FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Raider 68]

Thoughts from listening to the Raiders last night...

As desertraider mentioned the D needed to make some halftime adjustments.  That 2nd qtr was kind of a lackluster one by their standards as Cap ran the ball on them and chewed up some turf and some clock.  They even scored a TD.  I know, I agree...it's completely unacceptable.     After the half the D clamped down and suffocated the Crusaders in the 2nd half for the most part.  It sounded like VK went with a 5 man line (at least part of the time) to combat the option.  Unfortunately, putting a lot of stock into how you defend Cap probably isn't very wise unless you're going to see more triple option teams which I doubt they are.

It sounded like Nemeth continued his trend of just punishing defenders when he has the ball.  The radio guys were talking about how he just drives his legs through tacklers and seems to gain another 5 yards every time after contact.  We've seen this before as Nemeth has always run hard, but it seems like he's amped it up even more this season.  They're going to need that down the road.

Scott showed why he's the most dangerous runner Mount has ever had taking snaps when he ripped off that 74 yard TD run.  He might need to continue to shake the rust off when it comes to throwing the ball, but man is he dangerous with that ball in his hands if he gets to the 2nd level.  What a luxury to have a QB who can change the game with his legs.  And to his credit on pass plays Scott continues to stay true to the pass until he is forced to run.  He's not falling in love with pulling it down and running the moment he feels pressure.  To me that and his protecting the ball are his biggest accomplishments with the mental part of playing QB.  He's doing a great job at both so far.

I can't help but chuckle at the radio guys.  Sam Bourquin seems to find himself chuckling on air at some move Mitchell made a handful of times every single week.  Last night he said the moves he made to turn a loss into a 2 yard gain were worth the price of admission for that play alone.  The thing I've noticed about Mitchell is that he seems to be ripping off 20+ yard runs at a very high rate this season.  Each year he's bulked up a little more and it sure seems like as he gets a little bigger he's running harder.  Those 10 yard runs are now 20 yard runs because he can run through an arm tackle from a DB.  Kudos to him for working hard in the weight room.

On the passing side I'm not sure how great the conditions were to throw the ball (and Cap gives you no basis for comparison there).  I heard a couple balls get dropped and/or slip out of Scott's hand on the throw so I'm assuming it wasn't a great night to air it out.  Hargrove made a couple plays downfield which was nice to see.  They need someone to take some heat off Namdar outside.



 

Dr. Acula,

I was at the game last night and agree with your comments. The first half was not too impressive compared to so many
that I have seen, but the Raiders made some adjustments as they usually do and took over. I was very impressed with the
speed and moves of T. Scott. He has a good feel for the offense and can improvise as needed. The passing game, IMHO, will
improve as the other WR's continue to step up. Namdar can beat just about anyone he faces, but it is good the
others are more engaged. The weather did affect the passing game, constant drizzle for much of the game.

Regarding your post on a  another OAC team in the playoffs this year, I do not see it happening.

[Dr. Acula]

A couple of career record items of note:

Namdar's 2 TD catches yesterday give him 8 this year and 26 for his career.  That moves him into the top 10 at #9 all-time for career TD receptions. 

And upcoming will be Mitchell passing the great Russ Kring for #5 in career rushing yards.  He currently sits 40 yards behind Kring.  Mitchell is also 3 scores from tying Kring for #5 in career rushing TD's as well.

[bluestreak66]

with the 0AC at least being perceived as being down this year do you think the league will get 2 teams in the playoffs? Doubt it will have a home game if they do.

Don't know who that second team would be right now.  ONU just beat JCU, but has a very bad loss to BW this year.  JCU clearly isn't it.  Everyone but Mount is going likely have at least two losses.  I think perception might be reality.

Agreed.  This definitely doesn't feel like a 2 bid season right now.  Short of ONU or JCU upsetting Mount I don't see how it happens this season.  Either of those teams at 8-2 is likely going to be slotted behind several teams in the North pool C line.  And frankly, if we're talking about the overall rep of the OAC nationally I don't think we want a 2nd team this year.  It would most likely just feed into the theory that the OAC is Mount and that's it.

Sort of off topic, but if you're Arth do you consider making a change to a younger QB now?  I think it's clear this far into the season that Schaefer isn't going to carry them to the playoffs.  In that case do you start seasoning a QB for 2016?  I'm definitely not saying throw in the towel and play a bunch of kids.  They're still too good for that scenario.  But I would think they have another option at QB that wouldn't be a huge drop off and would allow them to gain some positives for 2016 while still playing to win now.

I would say that you're probably right, and (assuming Mount doesn't lose to either ONU or JCU), the conference will only get 1 bid. If Mount does lose, I would feel safe saying they would be a lock for an at large bid. But if everything plays out the way it looks like it will, with JCU and ONU finishing 8-2, neither will probably make the playoffs.
I feel like in a way, JCU could still survive a close loss to ONU and a close loss to Mount and maybe get an at large bid, based on what they did in the post season last year. However, unless Northern drops a game besides Mount, they would essentially block JCU from the playoffs. We saw a situation like that back in 2009 with ONU and Otterbein. Both were 8-2, ONU losing to Ott and Mount. But Ott was never going to get in based on the bad loss to Marietta (like ONU and BW this year), and they could not justify putting ONU in over a team they lost too. So they left both out. An 8-2 team getting in isn't unheard of (St. John Fisher two years ago, Capital back in 03), but unless ONU losses to Cap/Otterbein (the only two who could reasonably pull it off at this point, with the obvious exception of Mount), or JCU or ONU pull off the upset, it's very, very unlikely. That being said (and no offense to the ONU people on here), I will respectfully be pulling for ONU to finish 7-3!

[wally_wabash]

I would say that you're probably right, and (assuming Mount doesn't lose to either ONU or JCU), the conference will only get 1 bid. If Mount does lose, I would feel safe saying they would be a lock for an at large bid. But if everything plays out the way it looks like it will, with JCU and ONU finishing 8-2, neither will probably make the playoffs.
I feel like in a way, JCU could still survive a close loss to ONU and a close loss to Mount and maybe get an at large bid, based on what they did in the post season last year. However, unless Northern drops a game besides Mount, they would essentially block JCU from the playoffs. We saw a situation like that back in 2009 with ONU and Otterbein. Both were 8-2, ONU losing to Ott and Mount. But Ott was never going to get in based on the bad loss to Marietta (like ONU and BW this year), and they could not justify putting ONU in over a team they lost too. So they left both out. An 8-2 team getting in isn't unheard of (St. John Fisher two years ago, Capital back in 03), but unless ONU losses to Cap/Otterbein (the only two who could reasonably pull it off at this point, with the obvious exception of Mount), or JCU or ONU pull off the upset, it's very, very unlikely. That being said (and no offense to the ONU people on here), I will respectfully be pulling for ONU to finish 7-3!

No.  Last year doesn't have anything to do with this year until you get to the seeding part of the process and then it only comes into play if a team is undefeated.  I believe JCU's only path to the tournament is by winning the league at this point.  A second loss would bury them. 

[mr_mom]

It was a good overall week for the OAC Pick-Em as nearly everyone got at least half of the available points.  Chess4Me and D3FTBALLFAN were the standouts with 14 and 13 points respectively.

The cold, wet weather caused a little bit of shrinkage to 02 Warhawk's lead over wally_wabash.  The rest better be careful, as the two of them are slowly pulling away from the peloton.

Week #6 spreads will come out Monday night.

[bceagle80]

FYI: Mount Union's junior varsity beat Washington & Jefferson's jv 54-0 today.

[reality check]

I just spent hours on these two films and I want to share with someone so here goes...

Abdul-Aziz 6 game senior highlights

Garcia 6 game senior highlights

These two are great kids and I am trying hard to get these guys into college somewhere.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I just spent hours on these two films and I want to share with someone so here goes...

Abdul-Aziz 6 game senior highlights

Garcia 6 game senior highlights

These two are great kids and I am trying hard to get these guys into college somewhere.

Good looking players.  Why'd it take you HOURS with HUDL?  Shouldn't take that long.

[reality check]

I had to start from scratch.  From tagging them to each player, clipping, spot-shadowing, and picking the order.  I had to clean up a lot of the stats along the way because some of the plays I knew should be tagged weren't showing up.  HUDL is awesome, don't get me wrong.  But there was a lot of work to do as well.

[Desertraider]

I just spent hours on these two films and I want to share with someone so here goes...

Abdul-Aziz 6 game senior highlights

Garcia 6 game senior highlights

These two are great kids and I am trying hard to get these guys into college somewhere.

Not bad. From where you are send them to the airport on a flight to Akron. From Akron/Canton they are going to want to take 77S to Route 62E. Follow Route 62 to the State St. exit and turn right. Go about 3.2 miles and turn left on Clark Ave. At the stop sign turn left onto Hartshorn St. and take ito to the parking lot at the end of the street. Turn right into the lot and follow it around to Mount Union Stadium.  I am sure someone will meet them there.

[SaintsFAN]

I would say that you're probably right, and (assuming Mount doesn't lose to either ONU or JCU), the conference will only get 1 bid. If Mount does lose, I would feel safe saying they would be a lock for an at large bid. But if everything plays out the way it looks like it will, with JCU and ONU finishing 8-2, neither will probably make the playoffs.
I feel like in a way, JCU could still survive a close loss to ONU and a close loss to Mount and maybe get an at large bid, based on what they did in the post season last year. However, unless Northern drops a game besides Mount, they would essentially block JCU from the playoffs. We saw a situation like that back in 2009 with ONU and Otterbein. Both were 8-2, ONU losing to Ott and Mount. But Ott was never going to get in based on the bad loss to Marietta (like ONU and BW this year), and they could not justify putting ONU in over a team they lost too. So they left both out. An 8-2 team getting in isn't unheard of (St. John Fisher two years ago, Capital back in 03), but unless ONU losses to Cap/Otterbein (the only two who could reasonably pull it off at this point, with the obvious exception of Mount), or JCU or ONU pull off the upset, it's very, very unlikely. That being said (and no offense to the ONU people on here), I will respectfully be pulling for ONU to finish 7-3!

No.  Last year doesn't have anything to do with this year until you get to the seeding part of the process and then it only comes into play if a team is undefeated.  I believe JCU's only path to the tournament is by winning the league at this point.  A second loss would bury them.

Agree totally with Wally, John Carroll's postseason starts with the game against Mount Union IF they don't drop another game, which isn't out of the question at this point.

[bluestreak66]

I would say that you're probably right, and (assuming Mount doesn't lose to either ONU or JCU), the conference will only get 1 bid. If Mount does lose, I would feel safe saying they would be a lock for an at large bid. But if everything plays out the way it looks like it will, with JCU and ONU finishing 8-2, neither will probably make the playoffs.
I feel like in a way, JCU could still survive a close loss to ONU and a close loss to Mount and maybe get an at large bid, based on what they did in the post season last year. However, unless Northern drops a game besides Mount, they would essentially block JCU from the playoffs. We saw a situation like that back in 2009 with ONU and Otterbein. Both were 8-2, ONU losing to Ott and Mount. But Ott was never going to get in based on the bad loss to Marietta (like ONU and BW this year), and they could not justify putting ONU in over a team they lost too. So they left both out. An 8-2 team getting in isn't unheard of (St. John Fisher two years ago, Capital back in 03), but unless ONU losses to Cap/Otterbein (the only two who could reasonably pull it off at this point, with the obvious exception of Mount), or JCU or ONU pull off the upset, it's very, very unlikely. That being said (and no offense to the ONU people on here), I will respectfully be pulling for ONU to finish 7-3!

No.  Last year doesn't have anything to do with this year until you get to the seeding part of the process and then it only comes into play if a team is undefeated.  I believe JCU's only path to the tournament is by winning the league at this point.  A second loss would bury them.

Agree totally with Wally, John Carroll's postseason starts with the game against Mount Union IF they don't drop another game, which isn't out of the question at this point.

You're probably right. That being said, you never can tell with the selection committee. These are the same people that put MIT and Husson against each other in the first round last year, and passed up 9-1 Wabash two years ago in favor of some 2 loss teams for no reason (because Wabash probably deserved a spot).
JCU probably will go to Mount 8-1, just because I don't think there is anyone else they play between now and then that will be able to knock them off. Not because they've been playing so well (because they haven't), I just don't think any of the other teams have the fire power to do it. They are obviously down, but when I was there, we would have killed for an 8-2 season, even without the playoffs.
Also, I realize I just jinxed a loss to Wilmington here.....

[Pat Coleman]

you never can tell with the selection committee. These are the same people that put MIT and Husson against each other in the first round last year

The committee had no choice, given the NCAA's restrictions on first-round flights. There was literally nobody else Husson could play in the entire bracket.

[bluestreak66]

you never can tell with the selection committee. These are the same people that put MIT and Husson against each other in the first round last year

The committee had no choice, given the NCAA's restrictions on first-round flights. There was literally nobody else Husson could play in the entire bracket.

touche

[Raider 68]

Nice game for P. Garcon for the Redskins, made some tough catches in traffic to help the team win!