FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[MUC80]

I knew this wasn't the most loaded Mount team ever, but after looking at the All-OAC team 2 thoughts come to mind:

1.  The selections are a joke with all the "co-winners" and too many players at one position like 3 RB's, 5 DL's and 5 LB's on the 1st team.  2nd team is even worse with 5 WR's.

2.  Mount is lucky to have won the conference

Looking at the OAC Regulations on their website, General Regulation Article 2 - All-AOC Teams lists for Football:

Starters per Team: 25
OAC Teams: 10
Starters in OAC: 250
35% of Starters: 87
Maximum Outcomes: 15 1st Team and 15 2nd Team each for Offense and Defense, plus 20 Honorable Mention (total: 80)

2013 Results:
1st Team Offense: 15
1st Team Defense: 16
2nd Team Offense: 17
2nd Team Defense: 16
Honorable Mention: 20
Total: 84

So they went over the Maximum Output according to the Regulations by 4. However, they were 3 under the 35% of starters in OAC. I have no idea if there were ties along the way that resulted in being over the maximum output. I can't find any rules listed on how the voting works. This is just what is posted on the website.

Also, I noticed that for Honorable Mention, each school has exactly 2 players each. I guess when each team submits their nominations for All-OAC, maybe they rank them? Then the committee must take the 2 highest ranked players from each school that didn't make 1st or 2nd team and put them on the Honorable Mention list (?). Does anyone know for sure how any of this works?

[Blutarsky]

I knew this wasn't the most loaded Mount team ever, but after looking at the All-OAC team 2 thoughts come to mind:

1.  The selections are a joke with all the "co-winners" and too many players at one position like 3 RB's, 5 DL's and 5 LB's on the 1st team.  2nd team is even worse with 5 WR's.

2.  Mount is lucky to have won the conference

HSc:

I've always not been in favor of that either i.e. too many selections at one position including and/or when there is more than 11 picked for the offense and/or defensive teams.  I can see perhaps occasionally having two players selected at one position in some circumstances, but when it is seemingly overloaded as has been happening more often it appears in recent years in some conferences, I'm not sure I understand that.  Not to take anything away from any player who is selected for that honor, but it make sense to me that you fill the allowed positions on the 11 for either side of the ball (plus the special teams positions, P, K possibly Return Specialist if the conference allows the latter spot on their all-league team also) and that's it.

formerd3db, HScoach,

What is unfortunate is that the awards become less special if the approach is to have some extra
chairs when the music stops. If you win the conference then those coaches and players should
be the selections. The OAC wanted to make everyone happy, not do what they should have.

Give everyone a ribbon..........aarrgghh!

[formerd3db]

Raider68:

Indeed, I know what you mean.  I've mentioned this in past years on our board when this topic comes up every year at this time after the regular season. Another example that seems to happen on a regular basis and, of course, is, again, related to your scenario of "to the victor goes the spoils", is when some player who ends up leading the league in some category, for example, interceptions, is not chosen on the first team, while one of his competitors who is "way down the list" on that category yet is chosen because his team won the league.  Some people will argue that sometimes, for example, a player leading in that category gained those in "mop-up situations" and perhaps was the nickel back or not a starter, etc. While I agree that is/could be a legitimate argument in such a scenario, more often that is not the case. 

I've seen many occasions where a starter/top player for a team ends up getting the 1st team selection with low stats, because their team won the title and also despite his having a subpar year because he was a 1st team selection the prior year; all this being picked over someone who was a top player for an opposing team in the league and who led the league in some statistical category (that has happened several times in our league this past decade and it happened even to my brother and other players from his era "way back when").  That is unfortunate, but, that's just the way life is sometimes and we all know that politics plays a part in that also (like it does in all facets of life unfortunately).   Regardless, congrats to those who were selected this year. 

[edward de vere]

Everybody gets a ribbon.

[NCF]

Raider68:

Indeed, I know what you mean.  I've mentioned this in past years on our board when this topic comes up every year at this time after the regular season. Another example that seems to happen on a regular basis and, of course, is, again, related to your scenario of "to the victor goes the spoils", is when some player who ends up leading the league in some category, for example, interceptions, is not chosen on the first team, while one of his competitors who is "way down the list" on that category yet is chosen because his team won the league.  Some people will argue that sometimes, for example, a player leading in that category gained those in "mop-up situations" and perhaps was the nickel back or not a starter, etc. While I agree that is/could be a legitimate argument in such a scenario, more often that is not the case. 

I've seen many occasions where a starter/top player for a team ends up getting the 1st team selection with low stats, because their team won the title and also despite his having a subpar year because he was a 1st team selection the prior year; all this being picked over someone who was a top player for an opposing team in the league and who led the league in some statistical category (that has happened several times in our league this past decade and it happened even to my brother and other players from his era "way back when").  That is unfortunate, but, that's just the way life is sometimes and we all know that politics plays a part in that also (like it does in all facets of life unfortunately).   Regardless, congrats to those who were selected this year.

former, have to agree with you this. The awards are supposed to go to the guys who EARNED them during the current season, not someone who won last year and is having a down year. I've seen that happen before as well. Politics plays a huge role in some of these choices. There should only be 11 for each team (offense/defense) for both the first and second teams. I've also seen seniors given these honors when their underclassmen teammates should have been chosen.

[Walt]

Not complaining just making observations...

Anyone else find it interesting that Muskingum, Marietta, and Wilmington combined to win only 3 games yet have more combined first team players than BW, ONU, and Otterbein who all finished .500 or better?   Looking at 1st & 2nd team, the bottom 3 teams in the standings got 4 players for each win.  Using that formula, UMU should have had 40 kids between 1st & 2nd team.

Again, not complaining...  I'm sure all these players are well deserving.  And as others have mentioned either way you go someone gets left out.  If you look purely at stats a better player on a winning team may get left out, but you can't completely ignore stats. 

[purple]

How does Kevin Burke not win the OAC Outstanding Offensive Back award? Is there an OAC coach,past or present,that would take Brooks over Burke if they had a choice? Please. The fine young man from Heidi had a great year(especially against everybody but JCU and Mount) but Kevin Burke helped a very raw offensive unit become the top offensive unit in the OAC. He also played great in the biggest games of the year(so far). I also think Luc Mecham should have won best receiver. The Arth/Kehres thing was decided last week,on the field. I also want to say that No.32 for W&J is a hell of a football player. I loved seeing  No.90,Tom Lally giving the W&J players the "come on,bring it" motions last week after the late fumble. He sure looks taller than 6'2".

[HScoach]

Maybe I forgot my purple tinted glasses, but I have no problem with Brooks getting the award.   Any of the big 3 could have gotten it and I'd have been OK with it.   Splitting hairs between 3 studs.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Be grateful that the all-OAC selections have not gone as bad as the NWC.  7 of the 8 starting qbs made either 1st or 2nd team.  Realize that that means the other qb got singled out as THE WORST qb in the league!

Those who 'expand the honors' (beyond legitimate ties in the voting) don't seem to understand that
1. it waters down the honor for those honored, and
2. taken too far, it highlights anyone NOT honored as 'dregs'.

[edward de vere]

Okay, that is seriously ridiculous.

[Craft_Beermeister]

I just ran across a great article about Larry Kehres where Larry shared what he misses about coaching and what he valued as a coach.

I found it to be a great read.

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/marla/marla-ridenour-on-sports-1.284882/tips-for-prospective-coaches-from-mount-union-s-larry-kehres-1.446842

[edward de vere]

Great article.  Thanks for posting.

There was a column written about Nick Saban a week or two ago, and, when I read it, there was one HUGE thing in which there was a direct, one-to-one correspondence between Saban and Kehres.

It comes up again in this piece about Kehres.  And that is:  Both Saban and Kehres insist not on "practice makes perfect" but on "PERFECT practice makes perfect", and both are very hands-on about it.   Despite all the demands on the time of a big-time D1 Coach, Saban spends tons of time right on the practice field, insisting on perfect technique.

In baseball, Cal Ripken, Jr. has talked a million times about his father hammering on this.

[beenhit2hard]

Don Montgomery resigns at Emory and Henry.

[mr_mom]

Don Montgomery resigns at Emory and Henry.

[mr_mom]

Spreads for the Second Round of the OAC Post-Season Pick-Em are posted.

Please get your picks in before Noon EST ... or EDT ... or whatever ... before the games begin!

And although I never got into the "who has the hardest bracket" argument, I'll speak via my spreads.

Let's pick safely out there!