FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[GRIZ_BACKER]

Franklin got outplayed by Manchester.  That's a real thing that happened in 2014.

People can read into stats etc all they want.  By Saturday smoebody may have Bash a 28 point favorite.  Franklin will show up and play well.  This isnt their first playoff rodeo nor is Wabash anything close to one of the Purple power teams.  Probably will be close with Bash having the home field edge. 

[BashDad]

And yet they are much closer than Franklin is!

[wabndy]

- Wabash's defense overwhelmed DePauw's offense  - Hunt did not have time to do anything.  In the second half, it appeared that DPU gave up on the pass and simply worked to keep the game close as opposed to mounting a comeback.

I was amazed by this as well.  At the half it was 20-3, by no means was the game put away.  So i looked back at the second half play calling.  Here are DePauw's offensive plays in the second half:
rush, sack, rush, punt (3 yards, 2:06)
rush, rush, rush, punt (5 yards, 2:07)
pass (5yd completion), rush, incomplete pass, punt (7 yards, 1:15)
rush, rush, rush (1st down), incomplete pass, rush, sack, blocked punt (Wabash TD) (5 yards, 2:53)
rush, sack, rush, punt (2 yards, 1:43)
rush, rush, incomplete pass, punt (4 yards, 1:25)
rush, time expired (1 yard, 0:32)
So to summarize:  15 rushing plays, 3 sacks, 4 pass attempts (1 completion).   Did Bill Lynch have a roast in the oven?

[BashDad]

And you must mean the edge with Buresh on it--and not that arbitrary one you think the game is going to hinge on.

[GRIZ_BACKER]

And yet they are much closer than Franklin is!

I guess we will all see on Saturday how truly good the Little Giants really are.

[BashDad]

And yet they are much closer than Franklin is!

I guess we will all see on Saturday how truly good the Little Giants really are.

Probably not!

[bashbrother]

Final thoughts on the Monon Bell game:


- after last year's game, I thought DPU was two years away from having a good shot at winning the Bell.  After Saturday's performance, I think they are still two years away.  DPU did not show much on Saturday.  On the other hand...


- Wabash's defense overwhelmed DePauw's offense  - Hunt did not have time to do anything.  In the second half, it appeared that DPU gave up on the pass and simply worked to keep the game close as opposed to mounting a comeback.

- I think Wabash's best chances of advancing beyond one game in the playoffs will be their ability to the throw the ball. Towards that end, I think Rice should be the primary QB going forward.  From what I have seen,  Rice throws a much better ball, works his progressions better, and has demonstrated a better pocket presence.  I know that this topic is the third rail for Wabash posters but I think Rice is the better QB.   He now has enough playing time that transitioning him into the starting role would not upset the apple cart.  It is a tough call but I think the right one. 

Looking forward to the Franklin game on Saturday.

Endorse all of this completely.   

[BashDad]

Final thoughts on the Monon Bell game:


- after last year's game, I thought DPU was two years away from having a good shot at winning the Bell.  After Saturday's performance, I think they are still two years away.  DPU did not show much on Saturday.  On the other hand...


- Wabash's defense overwhelmed DePauw's offense  - Hunt did not have time to do anything.  In the second half, it appeared that DPU gave up on the pass and simply worked to keep the game close as opposed to mounting a comeback.

- I think Wabash's best chances of advancing beyond one game in the playoffs will be their ability to the throw the ball. Towards that end, I think Rice should be the primary QB going forward.  From what I have seen,  Rice throws a much better ball, works his progressions better, and has demonstrated a better pocket presence.  I know that this topic is the third rail for Wabash posters but I think Rice is the better QB.   He now has enough playing time that transitioning him into the starting role would not upset the apple cart.  It is a tough call but I think the right one. 

Looking forward to the Franklin game on Saturday.

Endorse all of this completely.   

Not happening, y'all.

[wabco]

We have remarked about graduating classes from DPU who have never seen the Bell ... except across the field.  But also think of all the tenure track Dannie teachers who have never seen it either.  It might just be a research paper for them.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Franklin got outplayed by Manchester.  That's a real thing that happened in 2014.

Franklin over the last couple of seasons is a pretty interesting high-ceiling, low-floor kind of team.

Last year, in the same season, they:

Led Mount Union 27-23 in the fourth quarter at Mount Union
Lost 31-28 to a Butler team that butchered Wittenberg
Lost to Bluffton (BLUFFTON!)
Won a playoff game

This looks like it's been true going back a few years.  Franklin isn't scared of good competition and clearly has shown the capability of raising their game to play with a quality opponent...or losing to a less-than-stellar opponent.  I mean, even their game against UWW this year...the final was lopsided, but they traded punches for a while.  The offense is definitely a capable unit.  Welp can ball.  The defense, um, not so much.

[Li'l Giant]

Gentlemen,

If I've done my Monon Bell math correctly, after the DePauw class of 2015 graduates, not only will there not be any students at DePauw who have experienced winning the Monon Bell (for a few four-year classes running), but there will be no more traditional four year students who attended DePauw with another student who was around the last time DePauw won the Monon Bell.  There is no longer even a second hand experience for any student at DePauw with the Monon Bell.

I think that's off. The freshmen in fall of 2008 graduated in 2012. This year's seniors overlapped with that class for 1 year.

And the freshmen in fall of 2009 (who graduated in 2013) would have at least had the Bell on campus for the first couple of months of that year. This year's seniors would have overlapped with that class for 2 years and this year's juniors for 1 year.

Inside joke to Wally: Unless DePauw has some Dannie version of Tim Helmecki. Then this is all blown.

[wally_wabash]

I think that's off. The freshmen in fall of 2008 graduated in 2012. This year's seniors overlapped with that class for 1 year.

And the freshmen in fall of 2009 (who graduated in 2013) would have at least had the Bell on campus for the first couple of months of that year. This year's seniors would have overlapped with that class for 2 years and this year's juniors for 1 year.

Inside joke to Wally: Unless DePauw has some Dannie version of Tim Helmecki. Then this is all blown.

Right- and when this year's seniors graduate, that'll be the last of the students that may have went to class with somebody who saw DePauw win a Bell. 

I also spit out my coffee at the Helmecki line.  Classic. 

[HCAlum86]

Anyone interested in doing an NCAC followers only bracket?

[Li'l Giant]

I think that's off. The freshmen in fall of 2008 graduated in 2012. This year's seniors overlapped with that class for 1 year.

And the freshmen in fall of 2009 (who graduated in 2013) would have at least had the Bell on campus for the first couple of months of that year. This year's seniors would have overlapped with that class for 2 years and this year's juniors for 1 year.

Inside joke to Wally: Unless DePauw has some Dannie version of Tim Helmecki. Then this is all blown.

Right- and when this year's seniors graduate, that'll be the last of the students that may have went to class with somebody who saw DePauw win a Bell. 

I also spit out my coffee at the Helmecki line.  Classic.

I misunderstood. I thought you meant anyone who was around the Bell at all. Not who was there for a victory.

[HCAlum86]

Analyzing the bracket again, Wabash was definitely given an excellent spot. Right now, if I am a fan of Linfield, Centre, Wheaton, and St. Scholastica, I am not happy. I wonder what an 8-2 Ithaca team (if anything at all) would have done to their spot in the playoffs.