FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

At the risk of turning this into a Walsh thread...Mentor's QB committed to Walsh.  Not sure how that bodes for Davis.

[formerd3db]

No big deal Dr. Acula! After all, it is the off-season and any (well, almost any ) topic is game on the boards during this time!

[formerd3db]

However, I'm sure all of you would agree that it would be improper and not fair for any of us to pass judgement on any of them in the media (here or anywhere) until all the facts are revealed in the public forum (as much as they potentially can be legally to what/any degree the latter might be allowable).  Certainly as you say, there is more to the story and it will remain to be seen until the appropriate process plays out.

Most people are not believers of innocent until proven guilty.  Most (as in the Fulford case) think if you are charged with something you must be guilty.

Unfortunately, that is so true in this current era, joelmama.

[Desertraider]

  No that is not a tongue hanging out - it is me biting my tongue. Not going back into Fulford's off-field exploits.

[Pat Coleman]

No that is not a tongue hanging out - it is me biting my tongue. Not going back into Fulford's off-field exploits.

It will work its way through court eventually.

[Craft_Beermeister]

I was looking at the UMU Football Schedule through 2029 and it will be 11 years until UMU finishes up the regular season playing JCU.  8 out of the next 10 regular season games against JCU are scheduled to be played in September.  There could be a very good possibility that OAC championship might get set earlier in the year. 

The UMU/JCU match ups have been a good test for UMU and arguably helped ready them for the playoffs.

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

[Dr. Acula]

No big deal Dr. Acula! After all, it is the off-season and any (well, almost any ) topic is game on the boards during this time!

Yeah, I figured no one would mind.  It's football related and I think some time ago Tadas' name came up in the thread so I figured "close enough for January!" 

Normally I occupy some time over on the hoops board this time of year, but Mount is having a very meh season this year so there's not a whole lot to talk about.  Just counting the days until the baseball Raiders head south now. 

[formerd3db]

No big deal Dr. Acula! After all, it is the off-season and any (well, almost any ) topic is game on the boards during this time!

Yeah, I figured no one would mind.  It's football related and I think some time ago Tadas' name came up in the thread so I figured "close enough for January!" 

Normally I occupy some time over on the hoops board this time of year, but Mount is having a very meh season this year so there's not a whole lot to talk about.  Just counting the days until the baseball Raiders head south now.

Yeah, I know what you mean.  Hope's basketball team is doing okay, and while in the race for the conference title with many games still remaining, it is not what I would call an outstanding year, certainly not as compared to recent years.  So I am about to go into the "annual college football withdrawal syndrome" at the end of this afternoon's Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL and will be watching to see how DIII's Michael Joseph does today in the game.  So other than that for now during this time of year, I do enjoy trying to follow/keep up with many of the coaching changes in college football, including where assistants at all levels (DI FBS/FCS, DII and DIII) end up in changing schools. 

As far as baseball, a friend of mine texted me some photos of Univ of Michigan's baseball team practicing outside today at their stadium (they have artificial turf) and with the snow melting there, for sure as you mentioned, the baseball season is fast approaching for everyone including our DIII alma maters. 

Anyway, regarding all the above, I'm sure some would suggest I (and perhaps others) have a rather mundane life at this time of year.

[edward de vere]

there are various factors that come into play with regard to the DII influence, talent, situation, etc.  I have posted this many times in similar discussion with our MIAA board posters...in our region, the DII schools have had a large  effect on recruiting for the MIAA schools over the past decade or so.  Perhaps unlike what you relate with regard to the talent issue, most of those who are offered the scholarship at DII are indeed very talented and can play at both the DIII schools and DII.  The problem then often indeed involves the economic issue.  As you well know, most of the MIAA schools now are pretty comparative as to the total costs (which is extremely expensive-not to mention the fact that many of your OAC schools are nearly $10,000 above that) and a) unless the player's parents can afford to send them to the DIII school and/or they receive enough need-based aid, which basically cuts the total cost in half (and thus makes it similar to attending one of the state universities without playing football) or b) the prospective recruit simply wants to go to that school and for a specific program with his parents finding someway to put them through, they will choose the DII scholarship, again assuming they are good enough to play at that level and many of them are.

An example, last year, if I recall the figures correctly (without checking right now), the total cost of attending Grand Valley State was about $18,900 per year.  With the DII limit of 35 full scholarships for football, in which most of those schools split those in half so that almost every player gets scholarship money, the "full ride" then being about $9,000 (of course, there are a number of undergraduate players who get less than that, in addition to a number of walk-ons), the obvious choice for many of those families who could not otherwise afford to go to the DIII school is they are going to chose the scholarship offer.  This is different than your Mount situation and in your region as you have discussed; again since most of these players in our region are more than good enough to play at both levels, although perhaps many would perhaps have to wait in line/their turn at Mount due to the immense numbers of high talented players who want to go there for all the reasons you (and your colleagues) have discussed.

And finally, the additional problem with regard to this situation in our region is that many of the DIII schools will simply not increase (and/or are unable to for whatever particular reason) their financial aid packages (of course, keeping within the legal parameters of DIII regulations/mandates) to compete with the DII schools.  Thus, we simply are not getting those kids anymore like we did many years ago and that, in part, IMO, is one of the reasons why the overall football talent level in the MIAA is not what it was back 2-3 decades ago (and many coaches in the MIAA are of this same opinion).  At any rate, again, a good discussion you guys have led here. Each region has their own factors involved.       

OMG.   Please explain to me why you're trying to be rational, reasonable and objective. 

[edward de vere]

lots of allegations regarding financial impropriety around N. Canton regarding the previous staff

Dude:  Whether or not those allegations have merit, you have a serious problem with intellectual consistency.

[Desertraider]

I was looking at the UMU Football Schedule through 2029 and it will be 11 years until UMU finishes up the regular season playing JCU.  8 out of the next 10 regular season games against JCU are scheduled to be played in September.  There could be a very good possibility that OAC championship might get set earlier in the year. 

The UMU/JCU match ups have been a good test for UMU and arguably helped ready them for the playoffs.

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

Then jcu better get off to a better start than they have the past couple of years. They struggle in September and get hot in Mid October. Big loss to berg this past year and a nail biter against BW. Gotta do better than that.

[merlecanlas]

lots of allegations regarding financial impropriety around N. Canton regarding the previous staff

Dude:  Whether or not those allegations have merit, you have a serious problem with intellectual consistency.

go on

[merlecanlas]

http://www.pnj.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2018/01/28/tates-gonzalez-commits-ncaa-division-iii-power-mount-union/1073467001/

https://www.hudl.com/profile/4260602/Juanito-Gonzalez

pretty good sized DL committed to Mount yesterday.  Has the look of an early contributor. 

[Onward on, John Carroll]

I was looking at the UMU Football Schedule through 2029 and it will be 11 years until UMU finishes up the regular season playing JCU.  8 out of the next 10 regular season games against JCU are scheduled to be played in September.  There could be a very good possibility that OAC championship might get set earlier in the year. 

The UMU/JCU match ups have been a good test for UMU and arguably helped ready them for the playoffs.

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

Then jcu better get off to a better start than they have the past couple of years. They struggle in September and get hot in Mid October. Big loss to berg this past year and a nail biter against BW. Gotta do better than that.

Agreed.  The Berg and BW losses cannot happen if you want to make the playoffs.  However, I will be more interested to see if the Coach Finotti will continue to schedule non-conference games against upper echelon teams, like UW-Oshkosh.  I thought that was a foolish game to schedule due to the fact that you almost force yourself to the run the table if you lose that opener and that means beating Mount Union (we've done that one time in 25+ years).  I guess there is a chance that an 8-2 OAC team could make the playoffs if the losses are to UMU and another top-flight opponent but that is risky.

[joelmama]

http://www.pnj.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2018/01/28/tates-gonzalez-commits-ncaa-division-iii-power-mount-union/1073467001/

https://www.hudl.com/profile/4260602/Juanito-Gonzalez

pretty good sized DL committed to Mount yesterday.  Has the look of an early contributor.

Lookingat his highlights and pictures makes a Mount guy 

Yes early contributor/starter.