FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

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wally_wabash

Quote from: sigma one on December 11, 2013, 11:42:39 PM
Wally, jumped in, so I will too.  I agree with everything Wally laid out about this season and prospects for next year.  I'm curious he did not mention the QB situation.  I know he supported Putko this year, and its hard to deny Putko's success at the helm.  I do not think the QB position is solidly his to retain in 2014.  To me, it will be the most important wide open position when camp begins in August.
   

I guess QB didn't quite fit into the questions that were posed, but it's worth talking about here.  I think Michael played well when really pressed into action against Wittenberg (by necessity) and DePauw (by design).  I do also think that there are very good quarterbacks on the roster that will challenge to start.  Rice and Belton, now with a year in the program and a year in the training program will be in play.  Spring and late summer camps will be interesting. 

There will definitely be competition there, but I will offer this for anybody taking bets about who is going to start next season: for all of the hand wringing over Putko this year, and despite ER talking about rotating QBs at the start of the season, there was never a rotation and Putko started every game he was active for and played every game until it stopped being polite to keep your top line guys in a game.  If I'm handicapping the race for the starting QB job in 2014, I think Putko is a clear favorite, but not a slam dunk. 
"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

wally_wabash

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on December 11, 2013, 11:34:56 PM
Quote from: sigma one on December 11, 2013, 11:07:46 PM
I watched Creighton close up during his seven years at Wabash, and he used the same methods at Drake.  I hope he can find the scholarship players at EMU who will appreciate the way he want his players to perform. 
     No doubt, Chris's energy and knowledge will carry him through whatever awaits at EMU.  If he gets the buy in from his athletes, he will make a mark there.

I taught at EMU my whole career; it is a graveyard for coaches.  The ONLY one who had success in the last 40+ years was immediately hired away by Cal (where he flopped).  Based on his rousing success at all three schools he coached, if anyone can win at EMU he seems like a great candidate.  BUT, I doubt anyone can win there.  They are just too overshadowed by the school 8 miles west (UM), who despite falling to mediocrity has still had c. 200 consecutive crowds of 100,000+.  EMU, on the other hand, should have been kicked out of D1 BCS long ago for failing to meet the attendance requirements.  Creighton may find it a shock that EMU draws fewer fans than Drake or Wabash!

I wish Coach Creighton all the luck in the world - he will need it! ;)

Wally, just saw your post - I hope against hope that you are right; but then we'd lose him to a real D1 school anyway! :(

If you can, watch his presser today.  After that, you'll probably wonder how he can't win. 
"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

DPU3619

On the bright side, I think Ron English had EMU headed the right way. He had begun to get the program turned around before he got canned. I don't think this is quite as serious of a rebuild as it is at say W Michigan, Kansas, or FIU, for example. Those are some REALLY uphill battles in terms of talent on the rosters right now.

bashbrother

For those who might want to tune in to CC's Press Conference at Today at 3:00 pm est.

http://www.emueagles.com/showcase/
Why should you go for it on 4th down?

"To overcome the disappointment of not making it on third down." -- Washington State Coach Mike Leach

formerd3db

Quote from: Old Pal Wes on December 12, 2013, 11:00:05 AM
On the bright side, I think Ron English had EMU headed the right way. He had begun to get the program turned around before he got canned. I don't think this is quite as serious of a rebuild as it is at say W Michigan, Kansas, or FIU, for example. Those are some REALLY uphill battles in terms of talent on the rosters right now.

Old Pal Wes:

I understand where you are coming from, however, Mr. Ypsi would disagree with you to a degree and I tend to agree with him.  There are a lot of other factors involved at that place as opposed to just getting a good coaching staff.  I am not knocking CC at all as I think he is a very good coach and hope he does well at Eastern Michigan.  However, they have had good coaching staffs in the recent years and aside from the improvements on the field, there are simply other uphill challenges there in several aspects.  We have discussed this quite a bit in the past over the last few years over on some of the other boards. 

See my recent post regarding a part of this overall topic on our MIAA board.  Anyway, perhaps CC's enthusiasm and his approach can get it in an even newer direction at Eastern, however, it is certainly going to be a challenge.  I really hope he does well.
"When the Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He'll write not 'won' or 'lost', But how you played the game." - Grantland Rice

wally_wabash

I'll try to watch an archived clip of the press conference, but instant twitter reaction is that CC is KILLING this press conference.  24 hours ago people who didn't know his name are all in with the guy.  It's instantaneous.  The man owns the room.  I've never seen anything like it. 

Quote from: formerd3db on December 12, 2013, 03:14:35 PM
Quote from: Old Pal Wes on December 12, 2013, 11:00:05 AM
On the bright side, I think Ron English had EMU headed the right way. He had begun to get the program turned around before he got canned. I don't think this is quite as serious of a rebuild as it is at say W Michigan, Kansas, or FIU, for example. Those are some REALLY uphill battles in terms of talent on the rosters right now.

Old Pal Wes:

I understand where you are coming from, however, Mr. Ypsi would disagree with you to a degree and I tend to agree with him.  There are a lot of other factors involved at that place as opposed to just getting a good coaching staff.  I am not knocking CC at all as I think he is a very good coach and hope he does well at Eastern Michigan.  However, they have had good coaching staffs in the recent years and aside from the improvements on the field, there are simply other uphill challenges there in several aspects.  We have discussed this quite a bit in the past over the last few years over on some of the other boards. 

See my recent post regarding a part of this overall topic on our MIAA board.  Anyway, perhaps CC's enthusiasm and his approach can get it in an even newer direction at Eastern, however, it is certainly going to be a challenge.  I really hope he does well.

He doesn't know any other way, Doc.  EMU hit a homerun today. 

"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

sigma one

Thanks, Wally.  Partly because of your comments as the season progressed I became more of a Putko supporter.  As I've mentioned, it's hard not to recognize Wabash's success with him at QB.  All I meant was that I don't think Putko is automatically to be written in because the LGs were 8-1 with him.  (He missed one game--Allegheny.)  On the other hand, as you recognize, there are a couple of other QBs who have the potential to be significant as Wabash moves forward.  How much of a contest they will make the quest for the starting job will be interesting to watch.  I just think it's the one key position up for grabs that has a starter returning, with Putko's experience giving him an edge right now.  Someone will have to step up to displace him.  We will see.
       

smedindy

#28027
I'm not such a cockeyed optimist that I can't see the issues. My GF knows a lot of people that went to EMU. Very few care. And unlike, say New Mexico State, there are plenty of things that interfere with EMU football. (Though there are other issues why NM State is such a cesspool o' football).

As to Wes' other schools - FIU screwed the pooch big time when it fired their coach and hired Ron Turner. RON TURNER?  I think Western Michigan's young coach may turn out OK. And I'm chortling at Kansas, Charlie Weis and all of that. (Cue Nelson Muntz...) Kansas and Kentucky are probably the two worst BCS jobs.

UAB, UTEP, Southern Miss, Memphis, Idaho and UConn are also in tough spots as well and any coach going there will have issues. Miami of Ohio somehow slid way down as well - for whatever reason. I'd say EMU is traditionally in that tier. And then there's Temple...

If CC can get EMU to bowl eligible in three years, he'll have done a fantastic job and on his way. Just look at what Terry Bowden has done at another MAC mess, Akron. If they would have held on against Michigan they would be in a bowl game.

DPU3619

My point was that there are worse jobs and worse rosters. EMU is bad and that's ok. That won't be the first time he's taken over a program in really bad shape.

formerd3db

wally and smed:

Good comments and I agree (now again, maybe Mr. Ypsi might have a differing opinion on this, with the exception of the choice of CC as head coach because I believe he thinks CC is a good choice also with regard to "the coach" pick).  As I mentioned, I do hope that CC can push Eastern Michigan to that next level.  While English and Genyk had connections and I believe were good coaches, they were coming from completely different backgrounds/situations compared to what CC is.  CC has something that I believe just might give him that extra edge over what they had.  And that is, as you all know, that he has built up other programs that are in an entirely different realm, if you will, so he has that inside extra incentive so to speak i.e. from an "underdog" sense or one that the "nay-sayers" would look at and say perhaps it couldn't be done.  Recall that when he took the Drake program, there certainly was some slight eyebrows raised as to why he'd want to go to that type of genre i.e. the (at that time) D-IAA non-scholarship style.  Yet, those of you who knew him, knew that he would be just the guy who could get it done (if any of all that above attempt at explanation makes any sense ::) ::) ;)).

As Mr. Ypsi has well pointed out in the past (and smeds you have touched on that as well), there is a different mind-set on the EMU campus with respect to football and that is what part of the challenge will be in attempting to get that changed.  Some of it will never change because you have Michigan just down the road and EMU will always be competing for crowds in that regard.  But if CC can get them winning with more consistency, bringing a new attitude, trying to get more of the students interested in the program (again, a difficult task in part as Mr. Ypsi has mentioned due to the large contingent of commuter students there), I see no reason why Eastern can't be successful.

It can be done. While I realize it was in a long ago different era, nonetheless, this was a similar situation at Eastern way back in the mid-late 1980's when Jim Harkema, former Grand Valley State HC and former ALL-MIAA QB at Kalamazoo College :), was at the helm.  There were many people in the MAC (and general public as well) who were calling (very vehemently I might add) for the MAC to kick Eastern Michigan out of the conference (and one of those schools was Central Michigan).  Which is why it was so great to see Harkema and his Eastern Michigan team kick everyone's arse that year in the MAC and win the then California Bowl ("what goes around, comes around" I guess we could say to Central Michigan currently ;D :o ::) :)). 

Anyway, CC will be a fresh boost there and it will be interesting to see who he decides to bring on his staff and/or retain.  I hope they will get better attendance.  It doesn't look good when some DIII teams outdraw a DI program in attendance, although for us DIII'ers, it certainly is neat!! 


"When the Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He'll write not 'won' or 'lost', But how you played the game." - Grantland Rice

formerd3db

Quote from: Old Pal Wes on December 12, 2013, 04:44:03 PM
My point was that there are worse jobs and worse rosters. EMU is bad and that's ok. That won't be the first time he's taken over a program in really bad shape.

I understand and know what you mean.  I was just trying to add to the conversation in that there are some other "actual non-football" behind the scenes issues at EMU that do not have anything to do with rosters, players and coaching staffs. Mr. Ypsi used to teach there at EMU for a long time, so he knows a lot more than most of us know about the situation (although I have somewhat followed that program for a while, yet certainly do not know the "insides & outs" like Ypsi does.)
"When the Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He'll write not 'won' or 'lost', But how you played the game." - Grantland Rice

bashbrother

#28031
Even though it is Eastern Michigan,   In a few years,  CC will have gone from coaching in front of 5,000 at Hollett Little Giants stadium to coaching in stadiums of 70,000 +.   EMU played in Spartan Stadium (75,000) in 2012 and Beaver Stadium at Penn State (107,000)....  which is pretty darn cool if you ask me.  Sure they are money games for EMU and they end up getting beat badly.

In 2014,  the Eagles visit the Swamp to play Florida (9/06) and head back to Spartan Stadium to visit MSU (9/27)   

Just may have to head up I-75 to catch that Gator game.

He will succeed at EMU....  EMU did hit a homerun.
Why should you go for it on 4th down?

"To overcome the disappointment of not making it on third down." -- Washington State Coach Mike Leach

formerd3db

Quote from: bashbrother on December 12, 2013, 05:11:35 PM
Even though it is Eastern Michigan,   In a few years,  CC will have gone from coaching in front of 5,000 at Hollett Little Giants stadium to coaching in stadiums of 70,000 +.   EMU played in Spartan Stadium (75,000) in 2012 and Beaver Stadium at Penn State (107,000)....  which is pretty darn cool if you ask me.

In 2014,  the Eagles visit the Swamp to play Florida (9/06) and head back to Spartan Stadium to visit MSU (9/27)   

Just may have to head up I-75 to catch that Gator game.

He will succeed at EMU....  EMU did hit a homerun.

I believe he will and that will translate into "more b_tts" in the stands!".  I agree with you too about the experience for the players playing in games like that - see my post regarding Eastern's attendance figures this year over on our MIAA board.  Even though they played in front of crowds the size of our DIII schools in both our conferences, the EMU players played in front of some huge crowds at away games this year, like you mentioned for last year and, of course, next year and that alone is a fantastic experience, even if you get mauled regarding the score, IMO.
"When the Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He'll write not 'won' or 'lost', But how you played the game." - Grantland Rice

bashbrother

Interesting and maybe telling that EMU's scout.com page doesn't even mention the coaching change.

http://easternmichigan.scout.com/
Why should you go for it on 4th down?

"To overcome the disappointment of not making it on third down." -- Washington State Coach Mike Leach

Mr. Ypsi

IF Coach Creighton can achieve the miraculous and bring EMU up to at least mediocrity, attendance will improve somewhat (I've attended games with 10,000+ in years past), but it will never be all that good (or fill the 30,000 stadium).  Too overshadowed by Michigan, too few students on campus on Saturdays, and too little community support.

Every few years EMU plays a game at the Big House; when Charlie Batch was their qb, EMU even scored for the first time in four tries! ;D  I haven't seen a UM or EMU schedule far enough out to know if they'll play again, but probably.