FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[ohiofan1954]

If Muskingum could just play the whole game like the do the first half they would be more successful. This is the second time I have seen them this year (BW the first) where they have had a good first half just to get blown out in the second. Yesterday was my first chance to visit Ohio Northern , WOW, what a great University. Moves to a possible top 5 on my list of college campuses. Oh the marching band at ONU is outstanding.

[Spurrier]

The marching band is very good at onu and really enhances the game day experience...

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I took a couple of my HS players to a game at Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL last night.

They are a first year NAIA team and now have a record of 6-2.  Great Game Day Atmosphere, Great Fan Support for a 1st Year Team, overall just a great experience.

My guys were a little apprehensive about the campus being Dry and fairly conservative, but the Football experience was outstanding.

Their Mascot is the FIRE and when they score they shoot Propane Flames out of the top of the Jumbotron.  They also had a Small Drumline that was active throughout the game with the fans cheering and shouting continuously.

[ohiofan1954]

I have found that two of the schools with the best atmosphere and fan support and small conservative NAIA schools. Mt. Vernon Nazarene and Cedarville are great places to watch college basketball . Best for football I have seen is Marshall and any sport is Michigan hockey but some of the small schools don't take a back seat to anyone.

[Toph]

I was at the Mount vs Wilmington game yesterday.  I legitimately felt bad for the Wilmington players.  Unfortunately they have guys starting all over the field that have no business playing college football.  I was so shocked at the size that I actually took a picture of #10, who starts at WR and KR,  Listed at 5'10", 145...but there's no way he's more than 5'7" 130...and he wasn't the smallest guy on the team.  Their offensive and defensive lines truly looked like a JV high school team in terms of size and play.  I echo the sentiments of other posters...it's a miracle that more of those kids didn't get hurt.  I don't know what you can do to change the culture and recruiting over there, but they've got to do something.  The team I watched yesterday would lose to a lot of varsity high school teams.

Still looking forward to the 15th, and still hoping everyone stays healthy. 

[Dr. Acula]

Wilmington is a mess. Capital is a mess. Muskingum is consistently just not good.  Etta looked awful against Mount, but they seem to have some life under Waddle.  They seem to be competing at least. 

[ohiofan1954]

Wilmington is a mess. Capital is a mess. Muskingum is consistently just not good.  Etta looked awful against Mount, but they seem to have some life under Waddle.  They seem to be competing at least. I thought the new coach at Wilmington was supposed to be the savoir. Oh well unlike Bowden at Akron you can't bring in transfers from other schools who couldn't cut id in the classroom or who are criminals.

[HScoach]

Toph:  I agree, especially with the "feeling bad" sentiment.   That was as big a disparity in physical ability as I can ever remember.   It looked like a junior high team stepping up to practice against the high school varsity.  Just sad. 

Hairston's biggest recruiting job is within his own team.  Until he can convince these kids to hang around for their sophomore season and beyond,  it will be just more of the same.  Only 3 seniors total on the 2-deep and few juniors.  Most of starters  were fresmen.   Almost every single backup was a freshman.    Same very year recently too.

[Raider 68]

I was at the Mount vs Wilmington game yesterday.  I legitimately felt bad for the Wilmington players.  Unfortunately they have guys starting all over the field that have no business playing college football.  I was so shocked at the size that I actually took a picture of #10, who starts at WR and KR,  Listed at 5'10", 145...but there's no way he's more than 5'7" 130...and he wasn't the smallest guy on the team.  Their offensive and defensive lines truly looked like a JV high school team in terms of size and play.  I echo the sentiments of other posters...it's a miracle that more of those kids didn't get hurt.  I don't know what you can do to change the culture and recruiting over there, but they've got to do something.  The team I watched yesterday would lose to a lot of varsity high school teams.

Still looking forward to the 15th, and still hoping everyone stays healthy. 

Toph,

Agree as well. I know that Wilmington is competitive in the OAC for other sports, but I do not remember them fielding
a team that is clearly below all the others in so many areas.  As a college Wilmington does not have the facilities that attract
the athletics as the other OAC schools do, despite their location to the greater Cincinnati area. So the question going forward
is whether the Wilmington Administration can improve and attract potential players with investment in facilities and a massive
recruiting campaign once the college demonstrates its future plans. The school may not have the ability to fund improvement
regardless, so what then is the future of the football program?

[mr_mom]

The results of Week # 8 of the OAC Pick-Em are posted.

theaprof continues to lead, even stretching his lead a bit to 8 points over the pack.
  But that "dum-dum-dum-dum" sound he hears is the self-described 'Football picker extraordinaire' FCGrizzliesGrad swimming up behind him.  Grizz took weekly honors with 13 of 15 points. 

Spreads for Week #9 will be posted Monday night.

[BillyRayJimBob]

Wilmington is a mess. Capital is a mess. Muskingum is consistently just not good.  Etta looked awful against Mount, but they seem to have some life under Waddle.  They seem to be competing at least.

I watched Andy Waddle (and his brothers) play high school football where my kids attended when serving tours at Wright-Patterson AFB.  A good family; a great young man, as I recall.  When I saw that he was hired as the Pioneer's football coach, I took an interest in following them a bit more closely.
The 'Etta Express (stealing something from their renown baseball team) should finish 4-6 ... a big improvement.  With ONU at home this Saturday, maybe a 5-5 year, and that is outstanding.  (Spurrier probably says, "No";  Reality Check will acuse me of drinking again/still.)
There was a real good (and academically smart) offensive lineman in Andy's class that I tried to recruit to Mount Union, but he chose to stay closer to home and went to Earlham.  Helped them to some better years, but no ring. 

[Walt]

Hairston's biggest recruiting job is within his own team.  Until he can convince these kids to hang around for their sophomore season and beyond,  it will be just more of the same.  Only 3 seniors total on the 2-deep and few juniors.  Most of starters  were fresmen.   Almost every single backup was a freshman.

Same could be said for Capital.  Only 2 seniors (both on offense) in the starting 22, and only a handful juniors in the two deep.  By my count there are 17 or 18 freshmen in the two deep and another 16 or 17 sophs.   

7 of the 9 DBs who play the most weren't on the te last year.  The two who were we not in the two deep.   Right now, Cap is playing 3 kids on defense who saw action last year. 

In theory starting a bunch of freshmen & sophs this year should pay off in two years...My only fear is that the beat downs will discourage kids from coming back. It's just hard starting a bunch of 18/19 yr olds who haven't even spent a year in their weight program against grown men with a few years of a college weight program under their belt.

The good news is that the JV team won their first 4 games including wins over Wittenberg and Otterbein.  They lost their 5th but that's particularly b/c of a few call-ups to varsity.   The JV success is notable considering that most of the kids in the varsity 2 deep should be on JV under normal circumstances.

[Walt]

And last year I caught grief when I said (after seeing Mount, JCU, and 'berg back-to-back-to-back) that Heidelberg's defense wasn't good enough for them to beat Mount or JCU.

That said, this is not sour games or trash talk, but after seeing Mount and JCU, I think Mount is clearly better.  JCU's offense (specifically Myers and their WRs) are very, very good.  I was in awe... But Mount is just deeper and sharper in all facets.  And honestly, while JCU's defense is very good, I think Mount's is better.  In my humble opinion, JCU has a puncher's chance and if Mount doesn't bring their A game they could lose, but Mount should win.

[Desertraider]

And last year I caught grief when I said (after seeing Mount, JCU, and 'berg back-to-back-to-back) that Heidelberg's defense wasn't good enough for them to beat Mount or JCU.

That said, this is not sour games or trash talk, but after seeing Mount and JCU, I think Mount is clearly better.  JCU's offense (specifically Myers and their WRs) are very, very good.  I was in awe... But Mount is just deeper and sharper in all facets.  And honestly, while JCU's defense is very good, I think Mount's is better.  In my humble opinion, JCU has a puncher's chance and if Mount doesn't bring their A game they could lose, but Mount should win.

I agree on the assessment. JCU has enough talent to take Mount into the 4th but I think Mount just has 'more' of everything. For example - the WR for JCU is very good but Mount has 2 of him and Sherman Wilkinson; JC's RB is also very good but Mount has 2 of him and 3 others. I am not knocking any of the other JC players - I just think Mount has a deeper roster. The key (for me) is that Mount has to pressure Myers. If Myers has time the game will be a shootout - first one to 50 wins. I would like to see Mount 1) stop the run and 2) get pressure on QB.

On another note though: Mount does not have a single starter that has played 4 qtrs (I don't even think they have played a full 3). So the next 2 games could be ugly if the starters are in for the full game to get ready for JCU and playoffs. Good thing they are playing OTT and BW!!

[Desertraider]

http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/fball/index

At about the 2:50 mark is the special teams hit from the Mount game. Glad to see the kid is ok. You can hear in background "crack back crack back" but unfortunately for the Wilmington player - he didn't hear it. Ouch!