FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[bashbrother]

Anytime the USC Trojans lose, I am thrilled.. For my Cougs to beat them at home was amazing... Even though it was an ugly game.... I will certainly take it..

Good take on the Bash QB situation... from
what I am hearing, there is serious talent at that position.

[Wabash Hokie]

After spending much of the past three weekends on the Wabash campus, I have been surprised at the amount of time that the athletes, not just the football players, are being asked to commit to their respective sports.  I am not saying it is a good thing or bad thing - but it definitely is a thing.   One reason I quit playing football in college was the sheer amount of time I was expected to commit during the off-season.  For me, the fun playing on Saturday afternoons in the fall did not offset the work required during the rest of the year.  I marvel at the commitment that the football players are making to their sport and being able to keep their grades up - it is a tough row to hoe.

I now have a much greater appreciation for what it takes for a school to compete (really compete) even at the Div III level. 

On a side note, I watched a couple of practices and Wabash D is going to be wicked.  Offenses are much harder to assess during practice.  The collective speed of the defense is impressive.  Looking forward to a RED senior bench and Wabash's first home game on Saturday.  Go Little Giants.

[firstdown]

Wabash Hokie - it does take a significant time commitment to be an athlete at Wabash and this is balanced against the time needed for the rigorous academic program.  Before classes start at the first of September, the athletes are very busy with practices, film sessions and conditioning.  Once classes start, Wabash has a dedicated time period in the afternoon for practices.  During this time window, there are no labs or other class related activities so the effort can be concentrated.  The evenings are focused on supper and hitting the books.  In season conditioning is usually done in the early morning before breakfast and classes start.  One of the first lesson for a freshman at Wabash, whether an athlete or not, is how much time and dedication it takes to be a serious student.  It is called time management. Many of the members of the staff of the athletic department are Wabash grads, and all the staff is dedicated to a student's success whether on the playing field or in the classroom.  Further, being a small school, the faculty know the athletes among their students and the staff in the athletic department.  If someone is slacking off in the classroom, his coach is going to know it right quickly.   

[bashgiant]

This is an awesome board, especially if you're a Wabash fan! So where are the fans from say Wittenberg. DePauw. and the other NCAC teams? I see a couple of OWU faithful, the always present Tartan, and a couple others. This really surprises me, especially with the winning tradition Witt has I would have thought they would have a strong following here. I would have expected daily trash talk between The Bash and DePauw with the long running and fairly even rivalry. What's up?

Go BASH!!!!
Come on Saturday really excited to see this nasty, fast, hard hitting, Scola  talking Defense!!!!!!!!

[sigma one]

Of course we all probably want a clear winner of the QB position.  The earlier point about the guy taking snaps early does not mean he will be the one taking snaps later is a pertinent one. 
     Not too long ago we will recall Raeburn using two QBs situationally or as alternates.  While I usually think that having two QBs means having no QB, it worked two years ago, propelled by injury to Belton at times.  Raeburn has watched uncle LK for a long time fit QBs to a situation, and use two QBs when he thought that was Mt's best advantage.  Early on, that might (?) happen.  There is impressive talent at the position with a senior who got some play last year, a sophomore with ability (whose team was a state runner up in Arizona his senior season), and several freshmen who come out of impressive high school programs--two of them state championship programs last year in the two largest classes in Indiana.  Agree that it's been some time since a similar anticipation of the two deep in the game notes smong Wabash supporters.
     Hanover, with a game under its belt, will be an able opponent; throw out last week's result somewhat when they are playing their second game.  I did notice that their starting QB, a very fine player, left with an arm or shoulder injury last Saturday, on his non-throwing side.  Could be nothing; could be something.
    I saw AJ Akinrabade in street clothes recently, the only current player to make the NCAC's latest all-decade team.  Whoa!
     

[BashBacker#16]

SigmaOne,

You know I like to tease you a bit but your Lou Holtz-esque "takes" crack me up.  Throw out last week on Hanover?  Why?  They were God awful.  Wasn't it 42-6 at half?  Oh man.  Can you imagine them now coming to Little Giant Stadium to face the Wabash D?

I was shocked your boy, Murray, had such modest numbers and they only put 7 on the board. 

Just messing with you...

WAF!

[wally_wabash]

Obviously the quarterback decision is the headline, but I think there will be some other interesting nuggets on that two deep this week.  Can't wait to see how the chips fall there. 

The Dexter Britt situation is important.  Britt is a senior who has seen both Wabash's defense before as well as Franklin.  He's got some big game experience...he hasn't won any of them, but he's been in the situation.  If Britt can't go, the alternative for Hanover appears to be a freshman and...well, good luck with that.  Sending a freshman out there with one half of college experience out to that defense that's been chomping at the bit for a long time now (it's been a long camp at Wabash this year) to go get after somebody...advantage LGs, I'd say. 

[ExTartanPlayer]

While I usually think that having two QBs means having no QB, it worked two years ago, propelled by injury to Belton at times.  Raeburn has watched uncle LK for a long time fit QBs to a situation, and use two QBs when he thought that was Mt's best advantage.  Early on, that might (?) happen.

I am also a believer in one QB being "the guy" in crucial situations, but in a time of transition or when there isn't a CLEAR winner coming out of camp, I think it can be beneficial to plan on playing two guys early in the season and, based on what transpires in the first game or two or three, pick the starter from there.  That allows two guys to get some game reps, gives your coaches some film to look at of each guy in a live situation, and just sort of "organically" resolves the debate.  If the offense clearly moves better with one guy than the other, he's the guy.

[wally_wabash]

From the Meadville Tribune in their recap of Saturday's Kenyon/Allegheny game. 

"I've been doing this a long time," said Matlak. "I know what we have. I knew it was going to be a long climb. And we have a lot of work to do with this team. We've got to roll up our sleeves and see what we can get out of this. We have to find some positives we can hang out hat on. That has yet to be done."

If that doesn't inspire a team, I don't know what will. 

[smedindy]

This is an awesome board, especially if you're a Wabash fan! So where are the fans from say Wittenberg. DePauw. and the other NCAC teams? I see a couple of OWU faithful, the always present Tartan, and a couple others. This really surprises me, especially with the winning tradition Witt has I would have thought they would have a strong following here. I would have expected daily trash talk between The Bash and DePauw with the long running and fairly even rivalry. What's up?

Go BASH!!!!
Come on Saturday really excited to see this nasty, fast, hard hitting, Scola  talking Defense!!!!!!!!

DPU fans normally show up a little around the Bell game, but there's been nothing really to crow about. Wes does his part.

Ever since these boards started, the lack of Witt fans has been a mystery. Wooster has had more board presence in football than Witt.

The d3hoops board is Wooster-centric like this board seems to be Wabash-centric, due to the volume of posters, and Witt's silent there too.

I'm glad for the Wooster and OWU posters we have. I'd love to see insight from the entire league, especially Gheny and Kenyon.

[smedindy]

From the Meadville Tribune in their recap of Saturday's Kenyon/Allegheny game. 

"I've been doing this a long time," said Matlak. "I know what we have. I knew it was going to be a long climb. And we have a lot of work to do with this team. We've got to roll up our sleeves and see what we can get out of this. We have to find some positives we can hang out hat on. That has yet to be done."

If that doesn't inspire a team, I don't know what will.

Translation? "The players I recruited aren't that good"?

[BashBacker#16]

Wally,

What are the odds the Wabash 2-deep comes out with the "or" when listing the QB?  I have a hunch we may see that.

An honest question: is there a better linebacker corps in D3 than Wabash ---Akinribade, Scola, and Buresh....  If there is, these guys are certainly in the conversation.

[wally_wabash]

Wally,

What are the odds the Wabash 2-deep comes out with the "or" when listing the QB?  I have a hunch we may see that.

Knowing ER's two-deeps over the years, I'm going with -250.  An "or" appearance is a heavy favorite this week. 

An honest question: is there a better linebacker corps in D3 than Wabash ---Akinribade, Scola, and Buresh....  If there is, these guys are certainly in the conversation.

Hard to say "best" definitively because D-III is such a big place, but our guys are really good for sure.  Hopefully that's a question that we can start to answer on the field sometime after Thanksgiving. 

[sigma one]

hey, BB#16, you know that some of what I post on here is just to get a reaction, or sometimes speculative thinking.  And sometimes to exercise my penchant for getting into the numbers that, while interesting to me, in the final analysis mean very little.  Love ya.  See you on Saturday.

[bashbrother]

This is brutal.....  after many many weeks of waiting,  Bash fans are ticks away.... I think the clock is slowing down this week though.

http://youtu.be/s9Vn5kCasUo