FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[aueagle]

Spoke with my Witt buddy in California and he said
the "Old Tigers" want to go deep, real deep in the playoffs....
They have been tasting this for years...to get back to the
very top. Good Luck Tigers

[DPU3619]

Was speaking with wally on twitter and he made an excellent point.  If you're going to reward DePauw for SOS and penalize Witt & ONU for SOS, then Wabash probably has to get in on its SOS numbers.  I think that's a rather unfortunate illustration of using the criteria for one purpose and then ignoring it for another.

[maripp2002]

My opinion is SOS should be a factor, after you look at the games on the field. If a 10-0 team is on the road it better be against another 10-0 team with a better SOS. At least three instances where an undefeated team is traveling to a 1-loss team is just not right (Wartburg, Witt, Trine, all should have something to say when this is all said and done) . Win all your games, then talk SOS. This is like D1 all over again, Boise, Utah, etc. get left out because they aren't in the "power conferences". The guys on the field don't get to pick who they play, but they do get to decide whether they win or lose.  

[smedindy]

Thing is though the NCAC has had some recent success in the playoffs.

I can't complain much about Wabash being left out - they were on the bubble and really they were lucky that Wash U. wasn't an in-region loss.

I totally believe that DPU should be in the 5 slot and Witt should be hosting Trine. The DPU Tigers got a break. Perhaps the committee discounted the Bell game as a rivalry game? Or someone at Wittenberg ate an entire wheel of cheese in the NCAA office?

With NCAA playoff roster limits, Mt. Union could approach the number Wisconsin put on IU. By the end of the third...

[Mr. Ypsi]

Slight disagreement - I would have dropped DPU to 6th, with them at Witt (or ONU) and Trine at whoever is left.  (I'm undecided on 3 and 4.)  But agree that DPU third is absurd.  The differential vis-a-vis Wabash (just ONE week later) was SIXTY FOUR points, yet 9-1 DPU is 3rd while 10-0 Witt is 5th - IMO, the single most stunning aspect of the bracket.

UMU may be approaching Wisconsin numbers by the half!  I was kidding HScoach about the spread he would have to give to get anyone to select SLU: 80.5? 127.5? infinity?

[bashbrother]

For those who did not see the Bell Game here is a nice highlight reel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBxzfaIRJqs

HDNet did a tremendous job with this year's broadcast. Hope the relationship continues next year. 

What a way to end the season!

Side note:  Watching Lemond and Chamblee on the sidelines during the game was classic, Some Little Giants!. Would be great if we could see one or both of them back next year, I hope they are recovering from their surgeries well.

[pennstghs]

Somewhat unfortunate that Witt got the 5 seed in this bracket as even though sloppy at times they found a way to win and go 10-0. They should at least be ranked 3 I would think, but oh well.

VERY TOUGH BRACKET!!! Don't know enough about North Central but if Whitewater is the 2 seed, wow!

Tough matchup in round one vs Ohio Northern but a close matchup you would think would draw a big Witt crowd. We will see, Witt's volleyball team knocked ONU out in round 1 so hopefully the Witt and NCAC karma carries over to football!

[oldtiger]

Or someone at Wittenberg ate an entire wheel of cheese in the NCAA office?

Head cheese, pickled eggs and a nice 10 yo Goebel. Souse may have gotten Witt shipped South.

[WittFan]

Finally. A chance to exorcize the demons from 1999.

Robertson... Franzer... Vegades...

I still have nightmares about that game.

[Geezer Citizen]

I can understand the 'Bash not going to the playoffs, but rewarding DPU with a 3 seed defies all logic. The committee must have their heads wedged so far that it is midnight.

[Pat Coleman]

Was speaking with wally on twitter and he made an excellent point.  If you're going to reward DePauw for SOS and penalize Witt & ONU for SOS, then Wabash probably has to get in on its SOS numbers.  I think that's a rather unfortunate illustration of using the criteria for one purpose and then ignoring it for another.

I asked this very question of the NCAA in the NCAA-ESPN conference call this morning and got double-speak back.

[Duster72]

I am not a D3 football expert, and I really don't think Wabash earned a spot, but this is the worst bracket I can remember in the years I have been paying attention.

Witt got completely hosed here.  Congrats on the conference championship, guys.  You deserved a top 3 seed, absolutely no worse.  I figured DPU was traveling to Witt.

[nike]

What a weekend.  Saw Witt here at Papp, then Glenville-St. Ed's and today the Wabash debacle.  It was actually on here in northern Ohio yesterday on some cable station, so I taped it.  Interrupted watching it today only when the Browns went into overtime.
Wooster-Witt game was best game by far in several years.  I feel good about us going forward.  They were ready to play from the very beginning.  Barnes did take a pounding and did notice that all the interceptions were over the middle, I think, almost all the same, him getting flushed out of the pocket.  But they played a great game and hopefully prepared Witt for a long run in the playoffs.  Witt played tough and did not beat themselves and looked like they looked against Wabash.  Wooster just had a great effort all the way around.  Also had the highest attendance of any home game this year, which it should have had.

With all the cynicism  in college and pro sports,  Auburn, Reggie Bush, the "Decision", etc.,  seeing Belton and Burke on the sidelines, horsing around with each other after one of them had just thrown another touchdown pass brought back a flood of memories and just pure joy about what athletics is really all about.  It was a priceless piece of video.  One of the annoucers even said, "....and you know what, they are best friends, too...".
Called an old teammate and friend tonight in Texas and we talked over an hour about Colt McCoy, who he watched all through college and kept saying how good he'd be when he got his chance.
Hope Witt can make a run at the whole thing.

[bashbrother]

I am even less of an expert on all of the criteria that go into the selections.   But Pat, I do appreciate your acknowledgment of the significance of the Wabash win yesterday and inclusion of Wabash in your final projection.

It made for a exciting morning.

Even though the playoffs would have been great, maybe this season ended for this Little Giant team the way it was supposed to.

[Backer25]

Witt,


Go out and win.  Let the rest of us do the yapping, you just get work done and represent.





3 seed.....really?