FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

Thanks for all OAC posters who wandered to the MIAC pick 'ems. I posted first round scores and second round games with three bonus questions. This time, they are yes / no. Have at it!

[reality check]

I think touting Rocco at the expense of Simmons by saying things like "Kyle cane polish his ring..." is about as classy as saying "it's okay because you'll work for me some day."  We can argue until we are blue in the face whether or not Simmons deserved the spot but coaches must like something about him since he was voted as offensive back of the year.  Maybe the four 1,000 yard rushers actually slanted the pick towards a QB since they all sort of canceled one another out.  

I'm not knocking Rocco at all and I'm not trying to say Simmons is something he's not.  I think Kyle grew leaps and bounds this year though.  And to say Rocco is the best QB in the country (and not possibly being helped by throwing the rock to the best WR in the country) could easily be debated.  There are some QB's with sick numbers out there this year as always (Monmouth's Alex Tanney: 3800 yards, 70% completions and 44 TD's to 7 INT's or Coe's Brad Boyle: 2600 yards, 61% completions and 19 TD's to 1 INT along with 300 rushing and another 15 TDs on the ground).  Hell Rocco has some company in state with Dan Whalen who has nearly identical TD/INT numbers and 400 more passing yards on the season.

Simmons has a career 32/11 TD to INT ratio.  He's got 14 rushing TD's now as well.  He threw for 16 TD's his first two seasons combined and doubled his previous production to hit that number this year while showing some wheels and athleticism as well.   It's not out of the question for Kyle to eclipse Shane Franzer's career rushing records for an ONU QB and he may end up as the most efficient QB ONU has ever had.  There's a lot to look forward to in 2010.

[beenhit2hard]

seventies raider,,,it was 6:05 today

[Desertraider]

I think touting Rocco at the expense of Simmons by saying things like "Kyle cane polish his ring..." is about as classy as saying "it's okay because you'll work for me some day."  We can argue until we are blue in the face whether or not Simmons deserved the spot but coaches must like something about him since he was voted as offensive back of the year.  Maybe the four 1,000 yard rushers actually slanted the pick towards a QB since they all sort of canceled one another out.  

I'm not knocking Rocco at all and I'm not trying to say Simmons is something he's not.  I think Kyle grew leaps and bounds this year though.  And to say Rocco is the best QB in the country (and not possibly being helped by throwing the rock to the best WR in the country) could easily be debated.  There are some QB's with sick numbers out there this year as always (Monmouth's Alex Tanney: 3800 yards, 70% completions and 44 TD's to 7 INT's or Coe's Brad Boyle: 2600 yards, 61% completions and 19 TD's to 1 INT along with 300 rushing and another 15 TDs on the ground).  Hell Rocco has some company in state with Dan Whalen who has nearly identical TD/INT numbers and 400 more passing yards on the season.

Simmons has a career 32/11 TD to INT ratio.  He's got 14 rushing TD's now as well.  He threw for 16 TD's his first two seasons combined and doubled his previous production to hit that number this year while showing some wheels and athleticism as well.   It's not out of the question for Kyle to eclipse Shane Franzer's career rushing records for an ONU QB and he may end up as the most efficient QB ONU has ever had.  There's a lot to look forward to in 2010.

The ring comment was simply used to underscore that Kurt has a shot at what ALL QBs (and teams) want: a championship. Simmons would gladly change places. As far as the rest of the stats go - yea those are great numbers but none of them are in the OAC and therefore do not compare when speaking of All OAC honors. Simmons has great career numbers - but the All OAC awards are not based on career numbers. Ths year no QB in the OAC has Roccos numbers. Period. No offense to any of the other guys - but the numbers don't compare.

[TooForRaider]

Are the coaches really saying they would start Simmons over Kurt Rocco?  Who among the OAC coaches thinks Rocco is less of a threat?  On top of that Rocco is paying his position better than anyone in the country right now,period.  Hopefully ,  the post season All-American teams will give the man his due.  Certainly anyone who has seen him play since the last drive of the first half of the Capital game knows who the best quarterback in the country is; it's Kurt Rocco.

While I am pleased with Kurt's success for obvious reasons, I don't  think he is the best  QB in the country yet. I think that will be determined if and when he leads the Raiders to another Stagg Bowl win. In the process he may face a comparable talent at a school known as UWW should that occur. But I am way ahead of myself at this point. He did not even get the votes of his own conference just like my own pick from a few years ago......... the incomparable Mike Jorris!

I always thought Jorris got overlooked. But Mike has two rings he can let the 1st team OAC QB (Pentello in 06, Doug Phillips in 05) look at and maybe even polish for him. Hell Jorris did'nt even get honorable mention either year! On the Rocco issue - I just don't get it. He leads the OAC in passing yards, TDs, efficiency (leads the nation), completion percentage (69.8%), his team is 10-0...is there something else he needed? Go get your ring Kurt - and let Kyle clean for you one day.

I played against Jorris. I thought he was very underrated. Guy put up HUGE numbers and had a cannon. Should have been All-OAC each year (but I can't really complain, I snatched up one of the OAC honors in '05, granted it was HM) That year the OAC was stacked with QB's putting up big numbers.

Agreed.

[reality check]

desertraider

I know comparing non-OAC QB numbers to them is not fair in the discussion of All-OAC but another poster (purple) stated that Rocco is the best QB in the country.  I was really addressing that point in typing the statistics. 

No one has Rocco's numbers.  Take Shorts out of the equation though and how do his numbers do?  I'm sure if the best receiver in Division III wasn't making Rocco's life a little easier, he would still be very good but not 31 to 6.  I think in a way, Shorts' incredible skills hurt Rocco's chances.  Maybe coaches felt you could throw a lot of guys into that same situation and they'd still throw for 30 TD's.  Rocco is having a great year, as most MUC QB's do and he'd certainly be deserving but I guess the coaches just had to decide: Is 31 to 6 and 2700 yards at MUC that much better than 26 total TD's to 5 INT's and 2300 total yards?  It's certainly debatable.

[Blutarsky]

I need a refresher in quotes..and it is playoff time ,,and I am still quoting like it is the first day of practice

Time for HSCoach to dust off the 'ol lesson plan.....

[Toph]

I played against Jorris. I thought he was very underrated. Guy put up HUGE numbers and had a cannon. Should have been All-OAC each year (but I can't really complain, I snatched up one of the OAC honors in '05, granted it was HM) That year the OAC was stacked with QB's putting up big numbers.

Insert shameless Doug Phillips plug here!  That's right, folks.  I'm reduced to clinging to a near playoff season four years ago!  Fun times in Cleveland today!

[Old Raven]

What's going on fellas... I'm new to the board so this question may have already been discussed.  I'm from Indy, so obviously a Garcon fan now.  Why did he leave Norwich after his freshmen year for Mt. Union?  That is alot of Time, Money and Distance just for D3 football, so i figure there were more reasons.

[Toph]

What's going on fellas... I'm new to the board so this question may have already been discussed.  I'm from Indy, so obviously a Garcon fan now.  Why did he leave Norwich after his freshmen year for Mt. Union?  That is alot of Time, Money and Distance just for D3 football, so i figure there were more reasons.

Rings.  

As a big fan of D3 football I take a little exception to your "just for D3 football" remark.  Tell Super Bowl Champion London Fletcher or Hall of Famer Don Shula that he "just played D3 football."

Just because it's not DI BCS doesn't mean it's less important to the student athletes, schools, and fans who are involved.  You are new, though so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

What's going on fellas... I'm new to the board so this question may have already been discussed.  I'm from Indy, so obviously a Garcon fan now.  Why did he leave Norwich after his freshmen year for Mt. Union?  That is alot of Time, Money and Distance just for D3 football, so i figure there were more reasons.

Welcome to the Board.  www.D3Football.com did a feature on Pierre a while back that may answer your questions:

http://www.d3football.com/features.php?feature=84

[raiderpa]

Andy Studebaker was a stud against Mount Union....
I think the Rocco snub should come under the heading "Mount Union cant be first team in every position." Get over it..
I still do not think that Stewart warranted 1st team.  
I don't think any one can honestly say that Rocco is the "best in the country d3"...we only see a select few, and that few do not have half the supporting cast that Rocco does..
If my team was playing Mount Union, and I was a fan, I would want to witness the ambiance and performance of a national championship program... I remember how awed we were when we played Augustana back in the 80's...when they came onto the field we just stared in wonder and respect...(and froze our buns off)
Think that the fabulous frosh special teams player will dress Saturday?...I saw a news article in the Alliance Review that described a real bonehead (freshman) move by #4...It seems like all the Alliance police have to do is bust underage drinkers at Mount Union, while the all the drug dealing goes on north of the college...but cant blame the cops, the kids must be smarter...(like we were---- we learned to hide it better)

[Old Raven]

Thanks for the link.  That's an awsome story.  I am also a D3 sports participant/fan and wasn't trying to dog it, but there are no athletic scholarships so to see a story like this is kick azz.  No division in college sports has more heart than D3.

[HScoach]

I have no problem with Simmons getting 1st Team All-OAC over Rocco.  Simmons led his team to the cusp of a playoff birth with much less supporting cast than Rocco has.   Plus Kurt wasn't even The Man for the Raiders until mid season.  Half the OAC saw LK rotating him and a freshman.  That doesn't scream "All-OAC" to me.

Rocco is playing great now and I completely believe he's the better QB right now, but the award isn't for the player playing the best in Week 10.  It's over the entire OAC season.  And for that, Simmons gets the nod.

And the talk about Rocco in a national context is crazy in my less than humble opinion.  Until we see what he does on the national stage against the best of competition, it's way too premature to discuss where he ranks nationally.  Shoot, the only 2 good QB's Mount has seen this year are Simmons and Assman.  Neither of which I'd tab as nationally dominate QB's. 

If someone wants to say that Rocco's production is impressive on a national scale, that's fine with me.  But we don't have nearly enough data in place yet to make the "he's the best QB in D3" statement.

[OldOtter]

I have no problem with Simmons getting 1st Team All-OAC over Rocco.  Simmons led his team to the cusp of a playoff birth with much less supporting cast than Rocco has.   Plus Kurt wasn't even The Man for the Raiders until mid season.  Half the OAC saw LK rotating him and a freshman.  That doesn't scream "All-OAC" to me.

Rocco is playing great now and I completely believe he's the better QB right now, but the award isn't for the player playing the best in Week 10.  It's over the entire OAC season.  And for that, Simmons gets the nod.

And the talk about Rocco in a national context is crazy in my less than humble opinion.  Until we see what he does on the national stage against the best of competition, it's way too premature to discuss where he ranks nationally.  Shoot, the only 2 good QB's Mount has seen this year are Simmons and Assman.  Neither of which I'd tab as nationally dominate QB's. 

If someone wants to say that Rocco's production is impressive on a national scale, that's fine with me.  But we don't have nearly enough data in place yet to make the "he's the best QB in D3" statement.

Completely agree.