FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[sigma one]

Fewer tickets were printed this year for the Bell Game.  Fewer stands are being installed. Don't know how many.  It's usual for bleacher install to begin about two weeks before the game in case weather slows  the process. 

[wabndy]

It won't matter next year, though, with the round robin. You'll have a result against everyone.

I'm not looking forward to the big hit the conference's SOS will take when we go to a full round robin.  The UAA did at least give us some guaranteed competitive games that gave most NCAC teams a SOS boost (not so much Wabash as only Case and Chicago were in-region games).  With only one discretionary game to play, schools that have high seed or Pool C aspirations will need to schedule a quality in-region opponent. Thats one reason I just don't see it in Wabash's best interest to schedule a Stag Bowl matchup with Hampden Sydney.

If someone has way too much time on their hand - I'd love to see what a mock D1 playoff field applying D3 playoff rules would look like.

[formerd3db]

Short walk from the Fiji house, send "Junior" over for some surveillance photos... 

Random:  Did you guys see Lattimore's injury (South Carolina running back) from Saturday!!  OMG - it's on Youtube

awful.  to be honest, I couldn't watch it a 2nd time.

SaintsFAN and colleagues:

Believe it or not, I couldn't watch it even the first time. I cringe just thinking about it.  I obviously missed the "live" play of it, yet, I just couldn't bring myself to watch any of the replays anywhere they have been shown, including the still photos.  Those are very, very nasty injuries and despite what Spurrier is saying, I will share with you that it will be very difficult for him to get back playing.  I seriously doubt that (although that doesn't mean I hope he wouldn't be successful if he could, because if he is able to get back, I certainly would wish him the best). However, realistically, his getting back is unlikely and, at the very least, IMO, would be very unwise.

Some of you might recall just a few years ago (perhaps only 10 or less, I don't remember the exaxt year) where that U of Calif-Davis RB (when they were DII- it might have been their last year at that level before going DIAA, now FCS) had the same injury and he ended up having to have an amputation.  Those are indeed, that kind of serious injuries.  While they are not overly common, obviously they do occur each year.  Nonetheless, I wish him all the best in his recovery as everyone does.

[ExTartanPlayer]

If someone has way too much time on their hand - I'd love to see what a mock D1 playoff field applying D3 playoff rules would look like.

Depends how many teams you let in, how you divvy up the bids, and how you set up the SOS and "regional games" and all that jazz.  I've always thought the following options seemed reasonable for 8-team and 16-team playoffs, respectively, although the conference realignment now leaves the 8-team format a little outdated because some of the "power" conferences aren't so powerful any more:

6 "Pool A" bids (SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, Big East champions)
1 "Pool B" bid (highest ranked champion from non-AQ conference)
1 "Pool C" bid (highest ranked team not in field

This would draw SCREAMS from some people because there might be a 9-3 Big East champ in while 11-1 or 10-2 team from a better conference would get in.  But it would probably give you the best team as "national champion" most of the time, and IMO, that's kinda the point.  For a 16-team field, I'd go simple:

11 AQ bids (every conference champ)
5 at-large bids (five highest-ranked teams not in field)

[ExTartanPlayer]

Believe it or not, I couldn't watch it even the first time. I cringe just thinking about it.  I obviously missed the "live" play of it, yet, I just couldn't bring myself to watch any of the replays anywhere they have been shown, including the still photos.  Those are very, very nasty injuries and despite what Spurrier is saying, I will share with you that it will be very difficult for him to get back playing.  I seriously doubt that (although that doesn't mean I hope he wouldn't be successful if he could, because if he is able to get back, I certainly would wish him the best).

I felt the same.  I saw it partially at full speed and actually tried to avoid the replays because I really didn't want to know.  By accident, I saw a still photo later and cringed badly.  As someone who once suffered a not-quite-that-horrific-but-still-pretty-nasty injury (broken femur and torn MCL in a high school wrestling match), I get very squeamish about knees bending the wrong way and getting turned inside out.

I feel awful for anyone that experiences that type of injury, and especially awful that it happened to a kid like Lattimore.  Isn't it amazing to hear the outpouring of support for the guy from around the nation?  Even teams that have never played him are offering opinions on it.  What a respected kid.  I'd bet that if he can't make it back as a player, someone would hire him as a grad-assistant coach and give him the RB's if Lattimore is so inclined (which may be very tough psychologically).

[smedindy]

It won't matter next year, though, with the round robin. You'll have a result against everyone.

I'm not looking forward to the big hit the conference's SOS will take when we go to a full round robin.  The UAA did at least give us some guaranteed competitive games that gave most NCAC teams a SOS boost (not so much Wabash as only Case and Chicago were in-region games).  With only one discretionary game to play, schools that have high seed or Pool C aspirations will need to schedule a quality in-region opponent. Thats one reason I just don't see it in Wabash's best interest to schedule a Stag Bowl matchup with Hampden Sydney.

That usually hasn't hurt the OAC in SOS standings because they usually took care of business in their non-conference games. But I'd rather have a 'cleaner' title than one that could be tainted by a what 'if'.

[wally_wabash]

It won't matter next year, though, with the round robin. You'll have a result against everyone.

I'm not looking forward to the big hit the conference's SOS will take when we go to a full round robin.  The UAA did at least give us some guaranteed competitive games that gave most NCAC teams a SOS boost (not so much Wabash as only Case and Chicago were in-region games).  With only one discretionary game to play, schools that have high seed or Pool C aspirations will need to schedule a quality in-region opponent. Thats one reason I just don't see it in Wabash's best interest to schedule a Stag Bowl matchup with Hampden Sydney.

That usually hasn't hurt the OAC in SOS standings because they usually took care of business in their non-conference games. But I'd rather have a 'cleaner' title than one that could be tainted by a what 'if'.

SOS's for the OAC generally all gravitate toward the middle.  The same will happen with the NCAC.  In a round robin, your OWP is going to wind up at .500 plus or minus whatever record your one non-league opponent has which, in the big picture, won't change things a whole lot. 

With regard to the league championship being clean or not, I guess I don't see what's unclean about co-champions, as long as the tiebreak is identifying the best tournament representative.  If Kenyon can get through with one league loss and get a trophy out of the deal, good for them.  Wabash still gets to go to the tournament.  Everybody wins. 

[smedindy]

It's not the co-champ issue - it's the 'Team A" didn't play "Team B" in case of a tie for first. There will be co-champs even in a round robin, of course, but nothing like this. If OWU and Witt were co-champs and didn't play each other you'd have to wonder.

Good scheduling can help with the OWP and the OOWP factor, as long as the NCAC can win most of those games.

[BashBacker#16]

How does Houston Hodges not get named to the D3 team of the week?  But a tight end made it that made two catches "ripping it from defenders" - what?

[matblake]

Believe it or not, I couldn't watch it even the first time. I cringe just thinking about it.  I obviously missed the "live" play of it, yet, I just couldn't bring myself to watch any of the replays anywhere they have been shown, including the still photos.  Those are very, very nasty injuries and despite what Spurrier is saying, I will share with you that it will be very difficult for him to get back playing.  I seriously doubt that (although that doesn't mean I hope he wouldn't be successful if he could, because if he is able to get back, I certainly would wish him the best).

I felt the same.  I saw it partially at full speed and actually tried to avoid the replays because I really didn't want to know.  By accident, I saw a still photo later and cringed badly.  As someone who once suffered a not-quite-that-horrific-but-still-pretty-nasty injury (broken femur and torn MCL in a high school wrestling match), I get very squeamish about knees bending the wrong way and getting turned inside out.

I feel awful for anyone that experiences that type of injury, and especially awful that it happened to a kid like Lattimore.  Isn't it amazing to hear the outpouring of support for the guy from around the nation?  Even teams that have never played him are offering opinions on it.  What a respected kid.  I'd bet that if he can't make it back as a player, someone would hire him as a grad-assistant coach and give him the RB's if Lattimore is so inclined (which may be very tough psychologically).

The hardest part for me was reading his lips as he said over and over, "Why can't I move my leg?"

[Pat Coleman]

How does Houston Hodges not get named to the D3 team of the week?  But a tight end made it that made two catches "ripping it from defenders" - what?

Which receiver would you have left off? And I don't like leaving out a tight end if a reasonable tight end was nominated.

[robertgoulet]

Believe it or not, I couldn't watch it even the first time. I cringe just thinking about it.  I obviously missed the "live" play of it, yet, I just couldn't bring myself to watch any of the replays anywhere they have been shown, including the still photos.  Those are very, very nasty injuries and despite what Spurrier is saying, I will share with you that it will be very difficult for him to get back playing.  I seriously doubt that (although that doesn't mean I hope he wouldn't be successful if he could, because if he is able to get back, I certainly would wish him the best).

I felt the same.  I saw it partially at full speed and actually tried to avoid the replays because I really didn't want to know.  By accident, I saw a still photo later and cringed badly.  As someone who once suffered a not-quite-that-horrific-but-still-pretty-nasty injury (broken femur and torn MCL in a high school wrestling match), I get very squeamish about knees bending the wrong way and getting turned inside out.

I feel awful for anyone that experiences that type of injury, and especially awful that it happened to a kid like Lattimore.  Isn't it amazing to hear the outpouring of support for the guy from around the nation?  Even teams that have never played him are offering opinions on it.  What a respected kid.  I'd bet that if he can't make it back as a player, someone would hire him as a grad-assistant coach and give him the RB's if Lattimore is so inclined (which may be very tough psychologically).

The hardest part for me was reading his lips as he said over and over, "Why can't I move my leg?"

I HATE seeing stuff like this...and I was watching a college FB replay show Saturday afternoon when they were showing the replay. They didn't even give a warning before they showed it. It was only after they showed it that they said "this is not something that you want to see". REALLY?!

Feel really badly for Lattimore. Seems like a great kid.

[wabco]

Pat:

It would seem that co-receivers of the week might work.  Or are you saying a less steller performance by a tight end is better than a steller performance by Huston?

[wally_wabash]

I knew it would happen sometime this week from somewhere and our friends at the Journal Reivew have not let me down.  An article on the NCAC tiebreak. 

I'll quote the most germaine piece here:

Making matters even a little more complicated is the fact not all the teams in the conference play one another. Kenyon does not play Wabash or Wittenberg so if Kenyon ties Wabash or Wittenberg or both, the first criteria (head-to-head competition) would be eliminated. That coming from Billhardt and the NCAC office.

So there you have it...throw your head to head tiebreak out the window if Kenyon winds up in a tie for the co-championship.  So as we've broken this down several times now, I'll just recap the endgames for our possible multi-team championship scenarios. 

Wabash/Kenyon/OWU/Witt all 6-1: Wittenberg wins the tiebreak (Wabash elminated via common result vs. Allegheny, Kenyon eliminated on road losses, OWU elminated on power ranking)

Wabash/Kenyon/Witt all 6-1: Wittenberg wins the tiebreak (Wabash elminiated via common result vs. Allegheny, Kenyon elminated on road losses)

Wabash/OWU/Witt: Interesting.  Seems obvious that Wabash should win this doesn't it?  Am I overthinking this by throwing out h2h because OWU and Witt didn't play?  If we do throw out h2h for that reason, again Wabash is elminated via common result vs. Allegheny, OWU is eliminated on power ranking; Wittenberg wins the tiebreak.  Unless Wabash does.  Honestly, I don't know how you could justify not making Wabash the winner in this scenario. 

Kenyon/OWU/Witt: Wittenberg wins again.  Kenyon is elminated on road losses, OWU is elminated on power ranking. 

What it all adds up to is: Go Scots. 

[Pat Coleman]

Pat:

It would seem that co-receivers of the week might work.  Or are you saying a less steller performance by a tight end is better than a steller performance by Huston?

A coach can't start 12 and we will not either. We have not shied away from these decisions in 14 years of Team of the Week and All-American and we are not starting now. And we don't start a tight end every week, just like not every D-III school uses a tight end on a regular basis, but we are not going to eliminate the entire position if we get reasonable nominations.