FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ADL70]

Good point, oldguy.  Hence my enforcement question.  But the return was to the 10 so 5 yds would have still have left pretty poor field position.

Were I conference commisioner I would direct my officials to call it unsportsmanlike.

The law of unintended consequences at work.  But there was never a salutory consequence of this rule.

[uknowme2]

I spoke to a referee friend of mine about this particular incident.  He told me the #1 rule that officals are to enforce is that neither team is to gain an unfair advantage over the opponent.  He is a MAC official. In essence he said that if the refs felt the play was an "obvious misuse" of the rules, unsportsmanlike conduct could have been called.  But he also said the refs are by no means obligated to make that call.  It was within the current rules of the game.

My opinion is that if there is a loophole in any rule, a coach will find it.  They are paid to win football games and help the university raise money.  If there is something within the rules that can be used to help win a football game, a coach will find it and use it.  And they should. 

Bottom line is... the NCAA goofed with this rule.  Someone had to pay the price in order to get it changed for next season.

GO TIGERS!!!

[wabashcpa]

Between Paterno losing a gasket over those kickoffs and getting his leg broken in the same game, it wasn't one of his better days.

That said, he is a tough old buzzard.  Watching the trainers tape him up on the sidelines was priceless!  How could you not play hard for that guy?  He's 80 years old and still ready to kick your tail.  

[Superfoot Wallace]

My opinion is that if there is a loophole in any rule, a coach will find it.  They are paid to win football games and help the university raise money.  If there is something within the rules that can be used to help win a football game, a coach will find it and use it.  And they should. 

That which is not prohibited is promoted.  Coaches and the four corners of the document rule.  Hell yes you take advantage of the loophole, up until they either call it unsportsmanlike or the rule is amended or repealed.

[wabashcpa]

Quick aside - who would have thought that Louisville-Rutgers tonight would have BCS implications - FOR BOTH TEAMS!!! - before the season?

[Superfoot Wallace]

Three words for ya - Schianos a Pimp.

and

Howard Schnellenberger turned me onto my pregame music.

The Big East is much better than the credit people give.

[Li'l Giant]

The Big East is much better than the credit people give.

That may be true. But I'm willing to bet a 1-loss Texas, Florida, Auburn, Notre Dame, Cal or USC team would beat them. And I'm willing to bet that one of those 1-loss teams will be ahead of an undefeated Louisville in the BCS by the time the title game rolls around.

[ski]

WOOOOO 8+2  ?

I hope so, as this will be the final game for a very good senior class. A class that has been involved in quite a few wins. A class who played a BIG part in Woo's NCAC championship of the 2004 season. 

Heres hoping that all of the seniors get atleast a few reps on Saturday.

A win at Kenyon would be a fitting end to the careers of the class of 07!!!

[wally_wabash]

The Big East is much better than the credit people give.

That may be true. But I'm willing to bet a 1-loss Texas, Florida, Auburn, Notre Dame, Cal or USC team would beat them. And I'm willing to bet that one of those 1-loss teams will be ahead of an undefeated Louisville in the BCS by the time the title game rolls around.

If Louisville runs the table, they will have played and beaten (by my estimation) EIGHT bowl teams.  They deserve the shot.  I don't think they will beat OSU or Michigan, but they deserve the shot. 

And screw the SEC.  It was the SEC that started this entire BCS crap in the first place.  Perhaps if they get continually screwed by the system that doesn't pay enough attention to the strength of their conference, they'll use their influence to push toward a playoff.  Wishful thinking, I know.

[Li'l Giant]

The Big East is much better than the credit people give.

That may be true. But I'm willing to bet a 1-loss Texas, Florida, Auburn, Notre Dame, Cal or USC team would beat them. And I'm willing to bet that one of those 1-loss teams will be ahead of an undefeated Louisville in the BCS by the time the title game rolls around.

If Louisville runs the table, they will have played and beaten (by my estimation) EIGHT bowl teams.  They deserve the shot.  I don't think they will beat OSU or Michigan, but they deserve the shot. 

And screw the SEC.  It was the SEC that started this entire BCS crap in the first place.  Perhaps if they get continually screwed by the system that doesn't pay enough attention to the strength of their conference, they'll use their influence to push toward a playoff.  Wishful thinking, I know.

That's part of my hoping L'ville gets screwed. Everytime there is an injustice you put one more chink in the anti-playoff armor.

Of course, as we know, being fans of D-III, having a playoff isn't a panacea. There's always an argument about someone being left out, or someone not getting homefield etc.

But a playoff is better than what they have now.

[wally_wabash]

Of course a playoff system lends itself to arguments about who should have home field and who got left out on the bubble....but the one thing that you never hear people arguing about with the playoffs is the legitimacy of the national champion.  The BCS excludes teams that should have a chance to play for a championship.  Auburn two years ago.  USC the year before that.  Those are the two that immediately come to mind...there are others and there will certainly be teams that deserve a chance to compete for the championship this year that won't get the chance (Texas, Florida, Cal, etc.). 

D3's 32-team format includes all of the teams that people believe should have a chance to compete for the championship.  It looks like Franklin could get left out this year...that decision to leave them out will be debatable, but after the first week of games it will be gone primarily because I don't think the D3 community at large considers Franklin to be a national championship contender.  It's not a gross injustice that they get left out or that they get in and somebody like Wartburg gets left out.  No postseason system is perfect, but single elimination playoffs are what people would prefer to see...it takes most of the ambiguity out of determining the champion. 

[uknowme2]

No postseason system is perfect, but single elimination playoffs are what people would prefer to see...it takes most of the ambiguity out of determining the champion. 

Very well said Wally.

GO TIGERS!!!

[littlegiant66]

WOOOOO 8+2  ?

I hope so, as this will be the final game for a very good senior class. A class that has been involved in quite a few wins. A class who played a BIG part in Woo's NCAC championship of the 2004 season. 

Heres hoping that all of the seniors get atleast a few reps on Saturday.

A win at Kenyon would be a fitting end to the careers of the class of 07!!!

I actually want to take a moment and congratulate all of the class of 07 from the NCAC on great careers on the gridiron

[ScotLass]

http://athletics.wooster.edu/fb/news/2006/academic_list.pdf

congrats deserved on many levels.

[aueagle]

kcreds: The D2 programs in WVa have come along way. I had the opportunity to speak w/Wally Hood in Delaware in Oct. He led Fairmont St (80's/90's) & also was the head man at Otterbein & Ohio Northern. Money was a problem for alot of the WVa programs. Now, Shepherd is making the run in the WVIAC. I like the way they recruit-pulling form Va/MD/Pa. But, to some degree your right, Ohio D3 might win out-right.
Nike: Was that a jab at Ohio Wesleyan with the "Big win-Build for next year"? Regardless; it's a win and yes, and a  springboard for 2007.
wally: WW is right about a programs numbers. It is one of the building blocks that started the MUC domination. In sales and elections-numbers win....
Is the Griz the new power in Indiana football? Franklin has the regions #6 spot.
Smarts can win. Just ask Canegie Mellon in Pittsburg. #5 in the South Region. So it can happen at Oberlin, Hiram and others.