FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

Wabash Fans

Sorry we dropped the ball this past Saturday and I hope it doesn't negatively effect your SOS come seeding time. Good luck to you guys the next two weeks. Win out, get a #2 seed and go deep into the tourney.

The SOS won't wiggle much with that one loss.  We just can't have your Tigers lose again and fall out of the regional rankings.  That could jam stuff up.  Go win that league!

[HCAlum86]

Wittenberg doesn't roll on the Shabbos

[BashDad]

Victor Banjo is calmer than you are.

(I just mean that Walter definitely went to Wittenberg)

[HCAlum86]

Oh, and by the way. John Carroll 27. Mount 24.

[luvncac]

Been to two OWU games this year, Wabash and Witt, and agree with the observations of The Bishop and Aueagle that OWU is an NCAC middle tier team at best.  I think Wabash destroys Witt next week because their running game dominated OWU and at times Witt had some problems with OWU's ground game.  On Saturday I was also amazed at quickly attendance has dropped at Selby, which proves you need to field a winner to get more then parents and die hard alumni at games....I know it was miserable conditions but Ohio State didn't play until 8:00 that night.

[wally_wabash]

Stats!  I've got stats for your perusal...

Stat	Wabash	Nat'l Rank	Witt	Nat'l Rank
Rush O	261.50	15	133.40	150
Pass O	206.30	121	274.10	36
Total O	467.80	31	407.50	71
Scoring O	46.40	7	38.60	33
Rush D	58.50	2	105.80	24
Pass Eff. D	95.86	22	102.64	35
Total D	215.00	3	286.40	29
Scoring D	11.50	t-12	11.50	t-12
Net Punting	31.63	126	34.24	47
Punt Ret	8.80	89	7.61	121
KO Ret	24.60	13	22.95	29
TO Margin	0.50	t-56	1.88	6
Pass D	156.50	27	180.60	66
Pass Eff	179.72	7	156.26	30
Sacks	4.63	1	2.38	t-80
TFL	11.00	t-3	6.30	t-123
3rd Down Conv%	0.379	120	0.415	84
3rd Down Conv% Def	0.266	12	0.372	109

[HCAlum86]

Stats!  I've got stats for your perusal...

Stat	Wabash	Nat'l Rank	Witt	Nat'l Rank
Rush O	261.50	15	133.40	150
Pass O	206.30	121	274.10	36
Total O	467.80	31	407.50	71
Scoring O	46.40	7	38.60	33
Rush D	58.50	2	105.80	24
Pass Eff. D	95.86	22	102.64	35
Total D	215.00	3	286.40	29
Scoring D	11.50	t-12	11.50	t-12
Net Punting	31.63	126	34.24	47
Punt Ret	8.80	89	7.61	121
KO Ret	24.60	13	22.95	29
TO Margin	0.50	t-56	1.88	6
Pass D	156.50	27	180.60	66
Pass Eff	179.72	7	156.26	30
Sacks	4.63	1	2.38	t-80
TFL	11.00	t-3	6.30	t-123
3rd Down Conv%	0.379	120	0.415	84
3rd Down Conv% Def	0.266	12	0.372	109

Since there are no Witt posters here I will play devil's advocate. There are few stats more indicative of a winning football team than turnover margin. May not always be pretty, but it is crucial.

[wally_wabash]

Since there are no Witt posters here I will play devil's advocate. There are few stats more indicative of a winning football team than turnover margin. May not always be pretty, but it is crucial.

By comparison, here was the TO margin stat line headed into this game last year:

Here's a little tale of the tape for this week:

Stat	Wabash	Nat'l Rank	Witt	Nat'l Rank
TO Margin	3.30	1	-0.80	t-189

And then 35-17 happened.  I plan to address turnovers later this week in a more comprehensive game post, but in short, what happens when a team that has a tremendous season-long turnover advantage plays a game where the turnovers aren't there? 

I agree completely that, when looking at the bigger season-long picture, you're going to find good teams with good records toward the top of that national ranking list of TO margin.  There's absolutely a correlation there over 10 games.  But in one game you may not get a turnover.  And then the formula for winning has to change.  Last year Wabash was the best team in the nation at turning teams over and all season long that strength led to points scored by the defense and points scored on short fields those turnovers created.  Against Wittenberg, they couldn't get the turnover to flip the field or to spark the team with a fumble/INT return TD and they couldn't find a formula to win without that.  Of all the of the stats in the table, the one that you can probably count on the least is the turnovers.  Witt is just as likely to be -2 on Saturday as they are to be +2, which is their season average. 

[firstdown]

HCAlum86

I agree that the turn over margin is an important stat.  As Wally pointed out, Wabash led not only D3, but all NCAA divisions last year in turn over margin.  Witt countered with a furious attack to C'Ville last year along with a senior quarterback on top of his game.  Due to injuries, Wabash didn't have its power running game last year.  All of the great stats in the world couldn't close the gap last year. 

Last week at Hiram, the cold weather caused some problems for both teams finding the handles on the pumpkin.  Wabash's promising freshman running back from Arizona learned about holding onto a football in the cold the hard way.  That having been said, Drake Christen, Wabash's sure handed wide receiver, mentioned in one of the articles that they had been practicing holding onto the ball in preparation of the Hiram game and the weather conditions.  Saturday at Springfield, it should be warmer than last weekend (around 50 degrees +/-) and maybe a spotty shower.   Minimizing turn overs will be critical for the Little Giants as it should be for the Tigers as well.   Wabash's defense will be putting heavy pressure on Jenkins, and an errant throw could lead to some INT's by Wabash's secondary.  Thus as Wally notes it cuts both ways.

[Dickison85]

I was at the Hiram game and the play with Woods and Partridge appeared to be a situation where Patridge got taken down and then was straddling/standing over Woods. It occurred at the far end from where we were sitting and the stands are not very high so it was not completely clear. As we know, Woods is a bit of a hot head and took offense and rose up rather violently and sort of broncho-billyed
Partridge off and he landed awkwardly. Crowd did get pretty vocal with one man and lady turning to us Wabash fans and screaming at us like it was our fault. Very odd and funny. 

[Wabash Hokie]

For those of you interested in the Witt/Wabash game, below is the link to Witt's game notes:


http://www.wittenbergtigers.com/sports/fball/2014-15/files/gamenotes/wabash.pdf


The comparative team stats are impressive - either Witt or Wabash is ranked #1 in every category except two - Net Punting Yds and Punt Return Yds).   Witt is ranked 1 or 2 in 10 of the 16 categories; Wabash is ranked 1 or 2 in 13 of the 16, and #1 in all Defensive categories and all but 1 Offensive categories.


Hope the weather holds for Saturday and the rain stays away.

[bashbrother]

A great Wabash vs. Witt highlight from 2007...... 

http://youtu.be/8wAUM-uqxr8

[HCAlum86]

I was at the Hiram game and the play with Woods and Partridge appeared to be a situation where Patridge got taken down and then was straddling/standing over Woods. It occurred at the far end from where we were sitting and the stands are not very high so it was not completely clear. As we know, Woods is a bit of a hot head and took offense and rose up rather violently and sort of broncho-billyed
Partridge off and he landed awkwardly. Crowd did get pretty vocal with one man and lady turning to us Wabash fans and screaming at us like it was our fault. Very odd and funny.

Ah, your first experience with a "townie parent".

"WHY DIDN'T YOU IMPLANT A BEHAVIORAL PATTERN INTO THAT KID'S HEAD SO HE WOULD NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, REACT POORLY TO A TAUNT, THUS CAUSING INJURY TO ONE OF OUR PLAYERS. HOW DARE YOU!?"

Blatant, irrational thoughts are often shouted at Hiram games. Hence, the parents yelling at Moore while we were beating OWU, on the road, for the first time in over a decade.

They know everything and do not yell meaningless babble because of their emotions; we might as well take a seat and know our place, there is no match for their 100% fact driven analysis.

[nike]

Some unhappy folks in Wooster this week.
Should senior players, even All Conference performers, no less, be put on the bench as the season winds down when said season doesn't go as planned, so that underclassmen can get game time experience in preparation for next season?

[HCAlum86]

Some unhappy folks in Wooster this week.
Should senior players, even All Conference performers, no less, be put on the bench as the season winds down when said season doesn't go as planned, so that underclassmen can get game time experience in preparation for next season?

An absolute joke; a grab by a desperate coach to retain young players. What it really does is divide the locker room and cause underclassmen to question whether their coach will have their back down the road.

Similar situations at Hiram in the past