The School That Never Was (NCAA10)

[Young Drachma]

PART ONE: PLAINFIELD TEACHER'S COLLEGE

Plainfield Teacher's College was an imaginary college, created as a hoax, that fooled the New York Times sports department and college football fans across the country.

In 1941, stockbroker Morris Newburger and radio announcer Alexander "Bink" Dannenbaum concocted the idea of a mythical college football team. Using the name Jerry Croyden, Newburger phoned the New York papers and Dannenbaum phoned the Philadelphia papers with fantastic stories of Plainfield's lopsided victories over several (equally nonexistent) schools.

For the first two weeks, the scores and the opponents in the the New York and Philadelphia papers did not match but by the third week, they were better organized. When the newspapers started printing the scores week after week, Newburger and Dannenbaum invented other details, including a sophomore running back named Johnny "The Celestial Comet" Chung, whose amazing ability on the gridiron was chalked up to the rice he ate on the bench between quarters. Hop-Along Hobelitz was named as Plainfield's coach.

After six weeks of Plainfield victories (raising speculation that the team might secure a bid to a small-college bowl game), Red Smith from the Philadelphia Record (who by this time was also reporting the fake scores) decided to actually go to Plainfield, New Jersey to try to find the college. Of course, there wasn't one. (New Jersey then had teacher's colleges in Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, Montclair, Glassboro and Trenton; none of them fielding football teams as their student bodies were largely female.)

Finally, Newburger and Dannenbaum had to confess, and "Jerry Croyden" wrote his final press release, stating that Plainfield had cancelled its remaining schedule as Chung and several other players were declared ineligible after flunking exams.

The Tribune took it in good humor and the story was also run in The New Yorker. Columnist Franklin Pierce Adams even wrote a song for Plainfield, to the tune of Cornell's "Far Above Cayuga's Waters": "Far above New Jersey's swamplands / Plainfield Teacher's spires! / Mark a phony, ghostly college / That got on the wires...!"

The story was also ranked #7 on SI's Top 10 Best Sports pranks.



But what if, in a different world, Plainfield Teachers College had existed? Consider this wikipedia article:

Plainfield University is a private located in Plainfield, New Jersey with a satellite campus in Edison, New Jersey.

The school was founded in 1884 as Plainfield Normal School on a twenty-five acre tract of land donated by the town.[3] The school became New Jersey State Teachers College at Plainfield in 1911. In 1925, the estate of U.S. Senator (and Plainfield native) James E. Martine bequeath a sum that would establish a "school for higher learning in Plainfield." This gift, established a new school that was housed on Martine Avenue in Plainfield. In the late 1930s, with economic conditions worsening around the nation in the wake of the Depression, the Martine School and Plainfield State Teachers College agreed to merge and became The College at Plainfield.

Plainfield's medical school, housed at the Muhlenberg Campus had become increasingly renown and in 1950, the college, received several large gifts which enabled it to eschew state funding and become a private institution. This coincided with the rumor that the state would close or merge the school with private-turned-public Rutgers University, which is less than 15 miles from Plainfield.

In addition to its increasing education footprint, the school made its mark on the athletic field. Under the tutelage of Hop-Along Hobelitz, the school stunned the nation by being ranked in the final 1941 AP college football poll at number 21. This began a steady stream of attention on the otherwise anonymous school, not truly known for athletics. Hobelitz led the team to an undefeated record in bowl games during his career, a stunning 11-0 record.

PLAINFIELD UNIVERSITY BOWL HISTORY
1938 Bacardi Bowl: Plainfield 7, Havana University 0
1948 Oil Bowl: Plainfield 33, Hardin-Simmons 5
1949 Great Lakes Bowl: Plainfield 59, Mount Union 18
1951 Glass Bowl: Plainfield 51, Toledo 7
1952 Raisin Bowl: Plainfield 28, Pacific 14
1953 Salad Bowl: Plainfield 19, Xavier 8
1954 Salad Bowl: Plainfield 40, North Texas 10
1960 Gotham Bowl: Plainfield 39, Oregon State 7
1963 Gotham Bowl: Plainfield 18, Villanova 2
1964 Camellia Bowl: Plainfield 58, University of Wichita (now Wichita State) 31
1966 Pasadena Bowl: Plainfield 32, Grambling 31

Hop Hobelitz

In 1970, Hop-Along Hobelitz retired and his son, Pete "Skip" Hobelitz, took over as head coach at the age of 28 and has helmed the program ever since, meaning Plainfield has only had two head coaches in its football history. The team has been successful since he took over, but from 1976-1994, Plainfield played in the NCAA Division III, as the trustees believed the school ought to spend more resources on academics and having soured on major college athletics.

It became The Plainfield University on April 5, 1979, when it won approval for university status from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.

In 1995, the Trustees approved a move to Division 1, believing the time and economic conditions having been right to make such a move and after five years as an independent, the school joined the Mid-American Conference in 2001, with former members of the Ivy League, two of the three both service academies, Temple University and several other regional schools.

[Young Drachma]

PART TWO: VASSAR FOOTBALL



Football has never exactly been a sport central to Vassar student life. As anyone who has walked around campus in the past few years knows, students even sell tee shirts advertising Vassar's non-existent football team with the words "Vassar Football: Undefeated Since 1865."

And although some women's colleges, like Skidmore, provided football for the male veterans studying at the school after World War II, Vassar decided that football was either an inappropriate or an unnecessary amenity for its own fifty ex-servicemen students.

However, in the fall of 1962 the Vassar campus became impassioned by the sport - at least the "touch" version. Much to the amusement of the newspapers, Vassar students did not confine their games to low-profile on-campus scrimmages, but played against teams from other colleges as well.

As no other women played touch football in 1962, the Vassar students were obliged to compete against men. Having arranged matches against clubs or fraternities from Yale, Siena, Lehigh, and Princeton during the fall of 1962, the girls played with a handicap: they usually earned more points for goals, were allowed to field more players, and were only "tackled" when one of the men managed to remove a sock from their back pockets. The men, conversely, were "tackled" when touched. Apparently, interest in football at Vassar dated from the beginning of the school year, when a group of seniors playing the game with the faculty's children realized how much fun the game could be.

In 1966, A vast majority of students also expressed the desire to attend either a coeducational college or a women’s college closely affiliated with a major university like Yale. The students had spoken, and either a move to New Haven or the introduction of coeducation at Vassar seemed imperative. The question at hand became one of “how best to preserve Vassar’s identity, its highly selective student body, and its traditional mission of improving opportunities for women,” while meeting the students’ demands. A move to New Haven would inevitably threaten Vassar’s identity; the college’s rich and unique history would, perhaps, fade slowly into the fabric of Yale’s epic arras. For this reason, and because they feared being demoted to “second-class status in Haven,” Vassar faculty strongly opposed relocation.

In October 1968, Vassar began negotiating with Bowdoin, Amherst, Dartmouth, Williams, Colgate, and Trinity, in hopes that the institutions might form an exchange program for male students interested in entering Vassar for the second semester of the 1968-69 academic year. Soon, a twelve-college exchange was formed, and seventy-seven male students entered Vassar that spring semester. Over one-third of these men applied to transfer to Vassar at the end of the semester, and by March 1969, Vassar had amended its constitution to include the education of men.

By 1980, the college had organized varsity teams for both sexes. Importantly, men’s and women’s teams received equal funding. And over the next few decades, Vassar developed eighteen varsity teams, nine for men and nine for women.

Shortly thereafter, at an alumnae function, some women proposed the idea of a football team for Vassar. While the idea was initially laughed off by members of the administration, a push amongst the student body unified around the idea that before the college’s founding in 1865, Matthew Vassar had stressed the importance of athletics on campus and that football had a unique way of coalescing a student populace.

In 1983, a club football team was started, using equipment from a local JV high school team. The odd component? Female kickers and punters. From the beginning, female soccer players were recruited. While the team often practiced with a few women at skill positions, no one thought it would truly help the team's credibility to have women "who might get hurt," playing in positions where they indeed might be tackled by men twice their size.

Though recalls an alumna jokingly, "It might not stop her from letting him do it voluntarily after practice."

In 1986, an anonymous donor pledged a healthy sum to the institution's athletic budget, if it were to add a football team. "Imagine what it would say for a college that was founded for women, provided an opportunity of this kind," said the donor in the pledge letter.

Reluctantly, the institution accepted and in 1991 began small college football play.

[Young Drachma]

PART THREE: BRONZE TURKEYS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI



ESPN named it as one of "the five weirdest trophies in sports."

It's been kidnapped. It's been broken. In its life span, it's suffered more indignities than should be expected.

It's the Bronze Turkey, and it's the beloved symbol of the sixth-longest college football rivalry in the nation.

The exact date of the first game may have been forgotten, but the rivalry between Monmouth and Knox Colleges that began on a football field in 1888 is etched in the collective memory of the two schools.

Knox can lay claim to the inception of today's symbol of football supremacy by virtue of former player Bill Collins, who in 1928 persuaded the Galesburg Register Mail and the Monmouth Review Atlas to donate $40 each toward a trophy to be presented to the winner of the annual contest.

Symbolizing the fact that the annual game was then held on Thanksgiving Day, the trophy was topped by a large bronze turkey on an ebony base. Each year, the Bronze Turkey was formally presented at the home basketball game of the victor, that is, when the bird could be found.

The two schools have been paired together since the beginning of their origins and bring their rival with them to the major college ranks, despite smaller schools of their size opting to play down a level.

[Young Drachma]

Here are the schools I've added to this dynasty:

U. Chicago (Independent)
Delaware (Independent)

MAC
----
(EAST)
Rutgers
Navy
Monmouth
William & Mary
Knox
Plainfield
Army

(WEST)
Harvard
Vassar
Penn
Princeton
Yale
Cornell

(Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth opted not to play at the FBS level.)

[Young Drachma]

I am going to play as Plainfield in this dynasty. We'll check in on the other schools and such alike, but the goal here is to build on the legacy of Hop-Along Hobelitz and see if we can bring the school to prominence, despite playing in a tough league against some stiff competition.

We'll sim the first year (including recruiting) and just do a fly-by of the conference and the national scene as it relates to our conference, then we'll head into it for real.

Here's Plainfield's schedule for the 2009 season

WEEK 1: TROY
WEEK 2: @ Missouri
WEEK 3: @ Marshall
WEEK 4: BOISE STATE
WEEK 5: WILLIAM & MARY
WEEK 6: @ Knox
WEEK 7: @ Cornell
WEEK 8: YALE
WEEK 9: BYE
WEEK 10: @ Army
WEEK 11: @ Navy
WEEK 12: MONMOUTH
WEEK 13: VASSAR

[Young Drachma]

SKIP HOEBLITZ TO RETIRE AT END OF 2009 SEASON

Son of legendary Plainfield coach Hop-Along Hobelitz, Skip Hobelitz has decided to retire as coach of the The Plainfield University Noreasters at the end of the 2009 season.

The 67-year old coach took over for his father at the age of 28 and has never left the sideline in the Queen City since. "It's been a long time coming," he said. "I just want to enjoy my grandkids, try to take a bit off. Football has been good to me, it's been my life. But I wanna try something else now."

This decision leaves the athletic department at Old Muhlenberg wondering precisely what to do next. The school in it's history has only had two football coaches, since it added the varsity sport later than most other schools. Even with that, Hobelitz's father served from 1939 until 1969 and now his son has served another generation.

Hobelitz the Younger as he's called on campus, won seven D3 national championships at Plainfield before the school moved up to FBS in the 1990s. He hasn't struggled to keep up, but an independent schedule of FCS and FBS teams went on until a few years ago and now the school seems to have found a foothold after joining a conference.

Are there any more Hobelitzes in the pipeline?

While Skip had two sons and a daughter, none of them went into football or even played the sport. He discouraged them from it at an early age and instead chose to pursue other sports with them, as such, Plainfield is assured to have a non-Hobelitz as head coach for the first time ever when camp breaks at the start of next season.

But before that happens, the Noreasters have a season to play. It's expected to be another tough season in the MAC and Plainfield was picked to finish sixth in the eastern division ahead of Army, but behind Rutgers, Navy, Monmouth, William & Mary and Knox respectively.

"We don't pay attention to polls, only results," said offensive coordinator G.G. Bamouth.

In the western division, Harvard is expected to top the division followed by upstart Vassar and fellow Ivies Penn, Princeton, Yale and Cornell rounding out the bottom.

However it goes, one can expect MAC schools to again mix it up when it comes to the BCS standings, despite their lack of automatic qualifier status.

"We've been doing this a long time," said Harvard coach P.G. Standhill, "We're not worried about perceptions, we just want a chance at them on the field."

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 1 RESULTS (MAC)

Plainfield 65, Troy 17
Cornell 31, North Texas 27
Knox 58, FCS Southeast 20
Rutgers 51, FCS East 7
Wisconsin 41, Penn 6
Delaware 30, Princeton 23
Vassar 12, Purdue 0
William & Mary 33, UConn 13
Harvard 24, Michigan 6
Kentucky 37, Navy 17
UTEP 47, Army 17
Yale 37, Arizona 24
Penn State 32, Monmouth 23

[Young Drachma]

KIRKPATRICK NAMED MAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

WEEK 1 - Plainfield University senior quarterback Ken Kirkpatrick was named MAC offensive player of the week after a 310 yard passing performance against the Troy Trojans in the season opener. He also ran for 71 yards on 17 carries and had a total of 5 TDs in the blowout win.

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 2 MAC RESULTS

Plainfield 52, Missouri 17
Colorado 27, Vassar 17
Cornell 17, FCS East 3
Penn 33, FCS Midwest 9
Boston College 28, Knox 19
Monmouth 13, FCS East 0
Princeton 39, Northwestern 15
North Texas 30, William & Mary 13
Chicago 41, Harvard 10
Yale 35, Michigan State 10
Pittsburgh 29, Army 6
Boise State 41, Navy 14

[Young Drachma]

KIRKPATRICK NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR 2ND STRAIGHT WEEK

WEEK 2 - Plainfield University senior quarterback Ken Kirkpatrick was named MAC offensive player of the week for the second week in a row after piloting the Noreasters to a 52-7 drubbing of the Tigers of Missouri on the road. He was 23 of 39 for 245 yards passing and 4 TDs throw the air. He also ran for 61 yards on 10 carries.

The 2-0 Noreasters will take on the Mean Green of Marshall this week, their second road game before heading home for a two-game homestand against ranked Boise State and conference opener against William & Mary.

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 3 MAC RESULTS

Plainfield (3-0) def. Marshall 65-0
UCF (3-0) def. Army (0-3) 45-0
#24 Chicago (3-0) def. Yale (2-1) 45-38 OT
Delaware (3-0) def. Cornell (2-1) 38-7
Princeton (2-1) def. Michigan (0-3) 23-16
#17 Ohio State def. Vassar (1-2) 44-24
Harvard (2-1) def. Navy (0-3) 45-6
William & Mary (2-1) def. FCS West 21-3
#6 Penn State (3-0) def. #25 Rutgers 39-6
Purdue (1-2) def. Penn (1-2) 23-14
Knox (2-1) def. Iowa State 29-26 OT
Monmouth (2-1) def. Indiana (2-1) 17-10

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 4 MAC RESULTS

Vassar (2-2) def. FIU (1-2) 34-16
Penn (2-2) def. Idaho (1-3) 49-9
Tennessee (3-1) def. William & Mary (2-2) 34-3
Navy (1-3) def. Knox (2-2) 18-17
Harvard (3-1) def. FCS East 56-0
#21 Chicago (4-0) def. Cornell (2-2) 38-7
Rutgers (2-1) def. Army 48-7
Yale (3-1) def. Monmouth (2-2) 41-0
Plainfield (4-0) def. #17 Boise State (2-2) 46-17

[Young Drachma]

MAC NEWS

HARVARD QB NAMED NATIONAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Harvard sophomore quarterback Darryl Gold was named National offensive player of the week after a six touchdown performance against FCS East. He was 17 of 22 for 195 yards passing and ran for 141 yards on fifteen carries in the victory for the Crimson.

PLAINFIELD ENTERS TOP 25 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE DECADES

For the first time since 1966, the Plainfield Noreasters have been ranked in the Top 25 in a national poll. The Noreasters were ranked #25 in this week's coaches poll, after four decisive victories to open the season.

They open their MAC conference season at home against William & Mary (2-2) in what they hope will be a breakthrough season for the program.

"We're delighted to see this," said G. Dennis Emerson, the athletic director for Plainfield. "We're pleased to be recognized as a top program, as we comport ourselves to be. We're just believing this to be the beginning for us." The school is in the midst of a quiet, but fervent coaching search after the news that their longtime head man, Skip Hobelitz will be retiring at the end of the season.

[Young Drachma]

I think, to keep things interesting, that I'm going to let fans (provided there are any..) pick the next head coach. In that way, it'll be like you all are the alumni boosters pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Right now, we run a balanced offense and my personal preference is a spread-option hybrid.

In any case, as I go through the year, I'll be listing coach bios and some backgrounds on the various candidates. I'll let any readers, as prominent boosters to the Plainfield University program, have a say about a particular candidate. It can be for any reason whatsoever. Money talks, so if you decide you don't like a guy and if we hire him, you'll withdraw the support we need to keep this train flying out of the station, it might have an effect on my decision making process, even if I'm big on a candidate.

Oh and also, if you want me to create a recruit for you that'll go through the recruiting process (obviously, I can't control where he goes...) then let me know before the off-season of whatever year and I can do that, too. Might be interesting to have someone else to follow, beyond just the schools, especially if he ends up in the MAC.

[Young Drachma]

THE COACHING CAROUSEL

Here are the four finalists for the head coach position, at least as far as we know right now.

Billy Hart
Age: 46
Current job: Offensive coordinator, Tennessee Titans

Quick facts: Known for his sense of humor, relaxed demeanor and high octane offense, he helped lead the Titans to the AFC divisional round, with the #3 rated offense in the NFL this past year. A former college head coach at Wyoming before leaving for the NFL. Has recruiting connections to strangely enough, Canada. He played in the CFL for a decade and was instrumental in bringing quite a few diamond in the rough Canadians to Wyoming during his time there.

Geno Reyes
Age: 39
Current job: Head coach, New Mexico State

Quick fact: Was hired by Utah as their offensive line coach at the age of 25 after a super brief pro career as a quarterback. Was offensive coordinator at Utah State before getting the nod at New Mexico State 3 years ago. He's turned that program around. They're current 3-0 this year with wins against UTEP and rival New Mexico and they'll play at Ohio State on Halloween. His big advantage? Recruiting connections in California.

Norris Jackson
Age: 38
Current job: Assistant head coach/DBs coach, Oregon State

Quick facts: Another hotshot who rose through the coaching ranks quickly, though he had a slightly longer pro career in Canada before leaving at age 27, earning a masters degree and latching on at Portland State as defensive coordinator. He left that job after three years and ended up at Oregon State where they're current 4-0 and have only allowed 25 points total in those four games.

He's well-known for his recruiting connections in Texas.

Elliot Williams
Age: 55
Current job: Offensive Coordinator, Northwestern

Quick facts: Has been with the Wildcats for about a decade now, started as wide recievers coach and rose through the ranks. He does not call the plays, the head coach does, however. He's well known as a recruiter in Michigan and Pennsylvania and has been lauded for his attention to detail and patience with younger players

Northwestern is current 3-1, 1-0 in the Big Ten.

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 5 MAC RESULTS

#25 Plainfield def. William & Mary 51-10
Harvard def. Penn 32-15
Cincinnati def. Navy 31-10
Knox def. Baylor 27-20
Rutgers def. Princeton 35-34
Yale def. Army 42-10
Vassar def. Cornell 24-9

PLAINFIELD'S GREER EARNS POW HONORS
WEEK 5 - Plainfield running back Charlie Greer earned MAC player of the week honors after 135 all purpose yards and 4 total TDs in a big win against William & Mary. The junior from Bethesda, Maryland is reporting weighing out his options on whether to declare for the NFL draft at the end of the season or not and it's believed this award is just another idea to bolster his belief he'll be able to compete successfully at the next level.

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 6 MAC RESULTS

#23 Plainfield (6-0) def. Knox (3-3) 45-0
Monmouth (3-2) def. William & Mary (2-4) 30-0
Army (1-5) def. FCS East 36-6
Harvard (5-1) def. Vassar (3-3) 31-17
Northwestern (4-2) def. Navy (1-5) 35-28
Yale (5-1) def. Princeton (2-3) 45-20
Rutgers (4-1) def. Cornell (2-4) 14-9

CHURCH EARNS MAC DEFENSIVE POW HONORS
WEEK 6 -- Plainfield University defensive end Donnell Church earned MAC defensive player of the week honors for his performance against Knox College last week. He had 14 tackles (10 for a loss) and 5 sacks in the victory against the Prairie Fire. He's the first Noreaster defensive player to earn the honor this season.

[Young Drachma]

A prominent booster has given us the inside track on a fifth head coaching candidate, not previously considered.

Wilson Manning
Age: 44
Current job: Defensive coordinator, Mississippi

Quick facts: Manning is well-regarded as a defensive specialist and has #3 Ole Miss flying high so far this season. They're 5-0 and 3-0 in the SEC, his defensive is 2nd in the conference behind Florida in points allowed. Manning is a New Jersey native, who played for the NY/NJ Knights of the WLAF before becoming a coach and has believed to be able to commandeer top recruits from southern states including Louisiana. Some boosters believe that while the Hobelitz offensive schemes have been great for decades, the only way Plainfield will be a serious national contender is if the program gets serious on defense. These believe this guy is the right candidate and have offered a tidy sum of about $1.1 million towards whatever we've already got, if we decide to interview and hire him. It could be, reported, the first of many contributions from this set of influential boosters.

The athletic department and trustees haven't really talked much about it yet, preferring to focus on the successful season we're having, but...it's now on our radar.

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 7 MAC RESULTS

Notable game this week is the Harvard-Yale rivalry game, simply known as The Game. The series began in 1875.

#22 Plainfield (7-0) def. Cornell (2-5) 49-0
Princeton (3-3) def. Knox (3-4) 24-17
William & Mary (3-4) def. Navy (1-6) 20-9
Harvard (6-1) def. Yale (5-2) 38-7
Rutgers (5-1) def. Delaware (5-2) 21-19
Army (2-5) def. Monmouth (3-3) 31-21
Vassar (4-3) def. Penn (2-4) 34-17

KIRKPATRICK SHINES, NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
No matter how much attention he seems to get, Plainfield senior quarterback Ken Kirkpatrick just keeps on chugging along. He notched another MAC offensive player of the week award for his efficient performance in the game against Cornell. He was 16-19 with 161 yards passing, 43 yards on the ground and a combo of six touchdowns on the day.

Despite being mention on some watch lists as a potential Heisman candidate, Kirkpatrick says he's just working hard and doing his best. "For me, the ultimate prize is when we win. I don't need anything else," said the future NFL QB, in a statement that's sure to make scouts and personnel directors perk up even more than his play already makes them.

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 8 MAC RESULTS

#19 Plainfield (8-0) def. Yale (5-3) 51-23
Princeton (4-3) def. Cornell (2-6) 47-17
Rutgers (6-1) def. Vassar (4-4) 22-14
Harvard (7-1) def. Army (2-6) 39-13
Knox (4-4) def. William & Mary (3-5) 20-10
Penn (3-4) def. Navy (1-7) 20-13

KIRKPATRICK AGAIN SHINES, EARNS CONFERENCE HONOR
Plainfield senior quarterback Ken Kirkpatrick was again named MAC offensive player of the week after a dominanting performance in his team's first major test in weeks against Yale. He was 17-28 for 323 yards passing and 4 TDs, he also ran for 101 yards on 20 carries in the victory. The Noreasters take next week off, then come back for a stretch of four games that are all (at least on paper) winnable, with their sights set on a date in the MAC title again on the horizon against what's likely to be a very stiff challenge in Harvard.

"We're not getting ahead of ourselves," said Kirkpatrick, when asked if his teammates were thinking about a distant, yet, possible berth in a major bowl game. "We're just taking it one day at a time. Coach has been around a long time and he tells us we need to just be cautious and smart, because 7-0 and could easily turn into 7-5 if we're not careful."

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 9 MAC ACTION

No game for the Noreasters this week. Here's how the rest of the league fared in some pretty tough contests.

Yale (6-3) def. Boston College (3-6) 35-10
William & Mary (4-5) def. Cornell (2-7) 17-10
#10 Chicago (8-0) def. Rutgers (6-2) 47-24
Monmouth (4-3) def. Penn (3-5) 24-21
Vassar (5-4) def. Navy (1-8) 24-10
Harvard (8-1) def. Knox (4-5) 21-9
Arkansas (4-4) def. Princeton (4-4) 35-28

LUCKY NOREASTERS, BELIEVE THIS SEASON IS THEIR DESTINY

Facing a bye week and a schedule where they're believed to be successful throughout, the Plainfield University Noreasters are on everyone's list of surprise team. Ranked #12 heading into their game against Army for Week 10, the school is flying higher than ever before.

One lucky bounce the team got? Scheduling. No conference game with division rival Rutgers who's had to duke it out with Penn State and Chicago, two tough out of conference games, while Plainfield's OOC wasn't nearly as competitive.

"Schools like that don't usually want to play us," said coach Skip Hobelitz who defended his team's schedule. The toughest game on the team's schedule -- if they can get there -- is the conference title game and that's only if they don't manage to slip in-conference, as Rutgers will be waiting right behind in case they do, believing themselves to be superior to their in-state rival.

That said, wins the rest of the way out could bode well for the school, giving them access to a BCS bowl game, something unthinkable at the beginning of the season. Yet, the team says, they're not getting ahead of themselves just yet. "We're not booking any tickets," said Hobelitz, the retiring coach. "We're just getting on the bus for our next game."

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 10 MAC RESULTS
BRONZE TURKEY GAME WEEKEND!

#12 Plainfield (9-0) def. Army (2-7) 59-20
Princeton (5-4) def. Penn (3-6) 31-23
Rutgers (7-2) def. Navy (1-9) 45-0
Harvard (9-1) def. Michigan State (3-7) 41-19
Knox (5-5) def. Monmouth (4-4) 23-13

GREER TAKES POW HONORS
Junior running back from Plainfield University Charlie Greer was named National Player of the Week after a 4 TD performance against Army last week. He rushed for 135 yards and caught five passes for 46 yards in the big win that was 9th for the ranked Noreasters this year.

AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
(Only MAC/Ind. players noted)

MAXWELL
QB Ken Kirkpatrick (Sr.) Plainfield
QB Darryl Gold (So.) Harvard
QB Dustin McDonald (So.) Chicago
HB Charlie Grier (Jr.) Plainfield

O'BRIEN
QB Ken Kirkpatrick (Sr.) Plainfield
QB Darryl Gold (So.) Harvard
QB Dustin McDonald (So.) Chicago

WALKER
HB Charlie Grier (Jr.) Plainfield
HB DaMarcus Patterson (Fr.) Chicago

BEST WR
WR Colby Lowery (So.) Chicago
WR Jacob Daniels (Jr.) Yale
WR T.J. Jacobs (Sr.) Plainfield

MACKEY
TE Philip Ford (Jr.) Harvard
TE Chaz Hearn (So.) Princeton
TE Matthew Gaston (Sr.) Yale
TE Dan Ross (Fr.) Plainfield

RIMINGTON
C Chad Burke (Jr.) Harvard

THORPE
CB Patrick Harris (Jr.) Chicago

GROZA
K James Cabral (So.) Plainfield

BEST PUNTER

P Ed Wagner (Jr.) Delaware

BEST RETURNER
HB DaMarcus Patterson (Fr.) Chicago
WR #83 (So.) Rutgers

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 11 RESULTS

Harvard (10-1) def. Princeton (5-5) 37-10
Army (3-7) def. FCS Northwest 38-0
Rutgers (8-2) def. Monmouth (4-5) 30-13
Penn (4-6) def. Cornell (2-8) 20-9
Yale (7-3) def. Vassar (5-5) 18-13
#9 Plainfield (10-0) def. Navy 41-0

KIRKPATRICK PICKED BY ESPN COLUMNIST AS HEISMAN WINNER

WEEK 11 - ESPN's Dick Bobolotta, the national college football columnist wrote about national player of the week Ken Kirkpatrick saying "This kid is the real deal. If he were playing for Alabama, USC or Penn State, you'd never be able to get him off your screen. But instead, he's hanging out in the swamps of Jersey, but just a train ride from New York City. I don't care what you do, get down there and see him do his work. Friends, he's the real deal and my pick for Heisman if he keeps it up. Small school or not, he's the goods."

Kirkpatrick had another banner day, 17-23, 244 yards passing, 9 carries for 28 yards and a combined six touchdowns on the day.

BCS RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 11
1. Florida (10-0)
2. Oklahoma (9-1)
3. Oklahoma State (9-1)
4. Chicago (10-0)
5. Alabama (9-1)
6. Plainfield (10-0)
7. Ole Miss (9-1)
8. North Carolina (8-2)
9. Nebraska (8-2)
10. Texas (8-2)
11. Penn State (10-1)
12. West Virginia (9-1)
13. Virginia Tech (7-3)
14. TCU (9-1)
15. Florida State
16. Kansas (8-2)
17. Tennessee (7-3)
18. Georgia Tech (8-3)
19. Boise State (7-2)
20. Utah (8-2)
21. Ohio State (8-3)
22. Clemson (6-4)
23. Harvard (10-1)
24. Oregon State (8-2)
25. NC State (8-2)

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 12 RESULTS

Plainfield (11-0) def. Monmouth (4-6) 55-6
Army (4-7) def. Navy (1-11) 23-20 (OT)
Vassar (6-5) def. Princeton (5-6) 38-24
Rutgers (9-2) def. Knox (5-6) 33-23
William & Mary (5-5) def. Penn (4-7) 45-21

COACHES TOP 1O
1. Florida (38) (11-0)
2. Chicago (22) (11-0)
3. Oklahoma (10-1)
4. Oklahoma State (10-1)
5. Plainfield (1) (11-0)
6. Alabama (10-1)
7. North Carolina (9-2)
8. Ole Miss (10-1)
9. Penn State (11-1)
10. West Virginia (9-1)

[Young Drachma]

WEEK 13 RESULTS

#5 Plainfield (12-0) def. Vassar (6-6) 52-13
#21 Harvard (11-1) def. Cornell (2-9) 26-7
Yale (8-3) def. Penn (4-8) 13-7
Princeton (6-6) def. Monmouth (4-7) 45-27
#24 Rutgers (10-2) def. William & Mary (5-6) 31-13
Knox (6-6) def. Army (4-8) 45-35

COMMITTED PLAYERS
Plainfield had its first three players sign for next year:

ATH (#12) Patrick Carter (6'3" 223lbs Roswell, GA) 4-star
DE (#31) Wesley Grier (6'4" 280lbs South Orange, NJ) 2-star
SS (#62) Trey Davis (6'0" 192lbs Elizabeth, NJ) 2-star


With those games, the MAC regular season is complete. Here's how the standings shook out in the end:

MAC CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST
Plainfield (12-0, 8-0)
Rutgers (10-2, 8-0)
William & Mary (5-6, 3-4)
Knox (6-6, 3-5)
Army (4-8, 2-5)
Monmouth (4-7, 2-6)
Navy (1-11, 1-7)

WEST
Harvard (11-1, 8-0)
Yale (8-3, 5-2)
Vassar (6-6, 4-4)
Princeton (6-6, 4-4)
Penn (4-8, 2-6)
Cornell (2-9, 0-7)

So it'll be Plainfield v. Harvard in the MAC title game this year. For Plainfield, it'll be a spot in a BCS bowl game if they win and for Harvard, a shot at a conference title and that's about it, as it seems unlikely they can rise up in the rankings enough to capture a major bowl bid.

Either way, the game ought to easily be the toughest game on the schedule for Plainfield this year and a real test to see if the Noreasters are truly for real or beneficiaries of a schedule that didn't test them at the level of their rivals.

[Young Drachma]

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK

Here are the conference title games for 2009:
BIG 12: Nebraska (8-4) v. #4 Oklahoma State (11-1)
C-USA: Houston (7-5) v. UCF (9-3)
SEC: #7 Ole Miss (11-1) v. #1 Florida (12-0)
ACC: #19 Florida State (9-3) v. #6 UNC (10-2)
MAC: #18 Harvard (11-1) v. #3 Plainfield (12-0)

#2 Chicago has already clinched a spot in the national title game or at least, you'd like to think that they won't get bumped by anyone. In order for Plainfield to exercise its outside shot at the game, Florida would need to lose to Ole Miss and they'd need to beat Harvard.

[Young Drachma]

CONFERENCE TITLE RESULTS
B12: Oklahoma State (12-1) def. Nebraska (8-5) 24-14
CUSA: Houston (8-5) def. UCF (9-4) 20-14
SEC: Florida (13-0) def. Ole Miss (11-2) 38-16
ACC: Florida State (10-3) def. UNC (10-3) 17-10
MAC: Plainfield (13-0) def. Harvard (11-2) 37-7

Harvard actually had a 7-3 lead after the first quarter, but then they were hit by a Nor'easter. Plainfield scored 34 unanswered points the rest of the game, including 21 of those in the 2nd quarter alone to seal the deal and they had no answer for it.

Ken Kirkpatrick was 26-42 for 344 yards and had 16 carries for 51 yards.

Now, the business of the post-season begins in Plainfield, as the team thinks about who their next opponent will be.

AWARD WINNERS

Kendall Kirkpatrick won the Heisman trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Davey O'Brien award. He was on our only award winner, but boy, what a way to end your career!

BOWL MATCHUPS

Here are the 2009 Bowl matchups. I'll only report our matchup unless there are others you ask about specifically.

NEW MEXICO BOWL: San Diego State (6-6) v. Hawaii (6-5)
ST. PETERSBURG BOWL: ECU (6-6) v. Maryland (6-6)
EAGLEBANK BOWL: Washington State (6-6) v. Knox (6-6)
NEW ORLEANS BOWL: UAB (7-5) v. Florida Atlantic (8-4)
LAS VEGAS BOWL: UCLA (6-6) v. #11 TCU (11-1)
POINSETTIA BOWL: Washington (6-6) v. #22 BYU (9-3)
HAWAII BOWL: Houston (8-5) v. #25 Boise State (9-3)
MOTOR CITY BOWL: #15 West Virginia (10-2) v. #21 Rutgers (10-2)
EMERALD BOWL: VIRGINIA (6-6) v. Cal (7-5)
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL: #18 Clemson (8-4) v. Vassar (6-6)
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL: Wisconsin (8-4) v. #12 Georgia Tech (9-3)
INTERNATIONAL BOWL: Yale (8-3) v. Louisville (7-5)
ALAMO BOWL: Texas A&M (7-5) v. Illinois (7-5)
LIBERTY BOWL: Georgia (6-6) v. UCF (9-4)
COTTON BOWL: Auburn (8-4) v. #7 Texas (10-2)
CAPITAL ONE BOWL: #9 Ole Miss (11-2) v. Purdue (8-4)
GATOR BOWL: Delaware (10-2) v. #17 UNC (10-3)
OUTBACK BOWL: #13 Tennessee (9-3) v. #16 Ohio State (9-3)
INSIGHT BOWL: Nebraska (8-5) v. Northwestern (7-5)
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL: LSU (7-5) v. #10 Virginia Tech (9-3)
MUSIC CITY BOWL: Vanderbilt (6-6) v. Wake Forest (8-4)
SUN BOWL: Arizona State (8-4) v. Cincinnati (8-3)
ARMED FORCES BOWL: Oregon (7-5) v. #23 Utah (9-3)
HOLIDAY BOWL: #19 Kansas (9-3) v. Oregon State (9-3)
TEXAS BOWL: Southern Miss (6-6) v. #24 Notre Dame (9-3)
GMAC BOWL: #20 Harvard (11-2) v. Memphis (8-4)
HUMANITARIAN BOWL: NC State (8-4) v. Fresno State (8-4)
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL: Nevada (9-3) v. USF (8-4)
INDEPENDENCE BOWL: Arkansas (6-6) v. Colorado (7-5)

BCS GAMES

ROSE BOWL: #8 Penn State (11-1) v. USC (8-4)
SUGAR BOWL: #3 Plainfield (13-0) v. #6 Oklahoma (10-2)
ORANGE BOWL: #14 Florida State (10-3) v. #5 Alabama (11-1)
FIESTA BOWL: #4 Oklahoma State (12-1) v. Pittsburgh (9-3)

As if you needed any evidence the system stinks, USC and Pitt get bowl bids that could've/should've gone to much better ranked teams.

[Young Drachma]

PLAINFIELD HEADS TO FIRST BOWL SINCE 1966
What a way for Skip Hobelitz to end his career. The son of the legendary Hop-Along Hobelitz will be taking his team through the tunnel to a bowl game for the first time since the school returned to major college football a decade ago. The last time the school went to a bowl, it was a win against Grambling in the defunct Pasadena Bowl, held at the same site of the Rose Bowl.

Skip Hobelitz was there, of course, fresh off being cut from the AFL New York Titans summer roster. "I didn't want to be. I was mad that I wasn't playing ball someplace. But here I was with dad. On the sideline. I think it made him at peace to have me around and by the end of the year, by the time we got to Pasadena, I was pretty glad I was there too."

Well no more worries, the fans are thrilled and have jammed phone lines to get tickets to the school's first major bowl bid ever. Will this help the school's search for a replacement for Hobelitz?

"You'd have to think the residual effect would be huge for the program," said Mitch Lupica of the Chicago Tribune. "They're on the rise. People are starting to really take notice again of this school. Not just as a throwback to what major college football was all about, but, as a modern representation of a championship squad."

One thing few people are talking about is the Plainfield's undefeated record in bowl games. The school was 10-0 in largely minor bowls from 1938-1966, but Hobelitz says this is a new era.

"Let's face it. A lot of those games were exhibitions almost. We had fun, sure, but...let's not carried away. These times and those times are way different. The alumni will come down and have a good time with us in New Orleans for this one. But they'll even notice how much the game has changed."

One thing that hasn't changed, however, is a desire for players in Noreaster Green and Yellow to leave the site with a win.

"We pretty much expect it of ourselves," said Heisman winner Ken Kirkpatrick. "Say what you want, no one wants to be the first team to lose the streak. We wanted to get back to a bowl game and we wanted to win one," he said.

With #1 Florida (13-0) and #2 Chicago (12-0) both undefeated in the national title game, no one is thinking about a split national title, so there's little concern about that here. Just finishing the year strong. Speaking of Chicago, their return to major college football has been seamless. They're seeking their first national title since 1913 against a Florida squad that knows a little something about winning.

[Young Drachma]

SPEED. OF. THE. GAME.

EA Sports: NCAA Football 10 Photo

EA Sports: NCAA Football 10 Photo

EA Sports: NCAA Football 10 Photo

That was the name of the game though, for the first half of it. Plainfield simply faced nothing like it all year long. Hobelitz's high octane offense relies too heavily, in my mind, on the passing game and option runs that force the halfback to almost create his own opportunities. We need a playbook that's more balanced and that's the first we're going to look for in a new coach.

Heisman winner Ken Kirkpatrick looked like an ordinary person out there today. In spite of that, you could split the game into two halves. In the first half, he had 2 picks. In the second, just one. Overall, he finished 22 of 34 for 290 yards passing with 4 TDs and 3 picks. He also ran for 138 yards on 15 carries. Those turnovers proved costly and Charlie Greer sputtered all day and never got a foothold, rushing for only 37 yards, which isn't going to cut it.

You can give Oklahoma credit, as they were prepared for us. But the truth of the matter is, this was a game we should've won and we simply failed to execute. It really exposed the flaws in our current system, despite the talent we possess on both sides of the ball and shows us what we'll need to do if we want to be an elite program and win national titles.

Final Score: Oklahoma 45, Plainfield 39

[Young Drachma]

COACHING INTERVIEWS

Now it's time to get down to business and hire a replacement coach for Skip Hoeblitz before the offseason really gets underway.

We currently run the Mississippi State playbook, with a 4-3 defensive scheme.

Let's get the interviews underway, shall we? I'll bring up their file again and then we'll get down to the stuff we need to know about each:

First up we have GENO REYES
AGE: 39
CURRENT JOB: HEAD COACH, NEW MEXICO STATE
RECRUITING BOOST IN: CALIFORNIA, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA
PLAYBOOK: Oregon State
DEFENSE: 3-3-5

BILLY HART
AGE: 46
CURRRENT JOB: OFFENSE COORDINATOR, TENNESSEE TITANS
RECRITING BOOST IN: CANADA, NEW YORK, MICHIGAN
PLAYBOOK: Notre Dame
DEFENSE: 4-3

NORRIS JACKSON
AGE: 38
CURRENT JOB: ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/DBS COACH, OREGON
RECRUITING BOOST IN: TEXAS, OREGON, WASHINGTON
PLAYBOOK: TCU
DEFENSE: 4-3

ELLIOT WILLIAMS
AGE: 55
CURRENT JOB: OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, NORTHWESTERN
RECRUITING BOOST IN: MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, MISSOURI
PLAYBOOK: TENNESSEE
DEFENSE: 3-4

WILSON MANNING
AGE: 45
CURRENT JOB: DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, MISSISSIPPI
RECRUITING BOOST IN: MISSISSIPPI, FLORIDA, NORTH CAROLINA
PLAYBOOK: NORTH TEXAS
DEFENSE: 4-2-5

[Travis]

I'll throw my vote in for Billy Hart as the next head coach. I liked his bio even before reading about his ties to Canada, but that pretty much cements the vote for me.

And if you're still game, please throw a character into the recruiting class for me. Let me know what info you want and I'll make sure to update in short order.

Keep up the good work, it's a really great read thus far.

[Young Drachma]

Sweet, thanks. You can be whatever you want, I can't guarantee you'll end up playing for us, of course, but I have my ways to ensure that we're likely to be in the hunt, depending. So just choose your player's name and size and stuff and I can make it work.

[Travis]

Out of curiosity, are there any decent recruits from Canada? I'm not sure how much you can play around with stuff like that, but if there's a worthwhile guy there I'd probably go that direction, if not I can do up a generic type recruit that would be usable for wherever he'd fit in.

[Young Drachma]

There are always recruits from there, usually of the 1 and 2 star variety, but it's usually good for at least one 4-star guy and some 3-star ones as well. Depends on the year, though. So having a good recruit from there would keep it interesting for sure, so have at it.

[Travis]

Sounds good.

So if possible, can you just make the top Canadian recruit (provided he's not a kicker, punter or O-line) a guy by the name of Jace Hunter? Past that I'm pretty open to whatever his position/skills are.

[Young Drachma]

While alumni and booster input will weigh heavily on our decision on a new coach, we're also going to measure the interview process. The interview is comprised of a game of 1 minute quarters against Lafayette, which I didn't include in this dynasty, but they're a D level team.

It's an opportunity for us to test both sides of the ball, to see how a particular set of schemes might fit us and our personnel. I take Kirkpatrick out of these games, since he'll be graduating, too.

GENO REYES had the first interview. He beat Lafayette 17-14. We can call that a good interview. I mean, we were actually down 14-10 with about 36 seconds left and we managed to win, but I think some might say that was too close to comfort and that Reyes might not be quite ready for prime time yet. My inclination is to agree, though he has potential and we need to see what the other guys bring to the table.

BILLY HART came up next. He beat Lafayette 14-0. Obviously in a short game, you don't get to see everything. But I feel like his offensive did something we weren't able to do against Oklahoma and that's get the run game moving. The schemes were there for pretty much anything I wanted to do and I really dug that. Plus, we had our usual 4-3 defense and I think that was a boon, too. He'll move onto the second interview phase, for sure. I just have a good feeling about him.

Three more to go.

[Travis]

Atta boy Billy, nicely done!

[Young Drachma]

Three more to go. I've decided to mix things up for the next three interviews, as in, they won't all necessarily play the same school. So long as everyone gets a D rated school in this round, I'm not much concerned with what school it is, as it otherwise might get easier for the guys down the line if they're getting the same exact test ahead of time (since it's me all 5 times, etc.)

NORRIS JACKSON is now on tap. He'll be playing NYU, who are also a D overall team, because I wanted to mix it up a bit. Well, all I can say is the game was really uninspiring. The offense sputtered and while we missed a field goal to end the 2nd half, it just didn't give me any real confidence that we'd be able to have the sort of explosiveness that I'm accustomed to with this ballclub. He beat NYU 3-0 and whereas Reyes did some tactical things that made me believe that if we came to crunch time he could work out of a jam, Jackson didn't inspire that sort of confidence.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS came to town yesterday and we had a great chat with him. He went up against Colorado College, another D overall team. He beat them 14-0 in a show that was really impressive on the defensive side of the ball. I mean, our defense was just stifling and it was a joy to watch. I don't think they're that good, so it's not something you can cash at the bank, but still, he's got to be someone we bring back for another conversation I believe.

WILSON MANNING was the last of the interviewees and of course, he comes highly recommended by boosters and alumni. He told us an entertaining story about how, when he was being recruited by Hop-Along Hobelitz to come to Plainfield, that he couldn't even place it on the map and that, his mother wanted him to come here because she thought it'd be safe and his dad wanted him to go to a bigger named school. So that it's like destiny that he's now here back in Plainfield after all those years.

But the proof is in the pudding and so, we put him to the test. He will go up against Lafayette as the earlier candidates did. He won 14-0 and it would've been higher, had there not been in a pick in the end zone thrown late in the 2nd quarter. That said, I'm not sure I come away super impressed despite the score. I think right now, I need to see a bit more from him to get a more complete picture.

[Young Drachma]

We've decided to invite Billy Hart, Elliot Williams and Wilson Manning back for 2nd interviews.

This time, they're going to face an A+ overall rated non-FBS team though (more created schools in my db) and the game will be increased to 3 minute quarters.

First up will be Elliot Williams and he'll face off against UT-San Antonio. He wins the game 21-18 against a tough defense and Plainfield maintains the lead throughout the game. I have some questions about his scheme, though and it's suitablity for our program. If we bring him in, he'll need an OC that can handle the playcalling, because it won't be him.

Next up, we'll have Wilson Manning and he'll be playing Xavier. Should be an interesting test against a wild card of a coaching candidate. He wins the game against Xavier 27-21, which gets sealed on a late 52-yard field goal and with the ball and over a minute to go, Xavier couldn't convert and we get the win. I thought it was a very strong performance.

Finally, Billy Hart arrives at Old Muhlenberg, which is what people call the original campus of the university, since that's its on a location of a hospital that bore that name at one time.

Hart will take on Cloud Peak University in his game. I guess we'll see how he does.

Wellll....I dunno what to think. The boys just didn't execute. You know, I loved some of the playcalling, but it was poor execution that made believe the result was how it was. We lost 14-7 to Cloud Peak. They're a very good team, of course, which was the point. To make them play tough schools and see how they do.

Now we're faced with a dilemma. Hart was the favorite heading into this round, but now we have to think about something else. One of the ideas I was kicking around, was bringing in Reyes along with someone else to serve on his staff. Because I like his youthful energy, just wasn't as convinced that his system would be a great fit for us.

I'm not sure what we're going to do yet. We'll sit down, think about it as a staff, talk about it and then come up with a solution. Naturally, the input of alumni, trustees and boosters will matter a ton, but I haven't heard from many of them yet. The few I have heard from were bullish on Hart, but I'm curious how the Manning fans feel now and whether folks think one of the others might work better.

It could go a lot of different ways, but we need to get a decision made, so we can start recruiting.

[Young Drachma]

PLAINFIELD TO UNVEIL NEW HEAD COACH IN PRESS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY AT 2PM

PLAINFIELD -- The Plainfield University Noreasters have their head coach to replace the retiring Skip Hobelitz. The new coach will be just the third in school history, as Hobelitz and his father Hop, were the first two and piloted the school's program successfully for over a combined sixty years.

No word on who the new coach will be, but ESPN's Joe Schad is reporting that Billy Hart, the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans who recently announced he would not return to the team after this season when his contract ran out, is the leading candidate right now and should "barring any complications" be the new head coach.

This is a decisive moment for new Plainfield University athletic director D.C. Harris, who is new to the program himself, but is an alum of Plainfield and understands the need for continuity and a solid gameplan for the program in the future.

A press conference is scheduled tomorrow afternoon for 2pm at Van Blake Hall.

[Young Drachma]

REYES INTRODUCED AS HEAD COACH OF NOREASTERS, HART SIGNS ON AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

In a strange twist, Plainfield acquires two coaching prospects for the price of one. Billy Hart who was coveted and believed to be the shoo-in for the team's head coaching vacancy after the retirement of Skip Hoeblitz was actually passed over in favor of 39 year old New Mexico State head coach Geno Reyes. It's reported that Reyes gave the impression to members of the Board of Trustees making the decision that he'd be the long-term solution for the program and they pressured D.C. Harris to convince Hart to sign on as Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator with play-calling responsibilities and a salary that's less only $50,000 less than the head coach.

Hart, for his part, was said to be torn. But with no other head coaching offers at comparable institutions on his radar, he decided to hedge his bets and sign on with Plainfield.

The new head coach meanwhile, is said to have believed the call from AD Harris to be "a joke" since he'd only had one interview, but citing his "passion for the game, energy and ability to connect with student-athletes," Harris said the committee was convinced Reyes was the right leader the team needed for the next season and beyond.

"This is a great place to be. Wow. I still can't believe it's happening," said Reyes about his hiring. Reyes coached New Mexico State to a 6-6 record this year, but was lauded during his tenure there for changing the culture of the program and came highly recommended.

With the new coaching staff in place at the top levels, the team will be rounding out its staff and also seeking out recruits to salvage this year's recruiting class, which is barren because of the impending loss of Hoeblitz and the general difficulties the school has had marketing itself in a region where talent usually leaves and with Rutgers less than 20 minutes away.

Still, observers believe that Reyes might have the skill to pilot this program to the next level. Coming off a loss in the Sugar Bowl, will just raise expectations into the future and leave people wanting more.

"He won't have much of a grace period. He's going to have to get in there and be successful or else, people are going to wonder if the school made the right choice," said one independent observer to the program.

NATIONAL TITLE GAME: Florida 33, Chicago 25
The Maroons are denied their first national title is close to 90 years, but firmly planted themselves on the national stage once again, as a national football power.

[Young Drachma]

OFF-SEASON PHASE 1
Charlie Grier, a super important component of my offense, who I was hoping I'd have one more season with is declaring for the draft. He ran for 1345 yards last year with 14 TDs. Losing him and our #1 QB would be frankly devastating. We manage to convince him to stay.

We did, however, lose two players to Yale in CB Adam McCauley and sophomore halfback Ken Flynn. It's one thing to lose players, but to lose them to league rivals will hurt very much. I guess we'll see how they do elsewhere, huh?

We received no transfer requests, so we won't be replacing those guys with anyone via transfer sadly.

Now it's time for off-season recruiting. We have 20 scholarships. My recruiting house rules are simple. During the season, AI does all of my recruiting, I get to do none of it. During the off-season, only quick calls are allowed, no main calls until we're in the 5-star range (we're a 3-star program right now) and no in-season recruiting unti; we're a six-star program. That usually makes it easier to recruit for one and also, harder to stock up on talent we'd "realistically" never get as a lower-rated (but nationally ranked) program.



Our recruiting class was #46 in the nation comprised of three 4-star players, one 3-star player, eleven 2-star players and three 1-star players.

We were behind Purdue 0/0/5/16/1 and one ahead of Rutgers 0/2/4/6/7

The Top 10 classes were:
Notre Dame
USC
Texas
Alabama
Georgia
Florida
Wisconsin
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Ohio State

[Young Drachma]

EA Sports: NCAA Football 10 Photo

EA Sports: NCAA Football 10 Video

NOREASTERS STUMBLE AT HOME AGAINST RUTGERS
Ranked #4 in the nation and looking forward to another strong season, everything became unraveled at home against Rutgers, as the Plainfield Noreasters lost against their rivals 38-31. Coach Geno Reyes faced the lights of the media after the game, where it seemed the resounding question about his ability to manage the game.

Despite more total offense than Rutgers (473-404) and over 200 yards rushing on the day, the real question was about the quarterback. Junior R.J. Hayward of Plainfield had a horrible day of decisionmaking. He was 19-37 for 265 yards passing with 3 TDs but 4 interceptions. Those opportunities Rutgers kept getting, surely were the difference in the game.

Hayward has been the source of much consternation for Plainfield fans who spent four years under the steady leadership of Heisman winner Kirk Kirkpatrick, as the first-year starter Hayward has 7 TDs and 9 INTs on the year. The surprise at halfback Taylor Torres has been successful and there seems to be a push to improve the team's offense by integrating running more into the schemes, but Reyes and offensive coordinator Billy Hart said that there were no plans to tweak more of the offense.

"We're pretty happy with our playcalling. We just need to be executing better," said Hart, about the team's performance to now. With games at Harvard and Monmouth and a season finale at home against Pitt, Plainfield's faithful are wary that more losses will prevent the team from making a return trip to a BCS bowl game.

"I think folks are unrealistic about what it takes to maintain a top tier program. It takes time. We're building that here, but it takes time," said Reyes, about fan calls that he's not doing everything he needs to. The 40-year old first year head coach has not had a smooth ride out of the gate despite three early OOC wins against Troy, Wyoming and Delaware. Players seem to be rallying around their new coach and the support of D.C. Harris, the athletic director has been steadfast.

"We're happy with where things are going. You can't win every week, despite what people think. Our guys are working hard and I'm confident that Coach Reyes and his staff are going to go on the road next week and give William & Mary hell," said Morris.

ON THE RECRUITING FRONT
A reality series is following three high school students as they make their choices to college. Let's take a look at them and where they look to be heading so far:

JACE HUNTER, QB, WINNIPEG, CANADA
Hunter is a quarterback at his current school, but far more well known for his ability to take off with the ball. It's likely he'll change positions at the college level. The Canadian QB has his sights set on a Top 5 of Plainfield, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Miami. Billy Hart on staff has seemed to be a boon to him and it might be the difference in bringing him to Plainfield next season.

BLAKE KOLUMBER, QB, PHILADELPHIA, PA
Kolumber was unheralded and then, all of a sudden, attention from this show has turned the 4-star recruit into something of a national stud. He's received offers from Notre Dame, Pitt and Plainfield, with Rutgers and Penn State also showing interest. At this point, it seems like a two-team race between Notre Dame and Pitt. Either way, it seems this small town QB from outside Philadelphia will be hitting the big time next year.

XAVIER FELTON, SS, CHARLOTTE, NC
Felton is another guy who projects to play a different position at the next level. So far, no one has really bitten much on him. He's got Clemson at the top of his list, followed by NC State, Duke, ECU, Wake Forest, Cal, Missouri, Arkansas and Virginia. None of them, however, have made an offer or invited him to campus. It'll be interesting, then, to see where he ends up and it seems he might not make a choice until closer to national signing day.

2010 SCHEDULE

WEEK 1: TROY  (W, 33-6)
WEEK 2: WYOMING (W, 39-20)
WEEK 3: @ Delaware (W, 23-0)
WEEK 4: BYE
WEEK 5: RUTGERS (L, 31-38)
WEEK 6: @ William & Mary (W, 43-0)
WEEK 7: ARMY
WEEK 8: @ Harvard
WEEK 9: @ Monmouth
WEEK 10: KNOX
WEEK 11: BYE
WEEK 12: NAVY
WEEK 13: @ Vassar
WEEK 14: PITT

[Young Drachma]

2010 SCHEDULE

WEEK 1: TROY  (W, 33-6)
WEEK 2: WYOMING (W, 39-20)
WEEK 3: @ Delaware (W, 23-0)
WEEK 4: BYE
WEEK 5: RUTGERS (L, 31-38)
WEEK 6: @ William & Mary (W, 43-0)
WEEK 7: ARMY (W, 30-6)
WEEK 8: @ Harvard
WEEK 9: @ Monmouth
WEEK 10: KNOX
WEEK 11: BYE
WEEK 12: NAVY
WEEK 13: @ Vassar
WEEK 14: PITT

#7 PLAINFIELD (5-1) @ #10 HARVARD (6-0)
Two of the three MAC teams in the Top 10 are in this game, as the Noreasters effectively entered a playoff after losing to Rutgers (who have since dropped two straight games) as Harvard will play #6 Yale (7-0) in their rivalry game later this season. So this game is more than just a potential preview of the MAC title game, it has BCS implications as well.

Harvard is led by Heisman watch list QB Darryl Gold who has 15 TDs and just 4 INTs on the year, with 1887 yards passing.

If Plainfield's running game is solid, then they have a shot. But it's all going to come down to a gameplan in this one. After beating Harvard badly in last year's MAC title game, the Crimson are out for revenge on their home turf this time.

Should be an interesting matchup regardless of the outcome.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My first choice, prior to the interview phase, was Williams.
Still is.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

My first choice, prior to the interview phase, was Williams.
Still is.

You might discover soon, that Reyes and Lane Kiffin have more in common than seemed plausible at the start.

[Coffee Warlord]

Ahhh yes. The old rivalry. Monmouth does, in fact, have a football team. As does Knox.

I hear people actually do show up to their games, but this has not been proven.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Ahhh yes. The old rivalry. Monmouth does, in fact, have a football team. As does Knox.

I hear people actually do show up to their games, but this has not been proven.

Alumni. No one else, really. But c'mon, that might as well be Iowa.

Have you see the new Knox Bowl?

[Coffee Warlord]

I spent a year at Monmouth. Fuck Knox.

But honestly, I haven't been back in Galesburg (aside from a brief trip to pick up a new car) in several years.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I spent a year at Monmouth. Fuck Knox.

But honestly, I haven't been back in Galesburg (aside from a brief trip to pick up a new car) in several years.

I too, went to Monmouth for two years. But I worked at Knox for most of 2008, so that's why I asked.