FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Crawford]

St. John's went 5-5 in 2012. Whitewater went 7-3 in 2012. Linfield was 6-3 for a couple years and won just seven in 2018. North Central was 7-3 in 2015.

Smed, I love your comments, BUT, I think it unfair to compare the current Wabash situation to St John's, Whitewater, Linfield and N-C.  Saint John's hired a new coach after the 5-5 season (replacing John Gagliardi !) , Whitewater won 5 national championships between that 7-3 season and went 82-3 in that 6 year span.  Linfield has only lost 2 conference games in 14 seasons, going back to 2008.  Not really fair to those schools to compare Wabash's mediocrity to them.   BUT I agree the coaches can't control fumbles.

[Li'l Giant]

Now if we have seasons of 6-4 and 7-3 back to back, maybe panic? Wait, Creighton did that...

Someone brings this up regularly in this conversation. Creighton did that *after* he had gone 12-1 and had a run to the quarters. He had built up some capital.

If Morel had coached a 12-1 season and a trip to the regional final we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[sigma one]

This was posted on the Wabash website today:     
                                                               KEY PLAYERS TO RETURN IN 2023
"Even after winning seven games and missing out on a conference championship in 2022, the Wabash College football team is already
looking forward to next season. . . .The Little Giants won 7 or more games for the 15th consecutive season, including wins against three teams that defeated them in 2021.  Along the way, Wabash boasted a high-powered passing offense, leading all NCAA Division III teams in passing offense (363.5 yards per game), while ranking third nationally in total offense (535.5 ypg) and 14 in scoring offense (42.5 points per game)."
       The release goes on to profile the starters returning and notes that offense linemen Caster and Mullen will return for their 5th year.  Both were all-NCAC selections in 2022. 

It's an informative piece, putting a positive spin on the season (as releases should).  I note that the key phrase is that the LGs won seven or more games for the 15th consecutive season. 
All the chatter here, and the understandable dissatisfaction, doesn't mean a thing in the eyes of the College:  The last 6-4 season was under Creighton--and it has been pointed out that CC had built up some capital.  Let's try something else--if we can overcome our justifiable concerns about the (slight) decline of Wabash football (at least as it pertains to season records)--and look forward.  Nothing else matters, and all the grousing in the world doesn't change that.  Personally, I think next year will be special, even if the D isn't totally fixed.  But, then, I've always been a glass half-full guy.

[smedindy]

St. John's went 5-5 in 2012. Whitewater went 7-3 in 2012. Linfield was 6-3 for a couple years and won just seven in 2018. North Central was 7-3 in 2015.

Smed, I love your comments, BUT, I think it unfair to compare the current Wabash situation to St John's, Whitewater, Linfield and N-C.  Saint John's hired a new coach after the 5-5 season (replacing John Gagliardi !) , Whitewater won 5 national championships between that 7-3 season and went 82-3 in that 6 year span.  Linfield has only lost 2 conference games in 14 seasons, going back to 2008.  Not really fair to those schools to compare Wabash's mediocrity to them.   BUT I agree the coaches can't control fumbles.

Kinda is when people want to have, nay, demand, those kind of records.

Gagliardi was retiring and people knew it.

[smedindy]

Now if we have seasons of 6-4 and 7-3 back to back, maybe panic? Wait, Creighton did that...

Someone brings this up regularly in this conversation. Creighton did that *after* he had gone 12-1 and had a run to the quarters. He had built up some capital.

If Morel had coached a 12-1 season and a trip to the regional final we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Then let's go back a coach. How did he have the capital to stay there for years and years?

[WABCOL86]

Smeds, to be honest I often wondered about that...  I like the way they kind of sidestepped the whole "we got whupped" by Depauw in the school's article.

[Whitecarrera]

Smed - I think I see where you're going.  The 2001 and 2002 teams would have won eight or more games without even having a coaching staff.  That cupboard was full!

[Crawford]

St. John's went 5-5 in 2012. Whitewater went 7-3 in 2012. Linfield was 6-3 for a couple years and won just seven in 2018. North Central was 7-3 in 2015.

Kinda is when people want to have, nay, demand, those kind of records.

Gagliardi was retiring and people knew it.

Smed, my point is that the schools you reference are committed to producing top notch teams, Wabash does not anymore.  The situation with Saint John's and Gagliardi, he was loved by the community but as soon as he retired they hired Gary Faschings. It took him a few seasons to turn the program back around but they are again a powerhouse.  It frustrates me to see Wabash settle for mediocrity.  If the administration wants stability, I understand that, but it is sad.

[Shamrock]

https://sports.wabash.edu/news/2022/11/22/football-key-players-set-to-return-in-2023.aspx

Here is the link to the full article.

[Li'l Giant]

Now if we have seasons of 6-4 and 7-3 back to back, maybe panic? Wait, Creighton did that...

Someone brings this up regularly in this conversation. Creighton did that *after* he had gone 12-1 and had a run to the quarters. He had built up some capital.

If Morel had coached a 12-1 season and a trip to the regional final we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Then let's go back a coach. How did he have the capital to stay there for years and years?

Greg Carlson won a pretty good number of games. IIRC he's still second in all time wins at Wabash. Also, the playoffs were different then and harder to get into than today. He won four ICAC/HCAC titles that, under the current system, would have earned trips to the playoffs. He recruited quality guys, including guys I went to school with and consider friends. He never had a scandal or any other BS like that. It's really not hard to see why he was around for a long time. He was a very good coach who had success.

Let's talk about what did him in though:

1. A losing (7-10-1) record in the Bell Game including a 5 game slide his last 5 seasons.

2. Going 11-9 the first two years of the Jake Knott era. We can talk all we want about how loaded that team was (because it totally was) but going 11-9 overall 0-2 Bell is not as good as going 20-3 overall 2-0 Bell.

If you need more evidence that coaching matters just look at those numbers. If anyone thinks those teams have that same success with Carlson, they're trolling at that point. If anyone wants to say that CC and ER aren't upgrades from GC then they're trolling. And if anyone is trying to say that DM is as good as any of those 3, then they're trolling too.



LG

[Crawford]

Pat how do you do it?  Do you have a crystal football?  7 of 7 so far in your predictions today and you almost got all the scores correct too !  Well done.

[Pat Coleman]

I did not get that eighth pick!

I think a good part of it is really being able to look at a game and make a call without a rooting interest. Who's playing well this time of year plays strongly into it. Who's healthy is important info as well.

[Crawford]

I did not get that eighth pick!

7 of 8, you are still the man.

[Whitecarrera]

North Central beat Ithaca by 41?  Holy Sh.....

[Shamrock]

Wabash junior tight end Penn Stoller was named a second team All American.