FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[D3MAFAN]

Yeah...not really a proportional response.  I didn't even think we were that bad this time.  Former pick 'em champ and a solid contributor...I hope short reconsiders.

Yes, it always good that solid contributors stay. Wooster was very competitive in there games, except one or two, their record last year did not reflect how good the team was. Hopefully 'Short' comes back.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

I am surprised, I thought every one was pretty civil. I always enjoyed Short's input. I hope he comes back. Personally I think the preseasson top three will be:

Witt
Wabash
OWU

I am not familiar enough with the other teams to judge. But the order could very easily be much different.

[smedindy]

This was just a good ol' fashioned disagreement.

[wally_wabash]

I am surprised, I thought every one was pretty civil. I always enjoyed Short's input. I hope he comes back. Personally I think the preseasson top three will be:

Witt
Wabash
OWU

I am not familiar enough with the other teams to judge. But the order could very easily be much different.

I think that's probably correct, although I think Wabash OWU will wind up with point totals within 3 points of each other.  I think Witt will get at least 7 of the 10 first place votes.  Just a hunch. 

Yes, it always good that solid contributors stay. Wooster was very competitive in there games, except one or two, their record last year did not reflect how good the team was. Hopefully 'Short' comes back.

Wooster is a big time wild card this year.  Barnes may be the single most dangerous individual in the league.  How he gets utilized by the new coach, we'll have to see.  Done right, who knows what Wooster can pull off.  I've got some serious questions about their defense though.  I'm guessing that some of what plagued them schematically last year will get fixed with the new defensive-minded HC, but some of it is going to take a class or two to get the right players in there. 

The other wild card is DePauw.  In 2004, Bill Lynch found a way to win 8 games with a team that had no business winning 8 games.  He's inheriting a team that is maybe good enough for 4-5 wins.  They've got a favorable home schedule...if they pull off the Allegheny/Wooster double there in weeks 8 and 9, they could win 7 games.  Maybe one more if Lynch can figure out how to grind a win out against OWU/Witt/Wabash (and they will grind in those games). 

[DPU3619]

Like so many things, gone long before his time. #ripshort

[DPU3619]

The other wild card is DePauw.  In 2004, Bill Lynch found a way to win 8 games with a team that had no business winning 8 games.  He's inheriting a team that is maybe good enough for 4-5 wins.  They've got a favorable home schedule...if they pull off the Allegheny/Wooster double there in weeks 8 and 9, they could win 7 games.  Maybe one more if Lynch can figure out how to grind a win out against OWU/Witt/Wabash (and they will grind in those games).

We'll see.  The turnaround was immediate the first time we went through this, but Lynch inherited a GREAT group up front. Easy to make hay with Waymouth, Homan, Kreuzman, Pappas, Kinerk, and company.  He also had Jeremiah Marks entering as a freshman.

I wonder more about the offense than anything.  It was a pretty drastic shift from the end of the Mourouzis/McMartin era (tempo spread) to the Lynch era, which was mostly 1 or 2 TE I. DePauw threw a lot at the wall last couple years to see if it would stick, in my opinion.  Lots of different personnel groupings and formations.  I don't expect much of that this time, but you never know.  IU did run a lot of spread when Lynch was there.

[bashbrother]

What I have learned in following DIII Football closely for the past 12 years is that with most D3 programs it is hard to enter any season overly confident without sometimes being disappointed.   There are simply so many variables that can effect teams...  Injuries, economics, grades, etc affect almost all teams.

Witt will be good, they always are.   Will they win the Super Bowl and place 4 players in the first round of the NFL draft, nope.    Somewhere in between is what we will see.   

I am just excited for another great year of D3 Football!

WAF!

[Li'l Giant]

The other wild card is DePauw.  In 2004, Bill Lynch found a way to win 8 games with a team that had no business winning 8 games.  He's inheriting a team that is maybe good enough for 4-5 wins.  They've got a favorable home schedule...if they pull off the Allegheny/Wooster double there in weeks 8 and 9, they could win 7 games.  Maybe one more if Lynch can figure out how to grind a win out against OWU/Witt/Wabash (and they will grind in those games).

I assume the 4 wins are @Sewanee, @Kenyon, Oberlin, and @Hiram. The maybe 5th win is @Denison, where the Big Red went 1-4 last season (OUCH).

Can the Indiana Tigers get a split with Woo/Gheny? Can they win both?

As for the Witt/OWU/Wabash games I think the ones most at risk of dropping that game are OWU and Wabash.

The Witt game is early in the season and both teams will have a week off before.  If Witt gets thrashed by Butler they're going to want to take that out on Depauw and will have an extra week to dream about it. I think that extra week inures more to Witt's benefit than Depauw's. 

OWU, on the other hand, gets DPU right after the midpoint of the season and could be getting a Tiger team that is 4-1 and feeling good about themselves. OWU will be coming off the game against Wabash which could result in a hangover regardless of the outcome.

And Wabash, well, that goes without saying. Besides The Bell, they'd have a chance to break a 4 game losing streak, it's Lynch's 1st Bell Game at home, and on the new rug. And if Depauw comes in with 7 wins? Lordy. (Speaking of the new rug: any photo updates, Wes?)

So, it's hard to disagree with Wally here that DPU is a wildcard. DPU could be 4-5 coming into the Bell Game or they could be 7-2 with losses only to Witt and OWU.

[wally_wabash]

The other wild card is DePauw.  In 2004, Bill Lynch found a way to win 8 games with a team that had no business winning 8 games.  He's inheriting a team that is maybe good enough for 4-5 wins.  They've got a favorable home schedule...if they pull off the Allegheny/Wooster double there in weeks 8 and 9, they could win 7 games.  Maybe one more if Lynch can figure out how to grind a win out against OWU/Witt/Wabash (and they will grind in those games).

We'll see.  The turnaround was immediate the first time we went through this, but Lynch inherited a GREAT group up front. Easy to make hay with Waymouth, Homan, Kreuzman, Pappas, Kinerk, and company.  He also had Jeremiah Marks entering as a freshman.

I wonder more about the offense than anything.  It was a pretty drastic shift from the end of the Mourouzis/McMartin era (tempo spread) to the Lynch era, which was mostly 1 or 2 TE I. DePauw threw a lot at the wall last couple years to see if it would stick, in my opinion.  Lots of different personnel groupings and formations.  I don't expect much of that this time, but you never know.  IU did run a lot of spread when Lynch was there.

I'll be interested to see what they do offensively.  Like you said, they didn't do any one thing consistently (or all that well) in the post-Dick era*.  Lynch may spread it out, but I don't think he's got a chance to go wide open and go 75 plays per side with Witt and OWU.  DPU won't be able to keep up with those offenses in a game like that.

*Engle had a good year after Spud left, but that just isn't as fun to write. 

[Desertraider]

I hate to jump into the NCAC mix here - I really do - but I have to ask a really dumb question. So, how do the Terriers look this year? Wow. Can't believe I am actually asking that.

[ADL70]

Like dogs. 

Couldn't resist.   

[wally_wabash]

I hate to jump into the NCAC mix here - I really do - but I have to ask a really dumb question. So, how do the Terriers look this year? Wow. Can't believe I am actually asking that.

Hiram wasn't really close in any game they played last year.  I think their closest game was a 13-0 loss to Allegheny.  They scored 7 or less 7 times last year.  If you're looking for any ray of light here, I would offer two.  First, I really don't know that there is much room to be worse.  Second is that I think a couple of teams are taking some steps backward this year, namely Denison and Oberlin.  Maybe Kenyon too.  Those would be the best opportunities for Hiram to win this year, but to have a shot even in those games Hiram has to be better.  None of those teams will regress all the way back to what Hiram was in 2012. 

[ADL70]

Things aren't looking up in Oberlin.  2013 roster has 31 players, 10 of them freshmen.  Not a single lineman among the frosh.  Only 7 OL listed, but at least none are seniors.

http://www.goyeo.com/roster.aspx?path=football&;

[wallyworld12]

The Wooster season preview is up. I have always enjoyed reading these things. I especially love this quote,

"The College of Wooster welcomes in a new era of football in 2013, which starts at the top with first-year head coach Frank Colaprete and ranges to the new matte helmets, and more importantly, a new set of offensive and defensive schemes."

Any time you mention a new helmet as a major reason to be excited about the season...it might be a long year ahead.

http://www.woosterathletics.com/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/2013080107myio

[wally_wabash]

I dig Wooster's new helmets.  The novelty of the matte thing is wearing off (it's a good look, just not all that fresh in 2013), but the new designs on the helmet are pretty cool.