FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashDad]

I'm reading a lot of "how is Wabash going to score on NCC's defense" stuff.  It might be tough IF Wabash has to spend all day driving on a long field.  But that's not what this offense has done all year.  If the defense and special teams continue to do their thing...force a turnover here and there, get a big return or force short punts, Wabash will get a handful of possessions on a short field.  Points will come.

This. Yes. This is correct.

[cigarstore_indian]

But I also believe the massive discrepancies in a few statistical categories are not something that will go away just because you believe it to be so. I think Wabash could play mistake free and still lose this game. I also think if NCC goes in and makes some of the mistakes they have made they can lose this game.

Me too! All of this. Me too. Agreed. Yes.

I've been pretty deliberate in what I've chosen to defend with this Bash team. I've never just shrugged and said "Whatever, we're gonna win." The easiest argument to make in this kind of game involves strength of schedule. Every meaningful--and tight!--game that an NCAC team has played against an upper conference team as invited the same analysis. It's boring. The arguments favoring NCC would be way more compelling if they were about actual football match-ups and detailed considerations of why, exactly, Bash is out-manned. You and several others have been doing that. That's the fun part. Strength of schedule and conference boasting? Not fun. Boring.

No-one responded to this idea yesterday, but the point stands: Isn't holding a team like IC (and other "fine to good" teams) to 26 yards rushing a relative indication that we might expect Bash to hold a team like NCC to, say, 175? And isn't that statistic a constant in every tight and losing game the Cardinals have played?

Also, Bash fans: shouldn't we throw Chamblee in Wildcat some this week? Why not win or lose on Offense with your best player touching the ball all the time?

Eh?

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine.  Benedictine gets blown out by North Park regularly.  North Park hasn't won a conference game in nearly 13 years.  North Central plays (virutally) mistake-free football.  And they are a team that is able to overcome any adversity they face.  Their depth is outstanding, and their back-ups are just as good as their first stringers.  I'm not saying that this won't be a great game.  Believe me, it will be.  I am really looking forward to coming to visit you guys!  All I'm saying is that you guys seem to be discrediting everything North Central has done over the last three years. 

The CCIW is easily in the top 3 conferences in the nation (OAC, CCIW, WIAC not in any specific order).  North Central ran the CCIW and beat a very tough Dubuqe team.  You may not want to count your chickens before they hatch.

[cigarstore_indian]

But I also believe the massive discrepancies in a few statistical categories are not something that will go away just because you believe it to be so. I think Wabash could play mistake free and still lose this game. I also think if NCC goes in and makes some of the mistakes they have made they can lose this game.

The arguments favoring NCC would be way more compelling if they were about actual football match-ups and detailed considerations of why, exactly, Bash is out-manned. You and several others have been doing that. That's the fun part. Strength of schedule and conference boasting? Not fun. Boring.

What constitute an "actual football match-up"?  I'm pretty sure Mugsy put together a very nice game capsule, analyzing Wabash's stats for the year compared to NCC's and even put in bold numbers where NCC has the upper hand and where Wabash has the upper hand.  BashDad, your arguments confuse me.  If you'd like me to, I'd be happy to find Mugsy's post and put it back up here for you.

[BashDad]

All I'm saying is that you guys seem to be discrediting everything North Central has done over the last three years. 

You've GOT to be joking. How? Where?

[BashDad]

But I also believe the massive discrepancies in a few statistical categories are not something that will go away just because you believe it to be so. I think Wabash could play mistake free and still lose this game. I also think if NCC goes in and makes some of the mistakes they have made they can lose this game.

The arguments favoring NCC would be way more compelling if they were about actual football match-ups and detailed considerations of why, exactly, Bash is out-manned. You and several others have been doing that. That's the fun part. Strength of schedule and conference boasting? Not fun. Boring.

What constitute an "actual football match-up"?  I'm pretty sure USee put together a very nice analysis of Wabash's stats for the year compared to NCC's and even put in bold numbers where NCC has the upper hand and where Wabash has the upper hand.  BashDad, your arguments confuse me.  If you'd like me to, I'd be happy to find USee's post and put it back up here for you.

[cigarstore_indian]

But I also believe the massive discrepancies in a few statistical categories are not something that will go away just because you believe it to be so. I think Wabash could play mistake free and still lose this game. I also think if NCC goes in and makes some of the mistakes they have made they can lose this game.

The arguments favoring NCC would be way more compelling if they were about actual football match-ups and detailed considerations of why, exactly, Bash is out-manned. You and several others have been doing that. That's the fun part. Strength of schedule and conference boasting? Not fun. Boring.

What constitute an "actual football match-up"?  I'm pretty sure USee put together a very nice analysis of Wabash's stats for the year compared to NCC's and even put in bold numbers where NCC has the upper hand and where Wabash has the upper hand.  BashDad, your arguments confuse me.  If you'd like me to, I'd be happy to find USee's post and put it back up here for you.

Touche!  My bad.  I misread the post!   

[cigarstore_indian]

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine.  Benedictine gets blown out by North Park regularly.  North Park hasn't won a conference game in nearly 13 years.

NPU's conference losing streak is just short of eleven full seasons (82 games), not thirteen. Hey, it's still embarrassing, but let's not make it worse.

Hahaha, sorry Greg!  The years fly by and I lose track.

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine.  Benedictine gets blown out by North Park regularly.  North Park hasn't won a conference game in nearly 13 years.

NPU's conference losing streak is just short of eleven full seasons (82 games), not thirteen. Hey, it's still embarrassing, but let's not make it worse.

Hahaha, sorry Greg!  The years fly by and I lose track.

I mistyped. It's actually almost twelve full seasons.

[Pat Coleman]

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine. 

I don't believe this to be true.

[cigarstore_indian]

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine. 

I don't believe this to be true.

Maybe I'm thinking of the IC from when I played (mid 2000s)?  I won't argue with you, Pat!  You're the guru!

[Pat Coleman]

I'd agree with you there, that those IC teams would lose to Benedictine 2010 or 2011.

IC 2011 beat Millikin. Millikin was better than North Park and North Park was three scores better than Benedictine. I think that's enough evidence that IC would beat Benedictine.

[BashDad]

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine.  Benedictine gets blown out by North Park regularly.  North Park hasn't won a conference game in nearly 13 years.  North Central plays (virutally) mistake-free football.  And they are a team that is able to overcome any adversity they face.  Their depth is outstanding, and their back-ups are just as good as their first stringers.  I'm not saying that this won't be a great game.  Believe me, it will be.  I am really looking forward to coming to visit you guys!  All I'm saying is that you guys seem to be discrediting everything North Central has done over the last three years. 

The CCIW is easily in the top 3 conferences in the nation (OAC, CCIW, WIAC not in any specific order).  North Central ran the CCIW and beat a very tough Dubuqe team.  You may not want to count your chickens before they hatch.

This is exactly the kind of response that makes me want to poke out my eyeballs. Your distinction between Dubuque ("very tough"!) and Illinois College ("Worse than Benedictine!") is entirely suspect and, ugh: responding to a post decrying the hollowness of conference rah-rah with more conference rah-rah is, like, autistic. You win. Your conference is better. We've been through that. Engage, please, with the actual question.

I'll re-post:

Isn't holding a team like IC (and other "fine to good" teams) to 26 yards rushing a relative indication that we might expect Bash to hold a team like NCC to, say, 175? And isn't that statistic a constant in every tight and losing game the Cardinals have played?

[cigarstore_indian]

Illinois College is not a "fine to good" team.  Look at is this way, Illinois College would lose to Benedictine.  Benedictine gets blown out by North Park regularly.  North Park hasn't won a conference game in nearly 13 years.  North Central plays (virutally) mistake-free football.  And they are a team that is able to overcome any adversity they face.  Their depth is outstanding, and their back-ups are just as good as their first stringers.  I'm not saying that this won't be a great game.  Believe me, it will be.  I am really looking forward to coming to visit you guys!  All I'm saying is that you guys seem to be discrediting everything North Central has done over the last three years. 

The CCIW is easily in the top 3 conferences in the nation (OAC, CCIW, WIAC not in any specific order).  North Central ran the CCIW and beat a very tough Dubuqe team.  You may not want to count your chickens before they hatch.

This is exactly the kind of response that makes me want to poke out my eyeballs. Your distinction between Dubuque ("very tough"!) and Illinois College ("Worse than Benedictine!") is entirely suspect and, ugh: responding to a post decrying the hollowness of conference rah-rah with more conference rah-rah is, like, autistic. You win. Your conference is better. We've been through that. Engage, please, with the actual question.

I'll re-post:

Isn't holding a team like IC (and other "fine to good" teams) to 26 yards rushing a relative indication that we might expect Bash to hold a team like NCC to, say, 175? And isn't that statistic a constant in every tight and losing game the Cardinals have played?

Wow, BashDad.  Pretty classy post there.  Calling an argument "autistic".  It's even MORE classy considering I have been a one to one aid for a student that has autism.  So glad to see that your rhetoric and arguments are able to stoop so low as to bring in children/people that have special needs (I hope you can pick up on the sarcasm in that statement). 

However, I will admit that my argument was poorly planned out, and I tried to think of common opponents (since strength of schedule and statistics seem to not be working for you). 

I sincerely hope the rest of the Wabash Nation is not nearly as snide as you (and there seems to be no indication of that, considering everyone I've encountered from there is outstanding), nor so quick to bring down the level of a conversation.

[BayernFan]

If you are going to the game, bring a tissue box, because you will be crying into your steering wheel all the way back to Naperville, bud.

[robertgoulet]

I don't like talking about the strengths of NCC any more than you like talking about Depauw.

It's easy for us to not discuss DePauw's strengths because right now they have none.  Bam!

Ha! +K!