FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[usee]

The claim you have repeated at least 4x is that IWU would be a #1 seed because of their SOS over MUC, UWW among others. Whether you watered it down with 'could be', 'might be' or 'may be' is not relevant since you continue to repeat it you obviously are delusional enough to believe it.

The West argument is certainly relevant if UWW ends up as the #1 seed over 3 other teams with stronger SOS. (which was my point). And I am not sure Wheaton, NCC, or IWU would be North #1 on their own merits in the north. I think they would need at least 2-3 other undefeated's in the North to keep UWW from moving in.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The claim you have repeated at least 4x is that IWU would be a #1 seed because of their SOS over MUC, UWW among others. Whether you watered it down with 'could be', 'might be' or 'may be' is not relevant since you continue to repeat it you obviously are delusional enough to believe it.

The West argument is certainly relevant if UWW ends up as the #1 seed over 3 other teams with stronger SOS. (which was my point). And I am not sure Wheaton, NCC, or IWU would be North #1 on their own merits in the north. I think they would need at least 2-3 other undefeated's in the North to keep UWW from moving in.

NCC (and Trine?!) were enough to keep UWW out last year.  Why would an undefeated IWU (with a higher SOS and other credentials) not do it this year?

You're pushing me to a more extreme position - why NOT IWU as #1 and bring in undefeated Monmouth (Illinois, after all) as the #2 seed?

Alas, we DID blow the game, so it is all hypothetical.  Hello again, UWW.

[usee]

Like I said, if Huntingdon gets a #1 seed this year (after all they have the best SOS of anybody), then you have an argument.

Last year NCC had Franklin, CWRU, and Trine and they not only had a strong SOS, but 4 conference championships and a few playoff appearances more recent than 1996.

[Mr. Ypsi]

You accuse me of over-relying on SOS, then bring in playoff appearances since 1996?!

C'mon, you know the criteria.  By the criteria, why would IWU have NOT been a candidate for a #1?

[fijidoc]

Going back to the TOP argument?  The Colts are almost always at the bottom for time of possession and that doesn't really seem to  affect them.  Coach Dungy always said that was the most misleading stat there was and he never looked at it.   Hell the Colts had the ball for less than one quarter vs the dolphins this year and still won.

Yes TOP is good in that it keeps the other teams offense off the field but it doesn't do a damn thing if you don't score points at the end and it better be touchdowns.  If you are driving 60 yards everytime and keeping the ball but only putting up 3 points, it will come back to bite you in the end.

[D3_DPUFan]

Yes TOP is good in that it keeps the other teams offense off the field but it doesn't do a damn thing if you don't score points at the end and it better be touchdowns.  If you are driving 60 yards everytime and keeping the ball but only putting up 3 points, it will come back to bite you in the end.

Yes...finally some sanity! Thank you!

[D3_DPUFan]

TOP is IMO not a meaningless stat (IWU beat Wheaton largely because, leading 20-17, we took over the ball with 7 minutes left and the Thunder never saw it again), but as has been shown, it is an over-rated stat.  I'll never forget (though the details are obviously hazy ) a game a few years ago when one team (Illinois?) possessed the ball the entire first quarter yet trailed (Michigan?) 21-0 on a KO return for a TD, a punt return for a TD, and a 'pick-6'!

understood...and I agree. i think this all started with my post in response to others who suggested Wabash needs to limit DePauw's offensive plays...two years ago in the Bell game DPU dominated time of possession but almost got beat because they didn't score in two trips to the red zone and missed a chippy field goal...so yes...gotta score at the end of good drives. 

[jam40jeff]

TOP is IMO not a meaningless stat (IWU beat Wheaton largely because, leading 20-17, we took over the ball with 7 minutes left and the Thunder never saw it again), but as has been shown, it is an over-rated stat.  I'll never forget (though the details are obviously hazy ) a game a few years ago when one team (Illinois?) possessed the ball the entire first quarter yet trailed (Michigan?) 21-0 on a KO return for a TD, a punt return for a TD, and a 'pick-6'!

CWRU has had at leats a couple games this year where they were blowing the other team out but had much less TOP because they were scoring so fast.  Against Hiram, it was 42-0 at half and 56-7 after 3Q, but at the end of the 3rd quarter, CWRU had only had the ball for 18:08, where Hiram had had the ball for 26:42.

[usee]

Ypsi,

based strictly on the criteria, yes IWU would be one of 6-7 candidates for 4 #1 seeds. But based strictly on the criteria you wouldn't have UWW as #1 seed while considering Central and Huntingdon instead. Does that make sense?

[usee]

TOP is not a goal for most teams but it is an indicator of part of an overall strategy.

Last year against Franklin Wheaton was facing Chad Rupp and one of the best offenses D3 has seen in some time. Their gameplan involved offensively to run the ball and get 1st downs and score (no turnovers). On defense they hoped to get 4-5 stops at some point in the game. Wheaton ended up winning 45-28. They scored on 7 of their 11 possessions and held Franklin to scores on 5 of their 12 possessions. The TOP favored wheaton 36m to 24m even though Franklin had 29 first downs (to 21) 446 total yds (to 325 yds) and ran 85 plays (to wheaton's 65).

I think controlling the clock is effective as part of an overall game plan if you score points and get a few stops but not as a stand alone strategy.

[bigwheels77]

Can we all agree that this year is the "biggest" bell game in anyone's memory?
I am sure Ings in the Snow will probably go down as a better game, but this thing has some serious potential that makes my spin tingle

[bashbrother]

This is as big as I can remember.   2001 was pretty big with not only one of the biggest plays/greatest finishes in the series, but the fact that Depauw had held the Bell for the prior 5 years.

To get the Bell back in that fashion was pretty big.  Wish I would have been there.   I believe that game was a big reason #3 didn't chose the darkside.

[wally_wabash]

Can we all agree that this year is the "biggest" bell game in anyone's memory?
I am sure Ings in the Snow will probably go down as a better game, but this thing has some serious potential that makes my spin tingle

In my 14 games, this one might be the biggest.

1998 was a big game...Wabash was 9-0, champions of the HCAC (inaugural season!), had just come off a victory over Hanover in one of the top 3-4 games I've seen Wabash play in, and a win in the Bell game probably would have put the LGs in the playoffs (although to be honest, I have no idea how playoff selection really worked in the years before the AQ came into play...but I'm assuming that 10-0 would have been good enough). 

2001 was big because Wabash had pretty clearly started to turn the corner and capping that season by finally getting over on DPU and ending with 7 straight wins was going to be a springboard for 2002. 

2005 was a really big game...Wabash had locked up the playoffs and with MUC having lost a game, Wabash was playing for a #1 seed.  DPU was playing for an at-large bid.  I still believe that 2005 held the best two teams I've seen play in the rivalry in the same game.  That 2005 DPU team was damn good and I think the 2005 LGs were right there with 2002 as the best LG team I've seen.  Those were two really good teams. 

This game looks a lot like the 2005 game, except the roles are reversed a bit (and DPU isn't playing for a #1 seed, but they ARE playing to avoid playing any team that wears purple in the first round).  Now it's Wabash that needs to win to get into the tournament.  Add that with the need to break a two game skid and that the series lead is on the line...this is as big as regular season D-III games get. 

[old wabash]

regional rankings are out (week 3)

[D3_DPUFan]

DePauw's Game Notes are posted for the Bell game.

IMHO, DPU Sports Information Director Bill Wagner puts together the best pre-game notes I've seen...anywhere. 

http://depauw.edu/ath/football/2009/notes/wabash.pdf