FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[reality check]

If the rest of the JCU recruiting class is of the same caliber as the two young men I know, Ryan Brodie and Casey Schwing, then watch out. They were two of the fastest sprinters in the Portage Trail Conference last spring. I see Tom Arth is new assistant coach.

[rams1102]

I run the NJAC Pick- Em's. I like to have (7) games. Straight and Spread. I've added Fisher @ Mt Union (-17.5). Any thoughts?

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I run the NJAC Pick- Em's. I like to have (7) games. Straight and Spread. I've added Fisher @ Mt Union (-17.5). Any thoughts?

I would say Mt. Union (-35.5) would probably be more fitting.  Not trying to be a jerk, just being truthful.

[frank uible]

Many gamblers would take Riichard Simmons plus 35 1/2 against Godzilla.

[Mr. Ypsi]

And many gamblers would lose.

Last year hscoach had to get MUC's spreads up into the 50s to get anyone to bite, and often-as-not MUC would still cover (sometimes by the half).  It was a running joke that LK had it in for hscoach - for something like 4 straight weeks he was on the wrong side of his own spread by 0.5 points!

I, too, often thought MUC's spread were outrageously large - and I got burned badly.

[HScoach]

I'm planning on setting the MUC/SJF spread in the 28.5 to 31.5 range.   Figuring the final score would be something like 41-14, 48-17, etc.  Unless SJF has gotten a stud QB transfer and a few WR's, Mount will easily cover anything in the 20's range.    Playing with just the guys that were on the roster last season, Mount wins easily.  But you never know what will happen with transfers.  All it takes is one well timed stud and a good team just became great.

As Mr. Ypsi pointed out, we had numerous spreads of 50+ and MUC bit me by a 1/2 point too many times to count.  However last year's team was very senior dominated and the OAC was down as a whole, so they weren't really challenged in the regular season.  This season should be the exact opposite with Mount being very young and the rest of the OAC experienced.

[PurpleSuit]

As Mr. Ypsi pointed out, we had numerous spreads of 50+ and MUC bit me by a 1/2 point too many times to count.  However last year's team was very senior dominated and the OAC was down as a whole, so they weren't really challenged in the regular season.  This season should be the exact opposite with Mount being very young and the rest of the OAC experienced.

so 28-35 point spreads this year?

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Mount Union Regular Season Scores from 2007 and margin of victory:

Averett 75-7  68 pts.
Otterbine 58-14  44 pts.
Muskingum 62-0  62 pts.
Heidleburg 62-3  59 pts.
Ohio Northern 44-0  44 pts.
Wilmington 59-0  59 pts.
BW 35-0  35 pts.
Capital 37-0  37 pts.
JCU 53-0  53 pts.
Marietta 57-0  57 pts.

Average Margin of Victory:  51.8 pts.

I was actually being cautious at -35.5.  MTU has Michelli and Kmic coming back, but lots of newcomers all over the place.  But with the way they have reloaded in the past, combined with LK always playing teams better the more he sees them made me choose the -35.5 spread.

[frank uible]

Is it any fun to beat up consistently on most/all opponents by those margins? It must not be very challenging.

[HScoach]

It's a lot more fun WINNING by those margins than it is LOSING by them

Last year was a bit of an aberration. Most years see a couple good games versus the likes of Capital, ONU, JCU and/or BW.

 
   
2001
Sep.  1 H Allegheny W 52-7
Sep. 15 H Otterbein* W 48-10
Sep. 22 A John Carroll* W 33-30
Sep. 29 H Ohio Northern* W 31-3
Oct.  6 A Marietta* W 47-0
Oct. 13 A Wilmington* W 54-6
Oct. 20 H Capital* W 52-13
Oct. 27 A Muskingum* W 48-7
Nov.  3 H Baldwin-Wallace* W 17-3
Nov. 10  A Heidelberg* W 54-7

                                             

2002
Sep.  7 A Wis-Whitewater W 44-21
Sep. 21 A Baldwin-Wallace* W 28-21
Sep. 28 H Muskingum* W 49-3
Oct.  5 A Otterbein* W 55-0
Oct. 12 H Heidelberg* W 61-0
Oct. 19 H John Carroll* W 35-16
Oct. 26 A Capital* W 38-22
Nov.  2 H Marietta* W 56-10
Nov.  9 A Ohio Northern* W 34-24
Nov. 16 H Wilmington* W 62-0                                             

2003
Sep.  6 H Wis-Whitewater W 40-17
Sep. 20 H Baldwin-Wallace* W 24-0
Sep. 27 A Muskingum* W 58-0
Oct.  4 H Otterbein* W 66-0
Oct. 11 A Heidelberg* W 68-13
Oct. 18 A John Carroll* W 34-16
Oct. 25 H Capital* W 35-7
Nov.  1 A Marietta* W 55-0
Nov.  8 H Ohio Northern* W 55-7
Nov. 15 A Wilmington* W 58-0

                                             

2004 
Sep.  4 A Washington (MO) W 38-0
Sep. 18 H John Carroll* W 55-3
Sep. 25 A Otterbein* W 41-10
Oct.  2 A Capital* W 49-7
Oct.  9 H Wilmington* W 49-7
Oct. 16 H Marietta* W 57-0
Oct. 23 A Ohio Northern* W 41-27
Oct. 30 A Baldwin-Wallace* W 24-7
Nov.  6 H Muskingum* W 34-7
Nov. 13 H Heidelberg* W 59-10
                                             

2005   
Sep.  3 H Washington (MO) W 33-7
Sep. 17 A John Carroll* W 70-0
Sep. 24 H Otterbein* W 55-7
Oct.  1 H Capital* W 42-24
Oct.  8 A Wilmington* W 41-6
Oct. 15 A Marietta* W 59-7
Oct. 22 H Ohio Northern* L 14-21
Oct. 29 H Baldwin-Wallace* W 17-3
Nov.  5 A Muskingum* W 45-0
Nov. 12 A Heidelberg* W 63-0
                                             

2006
Sep.  2 A Averett W 64-7
Sep. 16 A Otterbein* W 71-14
Sep. 23 A Muskingum* W 62-0
Oct.  1 H Heidelberg* W 58-0
Oct.  7 H Ohio Northern* W 49-7
Oct. 14 A Wilmington* W 65-9
Oct. 21 A Baldwin-Wallace* W 14-0
Oct. 28 H Capital* W 38-12
Nov.  4 H John Carroll* W 31-14
Nov. 11 A Marietta* W 45-17

[frank uible]

Sadly it appears Mount Union would have to travel extensively (which is probably foreclosed by economics and/or players' academic schedules) or play opponents out of DIII in order to create a schedule which would produce many more objectively interesting games.

[purple]

Watched a little of practice today. The first unit offense looked really sharp throwing the ball against the first D. However it was also clear Mich would have been sacked a time or two if it had been live. Shorts and Kmic are going to score a lot of touchdowns this year. Mich seemed very much in command of the offense,adjusting receivers and pointing out LB's to the back(s) at the line and spreading the ball around. I think we will see Kmic catching the ball a lot this year and turning short passes into touchdowns. I also think Shorts is as fast as Pierre.  Interesting to see how well BWC has played  the Raiders over the years,thanks HSC.

[HScoach]

From the OAC site:


OAC Football Preview TV Show on SportsTime Ohio

(AUSTINTOWN, OH)--Fans will get a first look at the Ohio Athletic Conference football season on television with the 2008 OAC Football Preview show Thursday, August 21, at 11:30 p.m. on SportsTime Ohio.

The 30-minute show, hosted by Adam Mendoza, will kickoff the OAC's 106th football season with a look at all 10 teams featuring interviews with head coaches and players along with highlights.

Additional broadcasts of the show will be August 22 at noon, August 23 at 6:00 p.m. and August 24 at 2:30 p.m.  SportsTime Ohio is on Mount Union campus TV (channel 84), Time Warner Northeast Ohio (channel 76), DirecTV (channel 657), Dish Network (channel 431) and Massillon Cable (channel 32).  Go to www.sportstimeohio.com to find the complete channel listings.

Purple Raider head coach Larry Kehres and All-American senior running back Nate Kmic (Delta/Delta) will be featured on the show.

That's a half hour of my life that I'll never get back.

Weak.  Very weak.

[SaintsFAN]

I'm planning on setting the MUC/SJF spread in the 28.5 to 31.5 range.   Figuring the final score would be something like 41-14, 48-17, etc.  Unless SJF has gotten a stud QB transfer and a few WR's, Mount will easily cover anything in the 20's range.    Playing with just the guys that were on the roster last season, Mount wins easily.  But you never know what will happen with transfers.  All it takes is one well timed stud and a good team just became great.

As Mr. Ypsi pointed out, we had numerous spreads of 50+ and MUC bit me by a 1/2 point too many times to count.  However last year's team was very senior dominated and the OAC was down as a whole, so they weren't really challenged in the regular season.  This season should be the exact opposite with Mount being very young and the rest of the OAC experienced.

Before I start picking the MUC games, I need to know if you've come to an agreement with LK or not   .. last year was humorous..  I'm glad I didn't pick last year...I'd have been in the bottom 3rd of the standings...which would mean that I'm slightly better than a retard.

[SaintsFAN]

I was actually being cautious at -35.5.  MTU has Michelli and Kmic coming back, but lots of newcomers all over the place.  But with the way they have reloaded in the past, combined with LK always playing teams better the more he sees them made me choose the -35.5 spread.

Kiras, I don't think you need to explain yourself here.  I, like many others, would need to see a spread above 35 in order to consider picking against MUC in the Opener.  I am curious, however, to see what the Thomas More/JCU spread will be.  I just got back from a Thomas More intrasquad scrimmage and I liked the speed and athleticism that I saw..