2010 NCAA Playoffs: North Central Bracket
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North Central (Ill.) Cardinals
| Seed: | No. 1, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 5, Week 11 2010 |
| Location: | Naperville, IL |
| Enrollment: | 2167 |
| Stadium: | Bendetti-Wehrli Stadium (5500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | CCIW |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | John Thorne (Illinois Wesleyan '69) |
| Career record: | 77-21 (.786) |
| Base offense: | Spread |
| Base defense: | 3-4 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 3-4 (2005-08) |
| Championships: | None |
| How they got here: | Pool A, CCIW champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Either Jordan Tassio or Nick Kukuc can put together 80-90 yards
on the ground and Matt Wenger doesn't have to make every stop. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They can't get loose for big gains in the passing game and the
other team rushes for triple digits. |
| This season's turning point: | After going three-and-out three times in a row and watching
UW-Eau Claire trim a 10-0 third-quarter lead to 10-3, the Cardinals
put together two 60-plus-yard scoring drives to take a 20-3 lead
and held on four plays from the 6 to force a Blugolds field goal
after a North Central fumble. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 222.6/198.8 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 52.6/166.5 |
| How far can they go? | The home field suggests they can get past UW-Whitewater (if
they get past the second round). Don't let the seedings fool you
here. |
UW-Whitewater Warhawks
| Seed: | No. 2, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 1, Week 11 2010 |
| Location: | Whitewater, WI |
| Enrollment: | 8857 |
| Stadium: | Perkins Stadium (13500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | WIAC |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Lance Leipold (UW-Whitewater '87) |
| Career record: | 52-3 (.945) |
| Base offense: | Multiple pro |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 23-6 (1988, 1990, 1997, 2005-09) |
| Championships: | 2007, 2009 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, WIAC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | No matter who gets the ball in the backfield, they're finding
plenty of running room and the secondary is limiting the opposing
passing game. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The kicking game has come on after a slow start, while the
secondary has yet to really receive a playoff-level test and that
could start early in the bracket. |
| This season's turning point: | Matt Blanchard answering the offense's biggest question by
completing 76 percent of his passes in each of the first two
games. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 297.0/215.0 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 47.5/160.4 |
| How far can they go? | All the way. |
DePauw Tigers
| Seed: | No. 3, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 21, Week 10 2010 |
| Location: | Greencastle, IN |
| Enrollment: | 2237 |
| Stadium: | Blackstock Stadium (4000) |
| Playing surface: | Grass |
| Conference: | SCAC |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Robby Long (Illinois '02) |
| Career record: | 16-4 (.800) |
| Base offense: | Pro multiple |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 0-1 (2009) |
| Championships: | None |
| How they got here: | Pool A, SCAC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Quarterback Michael Engle is hitting several different receivers multiple times. While All-America Alex Koors (and his 1,080 yards this season) is the obvious downfield favorite, the Tigers are at their best when players like Brayden Dahlstrom, Nathan Evans and Colin Doran are getting at least three catches, keeping the opposing defensive backs guessing and the linebackers on their heels. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | DePauw isn’t able to put some distance between them and their opponent before the half. The second quarters of Tigers games have been the best for both the offense (121 points scored) and defense (39 points given up) all season. The games in which they haven’t been able to stretch out their lead early have wound up being nail-biters -- something that often doesn’t turn out as favorably in the elite postseason as it does in conference play. |
| This season's turning point: | May still be ahead of them, at least they should hope. DePauw coasted through what was arguably a down year for the SCAC. Two of their toughest games, in fact, came against nonconference opponents Adrian and Wabash, the latter of which crushed the Tigers 47-0 this past weekend. DPU’s turning point is one of two things: the demoralizing Monon Bell shutout or how well they bounce back come Saturday and respond to the lessons from that game. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 99.7/286.5 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 129.1/186.3 |
| How far can they go? | Not very. Maybe not even out of the state of Indiana. |
Ohio Northern Polar Bears
| Seed: | No. 4, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 7, Week 11 2010 |
| Location: | Ada, OH |
| Enrollment: | 2545 |
| Stadium: | Dial-Roberson Stadium (3500) |
| Playing surface: | Grass |
| Conference: | OAC |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Dean Paul (Mount Union '90) |
| Career record: | 51-19 (.779), 91-31 overall |
| Base offense: | Multiple spread |
| Base defense: | Multiple 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 3-2 (1999-2000) |
| Championships: | None |
| How they got here: | Pool C |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Kyle Simmons is able to get out and run from his quarterback
position and, when forced to punt, Ohio Northern uses it to win the
field position battle. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The defense can't get off the field on third downs and gives up
long, methodical drives, while the offense can't give the defense a
rest. |
| This season's turning point: | Bouncing back from the scoreless blip against Mount Union to
score 35 or more in every other game. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 211.6/183.7 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 138.9/165.4 |
| How far can they go? | Not at all inconceivable for Ohio Northern to get to Naperville
and do what it did last September. |
Wittenberg Tigers
| Seed: | No. 5, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 9, Week 11 2010 |
| Location: | Springfield, OH |
| Enrollment: | 1842 |
| Stadium: | Edwards/Maurer Field (5000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | NCAC |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Joe Fincham (Ohio U. '88) |
| Career record: | 136-30 (.819) |
| Base offense: | Pro set |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 19-11 (1973, 1975, 1978-79, 1988, 1995, 1998-2002, 2006) |
| Championships: | 1973, 1975 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, NCAC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The dual running backs combine for more than 100 yards and
opponent has to resort to the short passing game to replace the
shut-down run. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They're playing on the road, where their margin of victory was
just five points, one of them in overtime. |
| This season's turning point: | The season seemed to turn many times, with each survival of a
tough road game against an opponent that should have been
overmatched on paper. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 164.2/305.1 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 78.0/133.9 |
| How far can they go? | Last year Wittenberg started the playoffs with Mount St. Joseph
and Trine. This year, the OAC runner-up. There's no quarterfinal
run this time around. |
Trine Thunder
| Seed: | No. 6, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 12, Week 11 2010 |
| Location: | Angola, IN |
| Enrollment: | 1300 |
| Stadium: | Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium (5000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | MIAA |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Matt Land (Ball State) |
| Career record: | 38-15 (.717) |
| Base offense: | Spread |
| Base defense: | 3-4 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 1-2 (2008-09) |
| Championships: | None |
| How they got here: | Pool A, MIAA champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | They spread the ball around and quarterback Eric Watt doesn't
have to finish the game. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They can't move the chains and the opponent dominates time of
possession. |
| This season's turning point: | Trine blocked an Adrian extra-point attempt late in the third
quarter to keep its lead at 17-13 and scored a touchdown on its
very next possession to keep the Bulldogs at arm's length in the
Thunder's only real test of the season. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 268.1/247.3 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 103.1/164.0 |
| How far can they go? | One win is possible, but not two. Trine will find UW-Whitewater
is not like UW-River Falls, if it gets the chance. |
Franklin Grizzlies
| Seed: | No. 7, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 24, Week 11 2010 |
| Location: | Franklin, IN |
| Enrollment: | 1018 |
| Stadium: | Faught Stadium (2500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | HCAC |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Mike Leonard (Hanover '84) |
| Career record: | 57-27 (.679) |
| Base offense: | Run and shoot |
| Base defense: | 3-4 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 2-2 (2007-08) |
| Championships: | None |
| How they got here: | Pool A, HCAC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | They force the other team to make bad decisions in the passing
game and avoide special teams letdowns. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They settle for field goals instead of touchdowns and get into
a shootout. |
| This season's turning point: | Blowing the doors off eight consecutive opponents after losing
to Carthage 30-27 in the opening week of the season. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 169.4/316.1 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 59.8/168.4 |
| How far can they go? | Not very. Beating Carthage would have helped avoid this
first-round matchup. |
St. Norbert Green Knights
| Seed: | No. 8, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 24, Week 11 2007 |
| Location: | De Pere, WI |
| Enrollment: | 2019 |
| Stadium: | Donald J. Schneider Stadium (2500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | MWC |
| Preseason ranking from Kickoff: | |
| Head coach: | Jim Purtill (Miami, Ohio '78) |
| Career record: | 107-20 (.843) |
| Base offense: | Multiple pro |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 1-8 (1989, 1999, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2006-07) |
| Championships: | None |
| How they got here: | Pool A, MWC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The starting offensive line plays as many snaps as possible and
gets just enough rushing yards to keep the opposing defenses
honest. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Rob Berger doesn't have time to throw and the defensive line
gets worn down by the opposing offense. |
| This season's turning point: | A 30-0 run to close the game in a 37-13 win against Ripon that
put the Green Knights back in the driver's seat in the conference
race. |
| Rushing/receiving yards per game: | 216.0/223.2 |
| Rushing/receiving yards allowed: | 134.58/176.8 |
| How far can they go? | Well, it's not a bad drive down to Naperville and back, at
least. |
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