FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[HCAlum86]

Hiram will have a helmet change this season, which I like. Just wish we would've done it in unison with a uniform change.

https://twitter.com/bkeckriddellguy/status/1166651912206409734?s=21

[wally_wabash]

It's a little more difficult each year to get into the playoffs if you lose a game. There are more teams in contention for playoff spots it seems, and more teams that can upset a conference's apple cart.

Not to say the elite aren't the elite, but below that elite tier there's more decent teams that can screw up a league's playoff coronation.

Really, though, it's much better for the NCAC to have a non-Witt non-Wabash get into the playoffs.

Yes and no.  Denison's story was great last year and I know their tournament draw was bad (probably should have been Hanover in Alliance), but 0-60, even against Mount Union, is not better for the NCAC.  The last two NCAC wins in the postseason were OT wins against Thomas More (Wabash 2015, Witt 2016).  Since that last win, NCAC teams have lost 37-9, 35-7, and 60-0 in the tournament.  That's a trend that has to get reversed. 

[HCAlum86]

It's a little more difficult each year to get into the playoffs if you lose a game. There are more teams in contention for playoff spots it seems, and more teams that can upset a conference's apple cart.

Not to say the elite aren't the elite, but below that elite tier there's more decent teams that can screw up a league's playoff coronation.

Really, though, it's much better for the NCAC to have a non-Witt non-Wabash get into the playoffs.

Yes and no.  Denison's story was great last year and I know their tournament draw was bad (probably should have been Hanover in Alliance), but 0-60, even against Mount Union, is not better for the NCAC.  The last two NCAC wins in the postseason were OT wins against Thomas More (Wabash 2015, Witt 2016).  Since that last win, NCAC teams have lost 37-9, 35-7, and 60-0 in the tournament.  That's a trend that has to get reversed.

Sans Allegheny and Witt's national championships, was Witt's 2009 run the best an NCAC team has done?

[sigma one]

In both 2002 and 2011 Wabash advanced to the national quarter finals, losing both final 8 games to Mt Union.  In 2002 the score was 45-16; in 2011, 20-8.  Both games were played in Alliance.  Mt Union won the national championship in 2002; UW Whitewater defeated them in 2011, for a Warhawks 3-peat.   

[Dr. Acula]

In both 2002 and 2011 Wabash advanced to the national quarter finals, losing both final 8 games to Mt Union.  In 2002 the score was 45-16; in 2011, 20-8.  Both games were played in Alliance.  Mt Union won the national championship in 2002; UW Whitewater defeated them in 2011, for a Warhawks 3-peat.

As someone who was in attendance I can attest that the 2011 game was one painfully boring game.  Injuries to the starter and backup forced Kevin Burke into the game as a freshman 3rd stringer before halftime.  He attempted 4 passes in 2+ qtrs as the two teams engaged in a rock fight.  LK took the air out of the ball w/ the lead and the two teams just punted it back and forth for the most part.  Not very entertaining to say the least!

[sigma one]

i, too, attended the 2011 game.  I never (well just that once) leave a Wabash game early.  But I got into my car with about 4 minutes remaining to drive back to Indiana.  It was LK v. Raeburn, a family get together.  Wabash did have a really good defense that year.  They absolutely mauled the starting QB on most pass attempts in the first half.  Hence, the entry of Burke and LK's conservative approach in the second half.  He had the lead, and was surely looking ahead when he put his offense into a shell. 
     The previous week Wabash defeated what most believed to be a heavily favored North Central team; maybe the most thrilling game I ever watched in Little Giant stadium.  Down 21-0 at halftime, Wabash won 29-28 on a late two-point conversion when the NC defensive back tipped a pass right into the hands of the Wabash receiver at the end-zone sideline.  That was the game in which at halftime a Wabash player, Kyle Najar, made famous a riff on the mantra Wabash Always Fights by standing up and saying to the team "Always Means Always"  His words echo in Wabash lore to this day, having become a footnote to WAF.   

[Dr. Acula]

i, too, attended the 2011 game.  I never (well just that once) leave a Wabash game early.  But I got into my car with about 4 minutes remaining to drive back to Indiana.  It was LK v. Raeburn, a family get together.  Wabash did have a really good defense that year.

The defenses appeared miles ahead of the offenses that day.  It felt like two offenses praying for a broken play miracle of some kind in the second half.  That was the Piloto/Seaman QB year for Mount so Burke or not they weren't scoring a lot on Wabash regardless.

[Li'l Giant]

Hiram will have a helmet change this season, which I like. Just wish we would've done it in unison with a uniform change.

https://twitter.com/bkeckriddellguy/status/1166651912206409734?s=21

They need to go back to the one that had the terrier's head on the side.

[Dr. Acula]

Hiram will have a helmet change this season, which I like. Just wish we would've done it in unison with a uniform change.

https://twitter.com/bkeckriddellguy/status/1166651912206409734?s=21

Thumbs up from me.  I love white helmets.  Clean look.

[HCAlum86]

Hiram will have a helmet change this season, which I like. Just wish we would've done it in unison with a uniform change.

https://twitter.com/bkeckriddellguy/status/1166651912206409734?s=21

They need to go back to the one that had the terrier's head on the side.

I hated those, personally. Though I am not a fan of our Terrier logo to begin with - much too benign lol.

My dad loved those helmets too, though and I know a ton of alumni appreciated them as well.

As game week approaches, I keep hearing more and more good things about Marietta, which is discouraging. We will be extremely lucky to escape our first 4 games at 1-3. Talk about front loaded.

[MUC57]

Hiram fans

I don't like the new helmets but who cares? I don't like white helmets and I don't like the angle of the "HC". There's my 2 Pfennigs.
However; I will be in attendance on September 14 when the Terriers take on Wittenberg. Mount has a bye, and since we're close, I'll be there. Was up last year as well, and the year before that, and ............!
Best to Hiram on the year. Would really love to see a winning season.
So, in conclusion, I'll just say - Go Terriers!   

[wally_wabash]

Hiram will have a helmet change this season, which I like. Just wish we would've done it in unison with a uniform change.

https://twitter.com/bkeckriddellguy/status/1166651912206409734?s=21

They need to go back to the one that had the terrier's head on the side.

I hated those, personally. Though I am not a fan of our Terrier logo to begin with - much too benign lol.

My dad loved those helmets too, though and I know a ton of alumni appreciated them as well.

As game week approaches, I keep hearing more and more good things about Marietta, which is discouraging. We will be extremely lucky to escape our first 4 games at 1-3. Talk about front loaded.

Indeed, Marietta is going to be a big challenge for the Terriers.  Last year the Pios won their front six. While they finished 1-3, John Carroll needed two 4th quarter TDs to win, and B-W walked off a 30-28 win with a 42 yard FG.  They had a real chance to win 9 games last year. Coach Waddle has done really solid work there as HC. 

[Li'l Giant]

I like white helmets, but I wouldn't mind seeing Wabash break out a red helmet.

[formerd3db]

FWIW from this outsider, I'm with LG and MUC;  I liked Hiram's previous helmet with the Terrier logo.  Something different and reminded me/similar to the Northern Illinois, Kent State, Iowa, Western Michigan, etc.

Now that being said, this may sound strange or perhaps contradictory.  I usually am a traditionalist and old-school.  As such, I like the traditional single letters on helmets and, thus, would like to see my Hope go back to the old Yale or Brigham Young type font for our H that we had for decades, including way back in my playing days (except for my senior year.)  I usually also don't like change so, in that regard, I like to see schools keep their "forever" old-school logos forever i.e. U of Chicago's C, Michigan's winged helmet, (and Princeton's return to the same, Penn State and Alabama's traditional helmets, Northwestern's purple helmet with the traditional N,  Wabash's and Wittenberg's Ws, etc. to name a few. However, I don't exactly like the style of lettering for Hiram's new block HC logo, which Olivet went to similarly as well.

Finally, I am not against white helmets and while I liked Alma's maroon helmets with the White A for years (before they went to that transitional color scheme one for the recent 4-5 years ago), it is neat to see them return to their former white helmets of years ago that Coach Couch has changed to last year in his first year a head coach.  Likewise, like L'l Giant not minding seeing Wabash have a red helmet also, I'd like to see Hope add a second helmet going back to their even older one, the white one like Auburn's (and get rid of the orange helmets we have now with the anchor! Or better yet, let's have all three, like many of the the DI schools have (the trend that Oregon started), yet we all know that is not monetarily feasible at DIII schools! 

One final comment, if I may (and which many of you may think I'm crazy and/or have already thought that for years ). At one time, way back in my senior year at Hope, when it became clear the overwhelming (majority) choice was to change the helmet log for that year, my submission was for having either Hope's anchor or a pair of Dutch wooden shoes, both options in orange for the decals on our navy blue helmets and either of those logos in the position such that the anchor tips or the tips of the wooden shoes were like the wings on Michigan's helmets!  How's that for weirdness?

Anyway, good luck to everyone's teams for the openers next week.  Seems strange not playing a game on Labor Day weekend after these past several years.  Go Hope! (and, for MUC57, go everybody! )   

[MUC57]

Formerd3db

You got it, Doc. Go Hope and Go Everybody!