FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wabco]

PLUS   Wabash has dressing rooms for the visitors   FEED MASON   AND ... I like our D against passing.

[ExTartanPlayer]

I'm not an Albion fan, but I'll stand in for one so we can have some discussion about the week's game.

Disclaimer: none of the following is meant to suggest that Albion is going to win the game.  I know my audience.  I'm just here to provide some conversation.

What does Albion do well: Score a lot of points.  50 ppg is no joke, regardless of competition (and for what it's worth, Albion does own a win over another playoff team, NACC champion Lakeland, along with a win over WIAC midpacker UW-Stevens Point, who was competitive with UWP, UWW, and UWO this year).  The offense appears to be quite balanced with a pair of 1,000 yard rushers along with a QB that's put up a cool 2,859 passing yards and 33 touchdowns with 65% completion percentage.  The offensive stats have been bonkers in some games: 682 yards against UWSP, 733 against Augustana, 572 against Lakeland, 665 against Kalamazoo, 629 yards against Olivet, 555 against Aurora.  They scored over 40 points in 8 games, and weren't held under 392 yards offense all season.

What does Albion NOT do well: Keep the other team from scoring points.  They needed every bit of that 50 ppg offense to make the playoffs because their defense wasn't stopping anyone.  Gave up way too many scores against some not-very-good teams (although the MIAA was reasonably stout this year, surprisingly enough; Albion and Olivet were 4-0 in nonleague play, Adrian 3-1, Alma was 3-1).  But giving up 400-500 yards per game in the MIAA is not going to be a defense that can stop Wabash.

Evidence they can compete with good teams: they rang up 65 points on an okay UWSP team (that held UWO to 21 points) and easily dispatched NACC champ Lakeland.

Evidence they can't: they barely squeaked by Hope and Adrian, and lost to Trine (a game where their defense couldn't hold a 17-point lead in the last 5 minutes).

What's the best shot for Albion in this game?  That seems obvious.  Track meet, right?  Get out to a lead and bait Wabash into abandoning their ground-and-pound.  Hope that Connor Rice makes a mistake or two.  Be aggressive - you can't stop anyone anyway, so do crazy stuff like blitzing three guys from one side and hope to force a few turnovers.  Much like folks said about the Bell game, something like a pick-six or a blocked punt or a fake field goal for TD is going to have to happen for Albion to keep it close.  Albion can't possibly win a 21-14 slugfest with Wabash, right?  Would have to be a shootout where Wabash makes a mistake or two, gets rattled, forgets who they are and starts trying to throw the ball (presumably, they will not forget this).  ER knows this, certainly, but if something goes sideways early and Albion jumps up 14-0 with that big offense, they should not get lured into trying to make it all up at once.  Just keep pounding it.

This is a fun matchup as far as the first-rounders go.  Wabash's defense is light-years better than anything the Albion offense has seen this year, and I can't imagine that the Albion defense that's been getting torched by the likes of Trine and Kalamazoo is going to find another gear and stop Zurek.  But, the Albion offense is probably at least as good as anyone Wabash has seen this year, maybe even a hair better.  It's a really nice Round 1 matchup for a team with high hopes like Wabash.  The opposition is good enough that it's no bye week, and should keep the kids' attention at practice this week, but ultimately it doesn't feel like Wabash is really in any danger of losing the game.

I'll take Wabash 48-20.

[formerd3db]

Audience or not, I do not think that Albion will beat Wabash.  Indeed, Albion has (in some games) scored a lot of points.  However, while their offense is good, it is able to be shut down/stiffled.  Get them rattled.  Hope was obviously not very good this year, however, Albion only beat us by one point, and almost lost the game at that on the last play of the game-avoiding it only by a poorly executed, failed 2 pt conversion try by Hope.  Albion's total offense for the game was only 392 (239 yards rush and 153 passing), although they did give up 447 total yards to Hope.  Albeit, that is only one game, however, some of their other games against the better opponents showed similar results (Adrian, Trine; although Olivet had their "bad" day against them).

So while Albion has an explosive offense, I just don't see them being able to do that consistently all day against Wabash.  I agree that Wabash is the best team that Albion has faced all year.  But they are not going to score 50 points versus Wabash. And if it is close for some reason at all, I will be very surprised.  Unless Wabash comes out and has "their bad day", I see Wabash winning along the lines that ExTartan mentioned.  Albion might be able to hang with them for a while, but in the end, I sense that Wabash will break it open.   Yet...we all know anything can happen in the playoffs. Not going to happen this time, I believe. 

[wally world]

Best thing about this playoff game is we get to recycle one of my favorite Wabash cheers :

AL-BI-ON ! AL-BI-ON !  AL-BI-ON YOUR GIRLFRIEND!

[formerd3db]

Best thing about this playoff game is we get to recycle one of my favorite Wabash cheers :

AL-BI-ON ! AL-BI-ON !  AL-BI-ON YOUR GIRLFRIEND!

Egads!

[smedindy]

I always heard it as ALBION YER SISTER!

[wally_wabash]

Wabash and Albion played in the first round of this tournament 10 years ago.  This is a fun game to remember- Russ Harbaugh was 34-39 for 360 yards and 3 TDs.  Just a nasty, nasty game from #3.  Also in that game, he broke the NCAC record for consecutive completions, previously held by Chris Creighton.  That record of 17 consecutive completions still stands, btw. 

[sigma one]

I'll try to supply a footnote to what ExTartanPlayer has written.  Although Albion can hold the ball with two 1000 yd + running backs, they are a big-play offense.  On the season they have 24 runs of 20+ yds (10 of them for TDs, with 6 rushes of 40 yds or more:  92, 76, 65, 58, 50, 40).  They also have 37 completions (!) for 20+ yds, including a long of 64.  Kind of an interesting tidbit that they have 3 rushes longer than their longest pass.  They have been over 600 yds on offense, yikes, 4X.
     As EXTP points out, Albion has put up video-game numbers.  Their QB statistically, and in size, reminds me of DPU's Hunt, and he gave Wabash some problems, but he did not have the support to make Wabash really nervous.  Does Albion?
     On the flip side, the Albion defense has surrendered about 32 points per game and has given up 6 TD runs and 15 TD passes of more than 20 yds. The longest of those passes have been 83, 71, 61, 60, 59, 45, 43, 41.
     Wabash, of course, has been dominant all year defensively.  And they have been solid offensively, with yds per game above 460.  Wabash has completed 13 passes of 30+ yds, and they have 10 rushes of 30+ yds.  I think we are so used to the LGs being workmanlike that we might forget they can themselves be explosive.  Wabash has won every game by at least 24 points, 34-10 v. OWU being the closest win. and given up an average of 7 points per game. 
     Wabash will have its hands full with the Albion offense.  I don't care who you are playing that's a lot of yds and points.  On the other hand, I just don't think whatever Albion does defensively has a good chance of slowing down Wabash, unless as has been pointed out the improbable happens. 
     As for the final score:  Last week I predicted 34-17 Wabash win over DPU.  I got the 17 right but was woefully wrong about the 34.  Wabash got 45 and was a half-yd on 4th down inside the DPU 20 from likely going over 50.  So, will it be a shoot out?  I don't have any feel at this time, but Wabash will win--by 24+  ?? 
     

[formerd3db]

Wabash and Albion played in the first round of this tournament 10 years ago.  This is a fun game to remember- Russ Harbaugh was 34-39 for 360 yards and 3 TDs.  Just a nasty, nasty game from #3.  Also in that game, he broke the NCAC record for consecutive completions, previously held by Chris Creighton.  That record of 17 consecutive completions still stands, btw. 

I was at that game as my college teammate/roommate's son was a senior on that Albion team.  I went with him and his wife to the game and, indeed, it was one to remember. Albion couldn't stop Harbaugh.  Beautiful sunny (but slightly cold) day and a decent crowd for a first round game.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wabash and Albion played in the first round of this tournament 10 years ago.  This is a fun game to remember- Russ Harbaugh was 34-39 for 360 yards and 3 TDs.  Just a nasty, nasty game from #3.  Also in that game, he broke the NCAC record for consecutive completions, previously held by Chris Creighton.  That record of 17 consecutive completions still stands, btw. 

I had high hopes when he started at EMU, but am starting to suspect that even he can't resurrect that program.  Not throwing in the towel just yet, but playing ten minutes from the Big House, and with attendance probably below Wabash's average, EMU just might not be redeemable.

[DadofBashWarrior..]

Wabash and Albion played in the first round of this tournament 10 years ago.  This is a fun game to remember- Russ Harbaugh was 34-39 for 360 yards and 3 TDs.  Just a nasty, nasty game from #3.  Also in that game, he broke the NCAC record for consecutive completions, previously held by Chris Creighton.  That record of 17 consecutive completions still stands, btw. 

I had high hopes when he started at EMU, but am starting to suspect that even he can't resurrect that program.  Not throwing in the towel just yet, but playing ten minutes from the Big House, and with attendance probably below Wabash's average, EMU just might not be redeemable.

Don't underestimate Chris Creighton...when he moved to Drake I was very aware of the Drake program as I am an alum...I thought 3 years to turn in a conference championship...I was wrong it was 4 years but then back to back championships...Drakes program was nowhere near as troubled as EMU...His recruiting class last year was ranked middling in his conference...takes time and hard work...the leadership is a given...he will draw great young men that want what he has to offer them...

[Li'l Giant]

I always heard it as ALBION YER SISTER!

That was the 2nd verse. The 3rd was "mother".

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wabash and Albion played in the first round of this tournament 10 years ago.  This is a fun game to remember- Russ Harbaugh was 34-39 for 360 yards and 3 TDs.  Just a nasty, nasty game from #3.  Also in that game, he broke the NCAC record for consecutive completions, previously held by Chris Creighton.  That record of 17 consecutive completions still stands, btw. 

I had high hopes when he started at EMU, but am starting to suspect that even he can't resurrect that program.  Not throwing in the towel just yet, but playing ten minutes from the Big House, and with attendance probably below Wabash's average, EMU just might not be redeemable.

Don't underestimate Chris Creighton...when he moved to Drake I was very aware of the Drake program as I am an alum...I thought 3 years to turn in a conference championship...I was wrong it was 4 years but then back to back championships...Drakes program was nowhere near as troubled as EMU...His recruiting class last year was ranked middling in his conference...takes time and hard work...the leadership is a given...he will draw great young men that want what he has to offer them...

Yeah, I'm still feeling he is the best hope we could possibly have, but often feel it it simply hopeless.  I guess we'd better wait another couple of years.

Our ties to EMU are broad, but shallow.  Mrs. Y got her BA from UM, her MA from EMU.  #1 son went to EMU for two years, then transferred to UM because EMU was not challenging for him (right decision for him).  #2 son went to CC for first two years, then to EMU (right decision for him; he'll graduate this coming year).  I taught at EMU nearly my whole career, then had a VERY unpleasant parting.  All four of us have probably collectively attended 10-12 football games.  (I alone have attended more basketball games than that, all during the Earl Boykins years - THAT was fun!!)

[Pat Coleman]

Attended one EMU game in my life, some Cub Scout outing. After attending games at the Big House, I didn't realize that these teams were supposed to be in the same classification.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Attended one EMU game in my life, some Cub Scout outing. After attending games at the Big House, I didn't realize that these teams were supposed to be in the same classification.

They won't be if the NCAA ever decides to enforce their minimum attendance rule.