FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

The reason they don't play them this year is because the system they used to schedule the teams - not any nefarious doings by Kenyon.

Kenyon I believe had the lowest power ranking and Wabash and Witt had the highest power ranking when they did the schedules, so Kenyon were spared those two teams.

Wabash, as the top power ranking, miss #10 and #9. Witt miss #10 and #8.

The power rankings were (and I think they were set after 2003):

1 - Wabash
2 - Witt
3 - 'Gheny
4 - Wooster
5 - Oberlin (!)
6 - OWU
7 - Earlham
8 - Denison
9 - Hiram
10 - Kenyon

I believe they set the schedules for four years in a row, so this schedule goes from 2004 through 2007.

[Li'l Giant]

Why don't we just have switch opponents on November 5 so that Kenyon and Wabash play? Have Denison travel to Hiram instead of Gambier, and have Kenyon travel to Crawfordsville instead of Hiram. then we solve the problem. 

[wally_wabash]

First, before I talk about how awesome Wabash is, I want to give major snaps to Justin Schafer.  He was limping bad before the game even started and he played a whale of a game on just one wheel.  No way anybody can question how tough that kid is.  Hats off. 

Now, on to Wabash.  The NCAC is down this year.  Big time.  But Wabash is the real deal.  44-10 doesn't even describe how not close this game was.  Dominant on both sides from start to finish, Wabash proved beyond a shadow of a doubt who the best team in this conference is.  Say what what you will about the level of competition, but for six weeks straight Wabash has left no doubt.  450+ for Harbaugh today?  Sick.  The defense gives up just a garbage time touchdown?  Equally as sick.  This is a team that has the potential to advance through at least a couple of rounds in the playoffs. 

But before I get carried away with the playoffs.  It's Witt week.  My message for Witt...you've seen what Wabash has done for six weeks now.  Bring it.  I won't be happy on Saturday unless I see Witt leave Hollett carrying armfuls of their broken spirit.  Pour it on.  Leave no doubt as to who rules the roost in '05.

In other news, I can't believe that I'm going to have to scoreboard watch Kenyon games over the next few weeks.  Hats off to the Lords.  Regardless of what happens the rest of the way, they've done something this year that hasn't been done by a "bottom half" team in as long as most can recall in NCAC history.  Get by OWU next week, and I'd say chisel Stanley's name in on every coach of the year trophy in the nation. 

The only question I have is who's next?  You know who.  This ain't Hiram, fellas.  It's going to be loud and rowdy and insane and relentless on Saturday.  Don't think for a minute Wabash is going to take Witt lightly.  We'll relish beating the Tigers like a dirty rug regardless of what their record might be.  BRING IT.  I love Witt Week. 

[fijidoc]

Just to throw it out there for discussion:  If Kenyon wins out and Wabash wins out(NCAC games only) it seems from what I have heard Kenyon gets automatic bid from conference.  God forbid Wabash falls to Depauw to finish 9-1.  Does Wabash get automatic bid.  Remember that if Trinity wins out they get SCAC automatic bid thus leaving Depauw also with only one defeat.  Do both Wabash and Depauw get in, if not does winner of that game get in thus making it a playoff game?  Hopefully it doesn't matter Wabash wins out and will get bid regardless of what Kenyon does but I get bad feeling that Monon Bell could be winner to playoff type game.

[Pat Coleman]

I assume you mean at-large bid, not automatic bid, for Wabash. I think a 9-1 Wabash would have a good shot at an at-large bid, should it need it.

[BashDad]

Wally, agree with your comments concerning Shafer's gutty performance yesterday.  I also want to give props to the Wooster OL for protecting Shafer so well.  I think a lot of us went into the game at the Papp thinking that our DL and linebackers would be able to get through their Offensive front when Woo was in a passing mode.  Didn't really happen consistently.  They couldn't run against our defense but Shafer sure had a lot of time to wait for one of his receivers to get open.  I'm not complaining about our defensive play, rather saying that Woo's OL did a fine job.

One thing that really left a bad taste in my mouth yesterday was the officiating--it was terrible, so many missed calls:   a ton of very obvious holding calls (right in front of the line judge!) that did not get called, a safety against Wooster that did not get called, mismanagement of the on-field time.  Marred an otherwise beautiful football day, a great football atmosphere.  But it did not affect the outcome--a super and dominating win for the L'il Giants.

WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS!!  Witt is next!!       

[buffettfan1963]

Officiating yesterday at Wooster wasn't any worse than I thought it had been all year.

Regarding the safety, I think if someone "looks it up" they'll find that if the ball hits a player or it goes through the player's hands, like what happened yesterday, the ruling is that the player did nothing to have the ball go behind him. For instance, if Tinsley would have actually caught it, tripped, lost the ball backwards, then yes, he has to get it out of the end zone. But the ball went through his hands and into the end zone at which point he doesn't have to run it out.

The officiating was very bad both ways. There were several holds on both teams not called. We remarked on the radio several times about the calls, both ways, that weren't called.

I do think Wabash is the real deal, but whether Wabash fans like it or not, Witt is good. Murray is the best running back in the conference, hands down and if Holmes is remotely close to okay, he's scary good. And Glover?!? Well anyone watching these games over the past three years knows what he's done about the Lil Giants.  Yeah, they started 0-3 but one was a D1a team, which was a very competitive game.

The Wabash defense is incredibly good, but for the first time this season, they are going to be really, really tested.  As for the offense, yeah, it's good, very good.

The one thing no one in red and white in Crawfordsville should want is a shoot out.  It'll be interesting to see whether Murray can do anything this year, after his huge game last year.

Should be a fun week.

[DarkSide-D]

Welp, Just back from Woo.

Congrats to the Giants, and Good luck for the rest of the season.  I hope Bash puts a huge whoopin on Witt and softens em up a lil for Woo!

I wasn't too impressed with Pynenberg, although I heard his name called a couple times.  I was really impressed with Eric Summers though.   I thought he played hard and made some good plays when Bash needed it.

I also think Wooster played well in the first half.  I thought after the first drive down the field was an indicator for Woo that it would be a great battle.  If we could just erase the second half, I think we all would agree it was a game that lived up to its billing.  Unfortunately, we had to play the second half.  

I thought Wabash was very gutsy all day long.  Going for it on fourth down on the first drive was brave.  I thought our defense responded well in that situation.  However, as the day went on, Wooster's defense just lost too many money down situations.  The onside kick to begin the second half took alot of balls!  I just wish certain ppl on Woos Kickoff return were disciplined enough to wait for the ball to pass before they turn around and run back.  It seriously looked like some of the Woo guys were afraid the ball would hit them on that play.

Schafer played well considering he had a sprained ankle.  In regards to Woos offense, I don't like it.  I am not a coach, and I don't claim to be one.  But for years, Wooster's bread and butter was its run.  Yes, even before Sutton.  Woo had some damn good QBs during those years too, and they complimented the run well.  I am a firm believer you can't win games without running the ball.  Schafer is a great QB, but he needs other tools if he wants to win a championship.  The runningbacks at Woo have seriously impressed me this year.  The last three years, Anderson wasn't even considered an average back.  This year, he has impressed some ppl, including myself.  Sheppard has impressed a number of ppl, including myself.  I wish Woo would use them a lil more.  Granted, Wabashs defense is extremely good, but I believe with Woos line, they could have gotten yards they needed.  Especially when Woo was faced with short yardage situations.

Ummm...What the hell is going on in Gambier?  Congrats to the Lords for beating the Gators.  On the flip side...What the hell is going on in Meadsville?  Have the Gators ever gone 0-fer for this long?  Just imagine Bashers...if Kenyon ties for the championship with the Lil Giants, that title will for ever be tainted for Wabash because you never beat Kenyon.  HAHA...sorry, I had to bring it up.

One last thing,  What happened to you Bashers, none of you showed up at our tailgate?  We would have loved to have you.  Don't worry, you would have been safe, as long as you didnt have anything Michigan on you.  If that were the case, you would have had to answered to JAYNER!!  

[bashbrother]

In any football game there are going to be missed calls.  I was not at the game, but from what I could hear from webcast and from what I could make out from the teamline footage, there were missed calls both ways.  As long as they miss them for both teams, which they did yesterday, know one should have a problem with it.

Teamline by the way.  Great Idea - Terrible execution.  (Very Bad)  Buyer beware on any future games.  I think I may have been able to watch 4 full plays start to finish without buffering delay, and I am on a 6 mb/sec connection.

When I called Teamline, they told me that it was the infrastructure at Wooster causing the problems.  (Typical response from any and all technology companies, Blame someone else.

Schafer is a very tough kid.  Enough said.

Watson is quality and the rest of Woo's D was very tough on the run in the 1st half.  Woo's O-line played very well most of the game.  Their defensive weakness was exposed all game long by a Offensive passing machine and thus the outcome.

Wabash's defense in the Redzone, was one of the quiet keys of the game early.  It was very much like Wabash last time they played in Wooster in 2003, only the other way around, the Bash offense got into the redzone multiple times and rarely came away with point.  Very frustrating in a big game like this one.

Good luck to Wooster the balance of this season.

[BashDad]

Please don't think that my comments regarding the officiating were to suggest that all calls went against Wabash.  I agree, there were missed calls both ways.  It was just bad officiating.

buffettfan1963:
Regarding the possible safety issue, I will look it up.  What I don't understand is how/why a player who reaches for a ball on the 5-yard line, only to have it go through his hands and into the end zone, doesn't have to bring it back out to avoid a safety.  He did reach, he did touch the ball in the field of play first...?  Again, I will study the rules. 

[bagpiper13]

Concerning the automatic bid for the NCAC, I believe that if Wabash and Kenyon finish the season undefeated in conference the automatic bid would go to Wabash due to its non conference play. However, if both teams finished the season 10-0 then Kenyon would get the bid because of the "big ten rule w/ Northwestern." I hope this cleared some things up and please correct me if I'm wrong.

P.S.
Wooster fans, I am not only worried about Witt. and OWU, I am terrified of the loss to Oberlin. Just in case I hope we make sure we have a good excuse for the loss. (ie. Kenyon)

Good luck Bash and Keep rolling Kenyon

[DarkSide-D]

"Wooster fans, I am not only worried about Witt. and OWU, I am terrified of the loss to Oberlin. Just in case I hope we make sure we have a good excuse for the loss. (ie. Kenyon)"

Do you mean a possible loss to Oberlin?  And there is NO excuse for such a loss!

[bagpiper13]

Darkside
"Do you mean a possible loss to Oberlin?  And there is NO excuse for such a loss!"

This is exactly what I mean. It is not so far-fetched is it?
Before the Kenyon game I am sure we would have quoted the same
"no excuse for such a loss" but there were excuses.
1. Weather- for some reason I feel that Kenyon would have been at a great
disadvantage due to the rain/wind because of their spread passing attack. However,
Wooster felt that they were in a bad spot due to the rain when they are the power
running offense. Bad excuse.
2. Schaeffer- Wooster was missing their starting quarterback was what the papers were
raving about, but on the other side nobody was talking about who Kenyon was missing.
Lippert LB, Parker and Shoemaker WR's, Edwards OT. Worse excuse.

I am sad to say if it does happen Wooster will have an excuse and a bad one at that.

[kcreds]

OWU picked up another nice win. Denison played hard and a couple of questionable calls kept them in it but oh well doesn't matter. The Kenyon game looks like a good one now with something on the line. I love games like that. Go Bishops!

Jr.'s high school team has now won 43 regular season games in a row, next one ties state record. Next weeks game is against  the last team to beat them which was in Jr.'s freshman year. I'm sure this info is very trivial to some but I thought it was at least worth mentioning.

[wally_wabash]

If Kenyon manages to go 10-0

...if both teams finished the season 10-0 then Kenyon would get the bid because of the "big ten rule w/ Northwestern." I hope this cleared some things up and please correct me if I'm wrong.

If Kenyon goes 10-0 this season, they can have the AQ.  Giftwrapped and delivered by me personally.