FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

1% for Heidelberg.

So you're saying there's a chance.

1% more of a chance than JCU.  who would have thought that going into the season?

I knew it was our year   
Shame though we will lose so many to graduation after this year; so its one last playoff run for a while probably

Speaking from experience, it is better to have run and lost than not to have run at all 

A run?  You're being a little modest!  Last year was historic.  Beating both Goliaths at their place, ending Mount's 2 decade plus run of OAC titles and going toe-to-toe in the semis?  Short of winning a title that's about as impressive as a season can be. 

[merlecanlas]

1% for Heidelberg.

So you're saying there's a chance.

1% more of a chance than JCU.  who would have thought that going into the season?

I knew it was our year   
Shame though we will lose so many to graduation after this year; so its one last playoff run for a while probably

Speaking from experience, it is better to have run and lost than not to have run at all 

A run?  You're being a little modest!  Last year was historic.  Beating both Goliaths at their place, ending Mount's 2 decade plus run of OAC titles and going toe-to-toe in the semis?  Short of winning a title that's about as impressive as a season can be.

a 3rd string frosh QB, fumble recovery for TD led to JCU's narrow victory.  Last year was the perfect storm for JCU, their best team in forever and a down year in D3fb.  I hope JCU can stay strong, but after four weeks, it looks like they are reverting back to their mean

[merlecanlas]

I would just go with "Petro"

It looks like Mount is wearing those terrible black helmets this weekend
https://twitter.com/UMUFB_Equipment/status/913451373953417216

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I would just go with "Petro"

It looks like Mount is wearing those terrible black helmets this weekend
https://twitter.com/UMUFB_Equipment/status/913451373953417216

#13 Brad Petro - QB C/O 1991

[bluestreak66]

1% for Heidelberg.

So you're saying there's a chance.

1% more of a chance than JCU.  who would have thought that going into the season?

I knew it was our year   
Shame though we will lose so many to graduation after this year; so its one last playoff run for a while probably

Speaking from experience, it is better to have run and lost than not to have run at all 

A run?  You're being a little modest!  Last year was historic.  Beating both Goliaths at their place, ending Mount's 2 decade plus run of OAC titles and going toe-to-toe in the semis?  Short of winning a title that's about as impressive as a season can be.

a 3rd string frosh QB, fumble recovery for TD led to JCU's narrow victory.  Last year was the perfect storm for JCU, their best team in forever and a down year in D3fb.  I hope JCU can stay strong, but after four weeks, it looks like they are reverting back to their mean

This sounds weird, given the big loss to the Berg, but I still don't think JCU is as bad as that game would suggest. I know it was awful, but the Oshkosh game was legitimately close, and I still think UWO is one of the best teams in the country.

[bluestreak66]

I would just go with "Petro"

It looks like Mount is wearing those terrible black helmets this weekend
https://twitter.com/UMUFB_Equipment/status/913451373953417216

This might be controversial, but I actually kind of like those helmets! And even the detractors have to admit it's better than this monstrosity:

[Dr. Acula]

I would just go with "Petro"

It looks like Mount is wearing those terrible black helmets this weekend
https://twitter.com/UMUFB_Equipment/status/913451373953417216

This might be controversial, but I actually kind of like those helmets! And even the detractors have to admit it's better than this monstrosity:

I like the black helmets too.  I wouldn't like them as the main helmet, but the players want a secondary lid and I don't think it's a bad choice.  I'm gonna have to see that 'M' decal in action before I say I like it though.

[WRMUalum13]

The "m" black helmets were such a missed opportunity. Imagine that matte black with the raiders sword logo in chrome. Would have been so nice

[Craft_Beermeister]

Can Berg be this year's JCU?  They aren't beating Mount, can Berg go 9-1?  and would that equal a home playoff game?  or does Berg screw up and lose to BW or some other OAC that they should handle?

I would like to think the Tricolor are going to go 9-1; but given how we struggled against the muskies, and lost to the bein last year; a sweep of the rest of the non-Mount OAC schedule is no guarantee.  Personally, I think we might blow a game in the coming weeks; though looking forward to see how they play this week against the muskies, as this will be the first game this year against a not so solid squad. If they are not dominate over them, maybe we have just been lucky so far.

Berg has been moving up in the rankings. I put a lot of stock in Hansen Ratings which now has Berg ranked # 10 in DIII.   The Hansen site uses a ton of analytical data developing their rankings and their posting today has the top 5 in order at UMU, MHB, St Thomas, St John's, UWO

[Craft_Beermeister]

1% for Heidelberg.

So you're saying there's a chance.

The Hansen Ranking site has Berg currently at 1% to win this year's Stagg Bowl with a 3% chance to play in the Stagg Bowl. They also list Berg at 63% to get into the playoffs, 47% to win in first round, 26% to make quarter finals, and 12% to make semifinals

The Berg fans should be energized for the potential of a good run and a wild ride all of which would be good for OAC.

[Pat Coleman]

I put a lot of stock in Hansen Ratings which now has Berg ranked # 10 in DIII.

First time you've mentioned them. How much stock?

[Small but Slow]

The OAC gets a bad rap because of the perceived weakness of the bottom half of the conference.  Marietta, Wilmington, and Muskingum all won their lone out of conference games and 'Etta and Wilma are both 2-1 at this point.  That bodes well for the 'Berg or JCU possibly sneaking in with two losses and a second place conference finish.

[Pat Coleman]

JCU has two losses already, so ...

[Small but Slow]

JCU has two losses already, so ...

Good point !

[wally_wabash]

The OAC gets a bad rap because of the perceived weakness of the bottom half of the conference.  Marietta, Wilmington, and Muskingum all won their lone out of conference games and 'Etta and Wilma are both 2-1 at this point.  That bodes well for the 'Berg or JCU possibly sneaking in with two losses and a second place conference finish.

This feels like a good time to make everyone aware of a couple of things:
- There are just 5 Pool C bids this year.  One fewer than last year and one fewer than the last time we saw a two-loss OAC team go in
- The chances of a two-loss OAC team going in are greatly influenced by what happens with runners up around the region and where that OAC team lands with respect to other runners up in the regional rankings.  In 2015, the North region was kind of a mess and 8-2 ONU ended up as the top regionally-ranked at-large team which was a weird circumstance.  In another year, that same profile might not be good enough (for instance, North Central's 7-3 vs. a crazy schedule in 2015 uncharacteristically knocked them out of play).

I know we've seen 2-loss teams go in, but I would never ever say that two losses "bodes well" for any team trying to get one of the Pool C bids.