FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[skunks_sidekick]

2005, the year they were upset by ONU and finished the regular season at 9 - 1, they had a first round game at Mount St. Joseph

Not true.

What HE said........we were at home.  Now IF Del Valley (?) would have beaten Rowan, Mount would have traveled to PA for the semi-final game as a lower ranked/rated team.  However, Rowan beat them and came to Alliance. 

Mr. Ypsi......we are now insured and bonded.  I totally agree my friend.   

[reality check]

They played two road playoff games in 1994, winning at Allegheny and losing at Albion.

That was the year they also began their OAC winning streak that ended with the 2005 loss to that team from Ada.

(I was thirteen years old at the time).

[Blutarsky]

They played two road playoff games in 1994, winning at Allegheny and losing at Albion.

That was the year they also began their OAC winning streak that ended with the 2005 loss to that team from Ada.

(I was thirteen years old at the time).

....in '94 or '05??

[HScoach]

2005, the year they were upset by ONU and finished the regular season at 9 - 1, they had a first round game at Mount St. Joseph

Not true.

What HE said........we were at home.  Now IF Del Valley (?) would have beaten Rowan, Mount would have traveled to PA for the semi-final game as a lower ranked/rated team.  However, Rowan beat them and came to Alliance. 

Mr. Ypsi......we are now insured and bonded.  I totally agree my friend.   

Also, Mount was not the #1 seed in the North that season, they were #2.  The #1 was Wabash who lost to Capital, which is why Mount hosted the regional final as Capital was the #5 seed.



On the subject of who the #1 should be in the north, my preference is that it should either be the undefeated champ of either the CCIW or OAC, not the WIAC.  The shipment of Mount to the east was interesting for a year or two, but it's getting old.  I'd rather play in the north even though that is traditionally a tougher path.  Though difficult, I loved those games against the CCIW teams.  And beating the crap out of the NCAC is always more fun than beating some random east region team.

If the NCAA has both North Central and Wheaton ahead of Mount right now, then the winner of the NCC/Wheaton should remain ahead of Mount in the North as their strength of schedule will go up more by beating the other than Mount's will be beating Baldwin-Wallace.   But the final rankings aren't published and it's my understanding that the selection committee uses them a "guide", not as gospel.  So even if the regional committee thinks the CCIW champ is ahead of Mount, the selection committee could still give Mount the #1 over them if they see fit.

The key in all of this is Montclair State and to a lesser degree NCC (assumed CCIW champ) & St Thomas.  If the East doesn't have an undefeated, Mount is probably heading east again and then the question becomes NCC vs. St Thomas in relation to where to place Whitewater.  If the NCAA thinks NCC is ahead of Mount in the north, but ships Mount to prop up the east, it's crazy to think that St Thomas is so good as to not warrant Whitewater in their bracket too.  That would basically mean that the NCAA thinks that UWW and St Thomas are both better than NCC and Mount.  If the NCAA thinks NCC isn't worthy a #1, then Whitewater is coming north again.   

In my opinion, if we want NCC or Mount to hold the north then we need the rest of the undefeated north teams to remain so.  Case, Trine and Wittenberg need to finish at 10-0.  With 5 undefeated teams (NCC, Case, Trine, Witt and Mount) in the actual north region, I can't see moving Whitewater here when there is only 3 in the west (UWW, St Thomas and Wartburg).

What's odd is that the South Region looks the best based solely on records with 6 undefeated teams (Hamp-Syd, MHB, Wesley, Depauw, T More and Ursinus), but most regard (and I agree) that the South is a distant 3rd behind the West and North regions. 

As usual, the next 3 weeks are going to be very interesting.  Especially selection sunday.

Thank God that we have an actual playoff system to settle this instead of some stupid beauty contest like D1 has!

[raiderguy]

2005, the year they were upset by ONU and finished the regular season at 9 - 1, they had a first round game at Mount St. Joseph

Not true.

This was the year that Mount was #2 behind Wabash and they would have traveled at some point if Wabash had won out but Wabash was upset by Capital which set up another of the classic Mount vs Capital rematches in the playoffs.

[Raider 68]

2005, the year they were upset by ONU and finished the regular season at 9 - 1, they had a first round game at Mount St. Joseph

Not true.

What HE said........we were at home.  Now IF Del Valley (?) would have beaten Rowan, Mount would have traveled to PA for the semi-final game as a lower ranked/rated team.  However, Rowan beat them and came to Alliance. 

Mr. Ypsi......we are now insured and bonded.  I totally agree my friend.   

Also, Mount was not the #1 seed in the North that season, they were #2.  The #1 was Wabash who lost to Capital, which is why Mount hosted the regional final as Capital was the #5 seed.



On the subject of who the #1 should be in the north, my preference is that it should either be the undefeated champ of either the CCIW or OAC, not the WIAC.  The shipment of Mount to the east was interesting for a year or two, but it's getting old.  I'd rather play in the north even though that is traditionally a tougher path.  Though difficult, I loved those games against the CCIW teams.  And beating the crap out of the NCAC is always more fun than beating some random east region team.

If the NCAA has both North Central and Wheaton ahead of Mount right now, then the winner of the NCC/Wheaton should remain ahead of Mount in the North as their strength of schedule will go up more by beating the other than Mount's will be beating Baldwin-Wallace.   But the final rankings aren't published and it's my understanding that the selection committee uses them a "guide", not as gospel.  So even if the regional committee thinks the CCIW champ is ahead of Mount, the selection committee could still give Mount the #1 over them if they see fit.

The key in all of this is Montclair State and to a lesser degree NCC (assumed CCIW champ) & St Thomas.  If the East doesn't have an undefeated, Mount is probably heading east again and then the question becomes NCC vs. St Thomas in relation to where to place Whitewater.  If the NCAA thinks NCC is ahead of Mount in the north, but ships Mount to prop up the east, it's crazy to think that St Thomas is so good as to not warrant Whitewater in their bracket too.  That would basically mean that the NCAA thinks that UWW and St Thomas are both better than NCC and Mount.  If the NCAA thinks NCC isn't worthy a #1, then Whitewater is coming north again.   

In my opinion, if we want NCC or Mount to hold the north then we need the rest of the undefeated north teams to remain so.  Case, Trine and Wittenberg need to finish at 10-0.  With 5 undefeated teams (NCC, Case, Trine, Witt and Mount) in the actual north region, I can't see moving Whitewater here when there is only 3 in the west (UWW, St Thomas and Wartburg).

What's odd is that the South Region looks the best based solely on records with 6 undefeated teams (Hamp-Syd, MHB, Wesley, Depauw, T More and Ursinus), but most regard (and I agree) that the South is a distant 3rd behind the West and North regions. 

As usual, the next 3 weeks are going to be very interesting.  Especially selection sunday.

Thank God that we have an actual playoff system to settle this instead of some stupid beauty contest like D1 has!

HScoach,

Well said! 

[raiderguy]

Who is going to the game on Saturday and if anyone can recommend a pre-game pub and eatery that would be appreciated. This is my first visit to Otterbein since my MUC days.

[reality check]

They played two road playoff games in 1994, winning at Allegheny and losing at Albion.

That was the year they also began their OAC winning streak that ended with the 2005 loss to that team from Ada.

(I was thirteen years old at the time).

....in '94 or '05??

In '05, I was just acting 13.

[SaintsFAN]

It's not even worth talking about at this point other than to wonder when was the last time Mount traveled for a play-off game, other than to Salem?  LAX in '95?

2005, the year they were upset by ONU and finished the regular season at 9 - 1, they had a first round game at Mount St. Joseph

I do remember that... same year (2005) as Capital getting upset by Michigan State (weird down year in the OAC) and having to play AT Notre Dame in Round 1 of the BCS Playoffs ---

[raiderpa]

for Mount pregame food and drink, you have Polaris Mall  I 71, just a couple miles north of the 270 split and they have all your could ask for...then an exit or two past Otterbein on 270 you have Easton Mall which offers the same and maybe more.  A word of warning, if your wife is with you you may want to skip both these places and hit a local sport somewhere off the beaten path as these malls, (especially these two) are shopping Meccas.  I found the answer, I have myself dropped off at the gate at Otterbein and picked up after the game, and I don't have to go shopping...the whole family is happy...I just make a call when there is a few minutes left in the game...However, beware the wife that says she is leaving when you call and stays "a few more minutes" to check out some last minute bargains....One time the Mount team bus left Westerville before I did...

[seventiesraider]

Your actually lucky Raiderpa, if your wife discovers the pricey shops in downtown Westerville, you might have to ride a team bus home.

[seventiesraider]

Who is going to the game on Saturday and if anyone can recommend a pre-game pub and eatery that would be appreciated. This is my first visit to Otterbein since my MUC days.

Jimmy V's Grill & Pub at 1 S State St. About a half a mile away from the stadium. Easy three-four block walk either way  

[wesleydad]

hscoach, well said and explained for those of us who dont have all the info.  the south is certainly 3rd, but surely ahead of the east.  delval is the best in the east and they lost to wesley who played a horrible game.  if we go 3rd and mount is 2nd, i have no issue with a trip to join you guys.  i may find a way to get there friday evening for some wings at wing warehouse, but will certainly make the margaritas for breakfast.  see you guys sometime soon.

[mr_mom]

HScoach,

Well said! 

I knew we kept him around here for something!   

[bleedpurple]

Huge slap in the face to WW and Mount with the regional rankings. No.1 in the land second in their region and No.2 nationally, #3  in their region.

It seems the voting powers in DIII are tired of the yearly final game of WW and Mount. Maybe these rankings will give other schools false hope but, Salem will likely be full of purple again.

Disagree. It's just the first regional ranking and the committee is following the criteria they've been given. In-region W-L, SOS, etc. These will all continue to sort themselves out. NCC v. Wheaton will knock one of them down. UST's SOS will continue to fall and UWW in-region W-L will continue to build.

Bottom line, the final regional ranking isn't published. So even if the regional committees had UMU and UWW at #2 in each region, the Selection Committee has the leeway to bump them both up to #1 seeds in a region if they choose.

And rest assured, if they are both undefeated, they will be #1 seeds in some region. It's just a question, as Yipsi stated, of whether they are in the East, North or West.

The fact that the CCIW is getting such props regionally is actually probably a good thing for UMU. If NCC was deemed worthy of a #1 and UMU moved east, they would have a far easier bracket to navigate en-route to Salem...not that they've needed that sort of help in years past

This is the point I've always made regarding the regional rankings: Nothing to get worked up about because the Selection Committee has leeway to use common sense. Many would argue they don't exercise that leeway too well, but that's another discussion.

One question: Since the Regional Rankings are so (completely?) dependent upon criteria, why is a committee needed? Seems to me criteria based rankings could just be spit out by a computer.