FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashBacker#16]

Looking forward to see how Barnes' "business trip" turns out.  Just a hunch but that dude is going to be running for his life all day long.  I think the Bash D will be jacked up and ready for the challenge.  Some other randoms:

- I love when SigmaOne transforms in to "Lou Holtz" - mistakenly thinking we are playing the 2013 World Champion Seattle Seahawks.  Man, I was so nervous if you would take Wally's line bahahaha. 
- Holmes and Zurek will be ripping off chunks!
- how has time of possession not been mentioned?  Can Barnes & Co score if he's standing on the sideline?
- I wish we had twitter back when I played. 
- Wabash will roll!
- ER is 59-10 at Wabash, that is bad ass
- memo to BJ:  bring the heat bro
- chunks, chunks, and more chunks
- the new Wabash punter looks a lot better
- Buresh Brothers Bourbon
- how many games have Cody Buresh and AJ Akinribade started?
- some business trips suck so bad

Wabash Always Fights!

[wally_wabash]

- how has time of possession not been mentioned?  Can Barnes & Co score if he's standing on the sideline?

I just don't think TOP matters that much.  Last year Wooster ran 92 plays against Wabash and held the TOP advantage (if we're calling it that) 30:33 to 29:27.  Without stops, possession time becomes moot. 

- the new Wabash punter looks a lot better

Not shabby considering some of the doom and gloom about the kicking game that happened on either side of game 1.  Also, how about Tutsie?  He's kicking extremely well. 

- how many games have Cody Buresh and AJ Akinribade started?

I actually had this when we were stressing about whether or not Hampden-Sydney had more "experience" than Wabash, but I tossed that spreadsheet.  If memory serves, AJ started about 2-3 games into his freshmen year and Cody cracked the starting lineup about midway through his freshman year.  So AJ has about 30 starts, Cody just a few behind that. 

I'm hoping that Richard Ocho isn't the Ocho we're talking about Saturday night.  Drake could have some serious fun in the secondary of a shaky defense.  It's business time! 

[bashbrother]

For the last five years during the week leading up to when Wabash plays Wooster there has been a lot of talk/respect given to Barnes and his abilities.  As Wally earlier flushed out so well.... Every year Barnes has been less of an overall factor against Wabash.    Has Barnes ever been the player we thought he was or was going to be?   Barnes started his career at Wooster on the heals of the Vince Young's, Cam Newton QB mold, where his legs were as dangerous, if not more, than his arm.   At the end of the day,  has he been just an average D3 player?

The rushing totals going from +52, 13, 21, to -52 in 2013 show that Wabash's Defense has really made Barnes a one dimensional QB.   

Let's hope that Barnes doesn't decide to be Superman tomorrow.  I am calling for a tough day for Mr. Barnes.

WAF!

[wabashcpa]

I need enlightened on how Barnes is able to play 5 times against Wabash over 5 consecutive years.  Did he get hurt early enough one year that he was granted an extra year?

[smedindy]

Yes, he had an redshirt year granted to him, as he got hurt against Oberlin in week 3 of 2011. In the past there was a hullabaloo about some Wooster fans not wanting Barnes back, because their other QB options wer sound. I think they were ridiculed out of here.

[wabashcpa]

So week 3 is early enough, how late in season is considered too late?

[sigma one]

The NCAA grants a "medical hardship waiver" giving an athlete an extra year of eligibility based on several criteria.  Hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from a season-ending injury or illness (does not have to be a sports-specific injury or illness) that has occurred under ALL the following conditions:  The incapacity must occur before the completion of the first half of the traditional playing season; the incapacity occurs when the athlete has not competed in more than one-third of the playing season.  In simple terms, for instance, if a football player competes for even one play in a 4th game of the season (of a ten-game schedule) after appearing in the first three games, he cannot be granted the waiver.  Barnes was injured in the third game of Wooster's season.  This is also the reason that Tyler Holmes is playing this year after being injured last year.  CJ Gum was affected by the same rule, as was Wes Chamblee several years ago.  Wittenberg has several 5th-year players this season. 
     The NCAA gives over authority to the Conference to determine whether an athlete in any sport qualifies.  So, the school petitions the conference office for the waiver by requesting the exemption and providing appropriate medical documentation.

[ohiofan1954]

Pardon me for asking but has Barnes really improved that much? I was at the Allegheny game in 2012 and he was terrible that day. He must have fumbled at least a half dozen times. His poor play was one of the main reason Allegheny won that game.

[smedindy]

His tendency to fumble has been a career-long bugaboo.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Talking about fifth years. When my son was looking at schools, all the scholarships were 4 years. A fifth year was full frieght. At OWU, I believe many fifth years, in football, are getting a teaching certificate, fall semester. I have no idea if this is at full tuition or not. Does anybody know if this is the case at the other schools?
If so this is a real advantage for athletes playing fall sports. I am not sure many baseball players could pay full tuition for a fith year of baseball at one of these private LAC's. If an athlete in a spring sport is hurt, they are pretty much relegated to 3 years of competition.

[smedindy]

If I recall correctly, at Wabash the ninth semester for teachers was for student teaching if they completed every other requirement for their degrees. That's what I recall...

I'm old enough so that we didn't have that option. Those who had an area concentration in teacher education had to cram 8 semesters of work into 7. That. Was. Fun.

[wally_wabash]

Pardon me for asking but has Barnes really improved that much? I was at the Allegheny game in 2012 and he was terrible that day. He must have fumbled at least a half dozen times. His poor play was one of the main reason Allegheny won that game.

Pretty much everything about Wooster in 2012 was terrible.  That team went 2-8 and only beat two teams that combined to go 0-20 that year.  Barnes didn't have a great year, but he was coming back from most of a year off and the talent on the roster had pretty much dried up. 

I combed back through his stats and until this year, 2010 was his best year in terms of accuracy.  He'd cut back on INTs, but his completion percentage went from 62% down to around 55% in 2012.  He did a smidge better in 2013 with respect to accuracy, but this year he's taken a leap.  Probably the kind of leap that we would have expected from 2010 to 2011.  It's a fair question and if we asked it in 2013 I don't think we could say that he's gotten much better than he was as a freshman, but in 2014 I think he's clearly a better player and I think he's also got the team behind him now which I'm not sure he really ever did in the Schmitz years.  There were some funky sideline dynamics going on there through 2012. 

More thoughts on this...I can definitely see the question about how much or if Barnes has gotten any better over the last four years.  We can look at last year's production and the production this year as more of a product of Colaprete's offense than Richard Barnes having finally figured it all out.  Maybe.  We won't know until next year when they have to plug somebody completely fresh in behind center.  It's an interesting conversation for sure. 

[aueagle]

Possble "TRAP" game for the Bishops in Western Pa today...
Then THE meat grinder...LG's, Puppy?  and Witt...
Did I say Puppy meatgrinder?
Good Luck to all...and praying it's injury free
GO BISHOPS

[nike]

Wow! Why so much Barnes bashing?  Of course he has gotten better! Wooster has gotten better. I would say Wabash and Wittenberg always have more talent than the rest of the NCAC. That is the bottom line. Quarterbacks tend to get too much credit and too much blame. We have enjoyed him here at Wooster immensely, both on and off the field. He is very engaging and a delight to be around. And he is doing what you come to Wooster to do--graduate. Hope we give Wabash a good game today.

[smedindy]

I do remember some discussions in 2012 when Wooster fans were really all-out with Barnes, us Wabash fans were saying, "If you don't want him...we'll gladly take him"!