FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[frank uible]

The College may have been unbalanced Title IX-wise in favor of men before the cuts, which merely may have put it in balance or, at least, made it less unbalanced.

[D3_DPUFan]

Has Wabash started spring practice?

[Bash-Dad #84]

Spring practice started last Sunday.

[wab64]

It's certainly not ideal...I would doubt DePauw wants to play Gallaudet but, as you point out, they may not have a choice. 

What makes you say that? 

I would guess that priority #1 is getting a winnable regional opponent.  I would think if you can't get that, then just go get yourself a winnable game.  Losing a regional game means you essentially have to win out.  How feasible of a task is that?  Answer on your own terms, I guess.

c'mon, Wes, take up a challenge and go with the WIACC. Stevens Point and Eau Claire are fine programs, as are Salisbury and E Texas Baptist. Gallaudet may be "winnable" bur running up the score on them isn't exactly an accolade. Since DePauw's other non-conf is Anderson, from the depths of the Heartland they aren't going to impress anyone, even with an impressive win in the Bell. Playoff position is simple-just beat Trinity and Millsaps for once.

[DPU3619]

c'mon, Wes, take up a challenge and go with the WIACC. Stevens Point and Eau Claire are fine programs, as are Salisbury and E Texas Baptist. Gallaudet may be "winnable" bur running up the score on them isn't exactly an accolade. Since DePauw's other non-conf is Anderson, from the depths of the Heartland they aren't going to impress anyone, even with an impressive win in the Bell. Playoff position is simple-just beat Trinity and Millsaps for once.

With Trinity, Millsaps, and Wabash later in the schedule, there's no point in making yourself go 9-0 after a Week 1 loss.  There just isn't.  They aren't going to beat Whitewater and they aren't going beat Stevens Point, either.  Salisbury is a possibility to play, but that's probably a loss too. I doubt they fly to ETBU.  I also doubt ETBU is interested to flying to Greencastle. 

You have to get a regional win or else you're hurting your Pool C chances.  There's no point in ruining your chances of at-large bid for the sake of "sacking up", so to say.  9-1 will be there, especially if that's your regional record, too.  There won't be enough 9-1 teams with higher OWP's than DePauw that forces them to get left out.  They're going to have 3 teams that are a shoe-in for at least 8 wins on their schedule as it's currently constructed.  Why screw yourself by scheduling an impossible non-conf?  Seriously.  Honest question.

[wally_wabash]

Traveling to or from Washington, D.C. is any worse?  Long, expensive trips were going to be part of the deal when you all decided to be a southern team...seems silly to eat the horse if you're going to choke on the tail.   

I can understand your point about not scheduling a game that you'll definitely lose.  I don't recommend anybody who thinks they have a legitimate pool C run (should earning a automatic bid be out of the question as it seems to be for your Tigers) schedule games against Mount Union or Whitewater.  It's just silly...best to wait and take your swings at those guys when there is actually something on the line in December.  Not too many years ago Allegheny had games scheduled against Mount Union and Baldwin-Wallace (during a strong B-W run) and the only thing that served to do was knock Allegheny out of the playoffs before October.  But Gallaudet?  Come on.  The regional win is nice, sure, but those OWP and OOWP numbers also matter, and Gallaudet doesn't help in those areas.  Playing somebody like ETBU is better for all parties involved. 

[Pat Coleman]

And honestly, Gallaudet may not want to play DePauw.

[D3_DPUFan]

Gallaudet may be "winnable" bur running up the score on them isn't exactly an accolade.

Pretty funny to see a Wabash fan lecture anyone on beating up on patsies.

[wally_wabash]

Gallaudet may be "winnable" bur running up the score on them isn't exactly an accolade.

Pretty funny to see a Wabash fan lecture anyone on beating up on patsies.

Was wondering when this would show up...

The difference here is that the patsies on Wabash's schedule aren't elective.  There are unfortunately some really bad teams in the NCAC.  Wabash can't do anything about that or the fact that there is no way to avoid having to play two or three of them every year.  That's the state of the league right now.  It isn't ideal, but there isn't anything Wabash can do about how good or not good the other teams in the league are.  And now of course Wabash's elective games have been preordained to be UAA teams, so like it or not (I personally do not) Wabash is stuck playing Chicago.  Wash U. is a good out of conference game, but unfortunately non-regional which stinks. 

I'm digressing...the point is that a team of DePauw's caliber choosing to play a team like Gallaudet is far, far different than if they had to play Gallaudet because they were in the same league.

I just think that's a really bad game that doesn't really benefit either team.  I also completely understand the situation and realize that DePauw has to get a tenth game any way they can get it...it certainly wasn't DePauw's fault that they had a conference member drop the sport which unfortunately puts this kind of unexpected burden on their team. 

[DPU3619]

But Gallaudet?  Come on.  The regional win is nice, sure, but those OWP and OOWP numbers also matter, and Gallaudet doesn't help in those areas.  Playing somebody like ETBU is better for all parties involved. 

I say again that DePauw's schedule is good enough that 9-1 with a crappy non-conf game will still get them in.  They won't be left out.  The OWP will be good enough with the Big 3 on their schedule.

[DPU3619]

Traveling to or from Washington, D.C. is any worse?  Long, expensive trips were going to be part of the deal when you all decided to be a southern team...seems silly to eat the horse if you're going to choke on the tail. 

Also, if this were 2001, I'd say that DePauw would do that.  They'd fly to ETBU.  Or split the cost for them to fly here.  But, they're currently in such a cost-cutting mode that I imagine they're really trying to dump that flight off the books.  They've got a chance to eliminate the expense of the Colorado flight entirely.

DC is a 10 1/2 hour bus ride.  Millsaps and Hendrix are both a bit over 9.  What's the difference, really?

[D3_DPUFan]

Was wondering when this would show up...

The difference here is that the patsies on Wabash's schedule aren't elective.

Understood...just couldn't pass up an easy opportunity...

[wab64]

Wes, you seem fixated on your 9-1 record for a pool C. Who are you fixing to lose to? The annual mail-in loss to Trinity, or someone else?
    Allegheny is a good case in point. A few years ago, the Gators went 0-3 in their non-conf schedule, then ran the table in the NCAC to make the playoffs. Pool C seems to be shrinking every year as more conferences get the AQ. Soon there may be no room in the inn and you'll HAVE to beat Trinity. Up until 2002, the entire NCAC seemed resigned to be behind Wittenberg. That year, Wabash won (twice), then Allegheny and Wooster won and picked up AQs and the league is no longer the Big One and Little Nine. I, for one, would like to see DPU make the playoffs (as an automatic bid having lost the Bell) and to join the NCAC

[DPU3619]

I'm not saying it's a foregone conclusion.  But, as we proved in 2008, you better be 9-1 if you want to get there.  8-2 won't do it, particularly with DePauw's OWP because Colorado and Sewanee were bottom feeding.  DePauw was the first team left out on Selection Sunday.  They took a CCIW team instead.

2009 will be the best chance DePauw has had (and probably will have for some time) at 10-0.  But what if you don't get there?  If you do lose to Trinity, or you do lose to Millsaps, you're going to regret having that non-conference loss to Salisbury, UW-SP, UWW, or whoever you choose to play.  I'm not saying they're only playing for the Pool C, but DePauw ought to be thinking about the schedule so that it doesn't potentially cost them a berth like the Wesley loss did in 2005.  There were extinuating circumstances with the hurricane and the Trinity trip and all that, but still.  If they played some scrub team and win, they get to 9-1 and have a really good chance at the Pool C instead of being an afterthought following the loss in the Bell game. 

Scheduling who ever the hell you want because you think you're going to win your conference is just reckless for a team that's never done it.  Now, if it was Wabash instead of DePauw, you can go ahead and schedule Whitewater.  You're going to win the NCAC going away again.  While I do believe DePauw will win the SCAC this year, let's not just schedule somebody we can't beat because we think that.  That's silly.

[wally_wabash]

Your thinking is sound on this, Wes.  And you're speaking from past experience (2005 and 2008 specifically).  I really think the prudent move is to stay out of Wisconsin and take the game against ETBU or Gallaudet.  ETBU is preferable because I think you've got a chance to learn some things about your squad in that game whereas you really don't in a game against Gallaudet, but the circumstance of having to schedule this game in the first place is so rare that DePauw couldn't be faulted for whatever they wind up doing.  The options for 2009 scheduling are very limited at this point. 

I don't think it is at all impractical to consider carefully the non-conference schedule, particularly for any team that expects to be in the running for a league championship but isn't an overwhelming favorite.  DePauw certainly fits that category. 

As for Wabash running away with the NCAC in 2009...I'm not going to be quite as quick as you are to call it a done deal.  Wabash was a furious fourth quarter comeback away from losing to a really young Wittenberg team last year and Wooster is hungry, has experience now (they almost snuck into the playoffs last year as well) and gets Wabash at home which is a tough place to play.  Wabash has a lot of interior experience to replace this year...those games against Wittenberg and Wooster will probably be very tough games.  Winnable games for sure, but they will be tough.