FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[WooClone15]

big game in Granville this week. Would love to see the Big Red pull it off but it certainly will be a tall task.

Big game in Oberlin this weekend too, though for different reasons. If Wooster wants to show progress they really need this game.

[Pat Coleman]

oops, dpu!! 

Not sure they shold have fallen comepletely off the radar. It wasnt a bad loss or a blowout loss. Name recognition is king in some cases with the vast number of teams to try and stay on top of.

You'd have to ask the voters.  UW-LaCrosse is 5-0 and didn't receive one vote this week.  Meanwhile UW-Stevens Point still received 4 votes after losing by 16 at home to UW-Plattville.

This is only an outrage if UWL loses by less to Platteville. The last two sentences here do not contradict each other.

[SaintsFAN]

oops, dpu!! 

Not sure they shold have fallen comepletely off the radar. It wasnt a bad loss or a blowout loss. Name recognition is king in some cases with the vast number of teams to try and stay on top of.

You'd have to ask the voters.  UW-LaCrosse is 5-0 and didn't receive one vote this week.  Meanwhile UW-Stevens Point still received 4 votes after losing by 16 at home to UW-Plattville.

This is only an outrage if UWL loses by less to Platteville. The last two sentences here do not contradict each other.

They may not contradict, but its worth noting..me thinks.

At a glance, I bet folks are in "wait and see" mode with LaCrosse because the schedule is so back-end heavy.

[HCAlum86]

big game in Granville this week. Would love to see the Big Red pull it off but it certainly will be a tall task.

Big game in Oberlin this weekend too, though for different reasons. If Wooster wants to show progress they really need this game.

I still cannot digest that Wooster-Oberlin will be a close game. Scots have to get this W, and I think they will.

[ExTartanPlayer]

big game in Granville this week. Would love to see the Big Red pull it off but it certainly will be a tall task.

Big game in Oberlin this weekend too, though for different reasons. If Wooster wants to show progress they really need this game.

I still cannot digest that Wooster-Oberlin will be a close game. Scots have to get this W, and I think they will.

Wooster gave up 40 points to Allegheny (who has scored 56 total points in their other four games).  It's hard to get a read on whether they're merely "mediocre" or "really bad" because their other four games include three lopsided losses against good-or-better teams and one competitive loss against a pretty good team.  Their competitiveness against DePauw probably bodes well, but still, giving up 40 points to Allegheny means you've definitely got some holes.

Meanwhile, Oberlin is 0-fer but their results aren't appreciably different from Wooster's, with the exception that Wooster beat Oberlin by 9 and Allegheny lost by 5.  Those games are close enough that it doesn't seem that far-fetched for Oberlin to hang around with Wooster.  I think Wooster is a slight favorite against Oberlin, but this is by no means a slam dunk.

[wally_wabash]

Agree with HCAlum here- I don't know that Oberlin can score enough to keep up with Wooster here.  The Oberlin squad that I saw last weekend had some pretty significant problems.  We see Oberlin go through this from time to time, especially in years where they are replacing a multi-year starter at the QB position, which is the case this year. 

Oberlin finishes with Witt, DPU, and Hiram so this game with Wooster is probably their only real shot at avoiding an 0-10 this year.  My lean here at midweek is that Wooster eventually runs away and hides in this game. 

[HCAlum86]

It is only a matter of time before Wooster is good again. Those new facilities are incredible. That, combined with an NCAC degree and great location between Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus will see the Scots rise to a competitive program again soon. Just need the right coach.

[bufordscot]

This Wooster fan can't wait for round-ball season.

[WooClone15]

Yeah, I'm feeling better about the game as the week goes on (mostly due to optimism, not that I've heard anything). Both the Wittenberg (24) and Denison (28) scored over 21 points in a single quarter against Wooster which really took Woo out of it. I don't think Oberlin will do that. I think Wooster is the better team and should win, but I'm not 100% confident.

[HCAlum86]

Woo 31 - Obe 16

Hir 37 - OWU 29

Wab 45- Ken 13

Witt 38 - Den 24

Dep 66 - Agy 17

Look out, these takes are coming in HOT

[aueagle]

My Saturday morning take:
Agree with wally on the Big Red...and as I have said when Denison hired their
new AD...they are building, what can be a very solid football program in Granville.
And to add, the commitment to facilities & individual sports programs with school
& alumni support, the Big Red total athletic program should be outstanding.

Looking at HCAlum86's Hot List...
Way to many points in the HC/OWU game...we're not talking offensive powerhouses here
and, with the game at Selby. Puppy Power over the Bishops in recent seasons will come to
an end today....Red n Black 20 - HC 13 ... "But I'm not 100% confident"

Good Luck to all - Stay injury free
GO BISHOPS

[HCAlum86]

My Saturday morning take:
Agree with wally on the Big Red...and as I have said when Denison hired their
new AD...they are building, what can be a very solid football program in Granville.
And to add, the commitment to facilities & individual sports programs with school
& alumni support, the Big Red total athletic program should be outstanding.

Looking at HCAlum86's Hot List...
Way to many points in the HC/OWU game...we're not talking offensive powerhouses here
and, with the game at Selby. Puppy Power over the Bishops in recent seasons will come to
an end today....Red n Black 20 - HC 13 ... "But I'm not 100% confident"

Good Luck to all - Stay injury free
GO BISHOPS

You might be right! I look forward to a close game between what appear to be evenly matched opponents.

Go Terriers!

[ExTartanPlayer]

Love me some hot takes.

The Hiram-OWU game is very interesting, probably the second best game of the week besides Witt-Denison.  I have a soft spot for struggling teams that make a run, so nobody (well, besides HCAlum86) was more thrilled than me to see Hiram's progress the last two seasons (the 11 wins from 2013-2015 were more than the 10 wins notched from 2001-2012).  Often, a program like this, one that's sort of hovering on the cusp of progress, really struggles if they lose the good coach that was battling to make them competitive, so I was curious to see what would happen...and while Hiram is off to a 1-4 start, I think they've actually held pretty firm.  They had to play three of the four best teams in the league on the front nine, and they were far more competitive in those games than usual - I remember following the stats of the Wabash game and thinking "Gee, Hiram's really giving them some trouble" - and the next week, Hiram led Denison at the end of three quarters.

Meanwhile...Ohio Wesleyan is 2-3, but that also includes a loss to UMHB and two of the league's best in Witt and Denison, games in which they acquit themselves reasonably well (not really UMHB, but they make a lot of teams look bad, including Linfield).  There's still time for OWU to rebound and clear the .500 barrier with a win today, and while I know that 5-5 is not what anyone really "shoots" for, I still think finishing at even-par represents something to build in going into the following year.

Getting this would be especially huge for Hiram because, after Witt next week, the last three are all winnable games and another four- or five-win season could be in sight (5-5, 4-6, 5-5 would be the best three-year stretch since the 80's, I am guessing?  Tallying 14 wins in three years would represent tremendous progress, and it would show that even after losing Randy Moore, there's still some traction; it would also make the outgoing senior class the most successful in a long, long time at Hiram).

aueagle says that we're not talking offensive powerhouses here, and while maybe "powerhouses" is a little strong...the Hiram offense definitely has some players (they've scored 17, 21, and 19 points against three of the league's four best teams; and traditional defensive juggernaut Wabash really had some trouble with them in the first half). 

*Last addition: I don't know why I'm such a Hiram fanboy, but my first collegiate game was a road game at Hiram (CMU@Hiram, 2004) and I have especially fond memories of a 2006 game at Hiram (when it was still a grass field!) that kicked off an incredible season.  For whatever psyschological reason, I've always rooted for Hiram since then.  Go Puppies!

Sorry, aueage and other Bishop fans

[HCAlum86]

Love me some hot takes.

The Hiram-OWU game is very interesting, probably the second best game of the week besides Witt-Denison.  I have a soft spot for struggling teams that make a run, so nobody (well, besides HCAlum86) was more thrilled than me to see Hiram's progress the last two seasons (the 11 wins from 2013-2015 were more than the 10 wins notched from 2001-2012).  Often, a program like this, one that's sort of hovering on the cusp of progress, really struggles if they lose the good coach that was battling to make them competitive, so I was curious to see what would happen...and while Hiram is off to a 1-4 start, I think they've actually held pretty firm.  They had to play three of the four best teams in the league on the front nine, and they were far more competitive in those games than usual - I remember following the stats of the Wabash game and thinking "Gee, Hiram's really giving them some trouble" - and the next week, Hiram led Denison at the end of three quarters.

Meanwhile...Ohio Wesleyan is 2-3, but that also includes a loss to UMHB and two of the league's best in Witt and Denison, games in which they acquit themselves reasonably well (not really UMHB, but they make a lot of teams look bad, including Linfield).  There's still time for OWU to rebound and clear the .500 barrier with a win today, and while I know that 5-5 is not what anyone really "shoots" for, I still think finishing at even-par represents something to build in going into the following year.

Getting this would be especially huge for Hiram because, after Witt next week, the last three are all winnable games and another four- or five-win season could be in sight (5-5, 4-6, 5-5 would be the best three-year stretch since the 80's, I am guessing?  Tallying 14 wins in three years would represent tremendous progress, and it would show that even after losing Randy Moore, there's still some traction; it would also make the outgoing senior class the most successful in a long, long time at Hiram).

aueagle says that we're not talking offensive powerhouses here, and while maybe "powerhouses" is a little strong...the Hiram offense definitely has some players (they've scored 17, 21, and 19 points against three of the league's four best teams; and traditional defensive juggernaut Wabash really had some trouble with them in the first half). 

*Last addition: I don't know why I'm such a Hiram fanboy, but my first collegiate game was a road game at Hiram (CMU@Hiram, 2004) and I have especially fond memories of a 2006 game at Hiram (when it was still a grass field!) that kicked off an incredible season.  For whatever psyschological reason, I've always rooted for Hiram since then.  Go Puppies!

Sorry, aueage and other Bishop fans

Thanks for the kind words! I can assure you, however, 5$-5 I have yet to meet an alumniys who considers Moore's departure a "loss".

It wasn't until Stanford arrived that the program saw any real progress. He's our guy. Focusing recruiting on OH and PA and no longer recruiting as many kids from Florida, especially not ones that aren't a match for the school intellectually.

Let's just say, HC Alumni are looking forward to the Allegheny game.

[aueagle]

ExTartanPlayer...In the words of Ten Bears, "There is iron in your words of death for all Comanche to see,
and so there is iron in your words of life....It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life...
or death. It shall be life"
Good analysis ETP !!!

HC Alum86...Agree with the recruiting territory...There is enough "qualified" talent
in Ohio and Pa (don't forget upstate NY) to make the Terriers a upper division NCAC
squad.

GO BISHOPS