FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[The_Bishop]

Thanks Eagle - appreciate it.  Starting to turn the corner this morning.  Good to see you back.  Can you believe we are one week away from possibly having some postseason playoff talk for the Bishops?

[ExTartanPlayer]

With all due respect to the LGs, Jagran, I still think the Buff State upset over UWW ranks as the "biggest" for sheer magnitude of surprise, even with the hindsight showing that the Warhawks are a bit down and Buff State is better than usual. At the time of that loss, it was utterly inconceivable that anyone but one of the other Purples could beat UWW...whereas Wabash had already been beaten once this year by a mediocre opponent AND there were even 1 or 2 Wabash fans urging caution on these very boards, pointing out that the Yeomen had the skill players to make this a game.

Will be interested to see what happens next week and then with Pool C. Wally makes a good point that you're actually better off beating the two best teams on your schedule and losing to two mediocre teams than you are beating eight softballs and losing to two good teams. I know it's a judgement call, but personally I think the committee will decide to put OWU and Witt both ahead of Wabash even with the H2H results...heck, even Kenyon beat both of the teams that have vanquished Wabash.

[BashDad]

Recommended reading for players, coaches, family, and close friends of the Wabash College football team after one of the more bizarre, disappointing upsets in recent memory:

1. Anything but an internet message board.

Keep fighting. WAF.

[bashbrother]

I woke up this morning and didn't believe it really happened....  only to check the scoreboard and realize that it did.  I obviously picked the wrong weekend to stop the hard stuff.

16 -   four advil and a bloody mary with lots of pepper......

[sigma one]

Plenty of grief showing, but there is still the Bell Game.  You gotta love DIII football--and college football as a whole.  Yesterday, in DIII 8 overtime games!  That's the most this year.  I didn't go back in time to see when there has been that many.  Washington and Lee beats Hampden-Sydney in 4OTs.  Kenyon wins with 10 seconds left to continue their remarkable season.  Wooster plays a QB not named Barnes or Frongillo (named Hohl, a freshman, 5-9, 185 lbs), and he goes 16/20 passing.  OWU beats Allegheny, throwing only 27 passes, while Herman rushes for 116 on 7 carries.  DPU throws for 351 yrds (57 X) and rushes for -13.  Wash U. beats Case.  Witt scores 71--20 in the 4th qtr.  No they did not run it up; the last TD was on an INT return.  And in the Top 25:   North Central, Johns Hopkins, Bethel, and St John Fisher lose.  And someone told me that Wabash lost at home for the 2nd time this year to a team not named Wittenberg, and not in the playoffs.
     There was other mayhem.  But that's all I can bear to write down. 

[DPU3619]

Lot to digest from yesterday.  My immediate thought, as a DePauw fan, is "Well, if Oberlin can beat them, so can we."  But, then I say to myself, "Self, if we can't beat Denison, how are we going to beat Wabash?" 

I doubt DePauw gets 400 passing yards next week.  That sticks out me immediately about Oberlin's effort yesterday.  That has more to do with where the DePauw offense is compared to where the Wabash D is.  DePauw's defense is about where I expected them to be, truthfully.  I do think they can keep Wabash's offense from going ham for 4 quarters.  I think it's a lot like where we were a year ago.  DePauw's offense is better, but still just as prone to turnovers, which is a problem. 

If DePauw can do all the little things right, they can be IN the game with a chance to win.  Wabash got 28 points from DePauw's offense last year.  If they get 0, DePauw is, at least, hanging around in that game late. Despite scoring 45, it could have easily been 10-0 at half.  I think it would have been a little higher than 10, but that doesn't help my argument.  I don't know if DePauw would have had a chance to win without all the mistakes, but it certainly wouldn't have been a blowout to that degree.

[smedindy]

After all that, Wabash still 25th in the d3football.com poll. Witt is the first ORV and OWU has two votes.

[Li'l Giant]

I'm honestly surprised we are still ranked. 

[aueagle]

Looking back, Wesleyan had one loss seasons in 2001, 1990, 1989...all to conference foes ('89 also had a tie to DePauw)...the great 1971 team lost to Clarion State in the regular season, but won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl by default....
This season has been a huge boost to the program...and, to tell ya the truth, The_Bishop, "NO WAY", would I had thought we would be going into Week 10 with just one loss, let alone possible/long-shot postseason play. I look forward to yours & the the posters "Post Season Bishop Analysis"
Speaking off weekend OT play...I passed on a trip to the Washington & Lee/Hampden Sydney game...4 OT's!!!
I should have gone...

[BashDad]

Mandel has only lost one game this year, and it was to CWRU. Lena Dunham's alma mater is decent, and had Mandel been healthy, would have come in to Wabash with only a loss, right? Should WItt be scared? Is Oberlin better than we thought (5th year QB, beast of a defensive end, good back) or is Wabash actually Michael Vick writ large?

[formerd3db]

Interesting.  Wabash loses a close one to Allegheny, beats Ohio Wesleyan fairly handily, yet Ohio Wesleyan smashed Allegheny. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Interesting.  Wabash loses a close one to Allegheny, beats Ohio Wesleyan fairly handily, yet Ohio Wesleyan smashed Allegheny.

OWU also handily won AT Oberlin.  Wacky year.

[smedindy]

Interesting.  Wabash loses a close one to Allegheny, beats Ohio Wesleyan fairly handily, yet Ohio Wesleyan smashed Allegheny.

OWU also handily won AT Oberlin.  Wacky year.

Not that handily. It was 29-17, and OWU scored the last 13 points. That was the game Mandel was hurt in as well. He only played the first half

[sigma one]

Yea, the old comparative score thing never works, and this year particularly.  I am a bit surprised that Wabash hangs in the Top 25, but if I am a voter, I am thinking there has to be SOME reason for the wins at Witt and at OWU--and these losses forthose teams their only losses.  (Head scratching here about two other games.)  Interesting to think that if everyone holds form this week, the Little Giants might stay in the rankings even though they will not win the NCAC, and the two teams that tie for the title are ranked behind them.  Has this ever happened?  Pat, Wally, someone.  The Regional Rankings this week will be telling.
     Bashbrother mentioned the youth of Wabash.  The post-season analysis will be more expansive from everyone who follows the NCAC, but quite a few teams have a lot of players returning next year--as usual--so the looking-ahead can be fun.  Oberlin might be the team losing the most starters.

Among the seniors, Wabash has already lost RB Meyers (he started the season as one of the three in W's trio running game), Koop (might he play Saturday; he has missed a few games and is/was a major force at DB), and Hunt (2nd team all-NCAC last season but not much of a factor this year at RB).
   In addition, all-conference players (last year) QB Belton, DL Clegg, OL Kitley, and Corner Hodges the elder will go.  I believe that is all among the contributors.  Wabash has also lost Porter; his major injury may prevent him from playing.  We all hope the best for him, in or out of uniform.  And last week Kolisek went down.  He surely is one of the few two-way players in memory, and effectively.  Word is he can return from his injuries. Of course, Hodges the younger has made significant contributions on both sides of the ball this season.     
     Bell Week!   
     

[84]

Ding Ding!