FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

kcreds - No doubt OWU has improved greatly this year, but the thing that has held them back from being serious conference title contenders is that offense.  The better defenses have dominated OWU's offense in recent years (since Capone graduated).  In games vs. Wabash, Wittenberg, Wooster, and Allegheny since the end of the 2001 season, OWU is scoring just above 11 points per game.  In those games, OWU is 3-12 (1-9 when they score 14 points or less).  The Bishops have played defense well enough to win a lot of those games, they just haven't put any points on the board.  It's hard to ignore that kind of trend. 

I thought OWU had turned the corner a bit this year.  Early on, they were throwing more, Sir Louis was passing for about 200 yards per game and the idea of defending a team that can operate a run/pass option offense was a little unsettling to me.  But against Wabash they reverted to run run run, they just did more of it out of the shotgun than I'd seen before.  I'm guessing they did the same thing vs. Witt.  These defenses are too fast and too disciplined for that style of east/west option offense to be effective.  They might get a game or two every year, but to win the conference you have to beat all four of the other big dogs.  I'm not sure OWU can run that gauntlet with the offense that they run.  History tells us that they can't. 

[medicine man]

Re: Meadows at ONU. Story is almost accurate except for one thing- he was not accepted at Wooster

[wally_wabash]

Interesting notes about Denison.  5-0 at home this year, 0-3 on the road.  Denison scores 25 more points per game at home than they do on the road.  Not enough room on the bus for the O??

I'm not sure Hollett is the place to try and get your road problems straightened out.  I'm not sure how relevant this is...just thought it was odd how huge the difference is between Denison at home and on the road. 

[wabco]

Here is a scenario for Halloween:

Wabash wins DePauw game and the Dannies stay at home with their tails between their legs.

BUT drat of drats ... worst of all possible worsts ... suppose ... just suppose ... that for some godforsaken reason the Dannies should prevail over Wabash (wash my mouth out for even think that) ... they tehn get an at large?  they get assigned to North because of travel?  they play Wabash again 1 week later?  AND ... since in my nightmare scenario they won the head to head ... we have to play the bas***** again at Greendingle?

Only answer for sure:  beat the pus**** and no worries mon.

Am I off base here with the what ifs?

[DarkSide-D]

Ski,

I agree totally with your claims about night and day at the Papp last week.  The play calling in Woo has been an issue all year.  Of course, its easy to be a coach in the stands.  Especially when using hindsight.  I too fall victim to this.

I don't think the "FOG" has lifted yet.  I haven't seen a Woo game since Wabash, but it would seem that the Woo defense just isn't the same as it had been in years past.  Just too many mental let downs.  To this, I attribute to the youth, not just in the players, but also in the coaching staff.

As for the Kick-off?  I hate to say it, but I think it's time for the dreaded "HEADACHE" drills and the feared "KICKOFF WATERFALL" drills.  Blah!!

Medicine Man- thanks for the update.

[Li'l Giant]

Wabco,

That's not a far-fetched scenario. An unsavory one. But not outside the realm of possibility.

[wally_wabash]

Everything you've put out there is pretty accurrate, wabco.  DePauw's only shot to get in is to get a good win over Wabash.  If they do so, we'll have similar 1-loss regional records, and if we were to cross paths, we'd probably have to go back to Greendingle.  And it's entirely possible that the NCAA would go ahead and do that in the first round. 

How hard do you think the Dannies will be kicking themselves for cutting loose the Trinity game when they get left out of the playoffs (again) with 2 losses?  I for one think that DePauw is legitimately better than Trinity this year...this was going to be their year to get to the top of the mountain and get that AQ and they blew it.  People can justify that cancellation all they want, but the fact is that they pulled the plug on that game too early and that game could have been played as scheduled with no problems. 

[Li'l Giant]

Uh oh! Karma Alert on Wally.

[fijidoc]

I had mentioned the playoff possibilites of Monon Bell.  I don't think it is that far fetched.  Depauw would have to win convinciningly to get at large in my opinion.  Also if shipped to North, both would probably have to win game because I doubt they would play each other head to head in the first round since they play in the regular seasonl.  Usually try to avoid rematches in first round if past history is an indicator.  I however don't see that happening.  Wabash even though hopefully will have clinched playoff birth will be playing for possible 1 or 2 seed in the region, plus the fact it is monon bell, will keep them from having a let down after cliniching playoff birth(this week hopefully).  Plus 10 year from now the alums won't ask what their record was, did they win conference, did they go to playoffs,  Only thing alums will ask is did you beat Depauw and what was your four year record vs Depauw.  Played football four years, graduated 1995, never made playoffs but was 3-0-1 in the Bell game.  Brought Bucket back my Freshman year, kept it on campus all four years, and won the 100th monon bell classic.

[smedindy]

Actually, it would probably be a second round, if that. Both teams would have to go on the road first round as a #6 or #7 seed, I would imagine.

But we must not overlook Denison.

[wally_wabash]

Actually, fijidoc, there is precedent for the NCAA pairing up teams that played during the regular season in the first round.  They don't pair up teams from the same conference in the first round, but they have created regular season rematches of non-conference opponents.  Now, I don't think there is any precedent for them pairing such teams up the week after they played (but when have they had the opportunity to do so?).  Given the NCAA's penchant for skimping on D-III tournament travel bills, it's very possible that Wabash and DePauw would play in the first round if for no other reason than because of $$$.  

LG, it's a touchy subject, I know.  But you know better than anybody else here how the weather in SA was that weekend.  Had they waited 24 hours before making a decision, DePauw would have clinched the SCAC last week and we'd both be playing on Nov. 12 for playoff position.  That's all I'm saying.  

[wabashcpa]

I could see them playing in the first round due to proximity alone.  My thought is that the game (if played) should be in Crawfordsville since Wabash would be a conference champion and DePauw an at-large invitee.  Seems to me an at-large school should be the road warrior.

Wally, that is interesting on Denison.  Doesn't bode well for them Saturday.

[wabashcpa]

That's assuming Trinity gets the AQ.  If DePauw gets the AQ then the winner of the Bell game should host the playoff game as well (again, if they play in 1st round).

[wally_wabash]

I would think that cost of a 30-mile bus charter trumps accurate seedings as far as the NCAA is concerned.  Why would the NCAA send two teams on long bus trips, when they can essentially eliminate both bus trips altogether by having the two teams play one another?  We've seen this in the past in both football and hoops where playoff matchups don't quite match the appropriate seeding because of geography.  I don't think the NCAA would pass up the opportunity for a freebie....plus a Wabash vs. DePauw playoff game will probably yield about the biggest gate of the entire tournament.  I doubt they would jeopardize that by sending those two teams off to possibly get beat in the first round.  

[nike]

To add something to Wally-Wabash:
Wooster will beat OWU.
Friend of mine at the Witt-OWU game Saturday played at Witt years ago. Said that the wing-t  has to have an inside running game tackle to tackle and that OWU's leading rushing scorer is a big  freshman fullback who scored the only TD against Wabash for OWU this year.  OWU fans were calling for him Saturday. Call him "the beast".  But he did not get in even on short yardage and when OWU had the ball at Witt's goal line once. He said Witt did what every GOOD defensive team does against the wing. String it out and keep them going east and west like Wally said.  Look at qb carries and yards gained. A good defense beats 'em to the corners, too. Wooster's D line and linebackers are pretty fast. Other than Wabash our defense has kept the other team's offenses in check. Don't think OWU game will be any different.