FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[LGHistorian]

BB16, LGHistorian and others -

Did Wabash have a bye week when they had a 9 game schedule? I think I remember one bye week in the 1984-86 era with a 9-game.

At any rate, I do think not playing on opening week started even in the old ICC days, perhaps? Maybe?

Can our loyal SID provide us with info on game DATES at some point. You know, when nothing else is going on. Hah.

Smeds:
     It will take me a while to search through my archives for the dates...but what I have found so far is that Wabash played 9-game schedules in 1978-81, 1983, 1986, 1988-94.  I know for a fact that there was one year where Wabash and DePauw did not adjust their schedules to week 11, if in fact, there was such a thing as week 11 back then.  I will have to find out what year it was (my idea is it was 1980) but I know Wabash's regular season ended 2 weeks before the playoffs started.  There was still a chance that Wabash could get a bid and the Little Giants practiced for part of the week, just in case.  I believe the possibility was that Wittenberg and Baldwin-Wallace were playing in a OAC championship game and if BW won, Wabash would be in and Wittenberg would be out of the playoffs.  I was headed over to the campus for moral support on Friday but Coach Parrish had cancelled practice for that day.  There was a sign on the door of the stairway to the locker room stating practice had been cancelled and GO BW! or some such message was posted on the sign.  More info when I have time to dig deeper.

[wally_wabash]

I like it.  The schedules are pretty balanced...meaning that nobody really gets hammered with a bunch of tough games in a row.  Witt's 2012 schedule is a little front loaded, but oh well.  They can take it for a year. 

So who can Wabash play in 2012?  Quick...to the open dates page!  Oof...not a lot of really attractive options.  So what's regional in week 2...Bluffton, Greensboro, Olivet...and that's it.  Those are not attractive options.  What's not regional...Whitewater...not really a smart game to take.  UW-Stout...maybe.  St. Scholastica...interesting for nostalgic reasons.  Not really any games here that are getting me excited.  What's this...Wheaton advertising an open date in week 1 in 2012?  Why the hell not?  These two teams have been playing each other during week 1 for years now...why not take the red jerseys off the QBs and make it count?  That's the one I want right there. 

[Pat Coleman]

There are probably other teams looking but most of that activity picks up later.

[DPU3619]

So who can Wabash play in 2012?  Quick...to the open dates page!  Oof...not a lot of really attractive options.  So what's regional in week 2...Bluffton, Greensboro, Olivet...and that's it.  Those are not attractive options.  What's not regional...Whitewater...not really a smart game to take.  UW-Stout...maybe.  St. Scholastica...interesting for nostalgic reasons.  Not really any games here that are getting me excited.  What's this...Wheaton advertising an open date in week 1 in 2012?  Why the hell not?  These two teams have been playing each other during week 1 for years now...why not take the red jerseys off the QBs and make it count?  That's the one I want right there.

The thing with playing Wheaton is you better win.  I never liked those challenges in Week 1, personally. It doesn't make much sense in this particular system.  If Wabash's objective to go the playoffs and make a deep run, wouldn't you want to be 10-0 and do so very dominantly?  You'd want to give yourself the best possible draw, right?  The NCAC overall doesn't usually have a great OWP, but most years the record against region ranked opponents would be good assuming that 1 or 2 other teams in this conference are ranked.  Not that far fetched that Wabash, Witt, and then one of DePauw, Woo, or Gheny would be ranked in the north, is it?

I see the point of getting a good barometer of what you have in Week 1.  However, if you have a team that needs to grow, opening with a big fish isn't the best idea.  You completely eliminate the margin of error if you schedule aggressively and lose.

[wally_wabash]

You're right, Wes.  If you lose that game, you lost your safety net for the year.  But I think Wheaton is a game that can be won.  It's hard, yes, but doable.  Taking on games with UWW or UMU is silly...you don't win anything but a headline on the chance that you catch lightning in a bottle and beat them in September. 

I think we have the same philosophy about this, we're just drawing the line on how high up you should go in different places. 

[smedindy]

I'd rather play someone tough than to play a creampuff or cupcake, though. Give me a game against North Central any day over one with Kalamazoo.

[wally_wabash]

I'd rather play someone tough than to play a creampuff or cupcake, though. Give me a game against North Central any day over one with Kalamazoo.

North Central, as currently constructed, might be over that line that I mentioned.  They're really damn good...might be best to wait until the tournament for that group.  And careful what you wish for...Kalamazoo was outplaying (pretty thoroughly) Wabash in '02 before a t-storm halted play and Wabash got their act together.  And then they did beat Wabash in '03. 

[wabco]

during the 02, 03 period, Wabash had a real tendancy to cough up blood for the first game.  mistakes it did not repeat the second game.  in 03 it was at K ... Wabash kind of swaggered in, goofed around till it discovered "oh my gosh, we are behjind in 4th Q ... and almost won when it finally focused.  I recall K had a very large (huge) FB/RB and just kept running him.  rest of the year we would have beat bumps on K but not that year in the first game.

ER I know works hard to avoid this first game "stuff".  Hope Wabash does for Wooster.  This also argues for an easier opponent first game.

[wally_wabash]

It was also a good period for Kalamazoo football.  During those '02-'03 seasons, they had their all time leading passer and rusher and their top two WRs.  The WRs have since been eclipsed in the K'zoo record books (not by much), but the QB and RB are still all-timers for the Hornets. 

Best part of that '03 K'zoo game...laughing at the tuned up WMU undergrads partying behind our tailgate lot that were talking trash about how bad they were going to beat Wabash.  I'm sure they were sorely disappointed when they showed up and learned that the Broncos were playing Virginia instead. 

[wally_wabash]

One last reminder...NCAC Pick 'Em kicks off tonight at 7:00 p.m.!  If you want to participate this week, you've still got some time to get your picks entered on the NCAC Pick 'Em board.

[BashDad]

Wooster looks pretty great on opening two drives. Option is going to be killer. Barnes just fumbled on the goal line, though, and BW gets a break.

[BashDad]

UGH. Wooster's corner just got left several hundred yards in the dust for the first score. It was 2nd and 35, btw.

[bashbrother]

I think I could have beat that corner and I am 260 lbs

BW 7
Wooster 0

1st

BW just fumbled at the 1 yard line.... come on Wooster

[BashDad]

Barnes is a freak. Wooster is going to be dangerous on O this year. Between he and Flagg, that's a lot of speed.

[BashDad]

And right on cue, Barnes fumbles for a touchdown.........