FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

On a lesser level (i.e. not "challenging for national prominence" but merely examples of 1-2 elite individuals being the difference), a few teams that I saw personally include the 2006 Carnegie Mellon and then 2007-09 Case Western teams.  The bulk of 2006 Carnegie Mellon's roster was likely not much different than the teams that came before or after it, but in 2006 they had the program's 1st and 3rd all-time leading rushers in the same backfield.  Take those two dudes off the team, and instead of 11-1/playoffs they're back to the same 5-5ish teams that came before and after.  Ditto Case Western and Dan Whalen, who lifted Case from a 5-5ish program to three straight playoff appearances, after which they returned to the same .500-ish level within a few seasons.  Those are just examples I remember offhand, no doubt people more familiar with the various leagues can list some other similar individual/team examples.  Scottie Williams at Elmhurst is another that comes to mind.  2012 Elmhurst, with Williams running the ball, goes 10-2 and gives a legitimate challenge to Stagg Bowl finalist UST.  The Elmhurst teams before/after that were basically .500 teams.  In Division III, perhaps even moreso than Division I, the difference between being a middle-of-the-pack team and a fringe-level Top 25 team often seems to be the presence of one or two truly elite individuals.  Obviously you still need the roster of supporting players around that guy, but I pretty firmly believe that the "regular guys" on many Division III teams are pretty similar. 

What seems to set UWW and Mount (and to a slightly lesser extent UMHB, Wesley, and Linfield) apart is that they have the overall roster depth that 1) the next star-in-waiting is always there and 2) even when he isn't, the rest of their "regular guys" are so good that the team doesn't really drop off much.  Most good-but-not-great D3 teams seem to lose a guy of that caliber and don't have the next superstar lined up; they have a team full of "guys" just like they had before the superstar arrived.

Heinsohn at W&L was another great example. He made that triple option go from respectable to devastating. Top 4 in the Gagliardi behind Williams in 2012 as well. Two out of his 3 impact years (played as a frosh, but not like he did later on) W&L won the ODAC. Since then the Generals are struggling to rebuild.

Sometimes in these conferences that are tight, that don't have the behemoth program, it is just that 1 guy. Probably a lot more examples if we looked.

[Blutarsky]

Tom Arth has JCU playing at a high level and they WILL test Mount. But can they then stay at that level and continue to push Mount? Can they beat Mount? I don't know. Like we have said with Cap, Berg, ONU 4-5 years seems to be the limit (so far) and then they regress - or in Caps case they just implode.

....Pentello graduates.

This actually brings up a very interesting point: many of the teams that have bubbled up for a brief time have been able to do with one or two outstanding individuals that, in hindsight, seem to be the difference between "decent" and "playoff challenger" teams.  This is not to say that the other players on those teams aren't any good, but rather that the distinguishing factor between those Capital teams topping out at "solid 8-2 team" vs. "challenger to Mount Union" was the presence of Pentello, while the rest of the guys on the team were "nice" players but basically the same as the guys who came before-and-after him.  Likewise, John Carroll's defense last year was good enough that they'd have been near the top of the OAC, Myers or not, but the presence of Myers is what gives JCU that little oomph that makes us think maybe they can challenge Mount.

On a lesser level (i.e. not "challenging for national prominence" but merely examples of 1-2 elite individuals being the difference), a few teams that I saw personally include the 2006 Carnegie Mellon and then 2007-09 Case Western teams.  The bulk of 2006 Carnegie Mellon's roster was likely not much different than the teams that came before or after it, but in 2006 they had the program's 1st and 3rd all-time leading rushers in the same backfield.  Take those two dudes off the team, and instead of 11-1/playoffs they're back to the same 5-5ish teams that came before and after.  Ditto Case Western and Dan Whalen, who lifted Case from a 5-5ish program to three straight playoff appearances, after which they returned to the same .500-ish level within a few seasons.  Those are just examples I remember offhand, no doubt people more familiar with the various leagues can list some other similar individual/team examples.  Scottie Williams at Elmhurst is another that comes to mind.  2012 Elmhurst, with Williams running the ball, goes 10-2 and gives a legitimate challenge to Stagg Bowl finalist UST.  The Elmhurst teams before/after that were basically .500 teams.  In Division III, perhaps even moreso than Division I, the difference between being a middle-of-the-pack team and a fringe-level Top 25 team often seems to be the presence of one or two truly elite individuals.  Obviously you still need the roster of supporting players around that guy, but I pretty firmly believe that the "regular guys" on many Division III teams are pretty similar. 

What seems to set UWW and Mount (and to a slightly lesser extent UMHB, Wesley, and Linfield) apart is that they have the overall roster depth that 1) the next star-in-waiting is always there and 2) even when he isn't, the rest of their "regular guys" are so good that the team doesn't really drop off much.  Most good-but-not-great D3 teams seem to lose a guy of that caliber and don't have the next superstar lined up; they have a team full of "guys" just like they had before the superstar arrived.

+K.....nice post.

[Desertraider]

Blutarsky:
Pentello graduated?? I thought he was just waiting to exercise his 22nd year of eligibility!

[Desertraider]

Here is a question, Who are/were the best OAC QB's  (Top 10) over the 20 years?

If we are going from 1995-2014 are we including current players? I would say we have to look at (not in any order here) Arth (JCU), Dan Larlham (BW), Pentello (Cap), and a bunch of Mount QBs (Borchert, Smeck,  Jorris, Adamson, Micheli, Burke). My money is on Borchert as #1. Filling out #'s 2-10 would be the hard part.

[Spurrier]

All this mount talk is boring and undemocratic...polar bears pick up win number four on Saturday...shout out to number 92 for the pbears..the super jack de from central Florida gettin it done...

where all my polar bears at?

[SaintsFAN]

Here is a question, Who are/were the best OAC QB's  (Top 10) over the 20 years?

If we are going from 1995-2014 are we including current players? I would say we have to look at (not in any order here) Arth (JCU), Dan Larlham (BW), Pentello (Cap), and a bunch of Mount QBs (Borchert, Smeck,  Jorris, Adamson, Micheli, Burke). My money is on Borchert as #1. Filling out #'s 2-10 would be the hard part.

Adam Ryan (Wilma) has to be this conversation and the conversation about teams lifted up by one player.  Ever since he graduated, they've been ****. 

[bceagle80]

Both Mount Union and UW-W have been blessed to be able to recruit young men who seek to find out what is the very best in them that they can give.

I hardly think UW-W and Mount Union have the market cornered on athletes at this level who are trying to be the best football players they can be.   Most of the players at this level value education (they ARE paying for it) and want to be the best they can be on the field.

I never said (or meant to infer) what you stated above. I merely stated it with reference to what I have already seen at Mount Union and what I have heard about at UW-W. What sets them apart is the number of young men with this focus and attitude who are also extremely gifted athletically and then coached to excel at an even higher level (one need only look at the current varsity team and a few of the teams of the recent past).

I also agree with the assessment made about the the advantages of continuously playing in the playoffs every year and also going deep in the playoffs every year. You can not replace the playoff game time experience any team gets.

[Dr. Acula]

Here is a question, Who are/were the best OAC QB's  (Top 10) over the 20 years?

If we are going from 1995-2014 are we including current players? I would say we have to look at (not in any order here) Arth (JCU), Dan Larlham (BW), Pentello (Cap), and a bunch of Mount QBs (Borchert, Smeck,  Jorris, Adamson, Micheli, Burke). My money is on Borchert as #1. Filling out #'s 2-10 would be the hard part.

Adam Ryan (Wilma) has to be this conversation and the conversation about teams lifted up by one player.  Ever since he graduated, they've been ****.

The two possible guys I thought of adding immediately were Ryan and Franzer from ONU. 

[mr_mom]

Y'all have 13 hours and 13 minutes to get your selections in for the OAC Pick-Em.

Trivia: who lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

[wabashcpa]

Y'all have 13 hours and 13 minutes to get your selections in for the OAC Pick-Em.

Trivia: who lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

I won't spoil the answer since I had to google it, but very cool.  Especially appropriate this time of year!

[HScoach]

Mom:  please put down the bottle.  You've obviously had enough.

[NCF]

Y'all have 13 hours and 13 minutes to get your selections in for the OAC Pick-Em.

Trivia: who lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

The Munsters. And I did not google it.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I swear my team is cursed this year.

We lost Game 1 47-40 and had 6 lost fumbles in the game.

We lost Game 2 28-27 OT.  We went for 2 and the win.  It was a non-district game at home against a team that has beaten us regularly by big scores in the past.

We won Games 3 & 4.

We lost Game 5 15-7.  They have beaten us by 21+ the last three year and are the 2-time Defending District Champs.  We scored to pull the game to 9-7, then gave up a KOR for a TD.

We lost Game 6 40-14.  This game was an old fashioned Ass Kicking.  We deserved to lose this one.

We lost Game 7 34-24.  We were up 24-20, gave up a long pass for a TD that our Safety tipped to their WR. Then on ensuing KOR our returner fumbled and they scored on the next play (went from being up by 4 to down by 10).

We lost Game 8 35-28.  We tied the game at 28.  The next defensive series one of our DEs doesn't go in the game and they run off tackle for 80 yards.

This is the best 2-6 Team I have ever been around.  Can't catch a break at all!

We only have 24 players on our Varsity Squad this year so most of the guys are playing Every Down on OFF, DEF, and ST.

So Damn Frustrating.

[ohiofan1954]

Y'all have 13 hours and 13 minutes to get your selections in for the OAC Pick-Em.

Trivia: who lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

The Munsters. And I did not google it.

the munsters but I must confess I did google it. I'm 60, should have know it.

[Dr. Acula]

Gonna be a loooot of game reps for those youngsters today.  35-0 midway through the 1st qtr.