FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[sjfcards]

Does anyone know if JCU typically has a video feed for their home games? So far, I have not seen any hint of it online (the Fisher SID is usually pretty good about that). This Fisher fan is bummed he can't make it to JCU for the game, but a video feed would help.

[boobyhasgameyo]

I already asked that question a few pages ago.  The answer was yes, they typically do have a video feed. 

[mr_mom]

Time again for the OAC Post-Season Pick-Em.  The slates are wiped clean; all players are welcome.

Round 1 games are worth 1 point each; round 2 = 2, and so on.  The final round will include a number of 2-point side bets.

Good luck everyone (even to FCGrizz!  )

[HScoach]

Question for those who saw the MTU vs. JCU game.

Did Mount Union go vanilla in the second half on Offense as they had the game in hand, or did JCU make adjustments to shut down (as much as giving two more TDs is shutting down) the offense?

I believe LK was apt to not show too much on offense towards the end of the season so playoff opponents had less to work with, so I am wondering if that tradition continued.  Harder to do this year with Heidelberg, BW, and JCU at the end of the season.

I'm no so sure Mount went vanilla in the 2nd half as much as I thought JCU changed their defensive game plan.   For most of the 1st half JCU set in their base 4-3 defense and played straight up with only a few blitzes mixed in.   The 2nd half was a ton of blitzing from all angles and it took Mount a while to adjust.   If Mount went conservative in the 2nd half with their play calling, it sure didn't seem like it as Burke was flushed out of the pocket numerous times in the 2nd half.   In my mind, "going conservative" would have been a steady dose of BJ Mitchell and very little passing, but that isn't what I remember.   

The difference in the 2nd half was 3rd down conversions.   Mount was 6 for 6 in the first half, but only 2 of 7 in the second half.   In my opinion it was their poor performance here that let JCU back in the game.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Good insight, HScoach.

Sometimes "getting stopped on two straight series" gets confused for "going vanilla" when these are not the same thing.  Thanks for fleshing it out.  If they were still throwing the ball and running similar plays to the first half, that isn't going vanilla but just getting stopped.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Good insight, HScoach.

Sometimes "getting stopped on two straight series" gets confused for "going vanilla" when these are not the same thing.  Thanks for fleshing it out.  If they were still throwing the ball and running similar plays to the first half, that isn't going vanilla but just getting stopped.

I didn't get "confused".  I was not able to see the game live, or via replay on STO, so I was asking the opinions of those who were able to see the game.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Good insight, HScoach.

Sometimes "getting stopped on two straight series" gets confused for "going vanilla" when these are not the same thing.  Thanks for fleshing it out.  If they were still throwing the ball and running similar plays to the first half, that isn't going vanilla but just getting stopped.

I didn't get "confused".  I was not able to see the game live, or via replay on STO, so I was asking the opinions of those who were able to see the game.

KJ Dad, sorry, wasn't directing that at you.  I know you had asked a question because you weren't there.  This was more of a general observation, something I've observed in the stands and when watching games with others.  When the team with the lead gets stopped twice in a row, their own fans suddenly say the coach has just gotten too conservative with the play calling, regardless of what's actually happening on the field.

If anyone is a wrestling fan, it's kind of like when a kid holding a two-point lead in the third period gets called for stalling just because he hasn't taken a shot in 10 seconds.  It wasn't stalling in the first period, it's only called now because he has the lead and time is running out.

[mtfan]

HSCoach,
Check the PM 

[emma17]

-The Mt bracket.  Johns Hopkins, the #2 and Hobart are in the same category- great record but who did they play.  Mt put 55 up on Johns Hopkins last year- that's the #2 team in the Mt bracket.   Perhaps Wesley will show they are back to national contender form.  My darkhorse for the Mt bracket is Wittenberg. 

Curious what you mean by the darkhorse for the bracket being Wittenberg.  Do you mean darkhorse as in they could could make a deep run in the bracket or darkhorse meaning they could give Mount a challenge in the second round? 

I could see them pushing Mount Union harder than most teams have historically done in the second round, but I'm not ready to buy Mount going out that early.  Had you asked me to say that in the first couple weeks of the season, I wouldn't be that confident.  But the team has really come together over the past month or so and I'm grateful that they've had two big games heading into the playoffs with Heidelberg and John Carroll. 

Without those two games in the regular season and the relative experience of the team as a whole, I could have seen this being a year where Mount hadn't been challenged and didn't know how to respond when someone stood toe-to-toe with them.  I think they've learned that here at the close of the season.

I predict Mount heading back to Salem, but for some reason I can't seem to go all-in on the defense yet.  It seems like they have been unable to get that knock-out blow to ice a game before the last few minutes and teams can get back into a game.  Franklin, Heidelberg, and John Carroll could have all been less exciting games if the defense had come up with a timely stop or turnover in the third quarters or even early fourth quarters.  Amazing to think that's my concern given the state of things at the beginning of the year! 

I'm left now saying the team can score with anybody, but wondering if another team will be able to come up with that crucial stop against Mount, instead of Mount coming up with that crucial stop.  Maybe I'm getting caught up in comparing Mount Union present to Mount Union past and not to other teams.

Thanks for asking.
I mean "dark horse" from the perspective of a team in the bracket that perhaps isn't thought of as a team that could present a serious challenge to the best in the bracket (which is Mt).  IMO they could easily be the #2 in the bracket. I don't predict a Witt victory over Mt, but I suspect they will be a tougher out than Mt's historical second round opponents have been. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the toughest game in the bracket.

I realize it seems hypocritical for me to question Hobart and JHU due to their softer schedules and then give credit to Witt- given their softish schedule.  I know seeding is set based on current year performance but I'm a big believer in looking at a team's/program's past performance to inform current projections. Wabash has not been a championship team, but they certainly have proven to be a team that can play with most any team. Wittenberg really handled them a couple weeks ago and I think that says a lot more about Witt's strength than it does Wabash's weakness.

Sorry for the long answer. Bottom line-they should be a much tougher out than the typical second round opponent Mt has faced- unless they get beat in the first round and really prove me to be a fool. 

[pumkinattack]

Hobart and JHU have had soft schedules.  I don't know JHU as well, but know the CC enough to know it ain't great nor is the LL.  For Hobart, I can point to the fact that many of these kids played against top 3 Wesley (very close in Delaware) two years ago and won two games including a very convincing win over Witt last year and suggest that given that much of the key personnel is still around that they can play up to better competition (whatever that means).  If you assume JCU would lose to MUC (and they made it close, but after it sounds like they played prevent in the second half), then they point to Heidelberg as their best win.  I don't know if that's nearly as meaningful as some might ascribe given that they still haven't won a big one and really were a let down compared with expectations last year in the playoffs. It's probably a better reg season win than what Hobart has, but I don't know if one good game proves much.  It's just one data point, but hardly something that ought to inspire certainty.

No offense taken about Hobart's schedule.  I wish they had a 10th game like when I played and the league has been down since really 2008, but I think they'll prove to be pretty tough when push comes to shove. 

[Desertraider]

Question for those who saw the MTU vs. JCU game.

Did Mount Union go vanilla in the second half on Offense as they had the game in hand, or did JCU make adjustments to shut down (as much as giving two more TDs is shutting down) the offense?

I believe LK was apt to not show too much on offense towards the end of the season so playoff opponents had less to work with, so I am wondering if that tradition continued.  Harder to do this year with Heidelberg, BW, and JCU at the end of the season.

The difference in the 2nd half was 3rd down conversions.   Mount was 6 for 6 in the first half, but only 2 of 7 in the second half.   In my opinion it was their poor performance here that let JCU back in the game.

Not that this needs my validation but that is exactly what I noticed. It wasn't necessarily that Mount wasn't converting 3rd downs but why they weren't converting. I saw dropped balls on 3rd downs whereas in the 1st half they were being caught. I agree 100% that Mount let them back in with poor performance. They just didn't execute in the 3rd quarter.

[Craft_Beermeister]

Mount Union's opponent this weekend Washington and Jefferson will be without starting quarterback  senior Matt Bliss, who was knocked out for the season with a concussion in the first quarter of the last Saturday's game against Waynesburg.  Freshman Pete Coughlin is scheduled to get the start Saturday against Mount.

W&J head coach Mike Sirianni who played on Mount's first national championship team in 1993 is known as a great developer of collage QBs similar to his former coach LK, but Mike has his work cut out for him this weekend in getting his freshman quarterback ready for the Mount Union defense.

[raiderguy]

Mount Union's opponent this weekend Washington and Jefferson will be without starting quarterback  senior Matt Bliss, who was knocked out for the season with a concussion in the first quarter of the last Saturday's game against Waynesburg.  Freshman Pete Coughlin is scheduled to get the start Saturday against Mount.

W&J head coach Mike Sirianni who played on Mount's first national championship team in 1993 is known as a great developer of collage QBs similar to his former coach LK, but Mike has his work cut out for him this weekend in getting his freshman quarterback ready for the Mount Union defense.

GEEZ?  Hasn't anyone there tried smelling salts or something??? Knocked out for the season? Wake the guy up for gosh sakes!

[mr_mom]

Mount Union's opponent this weekend Washington and Jefferson will be without starting quarterback  senior Matt Bliss, who was knocked out for the season with a concussion in the first quarter of the last Saturday's game against Waynesburg.  Freshman Pete Coughlin is scheduled to get the start Saturday against Mount.

W&J head coach Mike Sirianni who played on Mount's first national championship team in 1993 is known as a great developer of collage QBs similar to his former coach LK, but Mike has his work cut out for him this weekend in getting his freshman quarterback ready for the Mount Union defense.

I read this and rushed over to the OAC Pick-Em to see if I could surreptitiously change the spread, but too many folks have put in their picks already.  Makes me think back to poor Trinity in 2002.

[SaintsFAN]

Mount Union's opponent this weekend Washington and Jefferson will be without starting quarterback  senior Matt Bliss, who was knocked out for the season with a concussion in the first quarter of the last Saturday's game against Waynesburg.  Freshman Pete Coughlin is scheduled to get the start Saturday against Mount.

W&J head coach Mike Sirianni who played on Mount's first national championship team in 1993 is known as a great developer of collage QBs similar to his former coach LK, but Mike has his work cut out for him this weekend in getting his freshman quarterback ready for the Mount Union defense.

I read this and rushed over to the OAC Pick-Em to see if I could surreptitiously change the spread, but too many folks have put in their picks already.  Makes me think back to poor Trinity in 2002.

Really wish Waynesburg finished their season last Saturday. 3 special teams scores in October and W&J isn't in Alliance this weekend. They'd be in an ECAC Bowl.