FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashDad]

Running back, running back, running back. It's been years of hoping/waiting/wanting an explosive big-play back and I've got to think we're going to land one sooner or later. I liked Stevens' power, for what it's worth, but he ain't gonna break for 80 yards, ever.

I think it's been fairly obvious how I feel about Belton. I really think in three years we'll be arguing him as a top 3-4 QB all time at Wabash. And for sure, walking into a situation with that group of receivers is going to help in his transition to full-time qb. The real question mark is how he's protected and how we reload on D.

[cave2bens]

It is cold and I took a quick look at Wabash returners.  I submot the following for discussion as to likely starters/those making an impact on playing time /suprises.  What do you think?
RB:  Yoder, Mambourg, Stevens, Walters, Hunt
QB:  Belton, Miracle
WR:  Chamblee, LeMond, Horn, Young
TE:  Kelley
OL:  Ruddy, Leatherman, Linthicium, Lembke, Kitley, Tichenor
C: Durm, Grand, Daniel
K:  Whitehead

CB: Wood, Powell
LB:  Pannell, Gum, Armbruster
DE: Coggins, Austin, McClintic
DL:  Zinsmaster, Hackett, Clegg, Brock, Ramsey
DB:  Smith
S:    Najar, Koop

There is a crop of this year's Frosh who just might (need to) step into the positions being vacated by this year's seniors.

While don't know who is/is not returning among underclassmen (with exception for the sad circumstance of Josh Linthicum), I see some names missing that did make contributions over the past year.

Jake Martin and Sam Smith at safeties
Buell, Bottos, and Direnfeld at CBs, particularly when Schwiegel, Wood, and Frederick out
Derek Rowe @ RB - showed some speed a couple of times
John Holm at TE
Groniger at WR, though his few plays were returning kicks

Believe I recall Austin Hodges (listed RB) getting some time as a DB as well.

[wally_wabash]

Running back, running back, running back. It's been years of hoping/waiting/wanting an explosive big-play back and I've got to think we're going to land one sooner or later.

I really think in three years we'll be arguing him as a top 3-4 QB all time at Wabash.

Hammer.  Nail.  Bang. 

[Pat Coleman]

Here's two reasons why OWU will win and be successful.

1. They still run the Wing T

2. The Head Coach is named Hollway






Toledo S*cks

12 wins in four years since this post. What flavor is that kool-aid, exactly?

[smedindy]

Here's two reasons why OWU will win and be successful.

1. They still run the Wing T

2. The Head Coach is named Hollway






Toledo S*cks

12 wins in four years since this post. What flavor is that kool-aid, exactly?

Sour grape! 

[BashDad]

I dunno. Has he ever been great?

This is from his bio:

"Last year's squad finished with a 2-8 record. In 2005, the Bishops went 7-3, with 2 of those losses coming to teams which went 10-0 in the regular season and advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs."

Wait, what happened to that whole class of teams between the first and second sentence? Last year we sucked, but 5 seasons ago we were average?

[smedindy]

He was pretty good in taking Marietta from wretched to meh (no small feat - his first Marietta team scored 37 points in the entire SEASON and his last year they went 6-4) and had a good run from 1989-1992 at OWU. Aside from three seasons, he's basically been 6-4, 5-5, 4-6 most years. But the last


He may still be a good coach in many aspects of the game, but something is wrong. Either he's not landing the players, the game plans aren't solid, or the systems on offense and defense just aren't working like they used to.

A 12-28 stretch would give me pause about retaining any coach.

[evacuee]

I haven't read this board in months but clearly showed up at the right time, having played for Hollway and then later for his polar opposite in so many ways who is still on the job at Trinity.

There is so much I could say about the guy's shortcomings that I believe are directly responsible for their lack of success.  I think the most significant one being that he expects his players to be robots- completely unflappable.  If they screw up somehow, he goes with the next guy instead of trying to pick them up.  When I got there he had nine seniors on a team of 96 players.  Clearly he hasn't learned that college kids do not respond to that type of management, particularly when he has so little to show for it. 

Selby Field is a detriment to the program.  It is absolutely beautiful and all I could think of when I was there is what the place would look like if it were full, but in order to fill that place ever, much less five days a year, a school would have to have an enormous alumni base that really care about the football program, like St. John's(MN) and unlike most d3 programs, and would have to have a flagship school that is both far away and not successful in football.  Ohio State being such a short distance away and such a storied program draws people away from the Bishop games in droves.  As a result, 3500 fans often look like 800 and when you see more seats than people, that's never good for anyone. 

[evacuee]

I forgot to mention that the school is truly a gem and those that attend likely do not realize what a great privilege it is to be there.  Aesthetically, it is far superior to Wittenberg, which I believe is nearly OWU's twin in many ways.  They do a great job of keeping up with the times in terms of facilities and technology and I thought my professors were great.  Anyone in that position should be able to attract the same level of players that Wittenberg does because they are both great, great schools with significantly different football histories.

[smedindy]

I don't think alumni size has much to do with St. John's attendance. It's just a rite of passage and the facility is top notch.

It's about tradition, and building a tradition of winning AND of attendance.

[aueagle]

TU2698 sheds light on the youth movement in Delaware....
Of the 65 players (since TU's days, Bishops have lost 31 players) on the '09 team - 10 Sr's & 12 Jr's....
Top 4 rushers  - ALL freshman....Top 2 receivers  - ALL freshman...Top QB's were Frosh, Soph, Frosh...
There has been a tendency to look at the younger guys....At QB the last few years, the Bishops have
gone with a 1st or 2nd year player. TU's insight is nothing that hasn't been heard before, but is welcomed.
Wesleyan is not a strong football school...so getting students, administration, fans  & alumni excited is very, very hard. I've said this before; as long as the total athletic program is decent at OWU, nobody is really going to focus on the football problem. Win 4 or 5 and watch the lax or soccer program kick ass.
In 2 years, the coach will have 25 seasons at the school...the legacy will be etched...but, the winning percentage continues to fall.....The 2010 media guide will spin the "Youth Movement" and don't forget...
Let's not talk about the 2009 season...let's focus on that banner year in 2005...
TU: I laid-out the plan to get fannies in Selby...It can be done and I still think OWU can be a great
football program...It will just have to wait until 2012. GO BISHOPS

[NCAC4Life]

It's about tradition, and building a tradition of winning AND of attendance.

Wittenberg is number one in all-time wins in Division III , Wabash is number six and Ohio Wesleyan is 13th and Denison is 23rd. . Interesting!  Four teams in the top four all-time wins in Division III. In most wins in the 2000's Wabash is 12th and Wittenberg is 19th. Wittenberg was 8th in total wins in the the 1990's. Allegheny was 4th.  It seems all the programs have slid some nationally over the past twenty years.

[smedindy]

It's about tradition, and building a tradition of winning AND of attendance.

Wittenberg is number one in all-time wins in Division III , Wabash is number six and Ohio Wesleyan is 13th and Denison is 23rd. . Interesting!  Four teams in the top four all-time wins in Division III. In most wins in the 2000's Wabash is 12th and Wittenberg is 19th. Wittenberg was 8th in total wins in the the 1990's. Allegheny was 4th.  It seems all the programs have slid some nationally over the past twenty years.

Well, except Wabash. They weren't regarded as a national power until the aughts. Witt has always been solid and a threat, but there are some better teams in the neighborhood now! Gheny's receded a bit, but they have made the playoffs recently.

This leaves OWU...again...

Historically, they've been good, not great. Their winning percentage is the second lowest among the 25 D-3 programs with the most wins. (Denison is the lowest).

[Raider 68]

It's about tradition, and building a tradition of winning AND of attendance.

Wittenberg is number one in all-time wins in Division III , Wabash is number six and Ohio Wesleyan is 13th and Denison is 23rd. . Interesting!  Four teams in the top four all-time wins in Division III. In most wins in the 2000's Wabash is 12th and Wittenberg is 19th. Wittenberg was 8th in total wins in the the 1990's. Allegheny was 4th.  It seems all the programs have slid some nationally over the past twenty years.

Well, except Wabash. They weren't regarded as a national power until the aughts. Witt has always been solid and a threat, but there are some better teams in the neighborhood now! Gheny's receded a bit, but they have made the playoffs recently.

This leaves OWU...again...

Historically, they've been good, not great. Their winning percentage is the second lowest among the 25 D-3 programs with the most wins. (Denison is the lowest).

With all those Wiitenberg wins, I wonder why they have not tried to schedule Mount Union in the past 20 years? 

[wally_wabash]

It's about tradition, and building a tradition of winning AND of attendance.

Wittenberg is number one in all-time wins in Division III , Wabash is number six and Ohio Wesleyan is 13th and Denison is 23rd. . Interesting!  Four teams in the top four all-time wins in Division III. In most wins in the 2000's Wabash is 12th and Wittenberg is 19th. Wittenberg was 8th in total wins in the the 1990's. Allegheny was 4th.  It seems all the programs have slid some nationally over the past twenty years.

Well, except Wabash. They weren't regarded as a national power until the aughts. Witt has always been solid and a threat, but there are some better teams in the neighborhood now! Gheny's receded a bit, but they have made the playoffs recently.

This leaves OWU...again...

Historically, they've been good, not great. Their winning percentage is the second lowest among the 25 D-3 programs with the most wins. (Denison is the lowest).

With all those Wiitenberg wins, I wonder why they have not tried to schedule Mount Union in the past 20 years? 

1) Why would Witt want to schedule Mount Union?

2) While I try to miss an opportunity to pile on Witt, I won't crack on them for scheduling easy (last year's schedule was brutal, but they don't really get a choice in non-con games any longer).  They played a series with Capital when Capital was at their best ever, they've played a series with Dayton, they've played a series with Alma when Alma was tops in the MIAA.  Witt has scheduled plenty tough over the last decade.