FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Sorry about that, guys. Keith and I recorded it Saturday night at midnight and when I went back to edit his audio in and post it last night, I referred to my rundown, which included Wabash.

Hopefully you got something out of it anyway. I didn't have a chance to change the front page promo until a few minutes ago, on my lunch break.

[MUCheats]

Here are teams that NCAC fans need to watch for "C" bids:

Mary Hardin-Baylor
Dickinson or Franklin & Marshall
Wheaton or Illinois Wesleyan (or North Central, even)
Springfield
Coe
Delaware Valley or Lebanon Valley (or Albright)
St. Norbert (could happen depending on rankings)
St. Thomas
Centre or DPU
Cal Lutheran, Occidental or Redlands
Thomas More or W & J
Hampden Sydney (huge game vs. Randy Mac could be for auto bid)
Otterbein
Kean, Montclair State or Rowan

Some really good teams that could finish with 1 loss, and because of who they play could be in better shape than the NCAC runner-up.

You know, a 9-1 Gheny would be a "C" candidate as well. Let's not discount them.

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

[wally_wabash]

I think there are still way, way, way too many 1 loss teams out there to say that any 2 loss OAC team should be getting in.  Capital with two losses looks out.  ONU may have a case if they beat Cap, but then Cap won't be regionally ranked and they'll be just another 7-3 team and that win really doesn't look that good per the criteria...not any better than having ONU beat any other 7-3 team in the North region. 

Right now I tend to think that any and all teams with 2-losses are serious longshots until a bunch of these other 1 loss teams pick up a second loss.  Right now, I have to believe that there are 6 teams with better selection resumés than pretty much any team with 2 losses. 

A lot of clarity is coming with the regional rankings this week. 

[BashDad]

Can you publish some of your thoughts regarding Bash here, Pat?

[smedindy]

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

This is NCAA Division III. Thanks to the pool structure the best non-AQ teams in any sport don't necessarily get at large bids. It's all about the criteria. Is a two-loss ONU better than a one-loss SCAC team? Probably, but the selection process cares not about that.

[SilenceIsDirty]

Wooster and Wittenberg just launced this cool new challenge called the College Mascot Face-Off... both schools' fans can vote for their mascot to see who will win. The voting leads right up to the Witt-Woo game in November. It's an interesting site, especially the video. Obviously a lot of hard work at both ends... www.mascotfaceoff.com

[Ryan Tipps]

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

This is NCAA Division III. Thanks to the pool structure the best non-AQ teams in any sport don't necessarily get at large bids. It's all about the criteria. Is a two-loss ONU better than a one-loss SCAC team? Probably, but the selection process cares not about that.

Maybe I'm not sitting down and thinking this through, but I would think that an 8-2 ONU team would have a strong shot at a Pool C bid even over some 9-1 teams from weaker conferences. It happened in 2006, where an 8-2 North Central team was taken over one-loss Franklin and Cortland St. Both of those teams left out lost by just 7 points to their conference champion. But the numbers just didn't add up in their favor.

Like I said, I could be missing something in the details, but with ONU's win over NCC (assuming they win the CCIW) and losses to teams that should be a combined 19-1, that will be a very strong resume to go before the NCAA committee.

[FightinScot]

Agree that cheering for your teamates isn't odd, but to an outsider, the dance thing before kickoffs is a tad different from cheering...  I'm sure it's meant to fire you guys up, and I mean no disrespect with my opinion.

I thought that the chant during defense was "never" but I could be wrong.  Some of the 'Bash faithful were replying "forever..."

The chant during defense is "Hammer." Our defensive motto is "Be the Hammer" and the top defensive player each week carries a sledgehammer out to the field...I'm surprised at the number of people that can't tell what it is!

The thing before kickoffs is just to get fired up, its nothing really planned and it changes every time...its a new thing this year- we'll see if it sticks.

[MUCheats]

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

This is NCAA Division III. Thanks to the pool structure the best non-AQ teams in any sport don't necessarily get at large bids. It's all about the criteria. Is a two-loss ONU better than a one-loss SCAC team? Probably, but the selection process cares not about that.

Maybe I'm not sitting down and thinking this through, but I would think that an 8-2 ONU team would have a strong shot at a Pool C bid even over some 9-1 teams from weaker conferences. It happened in 2006, where an 8-2 North Central team was taken over one-loss Franklin and Cortland St. Both of those teams left out lost by just 7 points to their conference champion. But the numbers just didn't add up in their favor.

Like I said, I could be missing something in the details, but with ONU's win over NCC (assuming they win the CCIW) and losses to teams that should be a combined 19-1, that will be a very strong resume to go before the NCAA committee.

That's my line of thinking, too.  There's still a lot of football left to be played, and ONU still has a tough one at Capital in Week 9 I believe.  But if things play out in a certain way, an 8-2 ONU squad could provide the committee with a lot to think about.

I fully confess that I don't know as much about the selection process as some of you do, however, so I appreciate hearing differing views about what I may be missing from the bigger picture.

[smedindy]

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

This is NCAA Division III. Thanks to the pool structure the best non-AQ teams in any sport don't necessarily get at large bids. It's all about the criteria. Is a two-loss ONU better than a one-loss SCAC team? Probably, but the selection process cares not about that.

Maybe I'm not sitting down and thinking this through, but I would think that an 8-2 ONU team would have a strong shot at a Pool C bid even over some 9-1 teams from weaker conferences. It happened in 2006, where an 8-2 North Central team was taken over one-loss Franklin and Cortland St. Both of those teams left out lost by just 7 points to their conference champion. But the numbers just didn't add up in their favor.

Like I said, I could be missing something in the details, but with ONU's win over NCC (assuming they win the CCIW) and losses to teams that should be a combined 19-1, that will be a very strong resume to go before the NCAA committee.

It depends on where a 2-loss ONU falls in the regional rankings vis-a-vis a 1-loss team somewhere else. You've got some pretty serious teams that will be in a "C" this year. And the WIAC may not get a "C" even.

[MUCheats]

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

This is NCAA Division III. Thanks to the pool structure the best non-AQ teams in any sport don't necessarily get at large bids. It's all about the criteria. Is a two-loss ONU better than a one-loss SCAC team? Probably, but the selection process cares not about that.

Maybe I'm not sitting down and thinking this through, but I would think that an 8-2 ONU team would have a strong shot at a Pool C bid even over some 9-1 teams from weaker conferences. It happened in 2006, where an 8-2 North Central team was taken over one-loss Franklin and Cortland St. Both of those teams left out lost by just 7 points to their conference champion. But the numbers just didn't add up in their favor.

Like I said, I could be missing something in the details, but with ONU's win over NCC (assuming they win the CCIW) and losses to teams that should be a combined 19-1, that will be a very strong resume to go before the NCAA committee.

It depends on where a 2-loss ONU falls in the regional rankings vis-a-vis a 1-loss team somewhere else. You've got some pretty serious teams that will be in a "C" this year. And the WIAC may not get a "C" even.

Well, if the OAC can't get a third bid, then I would love to see the NCAC get a second bid, especially if it comes at the expense of the WIAC! 

[Ryan Tipps]

Well, if the OAC can't get a third bid, then I would love to see the NCAC get a second bid, especially if it comes at the expense of the WIAC! 

Careful what you wish for

[bashtownie]

Journal Review says: Matt Hudson Hopes to Return Saturday

(from today's paper)

If the final decision were up to Matt Hudson, he would be on the field when Wabash's football team travels to Oberlin on Saturday.

Hudson, the Little Giant senior quarterback who suffered a pneumothorax injury Oct. 10 against Washington-St. Louis and has missed the last two games, has had non-contact practice Sunday and Monday. The final decision on whether Hudson will play Saturday or not, however, is in the hands of Wabash's trainers.

"I feel great and Saturday I will be ready to play if they clear me," Hudson said. "I would not be practicing
this week if I wasn't anticipating playing Saturday."

Hudson hopes to see the trainers by Thursday to see if he can play Saturday. He said the trainer's main concern at this point is him getting reinjured.

[usee]

I think an 8-2 Ohio Northern, with a win over North Central, a win over Capital, and close losses to Otterbein and Mount Union would also receive serious consideration for a third bid from the OAC.  I think regardless of who it is, and regardless of whether or not they have two losses, there will be an almost guaranteed Pool C bid from the OAC for the runner-up.  Right now, Otterbein is on cruise control for that bid, already having beaten Ohio Northern and Capital, though they still have a game with Mount Union upcoming, that is the only remaining game they should lose.

This is NCAA Division III. Thanks to the pool structure the best non-AQ teams in any sport don't necessarily get at large bids. It's all about the criteria. Is a two-loss ONU better than a one-loss SCAC team? Probably, but the selection process cares not about that.

Maybe I'm not sitting down and thinking this through, but I would think that an 8-2 ONU team would have a strong shot at a Pool C bid even over some 9-1 teams from weaker conferences. It happened in 2006, where an 8-2 North Central team was taken over one-loss Franklin and Cortland St. Both of those teams left out lost by just 7 points to their conference champion. But the numbers just didn't add up in their favor.

Like I said, I could be missing something in the details, but with ONU's win over NCC (assuming they win the CCIW) and losses to teams that should be a combined 19-1, that will be a very strong resume to go before the NCAA committee.

There is no precedent for the committee to include a 2 loss team over a 1 loss team. I agree ONU may have the strongest case yet but you can't fault 1 loss teams for not having the opportunity to lose to MUC. The precedent that would set opens up a pandora's box that I would think the NCAA would want to avoid. I think there is little or no chance a 2 loss team, regardless of their credentials, will get in over a 1 loss team to a conference champion.

In the CCIW the only team I think that has a chance at a pool C is Wheaton if they win out. NCC and IWU are either AQ or 2 losses. Wheaton is the only CCIW team that can finish with 1 loss and not be the AQ.

[Pat Coleman]

There is no precedent for the committee to include a 2 loss team over a 1 loss team.

UW-Eau Claire was selected over Whitworth two years ago.