FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

Congrats to JCU.  The OAC is becoming more like the WIAC every year. 

Not 'til the bottom 5 show some life.  As Pat, K-Mack, and many posters have stated, the OAC generally has the best top half in the country, but the WIAC is the best top-to-BOTTOM conference.

[reality check]

Congrats to JCU.  The OAC is becoming more like the WIAC every year. 

Not 'til the bottom 5 show some life.  As Pat, K-Mack, and many posters have stated, the OAC generally has the best top half in the country, but the WIAC is the best top-to-BOTTOM conference.

Umm, Heidelberg won a game.  Take that flatline!  The bottom is alive and kicking baby.

[bambord]

Congrats to JCU.  The OAC is becoming more like the WIAC every year. 

Not 'til the bottom 5 show some life.  As Pat, K-Mack, and many posters have stated, the OAC generally has the best top half in the country, but the WIAC is the best top-to-BOTTOM conference.

I've heard the top to bottom argument for several years and accepted it from the WIAC:OAC gurus.  Look at just "in conference" results for the last complete year (2006) and tell me just how clear is that argument?

OAC    2006 Conference Only   W-L   PF      PA
Mount Union                                   9-0   433    73
Capital                                            8-1   310   107
Baldwin-Wallace                             6-3   197   129
Marietta                                          5-4   200   222
Ohio Northern                                 5-4   214   114
John Carroll                                     5-4   201   116
Otterbein                                        3-6   133   247
Wilmington (Ohio)                           3-6   102   257
Muskingum                                      1-8     62   300
Heidelberg                                       0-9     76   363

WIAC   2006 Conference Only   W-L   PF      PA
Wis.-Whitewater                            7-0   273     63
Wis.-La Crosse                               6-1   218   145
Wis.-Stevens Point                         4-3   142   175
Wis.-Oshkosh                                 3-4   133   138
Wis.-Platteville                                3-4   157   180
Wis.-Eau Claire                               2-5   102   145
Wis.-River Falls                               2-5     90   201
Wis.-Stout                                      1-6   115   183

The data was stolen from the D3 website; so, I'm not certain about some suspicious looking numbers.  Finally, I'll bet no WIAC fan would choose to give up a Stagg Bowl Championship and keep the mythical award for having the tougher conference cellar dweller.  Maybe the Stagg Bowl powers that be should play an undercard game between the last place team in each conference representing the Stagg Bowl Championship game.  No! Wait!  The WIAC would probably insist, in fairness, on playing their number 8 team against the OAC number 8 team.   

[Pat Coleman]

And how do those teams perform outside the conference? That's where the measure of a conference lies, after all.

[Mr. Ypsi]

bambord,

Your standings for the OAC and WIAC are totally meaningless - within a conference, for every win there has to be a loss!  D'oh!  ALL conferences will look the same if conference standings are used.

Although, your own data DOES serve to underscore the difference between OAC and WIAC - the score differentials.  The bottom OAC teams were destroyed by 2 to 1 to 4+ to 1 margins; the bottom WIAC team lost by LESS than a 2 to 1 margin.

[HScoach]

I'm as "pro OAC" as anyone, but the bottom of the OAC is terrible.  And the differential between the top vs bottom of the OAC is bigger than the WIAC.  Look at the points for/against for the bottom of the OAC versus the bottom of the WIAC.  The win/loss records are similar as expected, but in many cases the bottom of the WIAC can compete with the top of the WIAC.  That isn't the case in the OAC. 

Now, playing into this moniker as the "toughest conference", the WIAC benefits from the top of the WIAC not being as good as the top of the OAC. 

This has been debated for years, but I honestly believe if you did an OAC vs. WIAC challenge like the Big Ten vs ACC in basketball you'd get a pretty even split in win/loss comparison over the years as a whole.  As I'm very comfortable in saying that the bottom 4 of the WIAC would destroy the bottom 4 of the OAC, but the top 4 of the would beat the top 4 of WIAC. 

[Pat Coleman]

Now, playing into this moniker as the "toughest conference", the WIAC benefits from the top of the WIAC not being as good as the top of the OAC. 

This has been debated for years, but I honestly believe if you did an OAC vs. WIAC challenge like the Big Ten vs ACC in basketball you'd get a pretty even split in win/loss comparison over the years as a whole.  As I'm very comfortable in saying that the bottom 4 of the WIAC would destroy the bottom 4 of the OAC, but the top 4 of the would beat the top 4 of WIAC. 

I don't think so. This gap has tightened significantly in recent years, too.

[bushman]

thanks RC for your efforts.  I really was just curious but  your  efforts are greatly appreciated.   I hope number 64 will be saturday but ONU always plays Mt. to the limits.   coach Paul knows what to do against his former mentor, Big question is does he have the horses?   This ought to be a great game. 

[seventiesraider]

I would have to disagree  and say that BW is the one who has consistently played Mount all out, even in years they were not that good elsewhere. They have given Mount an awfull lot of close games.

[Toph]

Anyone listen to the First Team on Fox?  My new favorite segment is "Small College Ass-Whooping."  Mount has been featured several times, and Defiance College actually sent the show a couple of shirts and other Defiance merchandise.

Maybe the 9 time national champs should send something along.

[HScoach]

Now, playing into this moniker as the "toughest conference", the WIAC benefits from the top of the WIAC not being as good as the top of the OAC. 

This has been debated for years, but I honestly believe if you did an OAC vs. WIAC challenge like the Big Ten vs ACC in basketball you'd get a pretty even split in win/loss comparison over the years as a whole.  As I'm very comfortable in saying that the bottom 4 of the WIAC would destroy the bottom 4 of the OAC, but the top 4 of the would beat the top 4 of WIAC. 

I don't think so. This gap has tightened significantly in recent years, too.

What "gap" are you speaking of?  The bottom or top?

[Pat Coleman]

The gap between the top of the WIAC and the top of the OAC. The WIAC crushes the OAC at the bottom but I think the top portion of the league is getting closer to the top 3-4-5 of OAC.

[Pat Coleman]

For example, I don't think that 2006 Capital vs. 2006 UW-La Crosse is an automatic OAC win.

[OACFB]

In the perfect world the playoffs would include  Mount, Cap, JCU, BW, ONU every year. The problem is the NCAA won't allow that many teams from the OAC or any conference in to the tournament because they know it would be an All-OAC Final. Just like 2002 when Mt and JCU were paired in the Final Four. I just don't think that any other conference in the country can compare to the OAC.

On another note Regis is doing something right with the Blue Streaks cracking the top 25.

Long live Regis...

[fredsdriveinn]

'99 to present Playoff History

40-9   OAC

12-10 WIAC

"Being No. 1 is everything. There is no second place. Second sucks"
OVER THE TOP, 1987