October 17th, 2001 12:00am
"Say it ain't so Joe, --- I mean Bob"
The White Sox scandal many decades ago generated the now famous picture of a little boy asking his Sox favorite "Shoeless" Joe Jackson how he could have done what he had.
They might not be little boys, but there are a lot of fans in Fargo, North Dakota asking the same question of NDSU head coach, Bob Babich. It is not a scandal generating the question, but rather an enormous letdown after losing two straight games. Most fans were able to forgive the loss two weeks ago to North Dakota. Losing to Minnesota State-Mankato, however, was too much to take for some fans. Forget that the Bison played minus three key players. A loss by any other name is a loss - a loss of a game and maybe a chance at playoff contention - or so say some of the Bison faithful.
The "buck" has to stop someplace, and apparently some fans have put it squarely in Babich's lap. Despite the absence of three crucial players, most Bison fans seem to think the Bison should have won. They accusingly point their fingers at Babich for several reasons. The decision to go for a two-point conversion following the Bison's first score and the decision to allow the clock to tick down and try a field goal late at the end of the game are the two issues causing the most commotion.
But those fans are forgetting something important. When it comes to finger pointing you need to make sure of your aim.
Babich's game decisions might be questioned, but his courage cannot. Babich could have turned his head and, as some coaches would have done, ignored the infractions, particularly since they involved critical members of the team. Instead Babich chose to so what many people today claim is not done in college sports. He enforced the rules - self-imposed rules. He did not dodge his responsibility as a teacher and leader even though there clearly was jeopardy in doing so. He made his team well aware that rules apply to everyone, including the top players on the team. As Babich phrased it, "This is an issue of team integrity. Our players know we don't treat anyone differently".
But instead of getting credit for doing something many coaches would not do, Babich now faces an onslaught of criticism.
Some people, however, suggest Babich's move was a calculated action. Thinking the Mankato game might be relatively easy, passing out the penalties last week instead of later when the Bison would be playing more formidable competition (South Dakota State, Nebraska-Omaha and St. Cloud) might seem to suggest that Babich actually was attempting to do the least damage possible while still technically enforcing the team's rules. Babich made it clear in an interview that there was no doubt when the enforcement actions would be taken. "As soon as we heard about it, we suspended the players involved," Babich said.
The criticism of the decisions on the extra points also seems to be misplaced. The decision was simply based on the odds. The combinations of possibilities pointed to going for two points instead of one on a kick. If it had worked no one would care. It did not and now everyone cares. Such is the life of a head coach.
Acknowledging his team's situation Babich admitted, "We are behind the eight ball. We need to take care of business in the next few weeks."
NDSU's eight-ball position is precarious, but it is not a far-gone conclusion it will miss the tournament. Winning out would put the Bison at 8-2, including a win November 3 over region-leading Nebraska-Omaha. Clearly, however, this is a one game at a time situation. The only game NDSU can focus on now is this weekend's homecoming contest against visiting South Dakota State. For the Bison, the playoffs essentially start this weekend. South Dakota State will not make it an easy start.
Second-guessing also is a popular exercise this week in Pittsburg State after the Gorillas blew a 21-0 lead and lost to MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State. Once again a coach, PSU's Chuck Broyles, is the target of the second guessers.
The Gorillas should have learned long before last weekend that a lead on the NWMS Bearcats is no assurance of anything. Four times previously the Gorillas were on top of the 'Cats only to end up on the wrong end of the final score. And so it was for a fifth straight time.
This loss, however, might have been particularly galling. Pitt State had a record-setting crowd at the contest - a homecoming game to boot - and it was honoring its 1991 national championship team. The background was perfect - perfect for a bad surprise.
But as much Pitt State fans might focus on every little thing that went wrong, Northwest faithful can focus on what went right. A "rebuilding" team, as it was dubbed when the season began, has taken on all the characteristics of prior Bearcat units, including the trademark ability to salvage games that most teams would have conceded. As some coaches phrase it, the 'Cats were forced to play four quarters of football, which later this season could give them an edge in the playoffs.
Thankfully the Gorillas probably did not do lethal damage to their playoff hopes, but they probably cannot afford another loss. The Gorillas and 'Cats both must visit currently undefeated Central Missouri, which at this point is tied with the Bearcats for the top spot in the MIAA.
The new regional rankings did not generate many surprises considering the outcome of last weekend's games, but there appears to be at least one ranking that is open for dispute.
Put on your theoretical regional committee member's hat for a moment and consider the following.
You have two teams (A and B) vying for a spot in the top four in a region. Both have one loss, each coming at the hands of the respective team's conference leader. Team A lost to its conference leader by 31 points. Team B lost to its conference's top dog by eleven points.
Both teams have two wins over teams at or near the bottom of their respective conferences.
Team A won its two games by a combined margin of ten points. Team B was its two games by a combined total of 59 points.
Team A has a game average total offense margin of 19.8 yards over its competition. Team B is averaging 102.5 yards more each game than its competition.
Team A has outscored it opposition by a combined margin of 22 points (3.2 pts. per game). Team B has outscored its opposition by 96 points (16 pts. per game).
Team A's opposition has scored as many touchdowns (total of passing and rushing) as it has scored itself. Team B has scored more than double the number of touchdowns of its opposition.
Team A holds a 138-yard total offense combined margin over its opponents while Team B has outgained its competition by a 615-yard margin.
Team A has played two teams with winnings records. It won one and lost one. Team B has played three teams with winning records. It won two and lost one.
Other than a loss to their respective conference leaders, both have played one other ranked team and won.
Team A's opponents' records collectively are 22-22. Team B's opponents are 15-20.
Team A is ranked eight slots lower than Team B in the AFCA's most recent poll and seven slots lower in the D2Football.com poll this week.
So, there you are. You must decide which team should get the final remaining playoff qualifying slot in the region. Which one do you pick?
If you picked Team B you would be wrong according to the committee that actually made this decision. Team B is Bloomsburg. Team A is Saginaw Valley. Team A, however, is number four in the Northeast Region. Team B is on the outside looking in at a view that might not change by the time the regular season ends.
If you conclude that Team B should be in the fourth spot in the region in lieu of Team A don't think the committee members made a mistake. They merely followed the criteria established by the NCAA. If you think there is an error in evaluating teams the error lays with the criteria not the Committee members.
An ill wind must have been blowing through the Pocono mountain region of Pennsylvania where Bloomsburg is located. Not only did it get edged out in the battle for the final spot in the playoff qualifying rankings but also one of its competitor's coaches suggested Bloom might have stretched the rules a bit.
I have to admit to being more than mildly surprised by the story that appeared in the Bloomsburg Press Enterprise quoting East Stroudsburg's coach as suggesting Bloom might have used the school's shutdown a week ago to get more game preparation time. This was particularly an odd accusation when you realize that Bloom's coach, Danny Hale, is the last person anyone should accuse of bending any rules.
Thankfully, there appears to be a significant point the article failed to mention. The story seems to suggest that East Stroudsburg's coach, Denny Douds, brought up the possibility of miss-applying the rules out of the clear blue sky, but apparently during an earlier interview one of Bloom's players, Marques Glaze, said it was easier to focus on the game due to the school's one-week closure due to a bomb threat. With the school closed players who otherwise might have had to miss practice, meetings or film sessions due to class obligations, instead could attend all football related activities. Glaze did not say that his team had more overall practice time or other things that would violate NCAA rules. When during a postgame interview Douds was made aware of Glaze's comment, which was taken out of context, he apparently thought the Bloom player might have admitted using more than the NCAA's allotted time for game preparation Stroudsburg's coach reacted with the remarks quoted in the story.
Although in hindsight Douds probably wishes he would have phrased his statement differently, clearly the background to this story puts his comments into a more acceptable perspective, especially when you consider that his team's 34-7 loss that afternoon probably ended hopes for anything more than playing out the season.
Being at the top of the heap might provide a fine view, but it also makes you the target of those who want to see the world the same way you do. Such is the situation Nebraska-Omaha finds itself in several times before this season ends, including this weekend. Coming off the defeat of North Dakota State, North Dakota hosts N-O this weekend to take aim at the top spot in the North Central Conference and the Midwest Region. This game clearly qualifies as D2's game of the week.
Pitt State gets a chance to regroup when it visits the University of Missouri, Rolla. As some Pitt State fans might phrase it, there's no rest for the wicked (No comments please. This was stated in jest) when Northwest Missouri hosts Truman State.
There is no mercy rule in college, but if there were this weekend probably would be the time to invoke it when Grand Valley hosts Mercyhurst. Grand Valley is a prohibitive favorite in this contest.
Chadron State hosts New Mexico Highlands for what could be an interesting game. Texas A&M-Kingsville should come home with another win after facing West Texas A&M. Fort Valley, however, will have a serious challenge on its hands trying to fend off Tuskegee to hold onto its third spot in the South Region. The game is at Tuskegee.
It is not often that fans get to have any input into anything related directly to the NCAA, but this week you do.
For reasons that will become self-evident in a month and a half, I would like to solicit comments from D2Football.com readers on a very controversial subject - D2 scholarships.
I would like as many of you that care to respond to email your thoughts to me about the following questions.
"Do you think that schools able to use the full 36 scholarships allowable in D2 have an advantage over those teams or conferences which have a lower than 36 scholarship limit?"
Secondly, do you think the scholarship limitation variances have made any difference in the competitiveness of the teams?
To some casual readers these two questions might appear to be roughly the same, but they are not.
Please email me your opinions directly.