FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Li'l Giant]

As long as the new coach grasps the nature of the place and realize that job #1 is to beat DePauw and job #2 is to win the NCAC, then the new coach will be fine.

Sorry, smeds, but this past season showed there is life after the Bell Game. It's called The Playoffs and I want Wabash to get there more often and to go deeper when we do. I'm with Wally. The bar needs to be set higher.

[D3_DPUFan]

If the goals of the program are to win championships (they should be), the Bell will take care of itself. 

Then what happened this year?

Sorry, you served up a softball.

[D3_DPUFan]

No offense to the Golden Domers but think you're underestimating tall grass.

A wise man once told me that the key to successfully being the head coach of a football team were a quality strength coach and an outstanding defensive backs coach.  Much to Wally's chagrin this wise man was and still is a wing T coach.

Promising not to open up that can of worms, think the reason he could stand on the claims of these two particular coaches being of utmost importance is the fact that the T coach is as he is a position coach for his offensive line.

Not that one must be a wing T head coach to also be the offensive line position coach, but generally speaking the T head coach is most likely more hands on with the offensive line.

Guess there are other combinations and predict Spread head coaches most often work most closely with their QB's, but while standing on the gas doesn't constitute racing neither does braking on roller skates.

My friend sends me this Nash Equilibrium link from a professor at Tedford U comparing running and passing as a give take between an offense and defense, think the matching of a offensive line oriented head coach with a talented dbacks assistant subscribes to the same line of thinking.  Two waves to be surfed, diagnosed and prescribed here, and must say the best teams I have been associated with found their greatest strengths via this dbacks/oline coaching paradigm.

signed,
Hunk Anderson

MacLeod---
You are by far the most entertaining (and interesting) poster on this site...
You outdid yourself with Hunk Anderson...classic...

[wally_wabash]

If the goals of the program are to win championships (they should be), the Bell will take care of itself. 

Then what happened this year?

Sorry, you served up a softball.

I wouldn't expect you to understand what I'm talking about here.  The playoffs are still a myth to you.  You don't know what it's all about.  To you, the Bell game is the pinnacle.  And that's fine.  And that's also why, in the grand scheme, DePauw football is on a lower tier. 

Y'all won the game this year.  Great...congratulations (this is the last time I will congratulate you on winning Bell '07...I'm turning the page).  Wabash will win the Bell again.  Maybe next year, maybe not.  I'm equally sure that at some point in the future, Wabash will lose the Bell again.  The Bell comes and goes...but when Wabash finally scales that mountain and comes back with Walnut and Bronze...oh man.  You don't ever lose that.  That's forever.  And that's what I want. 

[D3_DPUFan]

1) It's completely impossible to predict how a 17-18 year old kid is going to adjust to college life.  Some kids flourish, some kids just can't handle it.  

The same could be said regarding any college sport. The fact of the matter is football is far more a shot in the dark because, unlike basketball (with AAU, etc.), the top football prospects for the most part are limited to playing against teams and athletes in their area/region---they are not exposed to the premier talent in the nation. In basketball, the summer game and camps pit the top players against each other so there is a much better read on how kids are goingto do against top flight talent. Not the case in football.

[D3_DPUFan]

I wouldn't expect you to understand what I'm talking about here.  The playoffs are still a myth to you.  You don't know what it's all about.  To you, the Bell game is the pinnacle.  And that's fine.  And that's also why, in the grand scheme, DePauw football is on a lower tier. 

Looks like I touched a nerve...

[wally_wabash]

I wouldn't expect you to understand what I'm talking about here.  The playoffs are still a myth to you.  You don't know what it's all about.  To you, the Bell game is the pinnacle.  And that's fine.  And that's also why, in the grand scheme, DePauw football is on a lower tier. 

Looks like I touched a nerve...

No, you didn't touch a nerve.  You completely missed my point. 

[BayernFan]

If the goals of the program are to win championships (they should be), the Bell will take care of itself. 

Then what happened this year?

Sorry, you served up a softball.

HA HA... but I think the argument is a good one.  Wabash's #1 goal (or anyone else's goal for that matter) should be to win their conference championship.  That is why there is a conference schedule.  And of course, do that, and you are in the playoffs.

And yes, if you are good enough to win your conference, you are good enough to win the rivalry game.  You may not do it, but .....

And if you are in a good conference, your performances in the playoffs will take care of themselves over time.

Conference championships first.

[D3_DPUFan]

HA HA... but I think the argument is a good one.  Wabash's #1 goal (or anyone else's goal for that matter) should be to win their conference championship.  That is why there is a conference schedule.  And of course, do that, and you are in the playoffs.

And yes, if you are good enough to win your conference, you are good enough to win the rivalry game.  You may not do it, but .....

And if you are in a good conference, your performances in the playoffs will take care of themselves over time.

Conference championships first. 

Thank you---stated in a much more rational way. 

[BashBacker#16]

Wally - excellent take.  I assure you that CC (if we asked him) approached that exact way...yes, he wanted to beat DePauw, but that was 1 game in the big scheme of things tied to the BIG prize - the ultimate goal.  This year's playoff run showed me that even if we do lose to DPU (which totally blew!), there's a lot more football to be played and NO ONE was concerned (certainly not talking about it) that we lost the Bell after winning our first 2 round games and advancing to the Elite 8.  It was a blast.

[D3_DPUFan]

The Bell comes and goes...but when Wabash finally scales that mountain and comes back with Walnut and Bronze...oh man.  You don't ever lose that.  That's forever.  And that's what I want. 

Good luck with that, chief.

[smedindy]

I never said the jobs weren't necessarily equal...I'd really like to see DPU get in the NCAC so the Bell game IS for something more than what it is.

[wabco]

Following this string ... simply reinforces my longstanding belief based upon observation ... that:  except for the DePauw women ... who are by and large (when not large and large and in the sorority house no longer there) very good and desirable folks ... the rest are not worth the powder to blow them up.  Yo ... go back to the conference which is the life support system for the Trinity playoff bid !

Wally ... you are right on.  I heard CC speak several times about playoffs and championships and challenging the best.  That was his focus and the focusto which the Little Giants have.  Watch for our next exciting chapter.  We are in a very fine conference ... with the top tier being great competitors and good people ... the lower tier ... perhaps just good people.

Come on search committee !!!!

[aueagle]

What wally said in his post regarding the Walnut & Bronze, is what I have been stating about Bishop football..."I Want Championships"....I want the NCAC Crown AND the National Crown too. Ohio Wesleyan has to have commitment first in the football program and true passion in order to be a top tier NCAC & National Program.
wally has the right focus (if I read him right), that the prize is in Salem....Wabash has entered through the door of the elite...can the LG's continue the walk.
wabco touches on the quality of the NCAC; from top to bottom...something we have debated on in the past. I consider only 3 teams "Top" in our conference. The Gators, Tigers & LG's. The rest need to step-up or be continue to be what they are.

[smedindy]

Wooster had the chance to move into the elite if they could have capitalized on the Sutton era. OWU is the sleeping giant - they certainly have the resources to compete but do they have the wherewithal?

I think Gheny is a step behind Wabash and Witt - but they could make a comeback.