FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[GRIZ_BACKER]

Assuming Bash, Witt, and Denison win out what is the tiebreaker in the NCAC?  At least Bash back in the conversation as they were all but written off before the win in Ohio over Witt.

But the early buzz is that a three-way tie breaks in favor of Denison (though that doesn't jive with my interpretation of the tiebreaks as of the last time I saw them published).  So we'll see.

Me thinks the NCAC might want to revisit the wording of their tie-breakers. I'll give them 2 choices actually. 1- make it clear and concise or 2 - call it what it is... a "dark pool"

If all 3 teams win out then the tie breaker is critical.  Denison has to win the tiebreaker or else.  Assuming they do then Bash goes on head to head against WITT if another team is selected from the NCAC.  WITT appears to be out unless they or BASH win the tiebreaker. 

[wally_wabash]

Pretty big happenings in the league this weekend now that we have tri-champion possibilities. 

Wooster at Denison - It's Lantern week and Denison is coming in red hot.  Final home game for this Big Red senior class which happens to include their GOAT.  It will be interesting to see how Denison responds to real, actual, tangible pressure.  I know there's one more game left with Kenyon, but in reality this right here is the game for hats and tshirts. 

Witt at OWU - OWU's defense is pesky.  How is Wittenberg going to respond after last week's loss to Wabash?  Wabash is far from out of the woods in this 2018 regular season, so Wittenberg should not let themselves get off the gas here.  If Wabash stumbles, Wittenberg is right back in the tournament.   Oh, and they play for a skull in this game, which is always cool. 

Allegheny at Wabash - Oh man, you guys.  This is the trappiest of all trap games.  Wabash is coming off of an emotional win on the road against rival Wittenberg.  They're back home with a chance to maybe exhale.  Oh and this Saturday happens to be sandwiched right between the two biggest games of the year for Wabash.  Any chance Wabash can put the Monon Bell out of sight this week?  Nope.  All of the extra stands and accouterments are all around the Hollett so there is literally no way to not be aware of what is coming next Saturday.  As great as the Wabash staff did last week to go into Springfield and win, they might need to be even better this week to keep the team grounded and focused on a dangerous Allegheny team.  The Gators have playmakers all over the place and if we don't see that great defense from last week again this week, the LGs will be put under some serious stress.  I'm confident this team is focused and going to finish the deal, but this is definitely not a time to relax.  WAF. 

[sigma one]

Kudos (and thanks) to Adam Turner for his well-written, sensitive piece on Wabash football in the aftermath of the Evan Hansen tragedy.  Adam sums up the emotional turmoil on the team and in the coaching staff as the Little Giants celebrate Evan's life while dealing with their own raw feelings.
     I'll add this:  do you want some BBQ sauce with your crow, sigma one?  I've been sometimes critical of Wabash's play and of the staff's effectiveness.  All things considered--again nicely presented in Adam's column--this has in all sorts of ways been a remarkable season so far as the team has worked through their grief and continued to hold together.   Whatever happens in the next two games Wabash should be proud of its young men and coaches for their performance under the most trying circumstances.

[Fear the Poet 63]

I dont follow this conference closely, so excuse my ignorance if it shows its ugly head. It appears that BJ has turned that thing around and Im sure this weekend is a huge one for his Gators

Im very happy for him and his family. Best of luck to him and the team this weekend

[wally_wabash]

I dont follow this conference closely, so excuse my ignorance if it shows its ugly head. It appears that BJ has turned that thing around and Im sure this weekend is a huge one for his Gators

Im very happy for him and his family. Best of luck to him and the team this weekend

Allegheny is light years away from where they were three seasons ago.  Not a big surprise to Wabash fans, but Coach Hammer has done fantastic work there in a very short period of time.  Tomorrow is a very big deal for both Wabash and Allegheny and I expect a tough, gritty game in C'ville. 

[Li'l Giant]

I dont follow this conference closely, so excuse my ignorance if it shows its ugly head. It appears that BJ has turned that thing around and Im sure this weekend is a huge one for his Gators

Im very happy for him and his family. Best of luck to him and the team this weekend

Allegheny is light years away from where they were three seasons ago.  Not a big surprise to Wabash fans, but Coach Hammer has done fantastic work there in a very short period of time.  Tomorrow is a very big deal for both Wabash and Allegheny and I expect a tough, gritty game in C'ville.

Light years is a great way to describe it. What BJ has done in Meadville is amazing. I have a buddy here in SA that played at Gheny and we do a friendly lunch bet every year on this game. I'm sweating this one, tbh. Not that anyone loses when we eat wings for lunch, but I'd prefer not to pick up the tab. 

[old wabash]

no game day notes? WAF...means no let downs!!

[wabashcpa]

Good 1st half, Wabash up 34-10, awesome 98 yd run by Avant for the latest TD.  Tempers a bit hot on both teams after a Gator cheap shot on a punt return late in the half, and an Allegheny player DQed (different kid) after the play.  Even BJ came down from the press box to make his opinion known!  So no let down so far, and I don't see one coming after that turn of events.

[wally_wabash]

Trap game, shmap game. 

[wabashcpa]

Trap game, shmap game.

You had it right, Wabash appears to have found their mojo.  Good for those kids, proud of them and happy for them.  Keep it going aginst DePauw, see if a playoff berth is on the horizon.

[firstdown]

Good 1st half, Wabash up 34-10, awesome 98 yd run by Avant for the latest TD.  Tempers a bit hot on both teams after a Gator cheap shot on a punt return late in the half, and an Allegheny player DQed (different kid) after the play.  Even BJ came down from the press box to make his opinion known!  So no let down so far, and I don't see one coming after that turn of events.
[/quot It was not a cheap shot.  The player who was back to catch the punt feigned  the catch to let the ball roll in the end and pretended to catch and run with the ball.  The Allegheny player thinking he had the ball  and tackled him.  It was a legit tackle with the fake.

[CollegeGolf18]

He was not acting as if he had the ball. He was looking up into the air. It wasn't KCI, but it was hitting a defenseless player. Stroh was looking straight up in the air.

[wally_wabash]

Good 1st half, Wabash up 34-10, awesome 98 yd run by Avant for the latest TD.  Tempers a bit hot on both teams after a Gator cheap shot on a punt return late in the half, and an Allegheny player DQed (different kid) after the play.  Even BJ came down from the press box to make his opinion known!  So no let down so far, and I don't see one coming after that turn of events.

It was not a cheap shot.  The player who was back to catch the punt feigned  the catch to let the ball roll in the end and pretended to catch and run with the ball.  The Allegheny player thinking he had the ball  and tackled him.  It was a legit tackle with the fake.

You can review the play here. 

You'll get a good replay at 1:48:22.  Stroh is decoying by acting out the catch of a punt, not in the midst of acting out an actual return.  I don't know the specific rule here, so I can't say for sure whether or not the play was technically legal.  I can say that the play was bush league.  That's very much the kind of intent-to-injure play that the keepers of the game are trying to get out of the game.  That wasn't heads up.  That wasn't tough.  That was bush league. 

[smedindy]

I concur. The refs should have flagged the hit.

[83 Little Giant]

Kudos (and thanks) to Adam Turner for his well-written, sensitive piece on Wabash football in the aftermath of the Evan Hansen tragedy.  Adam sums up the emotional turmoil on the team and in the coaching staff as the Little Giants celebrate Evan's life while dealing with their own raw feelings.
     I'll add this:  do you want some BBQ sauce with your crow, sigma one?  I've been sometimes critical of Wabash's play and of the staff's effectiveness.  All things considered--again nicely presented in Adam's column--this has in all sorts of ways been a remarkable season so far as the team has worked through their grief and continued to hold together.   Whatever happens in the next two games Wabash should be proud of its young men and coaches for their performance under the most trying circumstances.

Like Sigma One, I too have to recognize that I did not appreciate the impact of the events surrounding the loss of Evan Hansen.  The team definitely performed differently than in their first two games with the Denison game being their nadir.  At that point, I thought we had seen a permanent shift in the quality of Wabash football.  I was wrong and I am proud that the coaches and team pulled themselves together in such a fashion.  An awesome win at Witt was backed up by a dominating performance vs BJ and the Gators.  A few weeks ago, I thought we would be lucky to beat the Dannies for the Bell and mid-pack pride.  Now, it looks like the Dannies are headed for a big can of whoop ass.