy is a stud. He average 5.9 yards/carry last season. Expect that to go up. You better have some strong DB’s and LB’s who can tackle to slow him down. Behind that OL he can make the claim as the best back in D3.
Jacob Barber, JR TE: Only a Jr but already the 2nd best TE in the nation. He has been used as a blocker with under 10 catches last season.
Offensive Line: Are you kidding me? Most of these guys are ranked number 1 in their class at their position. 4 of the 5 starters are ranked in the overall top 30 of D3, including 3 in the top 12.
Harry Hill: Best linebacker in the country.
Defensive Line: Two of the top 10 overall DL in D3.
Overall: I don’t often agree with the preseason rankings, but I think the coaches and press got it right with the #1 ranking. This is the team to beat this year. If you can’t stop the run, then you do not have a chance to slow them down. They like to dominate TOP and roll over you with their run game in the 2nd half.
- Trinity (72.01/53.03):Bce98a
Conference: NESCAC
Last Season: 18-1; lost in NC
Past 10 Seasons: 1 national championship; 3 conference championships; 2 final four appearances; 2 NC appearances
Systems: NDB and Pro Set; 3-4
Strengths: Talent is balanced and very good at nearly all positions. Rushing offense is the strength on paper, but Trinity typically emphasizes the pass over the ground game. As a team, this is the most talented Trinity roster in nearly 30 seasons. For defense, the passing defense is typically Trinity’s strength. But, this season it is the rushing defense.
Weaknesses: No real weakness, but passing offense is the lowest rated at B+. With an offensive emphasis on the passing game out of the NDB, this might cost them a chance at a deep run this season.
Players to Watch:
Joe Olsen, RS sr. QB: He is the 3rd best QB in D3. An athlete with an average arm but very elusive. Has not thrown an interception in the past 2 seasons.
Calvin Cunningham, RS Jr. RB: No. 9 RB in D3. He is an elusive speed back that is used as a primary receiver out of the backfield. He caught 68 passes last year and rushed the ball for over 1,000 yards at 6.0/carry.
George Mayer, JR TE: Only a Jr but already the 6th best TE in the nation. He is primarily a blocking TE. David Williams is the best receiver of the TEs.
Offensive Line: Top 3 are very good (all in the top 30). The next 3 are good to very good run blockers and above average pass blocking.
Defense: None of the upper classmen DL should be consider studs (none are in the top 100 at their positions, but for what they are asked to do (stop the run) they perform very well as a group. The LBs are the strength of the defense.
Overall: This is my team so it is always difficult to rank your own team. But, I’m not sure Trinity lives up to its #2 GUESS ranking this season. Defense has always been the strength of my teams (especially on the backend), and it may be a little down this year. It is a question mark for sure.
- Hampden-Sydney (70.44/52.60):knightsaynih
Conference: ODAC
Last Season: 14-2; lost in 2nd round
Past 10 Seasons: 1 national championship; 10 conference championships; 7 final four appearances; 3 NC appearances (no coach has been more consistently excellent)
Systems: NDB and Trips; 4-4 and Nickel
Strengths: Talent is fairly balanced and very good on both sides of the ball. The defense has a slight edge over the offense. Based strictly on GUESS ratings, rushing offense is the strength on offense. Rushing defense is strength of defense but the passing defense is very good and should not be considered a weakness. This team is built to challenge Centre for the championship this season if they can get good production from RBs.
Weaknesses: Not really a weakness but the talent is young. So, the RB position is down a little bit because they have no seniors and only 1 upperclassmen.
Players to Watch:
Michael Costa, RS Jr. QB: Passing QB that is ranked 14th in D3. 1st year starter that has a high completion percentage with limited playing time. An athlete, average arm, great technique, and above average GI.
Randy Ross, RS SO RB: No. 31 RB in D3 but is only a sophomore. He averaged 5.8 yards/carry last season. This may tell you all you need to know about the OL.
John Bryant, RS Sr, WR: No. 3 WR in D3. He is a weapon. He caught 73 passes last year for an average of 12.4 yards/reception. The other senior, Robert Benjamin, is no slouch either-he caught 59 passes for an average of 13 yards/reception last season.
Offensive Line: 4 senior OL men lead this group. They are all road-graters. They can push even the best defenses around. They can compete with Centre for the best OL in D3.
Linebackers: knightsaynih likes him some good LBs. This is the strength of his defense, followed closely by the DBs. Both the LBs and DBs can all tackle and generally have high GIs.
Overall: If the RB position can give good production to balance production at WR position, this team can make a deep run in the playoffs. Regardless, there are enough weapons on the outside to put up points with their long passing game. The Defense should be able to keep them in any game where their offense struggles to score points, which probably will not happen.
- Lewis & Clark (69.78/52.02):pdxbaseball
Conference: NWC
Last Season: 14-2; lost in 2nd round
Past 10 Seasons: 10 conference championships; 4 quarterfinal appearances
Systems: Pro Set and trips; 4-3 and Nickel
Strengths: Overall, this is the most talented L&C has been in 4 seasons. Talent is balanced on both offense and defense with a slight edge going to defense. Rushing offense may be considered the strength on offense, but the passing offense is still good. Rushing defense is very good and if LB depth doesn’t take its toll, it will keep them in the conversation as a dark-horse NC contender.
Weaknesses: Passing defense may be this team’s Achilles’ heel but only because of the lack of depth at DB and LB. Their top 3 DB’s are top 30 talent. LB position is thin with only 4 on the roster and 2 upperclassmen.
Players to Watch:
Richard Singer, RS Sr. QB: 11th best QB in D3. First year starter that has very little back-up experience. He is an athlete with a good GI rating and formation IQ so that should keep his turnovers down. Based on last season’s statistics, the other upperclassmen QB, Carlos Palmer, may get the nod at starter. Palmer is a little more elusive and has a higher GI rating.
Charles Gillespie, Sr. RB: No. 29 RB in D3. He is strong and very elusive. Of all the rosters for NC contenders, he is the most elusive of the backs.
Wide Receivers: This is a strength of their offense. 3 WRs in the top 40 led by Senior Joseph Ackerman (9th best WR).
Offensive Line: Another strength of their offense. Led by 3 Seniors and a Jr who are all ranked in the top 75 of D3.
Defensive Backs: Although GUESS shows their running defense to be the strength of this team, based strictly on individual position ranks DBs should get the nod. The top 4 DBs on this team are all ranked in the top 60 at their position, including the no 2 ranked DB.
Overall: This team has talent or else it would not be ranked 4th based on GUESS ratings. Coaching and game planning has always been a strength of Lewis & Clark. Because of the lack of depth at LB and top end talent at RB, he will need it to win a NC.
- Bethany (68.89/51.27):jamieh2009
Conference: MIAC
Last Season: 12-3; lost in quarterfinals
Past 10 Seasons: 2 national championships; 1 conference championships; 2 final four appearances; 2 NC appearances
Systems: Pro Set; 4-3
Strengths: Defense. Defense. Defense. This team will only go as far as the senior led defense will take them. But, they are good. Real good. IMO, this is the best defense in D3.
Weaknesses: OL might be the weakest of the position groups. But, they still have 2 top 50 OL in the group.
Players to Watch:
Jeremy Mckinney, RS Jr. QB: two year returning starter. He is the 23rd best QB in D3. An athlete with a strong arm, high formation IQ, and very good technique. Interceptions have been a concern for him the past two seasons but he nearly cut them in half last season. If he does that again this season, and because of the defense, this team is my pick as the most likely dark-horse to win it all.
Running Backs: Led by Senior David Emery, this team has 3 really good RBs. Emery is one of the fastest backs in D3 and is used a lot as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He had 79 receptions last season with an avg of 11.6 yards per reception.
Linebackers: Another successful coach who prioritizes LBs. Maybe we should all take a lesson? He has 4 top 30 LBs in this group, including 2 top 10.
Defensive Line: three top 30 DLs in this group, all seniors.
Defensive Backs: 4 top 50 DBs in the back-end of the defense.
Overall: History has a way of repeating itself. Look at Jamie’s history. He wins a national championship every 4 seasons. Guess where we are in the cycle this season? I do not follow his roster philosophy, but I cannot argue with his results. This defense will keep him in EVERY game. Once you get to the 4th quarter, you never know what will happen. If Bethany doesn’t run into Centre early in the playoffs, they can make it to the NC game.
- Carleton (67.91/51.18):htbaxter
Conference: MIAC
Last Season: 13-4; lost in semi-finals
Past 10 Seasons: 6 conference championships; 4 final four appearances; 1 NC appearance
Systems: Trips; 4-3, 4-4 and Nickel
Strengths: Rushing offense. Don’t let the lack of depth or experience at the RB position fool you, Carleton should be able to run the ball because of their OL. They have 4 OL in the top 100 at their position.
Weaknesses: This is a weird preview because I just said the rushing offense would be a strength but I think the RB position is the biggest weakness. If I’m wrong about the running game it will be because they only have 2 RBs on the roster and neither are seniors. The top RB is 76th at his position.
Players to Watch:
Philip Hamilton, RS Sr. QB: the 2nd best quarterback in D3. He’s pretty much good at everything. He has an exceptionally high formation IQ and very good GI rating. He will need to be at his best for Carleton to compete with the top 4 programs this season.
Running Backs: Led by RS Jr Vincent Ritchie, this team only has 2 RBs on the roster. It will place a lot of pressure on the passing game. Fortunately, they have one of the best QBs.
Wide Receivers: 3 top 100 WRs in this group. Led by the 13th best WR, Alvin Lee. He has 173 receptions over the last 2 seasons, averaging over 10 yds/reception.
Offensive Line: As a unit, this is the best position group on the team. 4 top 100 players at their position.
Defensive Line: three top 60 DLs in this group. Big drop off in talent after those three.
Linebackers and Defensive Backs: 2 top 100 LBs and 2 top DBs in the back-end of the defense.
Overall: This appears to be a rebuilding year after making it to the final four last season. Carleton probably has too much to overcome at the RB position. But, with htbaxter’s experience game planning, you should not count them out if you run into them early in the playoffs.
- St. Olaf (67.69/51.11):mfnmyers
Conference: MIAC
Last Season: 15-2; lost in semi-finals
Past 10 Seasons: 3 conference championships; 4 final four appearances
Systems: Pro Set; Nickel
Strengths: Defense. St. Olaf’s defense may be 2nd only to Bethany’s. It is a defense built to compete for a NC. All three levels of the defense are stocked with talent.
Weaknesses: I guess if you had to choose, it has to be the passing offense. But they have talent in the passing game.
Players to Watch:
John Ortiz, RS Sr. QB: He started 7 games last season and threw it 344 times. However, he hasn’t thrown an interception in the past 2 seasons. With a GI of 61 and formation IQ of 83, do not expect him to throw any this year. He is athletic and has an above average arm that is used in the long passing game. He had a 14 yard/completion average last season.
Running Backs: With the exception Senior Earl Ford, this team has a lot of talent at RB, but it is young. Ford is the 7th best back in D3. He is a powerful back that has good elusiveness. He is a home run threat at both receiver and running back. He had a 6.8 yard/ carry when running the ball and 15.1 yards/catch.
Wide Receiver: Led by RS Sr. Jimmy Crawford, who is the 4th best receiver in D3. He had 71 receptions last season with an average of 17 yards/reception. He fits in very well with mfnmyers offensive philosophy.
Linebackers: 2 top 20 LBs lead this group.
Defensive Line: three top 40 DLs in this group.
Defensive Backs: 3 top 40 DBs in the back-end of the defense.
Overall: Another talented mfnmyers’ team. mfnmyers has forgotten more than the collective rest of us have learned about this game. His number of championships in other worlds and recruiting record speak for themselves. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t had multiple championships in Rockne. My guess is that since he coaches St. Olaf in every other world, he hasn’t focused on dominating ours. Let’s hope he keeps his attention elsewhere.
- Wooster (67.25/50.95):quelch
Conference: NCAC
Last Season: 15-1; lost in quarterfinals (new coach but he did a great job recruiting this off-season).
Past 10 Seasons: 1 national championships; 7 conference championships; 1 final four appearances
Systems: Trip (primary) and Pro Set; 5-2 and Nickel
Strengths: Rushing Offense. With the number 3 and 11 ranked RBs and 3 top 25 OLs, it is not hard to see how this is a strength. DL is the strongest position on defense-3 top 75 players.
Weaknesses: The two weakest positions are LB and DB, but there is talent. There just is not a lot of depth. Wooster has some very highly rated underclassmen, we will have to see how much potential allows them to develop.
Players to Watch:
David Powell, RS Jr. QB: Number 4 ranked QB in D3. He is only a junior so he will be back. He has a very high formation IQ and an above average GI rating. This is his first season to start but he has played well when given opportunities. He had a completion percentage over 70 last season and no interceptions.
Offensive Line: Led by 3 top 25 O-linemen.
Linebackers: two top 15 LBs in this group.
Defensive Line: three top 75 DLs in this group, all seniors.
Defensive Backs: 2 top 50 DBs in the back-end of the defense.
Overall: Offensively, Wooster has starters with enough talent to win a NC. Defensively, they are lacking some depth. Look out in the next couple of seasons, though.
- Nebraska Weslyan. Bornking’s last 4 recruiting classes have been special. He is building a very good program. This and last season are the first 2 seasons where he has had top 10 talent as a team. His passing defense is the most obvious weakness from a 10,000 foot view, but when you look at the individuals, he has 4 top 100 players in the secondary. His rushing offense is the strength of the team, with 2 top 15 talents in the backfield.
- Dartmouth. Expizzaman has won 5 of the last 6 conference titles. Dartmouth seems to be improving most years. He has lost in the first round of the playoffs each year, but that is most likely due to facing very highly seeded teams due to a weaker SOS. He has no human coaches on his schedule this season. The last 4 seasons his recruit classes have been impressive. This is the first season he has had overall top 10 talent. Rushing Defense is the strength of this team and rushing offense is his strongest offensive rating.