FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[bashbrother]

The activity today does bring up a question that has been asked many times....   With the proud football tradition, great success over the past 30+ years and quality players that have come and gone...   where are all the... er.... where are any...   Witt posters on this board?

Sure, it's no secret that Wabash fans somewhat dominate the NCAC board, (in large part because there are a bunch of us that post)  but you would think that one or two alums or a couple of current proud parents would jump on here and contribute....  Strange.   It sure would enhance the board.

A friend/fellow poster on this board told me recently,  that "There are very few actual Witt Fans",  they're all OSU Buckeye Fans.   

Well there has got to be one or two Witt fans or former players......

[Dr. Acula]

I'm not sure how Witt would be worse off than any other school in Ohio with the OSU angle. That'd be the case with pretty much all the fan bases. 

[wabndy]

Well there has got to be one or two Witt fans or former players......

One or two are not going to make a community.  There have to be enough to actually engage in conversations that they'd want to keep coming back to the site to check the latest posts.  There need to be 6 or 8 active posters at least - probably more - for each school.  That and we do tend to consume all of the oxygen on this board.

[Li'l Giant]

I'm not sure how Witt would be worse off than any other school in Ohio with the OSU angle. That'd be the case with pretty much all the fan bases.

Nor is Witt all that different than how it is in other states. I know several folks who have gone to Trinity, Texas Lutheran, McMurry, Hardin-Simmons, Sul Ross that don't keep up with their respective schools but are big UT, A&M, Texas Tech fans. It happens with a lot of smaller schools.

[formerd3db]

I'm not sure how Witt would be worse off than any other school in Ohio with the OSU angle. That'd be the case with pretty much all the fan bases.

Nor is Witt all that different than how it is in other states. I know several folks who have gone to Trinity, Texas Lutheran, McMurry, Hardin-Simmons, Sul Ross that don't keep up with their respective schools but are big UT, A&M, Texas Tech fans. It happens with a lot of smaller schools.

I have nothing against folks who are like that, although I am at a loss as to understanding why (but, that's just me).  For me personally, I could never do that.  Being a former dIII player/alum, I just will always be among those alumni who will keep connected and follow the program-so many great memories and the "tradition thing".  Yet at the same time, I do also follow my favorite DI program as well (U of Mich).  "To each his own" I guess, as that old saying goes.   

[Li'l Giant]

I don't judge it. I have a favorite FBS team that I am a season ticket holder of. I can kind of get it.

I have zero interest in the sports teams for the university I went to for law school. If you put a gun to my head I couldn't tell you how any of their teams did last year. There are probably a lot of reasons for that but I can kind of understand.

[wabashcpa]

I think it's a little more surprising that Wittenberg doesn't post due to the success of the program, you would think football is more a part of the culture and college experience (in a positive way).  I know the Wabash team (1988-1991) was fairly successful during the time I was there, and going to games was an experience (esp. as part of the pep band (remember the pep band???)).  So that frames my continued allegiance to the alma mater.  You would think a few folks from Springfield over the course of time would feel similarly and participate.

I don't buy the "Wabash dominates the board" spiel.  We are civil and welcome discourse.  If others choose not to engage then so be it.  It is a better board with more schools represented for sure.

[Wabash Hokie]

The game notes  from both schools have been published for this week's Wabash v Witt game:

Wabash game notes:
http://sports.wabash.edu/documents/2015/9/23//WabashSportsReleaseSept232015B.pdf?id=405

Wittenberg game notes:
http://static.psbin.com/z/u/0bq27883qegv92/wabash.pdf

Looking forward to Saturday.

[Ralph Lee Wilson]

I believe I can address the elephant in the room here.  Message boards require literacy.

[wally_wabash]

Snap!

[wabndy]

Forgive me for the diversion to golf - from the Wabash presser: "Wabash participates in the DePauw University Dan Quayle Classic this Saturday and Sunday at the Twin Bridges Golf Club in Danville, IN"


Sorry - I can't but help cracking a smile whenever I see that name.

[bashbrother]

Some of the Witt Twitter fodder circling the planet is hilarious....

They are still haunted by our 9 minute drive to run out the clock 3 years ago..... nice.

Prediction - 

Wabash 100 -  Witt - 0  (thanks #3)

#Tigerdown

[wally_wabash]

Let's break it down. 

Once the premiere running team in the league, Wittenberg has very rapidly evolved into the top passing team in the NCAC.  Wittenberg is a team that is one dimensional by choice.  They get yards by throwing it.  They score by throwing it. They rely on vertical passing to an extreme extent.  Which is fine, because it generally works out for them.  Wabash counters with an excellent secondary (Pettiford, Parks, Brown, and Cmehil...and the LGs also have Justin Woods who can plug in anyplace or be used as an extra DB when the situation calls for it) and a tremendous defensive line.  Wabash pressures the quarterback better than anybody else in the NCAC (and better than most nationally)- not many are better at figuring out how to use the front four plus one to get a free run at a QB than BJ Hammer.  This is going to be the primary issue for Wittenberg.  If they can't protect adequately, they can't win.  It's that simple.  To that end, Wittenberg lost their all-league center to injury before the season.  That replacement center has a ton of responsibility this weekend and you can know that Hammer is going to throw a lot of funky looks at him.  This might be the most important piece of Saturday's puzzle.  If Wabash can get home with their pass rushers, Witt will have trouble moving the ball and scoring points.  Great QBs and great WRs are much less great when they don't have time to work.

Wabash, once the stalwart passing team in the league, is now the big power rushing team.  A talented and experienced offensive line paves the way for manimal Mason Zurek, who gives as much as he gets.  Mason Zurek rushed 17 times for 120 yards (7.1 ypc) in a timeshare situation last year against Wittenberg (who had a better defense in 2014 than they do currently).  Slowing this moose down will be the key or Wittenberg defensively.  To that end, Wabash does most of their rushing between the tackles.  In the pieces of Witt's games vs. Capital and OWU that I saw, Witt was susceptible to off tackle rushing more than between the tackles rushing.  Why?  They have a big, hairy, 300 lb run stuffer in the middle by the name of Josh Bannick.  The center of that front seven is definitely the path of most resistance and it will be interesting to see what Wabash does to try and beat that.  Is it Center/guard doubles on Bannick?  Do the Little Giants run more stuff to the edges than usual?  We'll see.  But this is a strength on strength situation here and one that gives me pause- that's how much respect I have for Bannick and the problems he causes through the middle.

So what are the wild cards here?  What if Wittenberg remembers that Sean Gary and Jimmy Dehnke are really good?  I don't know if Wittenberg can run for 150 yards in this game, but if they can do something in that phase that is respectable enough to hold a LBer, it could unlock a lot of good things.  What if Wabash cuts Connor Rice loose?  Tons of potential here and a couple of big pass plays could really force Witt out of the box.  Mostly, I expect both teams to stick to their guns, but the field tilts in a major way if either team finds success doing the thing that their offenses used to do. 

So who has the advantage?  I think the offenses are a push.  They are very different in how they go about it, but both teams move the ball and both teams score points.  The big difference that I see is in the defenses.  Wabash's defense is a veteran group that is just as salty as they've ever been.  Maybe more so in the back four.  Wittenberg, as has been noted, got carved up a bit by Dom Orsini and they surrendered a good deal of yards on the ground vs. Capital.  Quickly on Capital- they were always going to run for a bunch of yards.  That's what option teams do.  What was worrisome from a Witt standpoint is the ypc and the points they gave up to Capital.  To me, that was a bit much for a team that Witt ought to have overwhelmed.  I can't comment much on the 300 yards of passing that OWU got.  A lot of it may have come against a softer coverage in the last 20 minutes or so.  But the yards did happen and it would appear that guys can get open in that secondary. 

In the end, I'm kind of in the same place on this game as I was last November.  I think Wabash is the better side, particularly with their defense.  A steady, methodical offensive approach should be fine (I'll take explosive though!).  I'm not convinced that a one-dimensional Wittenberg team can score more than twice and it'll take more to win this game.  That means Witt needs points out of their defense and/or specials to make up the gap.  It happened last year.  Witt won the turnover game 2-0, one turned into the touchdown that decided the game.  Avoid the catastrophic mistake, feed Z until he can't take anymore, and I think Wabash opens the home season with a gigantic win. 

Wabash 28, Witt 10. 

[sigma one]

I'll take the bait.  Wabash 24     Wittenberg 20

[Joe Wally]

I think it's a little more surprising that Wittenberg doesn't post due to the success of the program, you would think football is more a part of the culture and college experience (in a positive way).  I know the Wabash team (1988-1991) was fairly successful during the time I was there, and going to games was an experience (esp. as part of the pep band (remember the pep band???)).  So that frames my continued allegiance to the alma mater.  You would think a few folks from Springfield over the course of time would feel similarly and participate.

I don't buy the "Wabash dominates the board" spiel.  We are civil and welcome discourse.  If others choose not to engage then so be it.  It is a better board with more schools represented for sure.

Can't recall which social media outlet I saw it on, but I believe the pep band is coming back!