FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[bluestreak66]

old wabash was right! This board is dead. I know Wally Wabash is busy with really important stuff, like who will be in pool c, how will the brackets be set up, etc.
But where is everyone else? Do the words "Monon Bell" ring a bell? (Oops, I just realized what I said)!
Anyway , does it take an old Mount Union guy to stir up some chatter on this board?
I guess I wish we had a game like this. We don't, so l'm over here. Good luck to both teams and be injury free!
I'm done. I've spoken my piece. IT'S YOUR TURN!

I'll help get the convo going! This is one of the best rivalries at any level of football after all!
I expect Wabash to end DePauw's at large hopes on Saturday. They have one Stephan Shipman (a John Carroll guy) on their coaching staff, so the Blue Streak DNA will get them over the hump! 

MUC57, doesn't our game this weekend mean anything to you? Do we concern you so little?



wounded 

[GRIZ_BACKER]

old wabash was right! This board is dead. I know Wally Wabash is busy with really important stuff, like who will be in pool c, how will the brackets be set up, etc.
But where is everyone else? Do the words "Monon Bell" ring a bell? (Oops, I just realized what I said)!
Anyway , does it take an old Mount Union guy to stir up some chatter on this board?
I guess I wish we had a game like this. We don't, so l'm over here. Good luck to both teams and be injury free!
I'm done. I've spoken my piece. IT'S YOUR TURN!

A DePauw win might garner a Pool C and possibly a game with Franklin?  Lot of intriguing possible match-ups.  I am going to assume a trip to Witt or IL Wesleyan is in store for Franklin. Thomas More loss over Labor Day weekend cost the Griz a home date IMO.

[MUC57]

bluestreak66

C'mon! Don't even go there! Every game is important to us. Just one reason the Raiders do so well. The Monon Bell game has been a special event for many years. We are very much looking forward to Saturday's game. We owe you one. I think Saturday will not be a good day to be a JCU fan.
Just hoping.
Go Purple Raiders!!!!!!!!!!

[bluestreak66]

bluestreak66

C'mon! Don't even go there! Every game is important to us. Just one reason the Raiders do so well. The Monon Bell game has been a special event for many years. We are very much looking forward to Saturday's game. We owe you one. I think Saturday will not be a good day to be a JCU fan.
Just hoping.
Go Purple Raiders!!!!!!!!!!

Everyday is a great day to be a Streak! 

[wabndy]

Just took delivery of the monon bell branded swag for the local telecast party this Saturday. Hope the college is not trying to tell me something by sending me a case of fidget spinners that double as bottle openers.

[Breckenridgebear]

Even the conversation on this board seems flat this year. I am an old man; did I miss something? Did everything move to some other social media? Surely we are not Fair weather fans! I can't even find the Monon Bell board this year! (Autocorrect said"moan on bell")  I'm praying this is just a down year and not the end of the glory days!

The "moan on bell" Board is alive, but not as lively, under General Football. When Dabash has a horrible coaching staff and a mediocre team, the Monon Board, like the whole Debash experience, isn't as exciting. 

[Wabash1]

Good luck men of Wabash! Play hard like you always do! WAF!

[ohiofan1954]

Pardon if this has already been mentioned but the Wabash - DePauw game is being televised on Fox Sports Central. I just set up the machine.

[wally_wabash]

Haven't had a ton of time this week to deep dive on the Monon Bell game tomorrow, but here's my condensed #hottake.

- Wabash's best games this season beat DePauw's best games this season, particularly in the post-Labus part of the season. 
- Wabash's average games this year are nowhere near as good as DePauw's average games this year. 
- Ergo, if Wabash gets an effort equivalent to their games against Denison and Wittenberg, Wabash should win the game.  Anything else, like the kinds of games that got Wabash beat by OWU and nearly beat by Hiram, Wooster, and Allegheny will get Wabash beat, probably by a wide margin.  The tolerance for below average strategy in this game simply isn't as high as it was in those other games. 
- Gargantuan red flags here abound for Wabash.  The thing Wabash does best (run it) is the thing that DePauw defends best.  And the thing that you can expose DePauw on (throwing it) is the thing that Wabash has been really not great at.  The strength/weakness things here all line up for DePauw. 
- Wabash is super susceptible to the long ball and I expect DePauw to try and exploit that.  If Wabash doesn't get after Lasky and interrupt long-developing pass plays, Wabash is in major trouble.  Andy Hunt isn't gonna get covered for 5+ seconds routinely (or ever).  I think Wabash has to bring the heat on Lasky relentlessly all day.  Make them run it or make them throw short...but the long passes have to get short circuited somehow. 
- While Wabash will need the Isaacs to be fantastic, I do think somebody else is going to have to score to win the game.  Penola, Jones, Buresh...somebody else is going to have to be involved or else Wabash will get bottled up and frustrated. 

There's a lot of challenges tomorrow for Wabash.  Not real stoked about coming into this game against Lynch/Dietz seven days after giving up a zillion yards and 41 points, but we've seen a really good defense out of Wabash this year.  We know it's there.  It just needs to get off the bus tomorrow. 

Wabash 28, DePauw 21

WAF. 

[firstdown]

Neither team can have the type of slow start that they both had against Allegheny.  DePauw can't come out and play like they did against Witt, or they will suffer the same fate.  Wabash needs to play like they did against Witt and keep the game under control.

Both teams were susceptible to the Alex Victor and the long ball.  Oberlin has to worry about him tomorrow, but he isn't in the Bell Game. 

Finally, if Wabash plays good defense tomorrow and displays some of the passing skill they showed last week, Wabash goes home with the Bell.  If not, the Bell stays in Putnam County for another year.

[MUC57]

Wally Wabash, et al

I'm sure you haven't forgotten this is a rivalry game. Forget the records, if I were betting, I'd take Wabash. I think games like this are where tradition raises it' s head. That, I think, has to go to Wabash. Every year, I know the Little Giants will be in contention for NCAC titles and, hopefully, for a national title.
Wally, you would probably analyze this better, in fact, you already have. But I am entitled to my opinion. So there!
DePauw who?
I said it before and I'll say it again. Be big Little Giants!!!!!!!!!

[Little Giant 89]

I am counting on the defense to have a strong game tomorrow and to avoid the big play that has burned them both in wins and losses this season.

The real questions are on the offense:

If the Ikes come through,
If Penola gets some significant touches,
If we get a big game from  Ra'Shawn Jones, 

If those things happen, the bell comes home to Crawfordsville tomorrow.

[Breckenridgebear]

DePauw by 21.

[cave2bens]

All analysis aside - susceptibilities to long balls, turnovers, running games, defense "getting off the bus - ready," I'm actually thinking along the lines of "karma."  How fun would it be to see one of the post-game custodians boot through a winning three-pointer ala Haverkamp a few years back?  Definitely a year to recall - blocked field goal to self for TD, the downer of a bungled bell snatch, and then winning the game on DePauw's pitch while mopping up Bear's peanut shells and GOK what else.   

[1837Tigers]

Expanding on a point made by several of my friends in red earlier - this is an interesting matchup.  As Coach Lynch pointed out, there are 30 statistical categories - and DePauw is better in 15, same # for Wabash.  Bounces and moxie will count for a lot tomorrow, I think.

As far as I'm concerned, the night before Monon Bell is like Christmas Eve was as a kid -- you know something fun and hopefully special is coming tomorrow, and there's the potential for great joy or disappointment.  Our two schools are so lucky to have this.