FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[DarkSide-D]

God, I hope not!!

[Pat Coleman]

Pat Coleman:

With conference play beginning this week around the country--what contingency, if any, is there in the play-off system if conference play cannot be completed on Nov. 12?

With a number of games in Texas "on the bubble" for the weekend because of Rita--when would such a game asTrinity/DePauw be made up?  Someone on the SCAC  board suggested games would be delayed until Sunday.  This storm is so huge, Sunday may not be possible either.

Has the play-off start ever been delayed in the past? 

Not to my knowledge. It wasn't delayed for 9/11, for example -- about two-thirds of the scheduled Division III games were played on 9/15.

If a conference cannot complete its full schedule by Selection Sunday Eve, it will have to name a champion without benefit of the full schedule being played.

[smedindy]

It figures that the NCAA will be hard-asses. Of course, DPU and Trinity could be undefeated in the SCAC except for their game and they won't have a chance to play it.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Pat and Smed,

Actually, I've been pleasantly shocked by how FLEXIBLE the NCAA has been (at least early on) - relaxing usual rules on transfers, extra benefits, etc.

Of course, by play-off time, Katrina may be such 'old news' that they go back to their usual bureaucratic ways, but don't throw in the towel just yet!

[Pat Coleman]

Seriously, Smed?

They didn't do anything when 25 games were cancelled by 9/11 -- I think you're overreaching looking for something to be done in response to five or six games here. I don't think playing the Stagg Bowl on Christmas Eve is a good alternative. Division III doesn't have an extra week or four built in like I-A does.

[Bashbacker765]

Ypsi,

Flexible and the NCAA should never be used in the same sentence.  I know a young man.  He is now 24.  He had the opportunity to play professional baseball right out of HS.  He had cleared the Clearing House in 2000, in case he decided to go to college instead.  He lost his passion to play professionally, and had to opportunity to walk on to a D1 football team this year.  He looked like he might get a chance to play some special teams, and work into a backup role.  Since 2000 the Clearing House have changed, and said he no longer would clear the Clearing House.  He is planning on Red-Shirting, but he's not getting any younger.  NCAA and Cluster f*#k seem to go together better.

[wally_wabash]

Darkside-D....a quick note on both the Wabash/Woo and Wabash/Witt games in '04...Wabash bothered not to show up for a half in each game.  Who knows what would have happened if they played four quarters.   Excuses don't matter, son.  What happened happened.  I don't care if Wooster threw 47 picks in that game...the end result is the end result. 

As for ONU...it sucks for their team.  However, the NCAA precedent is to punish the program more than the offenders and as such today's players get punished for yesterday's crimes.   I wish the NCAA would find a way to have sanctions follow coahces and AD's instead of sticking them with programs, but it doesn't work that way. 

lancer...you're brainwased by the Witt aura.  Look at what they've done in the last two years.  Just look at it.  You're worried about Witt because of what they were and not because of what they are.  And that's what we all need to get away from. 

[short]

Wally,
you just lost me, Witt was 15-5 the last two seasons not that bad.  Wabash in the same time was 13-7.  Does that mean we forget about them too?  Some poeple might say that Wooster and Witt didn't show up for a half when they played Wabash too, but they still won.

[smedindy]

Pat - I realize that. However, when a playoff berth is at stake then something should be done besides rock, paper, scissors. Let's hope this is a moot point.

[formerd3db]

bashbacker765:
I must be misunderstanding the process you mention i.e. the Clearing House.   It was my understanding that a student-athlete who signed a professional baseball contract, he could still play football in college but not baseball.  However, why the delay in regard to the situation you descirbe?  If he enrolled at the appropriate time, wouldn't he be immediately eligible for his 4 years (including a red-shirt season if the coaches chose to impliment the latter in his first season)?  Just curious.   

[wally_wabash]

And Hiram was 1-19 over the last two seasons.  So what?  When was this discussion ever about Wabash? 

[DarkSide-D]

I think this discussion became about Wabash right at the time that you mentioned they didnt play for half the games against witt and woo in 04. 

I dont remember anyone making excuses, pop!  When I discussed the four interceptions in 03, not 04, i was doing so to illustrate that Witt should have destroyed Woo that year.  Instead, they squeaked out a 4 pt. win.  Yeah, Witt was really good then, huh.  Thats my point.  Witts woes have been brewing for a few years now

Short, valid point!

[Bashbacker765]

d3db,

You would think so.  When he graduated in 2000 from HS he had the required credit hours to clear.  Not sure when it changed, but now it take 1 more credit hour than it did in 2000.  He assumed he was cleared and so did the University.  He started the season to find out he did not clear.  Now he has to apply for for a special exemption to clear.  As you know with the NCAA that takes time.  Most of the season would be gone.  They thought it would be best to Red-Shirt.  That's what I love about the NCAA, looking out for whats best for the student athlete

This young man was not the best student in the school, but if memory serves me right he carried an 3.0+ GPA.  Maybe he might want to transfer to Wabash, and not worry about the Clearing House.  He would not have any problem getting accepted.  He is a bright young man.  He 6'6" 275 runs a legit 4.5, and was a Mid-Major power forward in basketball coming out of HS.  Maybe he would like to be a 2 sport star at Wabash, and help coach the baseball team.

[wally_wabash]

DD--

I read the Wooster got picked 4 times to mean that Wooster should have won handily but basically threw the game away...I see what you're saying now about the four picks.  Two different ways of looking at the same thing.  I brought up the bit about Wabash not playing for a half against Woo and Witt last year as a counter to your argument and to point out how useless it is to look in the rearview and play the ifs and buts game. 

And yes, Witt's been getting bad for some time now.  That's the point I've been making all along!  I think we're on the same page, DD. 

From the start of the 2003 season Witt has a record of 15-8, Wabash has a record of 15-7 (I choose to not exclude recent results).  And since when is 15-5 with no playoffs "not that bad" by Witt's standards?  All I've read from Springfield in the last two seasons is how disappointing the Tiger seasons have been.  Witt holds themselves to a higher standard than 15-5.  And they should...because they wear that "winningest D-III program" badge loud and proud.  Or is that changing?  Is 7-3 okay for Witt these days (which they won't get to this season, but you get the idea)? 

[Vince McMahon]

Wally,

For the record, nobody here is saying they're 'scared' of Witt.  Nobody was ever 'scared' of Witt (at least not when I played).  I'm only saying that they should still be respected as a dangerous opponent despite their recent struggles.  That's it.  I never believed Witt had an aura of any type.