FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Toph]

1.  JCU-duh.
2.  Mount-My brother graduated from that place, I've seen a bunch of Mount wins.
3.  Muskingum- Cool, if old, stadium...and let's face it, nobody else is rooting for these guys.
4.  ONU- I think Dean Paul is a solid guy and the program is moving in the right direction.  Beautiful new confines as well.
5.  Marietta- An easy win for most teams, but they seem to be turning things around, slowly.  (Also, the best pizza in the OAC in the press box).
6.  Heidelberg- Like 4u said, a JCUer running the show, but if they could settle on a nickname (I like the Student Princes, myself) they'd be higher.
7.  Wilmington- They're only here because I can't put them any lower.
8.  Otterbein- Although I loved watching their b-ball team, this is a football poll.  After that debacle last year I would have a hard time rooting for these guys.
9.  Capital- The win against John Carroll two years back was with the help of the officiating crew.  It seems like each of the past three years has been Capital's year to break out, and yet there are 0 playoff berths.
10.  BW- I can't root for these guys in anything.  Everyone talks about JCU falling off, but if you compare the two teams, which of these two former "Big 3" teams is going to struggle more?

[D3 Poster]

I've heard that Mount's Garcon has big-time speed.  Where did he go to school last year?

[reality check]

1. ONU - Now and forever. 
2. MUC - I hate them for what they've done to us but love what they've been able to accomplish in Div. III (and all with class)
3. ETTA - Only other school I visited and sometimes its underwater, what's not to like?
4. WILM - I love underdogs, and these guys seem to be them quite often.
5. BERG - He might be from JCU but he also coached for a while at ONU.  I went to a couple games there to see friends and as stated already you can't help but smile when you hear/read "Student Princes".
6. JCU - I almost put them lower because of Doeder but I'm a Catholic kid and have to have a little love for Notre Dame Jr.
7. OTT - They play spoiler once in a while but they're a little tough to root for year in and year out.
8. MUSKY - Hard to root for a team that hasn't completed a pass since Taft was in office.
9. CAP - Despite the legend of Tommy Doyle, I have a hard time liking CAP, I don't know why though.
10. BW - BWdad almost brought them out of the cellar but I remember Doeder got traded there and it became a no-brainer and their colors stink.

[tdubs]

1) CAP- I went there and because of Tom Doyle!lolJCU-- because I played there.
2)Otterbein- they are a rival and Joe Loth is my old DB coach
3) JCU- One word "Ancona!"
4.)Mount-- because they have brought positive attention to D3 and OAC
5.) Heidelberg--Usually an easy win
6) Muskingum-- My friends sister went there and she's hot!
7) Marietta-- Yes, it floods there!
9) Wilmington-- Close to Cincinnati, so why not.
10) BW-- I hated that turf!
11.)ONU- Never have liked them, never will. They're cheaters!....Although Mark Evans was from Roger Bacon!

[reality check]

tdubs

That's tough, we placed 11th in a 10 team conference.  How do ya really feel?   

[Pat Coleman]

I've heard that Mount's Garcon has big-time speed.  Where did he go to school last year?

Norwich

[HScoach]

4u:  Interesting question.  Here's mine:

1)  MUC - my brother was a WR for Wable back when BW was dominant, most of the coaches I played for and coached with are MUCer's

2)  Ohio Northern - always loved the intensity of MUC/ONU week and the ONU students were the most vocal, would have been at #3 due to Kaz being an idiot, but Dean Paul has bumped them up one.

3) John Carroll - who couldn't root for Arth and Co?  Class act and a great player.  I know he's gone, but the memories remain.

4) Marietta - don't know why, but have always wished the Pios were better.  Maybe a carry over from the Dante and Sasu years?  Etta always gets drilled by MUC, but they play the hardest of the little sisters.

5) Otterbein - always have thought the Otter cheerleaders are the best in the OAC

6) Heidelberg - nothing like a team that can't decide what their own name is to get behind

7) Muskingum - any team that still thinks 3 passes a game is "opening up the offense" is no friend of mine

8 ) Capital - don't really care about the Crusaders, never have and until they get some hogs up front, I won't need to.

9) Wilmington - Only marginally better than Hiram on the field, but at least Hiram was only an hour drive home after seeing MUC win by 60+

10) BW - "a flaming pile of BW".  What more needs said?  OK, I'll add more: their field sucks, see reason #1 above, their constant chest beating about their winning season streak is lame, and they're more arrogant than any OAC team outside of MUC.  Difference is that MUC's backed it up!

[Shark]

Boy, lots of love directed at BW here! LOL

[purpled]

Does anyone feel that the loss of Montgomery is as big now as it was perceived when he left?

[seventiesraider]

1)  MUC - I remember when we sucked and had to schedule Hiram for Homecoming. Wable became a great coach much later.

2)  John Carroll - Because I grew up in the Heights and because of their total inabilty to beat Mount Union.

3) Ohio Northern - Wanted to go there to study pharmacy. But after traversing miles and miles of nothing on my want to a campus visit, I never even got out of the car. (I spent my High School years in Nebraska and had seen enough nothing.)

4) Muskingum - Nice campus and they gave us Coach Wable.

5) Marietta - Except during the rainy season

6) Wilmington - Almost as much nothing as Northern

7-8) Capital/Otterbien - Coin toss. Small college in a big town. What's the point.

9. Heidelberg - Because anything is better than B/W

10. The Baldwin Wallace College - Baby turd brown pants, Green parking lot, world famous school of music and no marching band,  My Father-in-law is an alum. Thinking that being slightly above average is an accomplishment. Halloween School colors. Did I mention that stadium. Another Small college in a big city but I'd dislike them if they were somewhere else.

And we won't know how much of a loss Monty was till the first close game

[theaprof]

purpled-

I would hope that any excellent program is bigger than any of its individual parts (except maybe LK, but it's even possible that the program could survive that, if all else remained intact (although I wouldn't want to put money on it)). 

Was Monty a big loss?  Certainly. But the program, even the defensive program, was much bigger than just Monty--Woj is still up in the booth lookin' down and seeing what needs to be done--there are guys on the sidelines that Monty worked with for years--including Vince K-to "inspire" and lead the guys on the field, etc.  Monty is a great coach, but the program will go on, and on, and on.......

Kind of like the energizer bunny!!

[polarbearman]

Jason Trusnik was seen on campus today with a cast on his foot. Sad that a major presence for the ONU defense has fallen. Have no idea about any more details involving the injury or whether he'll come back. Just hope that the big D doesn't lose their confidence...

[HScoach]

Does anyone feel that the loss of Montgomery is as big now as it was perceived when he left?

I'll go back to my statement at the time:  "If Monty leaving means that LK gets more involved with the defense, how is that a bad thing?"

I am impressed so far in the style they're playing.  The results are as expected since they returned a good nucleus, but I really like the more aggresive tone thru the first 3 games.  Hopefully that continues.

[HScoach]

What does ONU have at DE to replace Trusnik?  We have ONU's defense on our fantasty team and need the D to remain solid.

[reality check]

Seventies

How did you grow up both in the Heights and Nebraska?

HSCoach

I don't know their first choice as a replacement at DE but the ONU d-line was supposed to be the deepest its ever been this year.  They should still be solid.