FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

Congratulations on another sterling performance by the NCAC.

Nothing but class all the way.  The rest of the MUC crowd has to love having you around. 

Is Wittenberg really the best team in your conference?

Depends on who you ask.  According to the NCAC's tiebreak system, yes.  According to people who vote in things like D-III polls, no.  The 32 best teams aren't always the ones who make the playoffs. 

Maybe you should try to schedule a game with Heidelberg, although that would not be a sure win.

If you'd have done just a little research, genius, you would have found that Heidelberg did play and LOSE to resident NCAC powerhouse Oberlin this season. 

Now crawl back under your rock. 

[BashBacker#16]

Are the NCAC post season awards this week?  Last year they were announced on the 22nd.

My guess:

Coach-of-the-Year = Fincham
O MVP = Murray (I would not be surprised to see Co with Huff - his numbers were outstanding)
D MVP = Pynenberg - probably should have won it last year, he should get it this year
Newcomer = Huffman

D3 posted the playoff records by conference and at least the NCAC is in double digits with 10.  Some of those other conferences are pretty gross - I can't believe the MIAA has 0.

[Superfoot Wallace]

Let me handle this one wally.  Wouldnt want you wasting good venting and insults on any nonWitt guys here.  

Ill take that academic card over the athletics card any day of the week.  It is division three and if you argue contrary to this youre a fool who wasnt good enough to go somewhere in the Big Ten or at least the MAC for free.  Hell yeah Ill take that multiplier added to my scores for law school and medical school admissions.

As for the shellshock Witt displayed against Cap, really didnt see it in this game. The game wasnt decided until late in the fourth this time, where it has been over before half the last three meetings.  Witt looked like they might be in control early in the third and going into half.  As an alum, was proud of what those young men accomplished and will accomplish with their degrees from an academically superior program.

At least our true rivals from the OAC placed a gaggle on the ESPN CoSida Academic All Region team.

As far as the cohesiveness and preparation, Witt is operating under the direction of two young, very young coordinators, and think it is a testament to their worth the imporvement they showed from week one of the regular season to week one of the playoffs.  Think there were some questionable calls, standing on the gas a bit too much with some of the blitzes in the second half, and too little downfield passing until it was a must, but the Tigers did well to bring the wood on every play.

So, until the national player of the year awardfor division three is named for somebody in your program , let alone your conference, or the national player of the year award for all divisions is named after a historical figure from your conference, well just be sowing grass on the stomping grounds that produced Woody Hayes and...

help me out here wittfan, more wins than who?

[wally_wabash]

Agree with your selections in general, BB16.  IMO, Huff was the best offensive player in the league this year, but Murray is probably due for some kind Ron Dayne-like career achievement recognition.  I wouldn't have a problem with Murray winning the Gregory Award, particularly with Huff still having a season left to play.  Can we etch Huff's name on the 2007 award now?   

Note:  I should be clear that I'm not saying Murray isn't deserving.  He had a stellar year.  I don't think you can go wrong by awarding the Gregory to either of those two players. 

[Li'l Giant]

I think those are all locks. Fincham, Murray, Pynenberg, and Huffman.

[uknowme2]

I think those are all locks. Fincham, Murray, Pynenberg, and Huffman.

My sources tell me all of the above are correct.

[HScoach]

What I'd seriously like to know is what has happened to Witt the last few years?  It wasn't that long ago that I hated seeing Witt in the playoff bracket because you just KNEW they were going to give MUC a serious battle. 

And the Witt/Cap match-ups were announced I was wondering what in the world Coach Collins was doing sending his Crusaders to get drilled by Witt in week 1.  Now in hindsight, Capital's program has taken huge strides forward and Witt backwards.

What gives?

[smedindy]

BB16 - of course those are the standings in the recent iteration of the playoff system. As you know, Albion won the title back in the day.

[Pat Coleman]

The conference hasn't won a playoff game since, however.

[Superfoot Wallace]

The older Tigers point to former President Kennison and the move from the OAC to the NCAC.  Outside of Alliance, at least for the rest of division three, great success comes in cycles.  After a five year drought as conference champions things look on the upswing for the Tigers.

Dont know where I would rate this years Witt squad with former NCAC champions, but the agreement with the UAA demonstrates follow through on Kennisons original vision for academic athletics.

Many thought/think the UAA scheduling agreement hurts the conference, but the success of CMU, a UAA member, shows that there can be a happy marriage between academics and athletics.  Just think the cycles of success are somewhat more intermittent when academic expectations are raised.

[BashBacker#16]

Smeds,

My point exactly.  Albion hasn't been the same since Schmidt was up there.

[BashBacker#16]

Macleod,

Are you concerned about Witt now that this large senior class is leaving?  Just to start, without Murray and Harmon on each side of the ball, that team has a completely different look.  Huffman will have to progress (a ton) and they have some huge holes to fill.  My only point is that I am not sure you can say "they are on their way back up."

Am I missing something?

[wally_wabash]

I think you could see Witt making a charge back to the nation's elite within the next recruting cycle.  A couple of things that I think have contributed to the Witt slip in the last five years:

- Losing the OT game to Wabash in '02.  Coming in to that game, for 4+ years Witt didn't lose to anbody outside of the OAC and that usually didn't happen until December.  When Witt stepped on the field with somebody, they KNEW they were going to put a beatdown on the other team.  That OT field goal destroyed an awful lot of Tiger swagger that I haven't seen since.

- Asst. coaching carousel...I can't help but believe that the constant rotation of assistant coaches and coordinators has hurt the Tigers over the last handful of years.  They've got two younger guys at the coordinator spots now, and if they can stay put for a while, I think Witt will find some traction. 

[Superfoot Wallace]

BB16,

Think the guys you list will be sorely missed.  Excellent talents, along with a lot of experienced players on both lines.

The thing is a program is more than the aggregate of the players.  The whole is greater than the sum of its parts and Witt is starting to find that whole again, something that was missing during the conference championship drought this go around.

Our previous drought came at the expense of Tigers who functioned as a whole but just werent quite able to get over the hump of Allegheny.  This last drought stank of rancid meat, from tranfers to losing, to just plain not putting up a fight.

Think the two coordinators are the reason to expect a continued upswing.  Each has gone out and learned or tried something different than simply implementing the playbook as it was at Witt during their playing days.  That being said, Witt needs to continue building its coaching ranks.  Two coordinators and a head coach dont make a complete staff.

Not predicting Witt to win the next conference title, but not expecting them to lose it either.  Think there were some bright spots besides the seniors, especially freshmen.  Think there were some major players in this years class besides Huffman.

Running back isnt the concern that would be expected losing a 4000 yard career rusher.  Part of this is due to the capable role players this last season in the backfield, but partly large chunks of the traditional Fincham motion I scheme were missing this year and years past.  Expecting the return of toss sweep left toss sweep right?  No, but expect the Tigers to hit the offtackle a little more downhill.

The log schemes evidenced to me on Wittfans sight work well with the pistol and gun stuf, expect these to continue to develop.  Havent seen too many pistols with so little fly or rocket motion, but expect this formational development is just that - a development - an addition to what the coaches already are capable of implementing.  Expect a return to the tandem threat in the run game, just dont know if it will be two set backs or a set back and the quarterback.

Huffman would look awful nice under center with a threat from an upback balancing a deep I back.  But those offset backfields really tilt flank and allow Huffman to get into space, whether looking to pass or run.

The benefit reaped from all these formations and situational calls were the emergence of sooo many receivers seeing significant minutes and catching balls.  In the past, before Aljancic and Co., you couldnt look at Witt and say shut that guy down and the run games all thats left.  Dont know if there was ever a 1000 yard receiver under Neibhur - and Fincham was his offensive coordinator.

So, in conclusion, think "yes" things are looking up in Springfield.  But expect the rest of the conference to toe the line and improve as well.  More parity this year in the NCAC, top to bottom, than can be remembered.  Were we actually concerned about Kenyon getting the AQ?  Does Oberlin win not just ever or once in a season, but with regularity?

Think recruiting and offseason enthusiasm is bolstered by this years campaign, not to mention virtually leading the ESPN CoSida Academic All Region team.

[formerd3db]

Are the NCAC post season awards this week?  Last year they were announced on the 22nd.

My guess:

Coach-of-the-Year = Fincham
O MVP = Murray (I would not be surprised to see Co with Huff - his numbers were outstanding)
D MVP = Pynenberg - probably should have won it last year, he should get it this year
Newcomer = Huffman

D3 posted the playoff records by conference and at least the NCAC is in double digits with 10.  Some of those other conferences are pretty gross - I can't believe the MIAA has 0.

I assume you mean "0" since Albion's 1994 National Championship at the Stagg Bowl.