FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wabco]

Or perhaps an out pass to Brady Young or to Jonathan Horn crossing ... all the while the Woo-ers are running around the "cones" to get to the "green" QB

... then there are the RBs who are available outlets or over the middle when not utilizing the "cones" for blocking assistance.

I like our "cones".  Think they will do just fine.  They have been waiting for their time ... now it is their time. And haven't even mentioned last year's frosh ... who have tons of talent and just waiting to break in a little early for their turn.  Or perhaps ... some incoming impact Frash stud.  I will take Wabash this year just fine thank you. 

Woo will be a fine game and there will be first game mistakes ... but Wabash ... at home ... new turf ... new board ... new optomistic oportunisatic "cones" and last year's starters in waiting ... will have a "W" at thje end of the day.  Did I forget the tailgate?

[FightinScot]

Also:

Not to be overly snarky, but why do you get to play the QB card while I'm an idiot for doing the same? You guys have exactly the same number of returning linemen that we do.

Wooster's O-Line will be alright- there was a lot of depth there last year, and the talent is there for this group to be very good... sure they'll be green, but they will be well-coached and prepped for this game. The key to the game (offensively, for Woo) will be if Wooster can find a QB that fits into the offensive scheme they've got, and how well he makes the reads.

Say what you want about a quarterback's mechanics, athleticism, experience.... whatever - the biggest unknown has nothing to do with the QB, its how much time he's got to use his talent.

I've got a little history with the guys up front for Woo... I'm confident with them, particularly because of the way Joe Collins (LT next year) and Kevin Orris (RT) handled Witt's DEs last year when Spillman went down. Witt shifted Vallery over those kids (who were getting their first real time) and blitzed the heck out of them and they didn't allow a sack and little pressure.

I'm not trying to say that Wooster is poised to have a dominant QB man- the offense for Woo was far from spectacular, even with Holter at the helm and tons of experience around him. IMO the gameplan needs a change and a QB is going to have to appear from nowhere for Wooster to be anything close to a great offense in the next few years. What I am saying is that the question mark of a green offensive line shouldn't be as big as many think, which is based off of my personal knowledge of the guys coming back, and the fact that the offensive line coach is one of the best I've ever seen. I haven't heard anything but "they're young, but they'll be great!" about the upcoming Wabash line. 

That being said, Wabash is a great program, well coached and full of hard-working, classy players. I would be surprised to see anything but competent (and pretty freaking big) offensive lineman next year. I just wouldn't mind some specifics about the group and more focus on the trenches than on those pretty boys under center. Here's hoping they look like cones against Woo though 

[BashDad]

...and the fact that the offensive line coach is one of the best I've ever seen.

Oh, brother...

[FightinScot]

...and the fact that the offensive line coach is one of the best I've ever seen.

Oh, brother...

Care to elaborate?

[BashDad]

Do I have to? I mean, you just graduated right? How many O-line coaches have you "ever seen?" Thought it was a funny defense, that's all. In other related news, the Cavs will be fine because Byron Scott, like, really works hard.

[wabco]

FightinScot

Woo is a great school with a very fine and steady football team.  Your players are well schooled and play with character.  Woo has always had (at least in my memory) very good, committed and principled coaches.  Woo fans are very welcome at Wabash and I hope you can come.  If you do, stop back of the home stands where the tailgate is.  You and your Woo supporters will be welcome.

I do hope (and believe Wabash will prevail) ... then I hope that Woo will then win all the rest of their games.  It will be interesting to see the new players starting on both sides GET GOING.

[smedindy]

Short was right, Gheny is the sleeper this year.

Living up here in Minnesota, it's much more interesting when other teams besides St. John's are competitive in the MIAC (and they are now), and while that makes for fewer gaudy records, it still means the teams will be better even if they are 8-2 or 7-3.

[short]

Here is how I see the NCAC breaking down in 2010
I see the NCAC in 2010 as a very DOWN year overall.  WITT and Wabash will be #1 and #1a followed by Allegheny clearly in the 3 spot.  Then Wooster in the 4 hole, followed by Denison/OWU, then Kenyon, Oberlin, and Hiram

1) Witt- fewer Question marks than Wabash.  Good front 7 on defense but questions about the secondary.  Good WR and RB but Questions about the new QB.

1a) Wabash- New offensive line but THE BEST OLINE coach in the NCAC gets them ready to play. New QB but STUD WR to though at.  New secondary but a Stud Middle LB.  We will see how ER's recruits do when called on this season.

3) Allegheny- 18 returning starts and a VERY talented QB.  Good Oline and very solid defense returning

4) Wooster- ? I am putting them here by default.  However, I think OWU has a more talented team returning BUT COW more proven and always well coached.

5/6) Denison, OWU 

7/8) Kenyon, Oberlin 

9) Wabash's Girls team

10) Hiram

[wally_wabash]

I don't want to sell the Gators short here as I know they have a lot of players coming back and a senior quarterback which is a big plus....but last year they lost their games to Wabash and Wittenberg as such:

vs. Wabash, at home, on Homecoming I believe....37-3

@ Witt, 52-10

Allegheny brings back a bunch, Wabash and Witt are replacing more than the Gators.....but where do the Gators make up 35-40 points on those teams?  This isn't meant to be facetious either...serious query here.  Where does Allegheny make all of that up between 2009 and 2010?  

[Pat Coleman]

Allegheny looked like it had just plain nothing on offense last year. There's a lot of improvement that needs to be made to get into the top echelon of the league.

[short]

I put Witt and Wabash head of Allegheny, but I think Allegheny is CLEARLY the next best team!  I really like their QB and I think he is and will be the BEST in the NCAC in 2010.  Wally please pick one QB and I will gladly pick T.J. Salopek as the ALL NCAC QB in 2010.  He is scarpy, athletic, and has a very good arm.

As for how "the Gators make up 35-40 points on those teams" I don't know if they do.  However, they beat Witt in 2008 and witt made up 45 points on them in 2009 so it is possible to improve from one year to the next!

I think Wooster is going to a little down and OWU is well... OWU.  I like the Denison program as a program on the way up.  Oberlin and Kenyon are ok and then there is Hiram and I'm not sure who they can beat.

[wally_wabash]

I put Witt and Wabash head of Allegheny, but I think Allegheny is CLEARLY the next best team!  I really like their QB and I think he is and will be the BEST in the NCAC in 2010.  Wally please pick one QB and I will gladly pick T.J. Salopek as the ALL NCAC QB in 2010.  He is scarpy, athletic, and has a very good arm.

Analysis time!  First team All-NCAC QBs since 2001 (Wabash's first year in the league):
2001 - Jake Knott, Wabash
2002 - Jake Knott, Wabash
2003 - Bubba Smith, Allegheny
2004 - Justin Rummell, Earlham
2005 - Russ Harbaugh, Wabash
2006 - Dustin Huff, Wabash
2007 - Matt Hudson, Wabash
2008 - Matt Hudson, Wabash
2009 - Matt Hudson, Wabash

Picking up a pattern?  If you want, we can talk about why a Wabash quarterback didn't get first team numbers in 2003 and 2004 (there are reasons), but I'll go ahead and let the above table stand for itself.  Anyway, if I were one who publicly condones this sort of thing and I had to bet on which school's quarterback is most likely going to be 1st team all league...well, it's a pretty easy bet to place. 

As for how "the Gators make up 35-40 points on those teams" I don't know if they do.  However, they beat Witt in 2008 and witt made up 45 points on them in 2009 so it is possible to improve from one year to the next!

I think Wooster is going to a little down and OWU is well... OWU.  I like the Denison program as a program on the way up.  Oberlin and Kenyon are ok and then there is Hiram and I'm not sure who they can beat.

Wasn't Witt's 2008 team in a medical ward most of the season?  I think Wittenberg proved pretty emphatically last year that 2008 was a throwaway year for the Tigers.  A lot of people teed off on the Tigers in 2008....that only ticked 'em off and so last year they went into eff you mode and decided that they weren't going to let anybody score points.  Not the best move, league.   

Agree though that Allegheny is clearly the third best team probably with a pretty big gap down to Wooster, then another sizeable gap down to the rest. 

[BashDad]

If you want, we can talk about why a Wabash quarterback didn't get first team numbers in 2003 and 2004 (there are reasons)...

Uh oh. Should I wait outside?

[wabashcpa]

Back to reading posts after some time off - always entertaining and good to see the posters are already in mid-season form.  It is strange to drive by the football field and see dirt where grass should be, and then look across the street at Mud Hollow and see grass in the infield where dirt should be! 

All I know right now is I'm looking forward to watching CJ Gum destroy some people this year, and that whoever steps up to replace Matt Hudson and Adrian Frederick will have some big shoes to fill.

[wally_wabash]

If you want, we can talk about why a Wabash quarterback didn't get first team numbers in 2003 and 2004 (there are reasons)...

Uh oh. Should I wait outside?

Nah, you're good....wasn't anything you did.  In my view from the cheap seats, Wabash didn't make a first team QB in those two years because:

1) the 2003 offense strongly featured Morris and Lafitte.  And for good reason.  Those two were really really good players. 

2) the 2004 offense was a mess...Lafitte was probably supposed to be the focal point, but he was hurt most of the year which threw everything off.  Not to mention the triple flip-flop on qb's CC pulled that season.  And CC decided to just not throw the ball at all in the Allegheny and DPU games that year.  If you're using two qb's on a 6-4 team and don't let them throw in 20% of your games, neither will be first team.  I think this is a law actually. 

I wouldn't worry about it...I'd say you made out pretty well in '05.