FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashBacker#16]

HC86alum,

Did you ever see Ryan Short play?  Ask Witt.

Cunningham was a stud but there are others that are in that same conversation! 

[HCAlum86]

HC86alum,

Did you ever see Ryan Short play?  Ask Witt.

Cunningham was a stud but there are others that are in that same conversation!

I have yes, and I would not put them in the same conversation in terms of skill-set. That's not to say he was not a better all around receiver, what I am referring to is God-given.

But yeah, Short was very impressive!

[Li'l Giant]

...For years, and I really don't get it, but for years, Franklin fans have had this weird kind of Jon Hinckley obsession with Wabash, their relative standings in the polls, and some imaginary title about being the best team in Indiana.  Honestly, I don't get it.  We're not in the same conference, we don't play each other, we generally don't have common opponents...we both kind of have our own thing going on.  But for years I've read about how we need to make this game happen between Wabash and Franklin so that we can settle it (whatever "it" is).  Now, if that's just a thing that exists in the Franklin fan base, then fine.  But if this feeling exists inside the players and the program as well, well then maybe Franklin taps into The Rage™ and if they tap into The Rage™ then all bets are off.  I hope I'm overestimating that.

Does this Franklin team really need any extra motivation to win a playoff game anyway? I can't imagine so. These kids have played big games. It can't be that, can it?

In the run up to those 06/07 games between Wabash and Franklin I remember there being a lot of "spoiled rich Wabash kids" stuff coming from Franklin posters on here. Forgetting for a moment that Franklin's full sticker price is (according to their website) over $36k per year the lines were drawn with Wabash being the "rich" private school kids Franklin being....well, I guess the "not rich" private school kids.

I've not had any kind of interaction with Franklin students or alumni since the late 90s when we would go to hoops games (Jason Sibley still haunts my hoops nightmares). I don't remember any class warfare going on at those games.

The notion amongst Franklin students/alumni/fans that Wabash is Johnny Lawrence to Franklin's Daniel LaRusso must be a relatively recent development.

[sigma one]

Although he was almost always in the slot or out wide, Short was listed as a TE.  6-4, 230, also played basketball.
     This has made me think back to the best receivers I've seen in the NCAC since Wabash joined in 2000.
     These names come to mind--Cunningham (beast!), of course; others from Wittenberg:  Aljancic, McKee, Ivery (NCAA 120 High Hurdles champ), Glover, Culvahouse (if he has another great year).  From Wabash:  already mentioned Short, then Casper ("the Catch"), Russell, Clifton, LeMond, maybe Horn at his best.  From Oberlin:  Schubert, Witjes  and  Ricky Valenzuela, who didn't stick around but who was terrific, and caught passes for over 200 yards in a single game v. Wabash. 
     Harry von Kann, as has been mentioned, was big, fast, and athletic, and was also a terrific return man.  Campbell from Hiram was also formidable on a weak team.
     Last year, Barry Flynn, another big receiver and basketball player, who played only one year at DePauw was tough to defend.  And finally, Denison's Brown this year, who dominated almost everyone and who returns next year.
     I am sure I'm forgetting others. 
   

[wally_wabash]

The notion amongst Franklin students/alumni/fans that Wabash is Johnny Lawrence to Franklin's Daniel LaRusso must be a relatively recent development.

Strike first.  Strike hard.  No mercy.   

[wally_wabash]

Alright, here's my bracket.  We can assume that my bracket has Wabash in the center, but if I were going to submit a bracket for something like a bracket challenge it would look something like this:

UWW over Wabash
St. John's over Wartburg

Widener over Del Val
UMHB over Linfield

Wesley over MIT
Hobart over Johns Hopkins

John Carroll over Wheaton
Mount Union over W&J

UMHB over UWW
Wesley over Mount Union

Wesley over UMHB

I think that covers all the games. 

[BashDad]

That's a good bracket.

[wally_wabash]

I hope it's really, really wrong.   

[smedindy]

I think Wartburg can beat St. John's. I'm not sold on Hobart.

You also have Linfield beating UMHB but UMHB moving on.

[BashDad]

I hope it's really, really wrong.   

Me too. Hope we get to dig into all the reasons why it might be come Sunday.

[shepherd]

I think Wartburg can beat St. John's. I'm not sold on Hobart.

You also have Linfield beating UMHB but UMHB moving on.

Yep that's my take also.

[bleedpurple]

I hope it's really, really wrong.   

At last the point we can all come together. 
(Except the Wesley folks of course!) 

[wally_wabash]

I think Wartburg can beat St. John's. I'm not sold on Hobart.

You also have Linfield beating UMHB but UMHB moving on.

Details.  That's how good UMHB is- they can lose at home to Linfield in the second round and still get to Salem thanks to NCAA championship beancounters decreeing that flying Linfield to and from Oregon for a month isn't in the budget. 

I also think Wartburg can beat St. John's.  That's a tough game to pick.  Taking a little bit of a flyer on Hobart, but would anybody be super shocked if they won a home game with Hopkins?  I think that's a pair of pretty good teams that haven't had to open up the kimono and let us see what they're about all season. 

[Li'l Giant]

Alright, here's my bracket.  We can assume that my bracket has Wabash in the center, but if I were going to submit a bracket for something like a bracket challenge it would look something like this:

UWW over Wabash
St. John's over Wartburg

Widener over Del Val
Linfield over UMHB

Wesley over MIT
Hobart over Johns Hopkins

John Carroll over Wheaton
Mount Union over W&J

UMHB over UWW
Wesley over Mount Union

Wesley over UMHB

I think that covers all the games.

Good bracket. Very different from mine. Which means it's probably right.

UMHB/Wesley would be fantastic.

[HCAlum86]

I have been trying to put myself in the shoes of Franklin's DC, and I really think he is going to open up the game trying to stack the box and running primarily 2-man or Cover 1, baiting Wabash to throw it. Because it would be absolutely illogical for him to think that he can stop the run game without at least 6 in the box most plays, IMO. I would rather gamble against the passing game, especially given the conditions, than make myself susceptible to getting gashed up the middle.

Watch for the two high look a lot tomorrow, and I do not think they will disguise much. Watching Franklin's footage I do not think they have the athletes to make a post-snap adjustment in rolling coverages. If Franklin can make that pocket small and keep Wabash to 3YPG in the first half, we will have ourselves a game; if not, it could get ugly.

I think Franklin will commit to stopping the run and give up a few big plays down the seams or to "smash" concepts from Wabash.

Wabash 38
Franklin 20