FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashDad]

Gracias, BashDad. By the way, your 28 point margin of victory prediction turned out to be correct even if the final score was off a bit.

Quick edit:

I love the use of the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. OWU has a lot to play for still. Not sure why they would use these highlights to wax elegiac.

That's not the only thing I said this week that actually had legs. But whatever. I don't want my karma back. No, really, it's cool. Don't worry about it. I'm fine.

OWU certainly earned a new evaluation from this Wabash fan, though. I think they proved what a lot of the Bishop faithful were hoping they would. They have some legit athletes and a stud defensive interior. I liked the up tempo Offensive play and I think Espo will be a thorn in the Ws side next year (does OWU play both teams in 2013?). I was impressed with his quick decisions and accuracy in the 5-15 yard range, though I also stand by some of my more disparaging opinions of him and that system. They'll need to add some wrinkles if they want to compete for championships.

[wally_wabash]

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - OWU's REAL SEASON - PART 2

Big Play U, but in the pejorative, OWU has given up big plays to nearly every opponent. Denison had a 82 yard pass and 63 yard rush, the Yeoman had passes of 53 and 44 yards, joining Kenyon who also had a 40+ TD throw. They've surrendered an 86 yard kickoff return against the 2nd worst team in the league and allowed the worst to take one back 49 yards.

The combined record of the teams listed above: 9-26,000,000

This.  Prescient. 

[wally_wabash]

I liked the up tempo Offensive play and I think Espo will be a thorn in the Ws side next year (does OWU play both teams in 2013?).

Yessir.  We go to full round robin next year.  OWU is at Wabash on 10/12 and at Witt on 11/2.  On the road for both games...tough draw. 

[BashDad]

I kind of think OWU would beat Witt this year.

[bashbrother]

I kind of think OWU would beat Witt this year.

Interesting thought, I might agree if Witt had to go to Delaware.   What is up with Witt on the road?... seriously, if you look at their results over the past 5 or so years,  even the best Witt teams struggled away from home. 

Back to Yesterdays Game -    If you look at the Box Score the defensive statistics are ridiculous.  Our defensive backfield woke up tired and sore today....   how about Freshman, Justin Woods with 16 tackles (14 solo)......   four players with more than 10 tackles.   6 sacks and 10 TFL.   They had to defend 95 total offensive plays....  (Wabash had 59 plays)....   The OWU receivers blocked very well yesterday, especially on that swing pass.....

Big props to the OWU coaching staff.....  the offensive game plan they had in place was the one they needed to move the ball against us. (short chaos)   In the end,  they just struggled to score.  When the field compresses toward the red zone, that particular offense becomes less effective. 

[BayernFan]

Thanks Wabash Hokie and Wally!!

Let's Wabash win out... And we'll take our chances.

Looks like pool c may be the route.

[jaybird44]

Good to see Belton back in action.  He gave the Wash-U defense fits until his injury occurred.

He is an absolute difference maker...a nice trump card to play repeatedly in the playoffs.

[sigma one]

As I watched the game yesterday, in the first half I kept thinking why doesn't Wabash do something different, mix it up a bit.  In the second half, I kept thinking why doesn't Ohio Wesleyan do something different.  The whole time though I knew that absent one or two tickerations (that didn't come) teams, and particularly successful teams, do what they do.  They have a personality that's almost impossible to change.  I kept looking for an OWU widout to step back and throw a ball down the field.  In the end, Wabash just kept doing what it does, Raeburn's system.  Subtle changes in the second half, a few deep balls, wearing down the defense.  That's this year's team; contrast to a few yers ago with Hudson.  I think, I didn't go back to confirm,  but in might have been when that when Watts was playing at Hanover, but certainly in the same era. The same offense OWU features used this year was Hanover's trademark--with a finely-tuned jailbreak screen mixed in (none of that attempted yesterday).  I went to a late 90s playoff game (1999?) to see Hanover v. Ohio Northern in the first round of the post-season.  Hanover threw on every down in the first half,  save the final snap when they ran into the middle.  Ohio Northern was superior, remember Vegadas (sp) and Robertson, and a huge and hugely talented defensive line, and a QB who lined up in the center of the protection wall for punts.  The Hanover coaches must have believed that to have any chance they had to intensify what they already did, play to their strength.  Ohio Northern was just better.  Similar to yesterday, though OWU defense allowed them to hang in longer.  That Ohio Norther/Hanover was something like 35-0 at the half.
      Another version of "They are who we thought they were."
      Great game:  95 snaps v. 59, up tempo, huge plays by Wabash--all 4 scores came from outside the red zone, a curiosity for Wabash.   When OWU adds more of a threat to run the ball, look out.  Both the Wabash and OWU two-deeps list a lot of youth.
 

[nike]

quote author=Wabash Hokie link=topic=3546.msg1457153#msg1457153 date=1351429323]

I may get lost in the four way tie, though. H2H has to be common vs. everyone so OWU and Kenyon missing games with Wabash and Witt screws that up.

Common opponents would be Allegheny again, which knocks out Wabash. So it's Kenyon, Witt and OWU then.

No H2H thanks to both missing Witt.
Common opponents would be Allegheny.
Kenyon with one away loss. Out.

Witt vs. OWU.
No H2H
Common opponents even, both lost to Wabash.
Both lost to Wabash, at home, no road losses.
Power ranking would go to Witt, right?

In replaying the game over in my mind, would OWU mixing in some runs up the middle have helped at all? As others have said, 75 passes or whatever, 400+ yards and no points does not compute.  Got to think that would have helped a bit.
Wabash freshman db Woods is as good as I've seen this year on defense. This game may get him 1st team NCAC, if he had not gotten it already.
Finally, if OWU, Wabash, Kenyon and Witt all win out, the above quoted scenerio is most likely the way this plays out? Wow.

[wally_wabash]

As I watched the game yesterday, in the first half I kept thinking why doesn't Wabash do something different, mix it up a bit.  In the second half, I kept thinking why doesn't Ohio Wesleyan do something different.  The whole time though I knew that absent one or two tickerations (that didn't come) teams, and particularly successful teams, do what they do.  They have a personality that's almost impossible to change.  I kept looking for an OWU widout to step back and throw a ball down the field.  In the end, Wabash just kept doing what it does, Raeburn's system.  Subtle changes in the second half, a few deep balls, wearing down the defense.  That's this year's team; contrast to a few yers ago with Hudson.  I think, I didn't go back to confirm,  but in might have been when that when Watts was playing at Hanover, but certainly in the same era. The same offense OWU features used this year was Hanover's trademark--with a finely-tuned jailbreak screen mixed in (none of that attempted yesterday).  I went to a late 90s playoff game (1999?) to see Hanover v. Ohio Northern in the first round of the post-season.  Hanover threw on every down in the first half,  save the final snap when they ran into the middle.  Ohio Northern was superior, remember Vegadas (sp) and Robertson, and a huge and hugely talented defensive line, and a QB who lined up in the center of the protection wall for punts.  The Hanover coaches must have believed that to have any chance they had to intensify what they already did, play to their strength.  Ohio Northern was just better.  Similar to yesterday, though OWU defense allowed them to hang in longer.  That Ohio Norther/Hanover was something like 35-0 at the half.
      Another version of "They are who we thought they were."
      Great game:  95 snaps v. 59, up tempo, huge plays by Wabash--all 4 scores came from outside the red zone, a curiosity for Wabash.   When OWU adds more of a threat to run the ball, look out.  Both the Wabash and OWU two-deeps list a lot of youth.

Astute, as usual sigma one.  Watts is a 2002 grad of Hanover, so that would have been his sophomore season if my math is correct.  One thing that those Hanover teams had that really hurt Wabash as much as the quick pass game was that their QBs could run a draw.  I don't know how many times I saw a Hanover QB spread out a Wabash defense and then just run free right up the middle.  They were so hard to defend. 

And that ONU team in 1999 was nasty.  Definitely a tough intro to college ball for a certain freshman QB who would go on to see some better games. 

[wally_wabash]

One stat note to follow up on re: Tyler Holmes.  Now that he has played in 75% of the team's games, he has indeed appeared at the top of the NCAC rushing list via yards per game.  He's also debuting on the national ranking at #16 in rush yards per game. 

[smedindy]

If OWU runs the short passing game like they did then they may not need a conventional running game except for a change-up, just like those Hanover teams.

[smedindy]

Wabash back in the Top 10 (at #10)  of the d3football.com Top 25. Wittenberg just out of the Top 25 at 26th.

[smedindy]

Saw a tweet from the NCAC that it's the 'same tiebreakers as always'. So I think we've worked it out that Witt would be the AQ.

[BASHNSMASH]

Saw a tweet from the NCAC that it's the 'same tiebreakers as always'. So I think we've worked it out that Witt would be the AQ.

Something really wrong with that