FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[wesleydad]

I am looking at your projected brackets and wonder why you put WWW and MHB in the same semifinal?  I thought that due to the season-long rankings that Mount and MHB would be on the same side. 
Could you explain for an interested fan?
thanks

raiderpa, currently Wesley is #1 in the South Regional Rankings.  I believe that is why D3 has them on the Mount side.  I have read somewhere that as long as UWW and Mount keep winning in the playoffs the thought is that they will continue to be at home until someone beats them.  They did not use the Top 25 rankings for the brackets.  I am ok with it since I can drive to Mount, would end up watching the UWW game on TV unless I hit the lottery.

[HScoach]

WOW!  What a game!  I have finally recovered enough to post.

This won't be very popular on this board, but Mount's offensive & defensive lines don't look much (if any) better than they did last year.  This was their first big test, and in my opinion they failed.  Yes, they won the game, but in my opinion they didn't show enough to make me think they are ready for the cheese-eating scourge from Wisconsin.  Burke was running for his life all day, and the line repeatedly whiffed on JCU defenders.

HOPEFULLY, they can continue to improve if they move through the play-offs.  Skunk & I had a great time at the game, and as per usual there were "fired up" students from both schools yipping and yapping, and all of that should be taken for what it was:  a bunch of college kids with too much vim and vigor fueled by who knows what beverage.   

Here's hoping both teams make a deep run, and possibly meeting somewhere down the line in the play-offs.

You're being kind.   

The O-line got DOMINATED by a very "solid" JCU defense that has never been known for their physicality.  D-line got gashed by the JCU run game, yes JCU actually ran the ball this season (guess they learned their lesson from last year's playoff game), and Mount had very little pressure on Myers. Not a good sign moving forward if that's the O and D line play we can expect moving forward.

But the stats say the Mount D is better in 2014.

In my less than humble opinion,  the stats point more to the OAC being even worse as a whole than '13, more than the defense being better.

[skunks_sidekick]

WOW!  What a game!  I have finally recovered enough to post.

This won't be very popular on this board, but Mount's offensive & defensive lines don't look much (if any) better than they did last year.  This was their first big test, and in my opinion they failed.  Yes, they won the game, but in my opinion they didn't show enough to make me think they are ready for the cheese-eating scourge from Wisconsin.  Burke was running for his life all day, and the line repeatedly whiffed on JCU defenders.

HOPEFULLY, they can continue to improve if they move through the play-offs.  Skunk & I had a great time at the game, and as per usual there were "fired up" students from both schools yipping and yapping, and all of that should be taken for what it was:  a bunch of college kids with too much vim and vigor fueled by who knows what beverage.   

Here's hoping both teams make a deep run, and possibly meeting somewhere down the line in the play-offs.

You're being kind.   

The O-line got DOMINATED by a very "solid" JCU defense that has never been known for their physicality.  D-line got gashed by the JCU run game, yes JCU actually ran the ball this season (guess they learned their lesson from last year's playoff game), and Mount had very little pressure on Myers. Not a good sign moving forward if that's the O and D line play we can expect moving forward.

But the stats say the Mount D is better in 2014.

In my less than humble opinion,  the stats point more to the OAC being even worse as a whole than '13, more than the defense being better.

Yah....I am a kinder, OLDER poster these days.  If both the lines don't get magically better, this play-off run will be more like last year than others.  Looking at stats against what I think was a very DOWN OAC means nothing.  Look what happened when they played a top 10, play-off worthy team.  Not so good.

[Pat Coleman]

I am looking at your projected brackets and wonder why you put WWW and MHB in the same semifinal?  I thought that due to the season-long rankings that Mount and MHB would be on the same side. 
Could you explain for an interested fan?
thanks

The NCAA doesn't have to agree with our rankings. They certainly didn't last year.

[Raider 68]

WOW!  What a game!  I have finally recovered enough to post.

This won't be very popular on this board, but Mount's offensive & defensive lines don't look much (if any) better than they did last year.  This was their first big test, and in my opinion they failed.  Yes, they won the game, but in my opinion they didn't show enough to make me think they are ready for the cheese-eating scourge from Wisconsin.  Burke was running for his life all day, and the line repeatedly whiffed on JCU defenders.

HOPEFULLY, they can continue to improve if they move through the play-offs.  Skunk & I had a great time at the game, and as per usual there were "fired up" students from both schools yipping and yapping, and all of that should be taken for what it was:  a bunch of college kids with too much vim and vigor fueled by who knows what beverage.   

Here's hoping both teams make a deep run, and possibly meeting somewhere down the line in the play-offs.

You're being kind.   

The O-line got DOMINATED by a very "solid" JCU defense that has never been known for their physicality.  D-line got gashed by the JCU run game, yes JCU actually ran the ball this season (guess they learned their lesson from last year's playoff game), and Mount had very little pressure on Myers. Not a good sign moving forward if that's the O and D line play we can expect moving forward.

But the stats say the Mount D is better in 2014.

In my less than humble opinion,  the stats point more to the OAC being even worse as a whole than '13, more than the defense being better.

Yah....I am a kinder, OLDER poster these days.  If both the lines don't get magically better, this play-off run will be more like last year than others.  Looking at stats against what I think was a very DOWN OAC means nothing.  Look what happened when they played a top 10, play-off worthy team.  Not so good.

Skunks- side,

IMHO, JCU deserves real credit in that they are solid team and worthy of their rating. I know that the overall stats can be
deceiving, but the fact remains that this year's Raider team is better than 2013 and still leads the nation on both offense
and defense. In the game yesterday, JCU's plan in the second was to keep the ball as much as they could and it worked.
Mount's plan for the second half was to be conservative and not run any of the many plays against  could have balanced the
action in the second half. At this moment we do not know who the Raiders will play, but IMHO they just faced maybe their
toughest opponent going forward. Not that many years ago, Mount lead or was in the top 3-4 in D3 for several categories
and that was against the same OAC teams, why is now several people keep saying the OAC is weaker. Back then it was
Capital, ONU, JCU and B-W, now the landscape has shifted, but the Raiders still win the conference. I think Mount will be fine
over the next weeks, and how far they go will depend on many things including who they draw against.

[HScoach]

68:  I say the conference is weaker because of seeing them all play over the years.  The QB play in league begins with Burke/Myers and ends with Mees at Heidi.  The rest is really bad.   Most teams, even the Etta's and Musky's usually have a few good players that you wished were playing at Mount.    Not so the last few years.  I can't think of a single player at ONU that would ever see the field at Mount.    BW too.   Heidi has talent, especially on O, but they have disappeared against Mount and JCU.  Really thought they would at least put up a fight,  but instead they rolled over and didn't even try. 

Mount is still good, but other than JCU, the conference does nothing to prepare them for the playoffs.

[bceagle80]

WOW!  What a game!  I have finally recovered enough to post.

This won't be very popular on this board, but Mount's offensive & defensive lines don't look much (if any) better than they did last year.  This was their first big test, and in my opinion they failed.  Yes, they won the game, but in my opinion they didn't show enough to make me think they are ready for the cheese-eating scourge from Wisconsin.  Burke was running for his life all day, and the line repeatedly whiffed on JCU defenders.

HOPEFULLY, they can continue to improve if they move through the play-offs.  Skunk & I had a great time at the game, and as per usual there were "fired up" students from both schools yipping and yapping, and all of that should be taken for what it was:  a bunch of college kids with too much vim and vigor fueled by who knows what beverage.   

Here's hoping both teams make a deep run, and possibly meeting somewhere down the line in the play-offs.

Quite a game!! I had to work but followed the action on d3football.com when I had a chance. Part of this is learning how to win a tough game and they did.

Regarding the offensive and defensive lines, yes, thank God for Kevin Burke's mobility but keep in mind the offensive line generally plays against a pretty good defense in practice each week. They move per instruction to overcome anticipated defensive formations and tactics. My feeling is the John Carroll coaching staff must take a lot of the credit for keeping them in the game.

Defensively, on the line, speed and lateral quickness is a mainstay at Mount Union. It will continue to be. That being said, since "defense wins championships", it will be important for Mount Union to have some young men step forward on the d-line who raise their game to the next level. Now is the time since the playoffs are starting. Lally and Butler, in general, have played well by all accounts I have heard. The heart of a champion gives 110% on every play. It can not be just Lally and Butler but the whole defensive front that says to all those they meet in the playoffs: "We will stop you here and now (on every play)".

For the future, to take on the teams in the playoffs and really shut down the interior runs, they need d-lineman have put the time in to get better at their craft, time in the weight room that gives them the strength to dominate all opponents and who work to maintain the best they have of their God-given talents. I think I see that with the freshman from this season. Stopping the run, during the season and in the playoffs, will become a standard for the Mount Union defense.

Good luck to all teams in the playoffs and may there be few injuries to all football players!

[SaintsFAN]

Every program has them.  Just like every program has level-headed, likable and gracious fans/posters (except for Thomas More)  .  And as an innocent bystander in this clash between Mount and John Carroll, I feel the point was already clearly proven in the roughly ten posts in either direction of the new guy's first entry in this forum.

I love you too.

[SaintsFAN]

Regarding the offensive and defensive lines, yes, thank God for Kevin Burke's mobility but keep in mind the offensive line generally plays against a pretty good defense in practice each week. They move per instruction to overcome anticipated defensive formations and tactics. My feeling is the John Carroll coaching staff must take a lot of the credit for keeping them in the game.

Defensively, on the line, speed and lateral quickness is a mainstay at Mount Union. It will continue to be. That being said, since "defense wins championships", it will be important for Mount Union to have some young men step forward on the d-line who raise their game to the next level. Now is the time since the playoffs are starting. Lally and Butler, in general, have played well by all accounts I have heard. The heart of a champion gives 110% on every play. It can not be just Lally and Butler but the whole defensive front that says to all those they meet in the playoffs: "We will stop you here and now (on every play)".

GREAT points.  I think what Hscoach and skunks are saying is on the way to Salem, there will be at least two Mount opponents who are better than JCU..

I think they see some points of concern. 

I love your second paragraph -- and believe for Mount to prevail in the Tournament in 2014, its an absolute must.

[mr_mom]

Bummer ... MUC and JCU in the same quarter of the bracket. 

Was hoping [for the possibility] to see them again a round later.

[purpled]

Any thoughts about the all black uniforms? Was it to represent doom and gloom?

[HScoach]

Bummer ... MUC and JCU in the same quarter of the bracket. 

Was hoping [for the possibility] to see them again a round later.

No excuse for JCU to not be focused this time around.   Their redemption trip back to Mount only requires two wins.   At Wheaton will be tough, but I don't get the sense that this is one of Wheaton's better teams.   2 winnable games ahead of JCU and then The Re-match.

[USee]

Bummer ... MUC and JCU in the same quarter of the bracket. 

Was hoping [for the possibility] to see them again a round later.

No excuse for JCU to not be focused this time around.   Their redemption trip back to Mount only requires two wins.   At Wheaton will be tough, but I don't get the sense that this is one of Wheaton's better teams.   2 winnable games ahead of JCU and then The Re-match.

This is better than the 08 Wheaton team. This one is comparable to the 2002 team that lost @Mt in the quarters. Very good OLine (by Wheaton standards) Athletic LB's and secondary. Don't give up big plays. Converts 3rd downs and gets off the field on defense on 3rd down. Not a lot of turnovers. Haven't had the 2nd place OAC team in Wheaton since BW in 2003. Should be fun. We get to play the powerful Benedictine and then the top two OAC teams back/back. Yikes. At least if we win all those we get a break with Wesley! 

[Dr. Acula]

Finally back in town and able to watch the DVR of The Game today.  Quick impressions:

On the positive side, they won the game, they came through with a clutch drive when they had to and I thought the defense played pretty well.  Beyond winning the game, the rest of this is just food for thought moving forward.

Now on to the rest...

That did not look like a team that can beat UMHB or UWW.  Good news is they wouldn't see either of those teams for about a month.  The thing that worried me is that the JCU D line was abusing the O line.  That was a glaring concern.  It seemed like Burke was running for his life half the times he dropped back.  And there wasn't a ton of room running the ball.  That O line has been playing together pretty much the entire season and JCU looked to be overwhelming them the majority of the game.

On the flip side the D line was pushed off the ball and Michaels made their run D look very average.  Now, is that schematic?  Were they focused more on stopping the pass than the run?  I don't know.  I'm not an X's and O's guy.  But Myers still threw for 294 after a horrendous start so if they were it wasn't working great.  Credit there needs to go to JCU as they are very talented too.

Overall I was very impressed with JCU.  That looked like a top 5 team to me.  Good luck to JCU.  Carry that OAC banner, win a couple games and let's have a rematch!

[formerd3db]

68:  I say the conference is weaker because of seeing them all play over the years.  The QB play in league begins with Burke/Myers and ends with Mees at Heidi.  The rest is really bad.   Most teams, even the Etta's and Musky's usually have a few good players that you wished were playing at Mount.    Not so the last few years.  I can't think of a single player at ONU that would ever see the field at Mount.    BW too.   Heidi has talent, especially on O, but they have disappeared against Mount and JCU.  Really thought they would at least put up a fight,  but instead they rolled over and didn't even try. 

Mount is still good, but other than JCU, the conference does nothing to prepare them for the playoffs.

HSC:

Interesting observation and comments.  Over on our MIAA board at various times the past couple of years, we've had similar discussion as to the reason(s) why the conference strength and talent level is much less than it has been in the past couple of decades-it just isn't the same nor ever will be I believe.  I won't reiterate the reasons regarding our MIAA discussions, however, I am interested in your opinion as to what the underlying cause is regarding the OAC as you have discussed.