FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[USee]

I'll take the other side of the shootout with two too 10 defenses playing.

If it's not a shootout, it will be a blowout. No way Mount scores less than 35. Im guessing more.

Maybe. But I'll take the under for all you want

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

the side of the bracket opposite mount union is loaded with name programs, but i don't think any of the top teams has anything close to as difficult a second game as (likely) north central at mount.

^ I agree with that. 

If you like offense, then Round 2 against NCC should be to your liking. I of all people acknowledge that stats can be misleading, and while they don't tell the WHOLE story, they can tell a good portion of it.  Mount and NCC rank at the top of D3 in the most important offensive categories.

Total Offense:
1st NCC @ 569.9 yds/game
2nd Mount @ 556.9 yds/game

Scoring Offense:
1st NCC @ 55.0 pts/game
2nd Mount @ 54.5 pts/game

QB efficiency:
1st D'Angelo Fulford @ 231.0
2nd Broc Rutter @ 205.6

Total Defense:
3rd Mount @ 185.7 Yards/Game
11th NCC @ 245.7 Yards/Game

Turnover Margin:
6th Mount @ +15
T40th NCC @ +7

Scoring Defense:
2nd Mount @ 6.2 Points/Game
T16th NCC @ 13.7 Points/Game

[MUC57]

Hi gang

Eyes still not good, but I'm trying.

Now comes the fun part of the season. 32 teams - many of the usual suspects and a few we don't see very often. We can all debate about who got left out and shouldn't have, talk about who got in and shouldn't have. We can discuss the "unfair" matchups and the "easy" matchups for others.

But it's PLAYOFF TIME!

We can all root for our teams. We'll breathe easier when they win, knowing they live to play another day, and agonize if they lose, knowing the season is over.
But no matter the outcome of any game, this is still the best time of the year.

Outlined against a blue-gray November sky the 32 teams will ride again. Better forget that last comment. Some sports writer named Grantland Rice already wrote something like that!

These tired old eyes have to quit for now. I conclude by saying
GO PURPLE RAIDERS!

Oh, what the hell. You all  know me -
GO EVERYBODY! 

[jamtod]

Now comes the fun part of the season.

We can all root for our teams.

Disagree. But glad to see you back around a bit!

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

OAC Passing Statistics for Plunk (If he had enough Attempts)

2nd in Completion Percentage (71.8%)
2nd in Yards per Attempt (11.6)
2nd in QB Efficiency (211.3)
8th in TD Passing (10)
10th in Yards Passing (Fulford is 3rd) (903)

[Desertraider]

I have not been impressed with Mounts pressure on D. Just have not felt that this D can take over a game as they have in previous years. The 4 3 look with young DBs has allowed too many completions because the DBs cant maintain coverage to allow the pressure to get there. Put a 4 3 with Berry and last years group...fine. Mount needs to get pressure to limit big plays and PI on the DBs.

[Captainred81]

MUC57, glad to see you back for a spell.  I, for one, totally agree with you.  PLAYOFFS is the best time of year.  One thing I do disagree on though is the chatter about who get left out and didn't deserve to get in... I love that $4!+!!! 

I definitely believe that NCC is a playoff team and I think that it would have been more of a travesty if they were left home and Susquehanna got in.  I do feel for Susquehanna though, because I thought they deserved it!!!  The team that got in, that I would have liked to see left out is Wartburg.  The criteria lined up, and per that they deserved it, but I wish it was Susquehanna instead.  All that being said, I think there are no easy paths to Shenandoah. 

I think each team has a mountain to climb.  Wheaton will have to beat Oshkosh and St. John's (or Linfield or Chapman), UMHB will have to beat UWW, Sailisbury will have to beat Muhlenberg, Mount will have to beat NCC and Wesley (or Del Val or Bridgewater).

The Semi-finals are going to be a whole different story.  The teams that make it there, are going to have earned it.  They will have beaten highly ranked and highly recognized teams with history's of winning in the playoffs. 

IMHO, I think that UMHB lucked out with UWW in their bracket.  The UMHB defense matches up extremely well with UWW.  If it were St. John's instead, I think they would be more likely to lose.  As it is, I think UMHB strolls to the Semi's and Wheaton holds off St. John's in a 31-28 game.  I'm not sure what will happen when Wheaton goes down to Texas.  I think they are nasty on defense and will give the UMHB offense all they can handle.  Offensively, I think they are diverse and talented enough to score.  UMHB is too inconsistent for me to predict.  If they show up on offense, I think they win, if not I think Wheaton does enough to pull off the upset.  My uber early prediction is Wheaton in the Stagg.

On the other side, I think Salibury gets a game from Union, but wins and I think Muhlenberg strolls to the quarters.  In a tight game, I give the Mules a leg up due to their better ability to throw the ball and stop the run. 
Mount gets a game from NCC, but puts it away by making NCC one dimensional and driving several Fulford to Hill nails in their coffin.  After that, Mount will stroll to the Semi's against Muhlenberg for a rematch of last year (except in the semi's).  This game will be hard fought, but Mount will ultimately prevail in a game that will be closer than what the scoreboard says.  43-14 Mount.
Uber early prediction Mount Union Vs. Wheaton on December 20th in Texas.

[MRMIKESMITH]

MUC57, glad to see you back for a spell.  I, for one, totally agree with you.  PLAYOFFS is the best time of year.  One thing I do disagree on though is the chatter about who get left out and didn't deserve to get in... I love that $4!+!!! 

I definitely believe that NCC is a playoff team and I think that it would have been more of a travesty if they were left home and Susquehanna got in.  I do feel for Susquehanna though, because I thought they deserved it!!!  The team that got in, that I would have liked to see left out is Wartburg.  The criteria lined up, and per that they deserved it, but I wish it was Susquehanna instead.  All that being said, I think there are no easy paths to Shenandoah. 

I think each team has a mountain to climb.  Wheaton will have to beat Oshkosh and St. John's (or Linfield or Chapman), UMHB will have to beat UWW, Sailisbury will have to beat Muhlenberg, Mount will have to beat NCC and Wesley (or Del Val or Bridgewater).

The Semi-finals are going to be a whole different story.  The teams that make it there, are going to have earned it.  They will have beaten highly ranked and highly recognized teams with history's of winning in the playoffs. 

IMHO, I think that UMHB lucked out with UWW in their bracket.  The UMHB defense matches up extremely well with UWW.  If it were St. John's instead, I think they would be more likely to lose.  As it is, I think UMHB strolls to the Semi's and Wheaton holds off St. John's in a 31-28 game.  I'm not sure what will happen when Wheaton goes down to Texas.  I think they are nasty on defense and will give the UMHB offense all they can handle.  Offensively, I think they are diverse and talented enough to score.  UMHB is too inconsistent for me to predict.  If they show up on offense, I think they win, if not I think Wheaton does enough to pull off the upset.  My uber early prediction is Wheaton in the Stagg.

On the other side, I think Salibury gets a game from Union, but wins and I think Muhlenberg strolls to the quarters.  In a tight game, I give the Mules a leg up due to their better ability to throw the ball and stop the run. 
Mount gets a game from NCC, but puts it away by making NCC one dimensional and driving several Fulford to Hill nails in their coffin.  After that, Mount will stroll to the Semi's against Muhlenberg for a rematch of last year (except in the semi's).  This game will be hard fought, but Mount will ultimately prevail in a game that will be closer than what the scoreboard says.  43-14 Mount.
Uber early prediction Mount Union Vs. Wheaton on December 20th in Texas.

I have no problem with this...eliminating my bias for Salisbury. I think match-ups are very important come playoff time.

[edward de vere]

I'm not sure what will happen when Wheaton goes down to Texas.  I think they are nasty on defense and will give the UMHB offense all they can handle.  Offensively, I think they are diverse and talented enough to score.  UMHB is too inconsistent for me to predict.  If they show up on offense, I think they win, if not I think Wheaton does enough to pull off the upset.  My uber early prediction is Wheaton in the Stagg.

How well does Wheaton's team speed match up with that of UMBH?

[Captainred81]

I can't answer the question about team speed.  I would guess that UMHB is much faster, but Wheaton has some players.  Like I said though, if the UMHB offense shows up, they will win that game.  My opinion is that they don't show and they lose a close one.  Probably in the range of 20-17 or 16-13. 

[HScoach]

I'm not sure what will happen when Wheaton goes down to Texas.  I think they are nasty on defense and will give the UMHB offense all they can handle.  Offensively, I think they are diverse and talented enough to score.  UMHB is too inconsistent for me to predict.  If they show up on offense, I think they win, if not I think Wheaton does enough to pull off the upset.  My uber early prediction is Wheaton in the Stagg.

How well does Wheaton's team speed match up with that of UMBH?

I don't think anyone in D3 matches MHB's speed.  That's the only program that I can remember being markedly faster than Mount in the last decade + each time they've played.

[archgemini24]

I have not been impressed with Mounts pressure on D. Just have not felt that this D can take over a game as they have in previous years. The 4 3 look with young DBs has allowed too many completions because the DBs cant maintain coverage to allow the pressure to get there. Put a 4 3 with Berry and last years group...fine. Mount needs to get pressure to limit big plays and PI on the DBs.

This only makes me feel better in that I was not the only one with this concern. If the front doesn't get pressure to throw off the timing of an opponent's passing game, the DBs are a weakness. They aren't terrible, but if I am an opponent trying to find some hole or inconsistency to exploit, I'm going after the secondary. Teams have been doing Mount a favor every time they run the ball, and even with Berry, I remember a lot of us saying the same thing during last year's playoff run, too.

A potential second-round game against NCC has all the makings of a shootout to me.

[Desertraider]

We aren't wrong about a drop in pressure. 2018 stats Mount had 137 TFL(includes playoffs) and 61 sacks (46 in regular season). To this point of the 2019 season they have 65 TFL and 21 sacks. The secondary has more picks (13 this year, 10 reg season 18'). But in 2018 (playoffs included) they had 81 breakups  and are at 34 breakups this year. In terms of scoring - the defense had 9 TDs last year (14 including playoffs) and 1 this year.

A 2nd round game against NCC is a bit of a worry given the lack of pressure (TFL's and sacks). Knock me if you want (how dare a Mount fan criticize the MOUNT!) - but the stats, while being like bikinis, back me up.

[mr_mom]

Spreads ... or a reasonable facsimile ... have been posted.

[HScoach]

DesertRaider:  well played.

And I agree on the Dline pressure and overall secondary play.  This isn't one of Mount"s better defenses.  Strength of the unit is the LB's.  Dline is solid, but not difference makers.  .  Secondary is an average D3 unit, nothing more.