FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[b4uknewit]

70's-- Glad you made it to the game! Hope it brought back some great memories as well. Thanks for the nice words about Jr.  We won't put him up for adoption yet! Enjoy the "The Rest of the Story"     uh -- I mean Season, Good Day~~

[seventiesraider]

Pat-As a coach I know I tell my kids I don't care what the score is if they played their best, yet I know as an athlete I don't want people praising in me as an individual if we didn't win. I've never really supported Larry's dislike for individual recognition during the season but I doubt that the award did anything at all to brighten up Mr Hostetler's week. Perhaps it is the true definition of a left handed compliment.
(PS I'm left handed and I hate that expression)

[reality check]

Seventies

I might be alone here but I always read the POTW report and appreciate when ONU has a guy make the list but  I also recall every time that one of the teams is not getting recognized every week because of LK's preferences.  I neither like nor dislike his logic but it taints the award system because of the voluntary MUC exclusion.  I know there are plenty of week's where the honoree would not get the award if all ten teams were in the running.

[skunks_sidekick]

Toph?  Since when does Otterbein become a big game?  And I was specifically comparing the quarterbacks when they played each other. 

KO HICK - give it up man! 

[Toph]

Since when does Otterbein become a big game?  Since it's not 1994 anymore and Otterbein is competitive.  They did beat Capital, in case you forgot. 

[HScoach]

....but it taints the award system because of the voluntary MUC exclusion.  I know there are plenty of week's where the honoree would not get the award if all ten teams were in the running.

I agree 100% that LK's avoidance taints the award.  It's not true every week, but there have been numerous times over the last 15 years where the OAC Player of the Week is really just the "Best OAC performance by anyone not wearing purple".  As a coach, I completely understand the intention to not single out an individual over the team.  I might be way too old school, but I like the uniforms that don't have the players name on the back, ala Penn State.    I'm a big fan of the old "play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back".

[skunks_sidekick]

Toph - I am not sure why I feel the need to clarify my point, but I guess it's what this board is about.

As to your "competitive" claim concerning OTT, and that it's not 1994, please consider the following.

This year, Otterbein lost to:

Mount - 55-7
ONU - 44-26
JCU - 32-6

Is that competitive?  Isn't it more likely that the Capital game was a fluke, rather than a sign of Ott's rise?

Oh, and their records for the last four years previous to 05:

04 - 4-6 (3-6 conf)
03 - 3-7 (3-6 conf)
02 - 2-8 (1-8 conf)
01 - 4-6 (3-6 conf)

Are they a step above the bottom tier of the conference, I suppose.  But based on their record against the big boys, and their previous four final records, I can't call them a "big game".  The numbers tell a different story.

[ohiofootball]

JK- Congrats! Good luck and safe travels this week.

1 More take from ONU CAP- I don't understand why ONU let the clock run down to 50 seconds before the last field goal. Even if they miss, ONU could have ran the clock out, but it gave the offense less time to work with at the end of the game. Also, the commitment to the run wasn't there. We hardly ever ran it up the gut relying on speed to get to the outside making it easier for the safties to come up and stilll only have 7 in the box.

RC- I agree with award comment. Did the announcers ever say anything about Meadows not carrying the ball in the 4th?

[oldmantoo]

Jorris still gets to do stats enhancement against Muskingum and H'Berg. Not that I think that he is even in the running. Let's talk about this after Week 10 or Week 11 yadda yadda  yadda

I am just trying to figure out what happen to him and the offense the last two weeks.  The defense has been consistently good.  The ONU score only got to 21 beacause of the offense's mistakes, I swear.  The team had been running a 500 or more ypg clip and just died.  Were the ONU and BW defenses that good?  I don't think so.  I was at the ONU game and it seemed to me the MUC offense self-destructed.  The BW game I only got to hear half of the game on the internet and then had to go to a wedding.  I hated to give up my tickets!  But it sure did not sound like the offense did much either with the MUC defense apparently basically shutting down BW.

I just looked at the OAC site and saw what you mean about padding statistics.  Does the Heidelberg defense show up?  They have allowed so many points this season.

I am rambling and I need to get back to work.   

[Toph]

Isn't it more likely that the Capital game was a fluke, rather than a sign of Ott's rise?

Considering that they will most likely be 7-3 at the end of the year with a team that starts (I think) two seniors, I'd say they are on the rise.  You cannot compare any team by saying, "Look what they did against Mount."  Those games will skew any results.  Look what John Carroll did against Mount, then went on to beat Northern by a more than comfortable margin, who then in turn, beat Mount.  You see?
Is losing to Northern by less than twenty really a bad thing?  These guys were a top 5 team, right? 
Against JCU there were flashes (especially in the early going) of immense talent on the offensive side of the ball.  But for great stands by the JCU defense, Otterbein would've had two touchdowns rather than two field goals.
Despite what you may think, Otterbein is a team on the rise, not a fluke.

[joelmama]

Reality Check,

One factor still in Jorris' favor he has to play two really weak teams in the last two weeks whereas the people he is being compared to for OAC QB first team have significantly tougher schedules.

[reality check]

joelmama

I know what you are saying about the padding of stats in the last two games but I think that JCU/CAP has some potential for a big game too.  Phillips or Pentello could end up having bigger games to get their team a W this weekend than Jorris does against the patsies.  I mean if MUC plays like they should/can, then Jorris and the rest of the first team won't be in for the last twenty minutes of the game. 

[HScoach]

Call me crazy, but isn't the MUC QB expected to put up excellent numbers due to the LK system, the quality of the overall team and it's reputation?  It takes more than good stats and play for a MUC QB to get the award.  If Rocky, Jorris and Phillips all end up with similar numbers, then it goes to the one of the non-MUC guys.

Personally, I'm rooting for JCU since that is the only way the OAC gets 2 teams in the playoffs.  I think Cap is the better team, but I'm pulling for JCU.

[Toph]

Hopefully JCU will change your mind this weekend, hscoach.

[formerd3db]

skunks:
Some comments by an "outsider" if I may; some of your point is valid.  On the other hand, I would agree with Toph to the extent that #'s don't always tell the story.  One has to look at the inner structure.  There appears to be a new attitude at Otterbein since Loth took over and they are improving; it has to start somewhere.  Obviously, it will take awhile before they start winning the "big game teams" on a regular basis.  People said that about Northwestern for years, but they are now quite competative (will never be a powerhouse as we all know, nor will MUC always be the powerhouse they've been most likely - many of their supporters have alluded to this too although admittedly, time frame is anyone's guess.