FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[merlecanlas]

I just watched the UMHB-HSU game, and tried to stay awake for the whole thing. 

My top 10 is:
1. Mount
2. Mount
3. Mount
4. Mount
5. Mount
6. UMHB
7. UW-O
8. NCC
9. St. Thomas
10. St Johns

There are a few teams that rise up to the level of their opponent and, therefore I won't count them out. UMHB is one of dem dar teams. Mount has had a few classics against them (the best being the comeback - what a game). As far as I am concerned the polls could rotate UMHB, Mount, Linfield, UWO (as of late) and the Tommies - adifferent #1 each week. For most years 4 of them are the final 4 - granted I am not mentioning UWW (which for some reason worries me).

I don't know if UMHB and Linfield have the offense to be #1, nor does UWO look to have the defense to be #1.  But that's just the opinion of some guy named Merle

The UMHB O in 2012 got dominated by Mounts D. But UMHB had an incredible D that year and forced 5 TOs (1 pick 6) and had a short field for much of the game. Mount needed a 4th rally and blocked punt to pull it out. Point is if the D is that good - sometimes the O doesn't have to be great.

I hope they meet up again, this time a little further north and Mount with a healthy first team QB

[WRMUalum13]

I just watched the UMHB-HSU game, and tried to stay awake for the whole thing. 

My top 10 is:
1. Mount
2. Mount
3. Mount
4. Mount
5. Mount
6. UMHB
7. UW-O
8. NCC
9. St. Thomas
10. St Johns

I don't know who'd beat who but that UMHB defense is really good. I know Mt guys love it when posters say "Mt hasn't seen...", and I won't exactly say it seeing as how they played each other last year, but Mt, this year, certainly hasn't faced anything like what UMHB will bring on D.
If UWO doesn't make the Stagg, I'd love to see a Mt-UMHB championship.

Last years UMHB D was really good too, and mount probably would have beaten them if they didn't have a 3rd string freshman qb. I didn't get the impression this years UMHB D was better than last.

[merlecanlas]

I just watched the UMHB-HSU game, and tried to stay awake for the whole thing. 

My top 10 is:
1. Mount
2. Mount
3. Mount
4. Mount
5. Mount
6. UMHB
7. UW-O
8. NCC
9. St. Thomas
10. St Johns

I don't know who'd beat who but that UMHB defense is really good. I know Mt guys love it when posters say "Mt hasn't seen...", and I won't exactly say it seeing as how they played each other last year, but Mt, this year, certainly hasn't faced anything like what UMHB will bring on D.
If UWO doesn't make the Stagg, I'd love to see a Mt-UMHB championship.

Last years UMHB D was really good too, and mount probably would have beaten them if they didn't have a 3rd string freshman qb. I didn't get the impression this years UMHB D was better than last.

hey man, this year's UMHB defense held mighty HSU to 7 points.  HSU came into the game averaging 68 ppg against the Texas Little Sisters of the Poor.  HSU has proven they are a top 5 team by beating up on some of the kind of, sort of, maybe the best Texas has to offer

[mr_mom]

I watched the MHB-HSU game as well ... was impressed with both defenses.  And oh-so-impressed with a successful fake punt from the BACK of the endzone!

Before they played, HSU averaged 684 total yards per game over 4 contests.  After the game, it was down to 585.  Which means they were held 400 yards under their average.

Not bad.

[WRMUalum13]

I watched the MHB-HSU game as well ... was impressed with both defenses.  And oh-so-impressed with a successful fake punt from the BACK of the endzone!

Before they played, HSU averaged 684 total yards per game over 4 contests.  After the game, it was down to 585.  Which means they were held 400 yards under their average.

Not bad.

That's a good point and actually last year's  cru defense had given up about twice as many points as the 2017 team at this point in the season. So maybe  they are better.

[WRMUalum13]

One team I do think is over rated is UWO. I know the transitive property's not a great way to judge teams but the fact that JCU gave UWO a hard time and then got thumped by berg makes me feel like berg would have a pretty good shot at beating Oshkosh... which makes UWO more deserving of s teens ranking in my book. Guess we'll find out this week when they play platteville.

[Desertraider]

One team I do think is over rated is UWO. I know the transitive property's not a great way to judge teams but the fact that JCU gave UWO a hard time and then got thumped by berg makes me feel like berg would have a pretty good shot at beating Oshkosh... which makes UWO more deserving of s teens ranking in my book. Guess we'll find out this week when they play platteville.

Using that argument then Berg beat up jcu, Mount destroyed Berg...so Mount beats jcu 186-3. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Granted I would love to see Mount beat jcu by that score. I have a hard time projecting Berg against anyone in the top 10 right now. UWO and jcu played the first week and it was the 3rd game in their series.

On a side note - HSU and the little sisters of the poor comment: if that is true then who is Berg? The physically impaired, blind cousin of the little sisters of the poor?
**This post is in no way intended to ridicule physical impairment, blindness, sisters, little sisters, or their cousins lacking in economic means.**

[Dr. Acula]

One team I do think is over rated is UWO. I know the transitive property's not a great way to judge teams but the fact that JCU gave UWO a hard time and then got thumped by berg makes me feel like berg would have a pretty good shot at beating Oshkosh... which makes UWO more deserving of s teens ranking in my book. Guess we'll find out this week when they play platteville.

IMO Berg would have about the same shot at beating UWO as they did of beating Mount.  They'd have the same issue scoring on UWO.  UWO may not be the high scoring Raider offense, but I think that's in part by design.  They're balanced and very capable.  Just look at the UWW game. 

[bluestreak66]

This might not be popular opinion, but I actually have the feeling that, despite the head to head result, JCU is actually better than Berg. I don't see any way JCU would lose to Mount that badly, and I don't see anyway Berg would have only lost to Oshkosh by a score. I think this was a case of JCU having a really, really bad day, and Berg having a really, really good one

[HScoach]

This might not be popular opinion, but I actually have the feeling that, despite the head to head result, JCU is actually better than Berg. I don't see any way JCU would lose to Mount that badly, and I don't see anyway Berg would have only lost to Oshkosh by a score. I think this was a case of JCU having a really, really bad day, and Berg having a really, really good one

I agree with that because of the lines of scrimmage.

[merlecanlas]

One team I do think is over rated is UWO. I know the transitive property's not a great way to judge teams but the fact that JCU gave UWO a hard time and then got thumped by berg makes me feel like berg would have a pretty good shot at beating Oshkosh... which makes UWO more deserving of s teens ranking in my book. Guess we'll find out this week when they play platteville.

Using that argument then Berg beat up jcu, Mount destroyed Berg...so Mount beats jcu 186-3. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Granted I would love to see Mount beat jcu by that score. I have a hard time projecting Berg against anyone in the top 10 right now. UWO and jcu played the first week and it was the 3rd game in their series.

On a side note - HSU and the little sisters of the poor comment: if that is true then who is Berg? The physically impaired, blind cousin of the little sisters of the poor?
**This post is in no way intended to ridicule physical impairment, blindness, sisters, little sisters, or their cousins lacking in economic means.**

Berg beat some decent teams prior to Mount.  If Berg can avoid any upset, they should be 9-1 and hosting a 1st rd game.  HSU put up video game numbers on an NAIA team and the #241, #209  scoring defenses and ETBU.

and Mount 186-3 over JCU sounds good to me too

[wally_wabash]

One team I do think is over rated is UWO. I know the transitive property's not a great way to judge teams but the fact that JCU gave UWO a hard time and then got thumped by berg makes me feel like berg would have a pretty good shot at beating Oshkosh... which makes UWO more deserving of s teens ranking in my book. Guess we'll find out this week when they play platteville.

Using that argument then Berg beat up jcu, Mount destroyed Berg...so Mount beats jcu 186-3. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Granted I would love to see Mount beat jcu by that score. I have a hard time projecting Berg against anyone in the top 10 right now. UWO and jcu played the first week and it was the 3rd game in their series.

On a side note - HSU and the little sisters of the poor comment: if that is true then who is Berg? The physically impaired, blind cousin of the little sisters of the poor?
**This post is in no way intended to ridicule physical impairment, blindness, sisters, little sisters, or their cousins lacking in economic means.**

Berg beat some decent teams prior to Mount.  If Berg can avoid any upset, they should be 9-1 and hosting a 1st rd game.  HSU put up video game numbers on an NAIA team and the #241, #209  scoring defenses and ETBU.

and Mount 186-3 over JCU sounds good to me too

Olivet may end up being very good for Heidelberg's profile if they can go through the rest of the MIAA without a loss.  One more loss (and Trine is hanging out there at the end of the season) and Olivet probably isn't a regionally ranked team.  Same for John Carroll if/when they lose to Mount Union.  It'll be interesting to see to where Heidelberg winds up with respect to some of the other 1-loss runners up (if everybody gets there) in the regional rankings.  IWU could be ranked ahead of Heidelberg.  Perhaps an NCAC runner up.  Maybe the MIAA runner up.  The North committee has treated the OAC runner up pretty well in recent history, so my hunch is that they would be (at worst) second in the at-large line in the region which isn't a terrible place to be.  Not a slam dunk invitation from that position, but not a terrible position either. 

[bluestreak66]

One team I do think is over rated is UWO. I know the transitive property's not a great way to judge teams but the fact that JCU gave UWO a hard time and then got thumped by berg makes me feel like berg would have a pretty good shot at beating Oshkosh... which makes UWO more deserving of s teens ranking in my book. Guess we'll find out this week when they play platteville.

Using that argument then Berg beat up jcu, Mount destroyed Berg...so Mount beats jcu 186-3. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Granted I would love to see Mount beat jcu by that score. I have a hard time projecting Berg against anyone in the top 10 right now. UWO and jcu played the first week and it was the 3rd game in their series.

On a side note - HSU and the little sisters of the poor comment: if that is true then who is Berg? The physically impaired, blind cousin of the little sisters of the poor?
**This post is in no way intended to ridicule physical impairment, blindness, sisters, little sisters, or their cousins lacking in economic means.**

Berg beat some decent teams prior to Mount.  If Berg can avoid any upset, they should be 9-1 and hosting a 1st rd game.  HSU put up video game numbers on an NAIA team and the #241, #209  scoring defenses and ETBU.

and Mount 186-3 over JCU sounds good to me too

Olivet may end up being very good for Heidelberg's profile if they can go through the rest of the MIAA without a loss.  One more loss (and Trine is hanging out there at the end of the season) and Olivet probably isn't a regionally ranked team.  Same for John Carroll if/when they lose to Mount Union.  It'll be interesting to see to where Heidelberg winds up with respect to some of the other 1-loss runners up (if everybody gets there) in the regional rankings.  IWU could be ranked ahead of Heidelberg.  Perhaps an NCAC runner up.  Maybe the MIAA runner up.  The North committee has treated the OAC runner up pretty well in recent history, so my hunch is that they would be (at worst) second in the at-large line in the region which isn't a terrible place to be.  Not a slam dunk invitation from that position, but not a terrible position either.

It would also depend on the goings on in other regions. Like the very possible WIAC doomsday scenario where Oshkosh and Whitewater both win out, blocking any other potential at large bids from that conference

[raiderpa]

Talent is certainly on Mount's side in OAC play, however, the major factor that separates them is SPEED.  There are no teams in the OAC, or possibly in the first couple playoff rounds that can match the quickness that Mount brings to the game.
MHB can probably do that, which will make true talent and coaching into the equation. I like Mount's odds there.

As far as the middle of the field being open, don't you think that scouting may have something to do with it?  Many Mount opponents report that Raider defenders of the past  are calling their plays when they get into their formations.  They know what is coming.

Quick slants, quick outs, and straight ahead running are critical against Mt.  There is nobody on their schedule that can get the corner running, or run a slow developing pass pattern,

[BergAlum]

Berg beat some decent teams prior to Mount.  If Berg can avoid any upset, they should be 9-1 and hosting a 1st rd game.

Well isn't that the trick now.  Luckily it is now the "easier" half of the schedule, with opponents such as Wilm, Cap, Etta.  Hopefully we can build some large leads early so a lot of our second teamers can get some playing time, as we will loose a lot of players to graduation.

There are two games I can see us blowing, one is this Saturday night against the Otterbein.   Even against some of our better teams of a few years ago, this game has always been close going in the 4th quarter.  I could also see us losing against those pesky bees when we travel to BW in week 9.    After that embarrassment last week, and that slow game against the Muskies, I am doubting that predicted 9-1 finish.