FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

I think winning their opener means everything.  If they go 9-1 and lose to Mount every year they will make the playoffs every year.  And at 9-1 they'd probably get their chance against one of those top teams sooner rather than later thanks to seeding.     

I don't think it's quite right to assume that an OAC runner up is locked in to the tournament.  There are too few at-large bids and you just never know how the selection committee is going to digest a typical OAC runner-up profile, particularly in years where the OAC is mediocre enough below Mount Union to not provide an extra regionally ranked opponent or two.  Playing UWO was juicy and good for John Carroll's tournament profile.  UWSP probably isn't a big helper for them this year (though could provide an unexpected piece of comparative data with Wabash should both of those schools wind up without AQs).  I just don't know that there are any absolute at-large locks anymore.  The committee's choices and rationales vary too much from year to year.

Wally, I know you are trying to "rep" the NCAC, but if you think JCU going 9-1 doesn't get them in the playoffs, and probably a home game, then you are wearing NCAC blinders that just doesn't make sense.  The non-conference game has significant value, but Wabash loses to WITT & JCU loses to Mount is even/steven?  Ummm...no.  Now if JCU loses 42-3 or something I would be willing to listen to the argument, but I don't think that will happen.  Downgrade the OAC (our bottom is pretty bad although showing signs if getting better), but to then (according to your argument as I perceive it) to say the NCAC is  a better overall conference is a reach my man.

If the point is that the OAC No. 2 isn't automatically an at-large candidate, I'm down with that.

If they go 9-1 and lose to Mount every year they will make the playoffs every year.

I just don't think I can sign off on this statement. It'd depend on who the non-conference opponent is and how many other 9-1 teams there are (since we are unlikely to have any at-large 10-0 teams any longer). There really are very few at-large bids anymore, so to essentially give the OAC a second automatic bid every year might be a stretch.

Yeah, like I mentioned in my reply to Wally I completely forgot the pool C bids had decreased.  A 9-1 JCU would be in that first group with teams like a 9-1 SJU/UST, NCC/Wheaton, WIAC runner up.  You just have to hope the math works out where there aren't many 9-1 runners up in the power conferences.  I retract my initial statement that they'd be in every year.

[wally_wabash]

Wally, I know you are trying to "rep" the NCAC, but if you think JCU going 9-1 doesn't get them in the playoffs, and probably a home game, then you are wearing NCAC blinders that just doesn't make sense.  The non-conference game has significant value, but Wabash loses to WITT & JCU loses to Mount is even/steven?  Ummm...no.  Now if JCU loses 42-3 or something I would be willing to listen to the argument, but I don't think that will happen.  Downgrade the OAC (our bottom is pretty bad although showing signs if getting better), but to then (according to your argument as I perceive it) to say the NCAC is  a better overall conference is a reach my man.

Definitely not saying that NCAC > OAC.  That would be a really bad take.  Maybe only the third or fourth worst take I've seen on this board lately, but still pretty bad. 

Or...who knows.  Maybe OWU @ Ott on 9/1 can prove us both wrong.   

[Spurrier]

Coach paul said no williams this year in his presser...damn shame that kid is a baller

[emma17]

The 9-1 OAC auto qualifier is an interesting debate.
Although it isn't something the selection committee would memorialize, I'd bet big each and every year that as long as MT finsihes 10-0, the 9-1 OAC team gets in every time. Checking back to 2000 I think that's been the case. Granted there are fewer bids now, but losing to the best team in the country trumps most any other loss imo.

[raiderpa]

MARIETTA did have a major flood over the football field a few years ago, however,  I do not know if they had artificial surface at that time.

[rscl70]

Don't know if anyone has seen this yet, but looks like a new (and colorful!) field down at Marietta!

I say if you're a program like Marietta, embrace the wackiness of it! (although that old Dollar General outside the stadium leaves something to be desired!)

The wife and I drove by the stadium in Marietta last Wednesday.  From the street I thought it looked like the turf was black and white.  Good to see it's dark blue.  Hopefully it will look better from the stands than it did from street level.

[bluestreak66]

Oh my gosh! Wilmington's field is in their team color too!! 



(Someone please laugh!)

[Pat Coleman]

Agreed that the Marietta field does look pretty snazzy. I've got a couple of days to kill in between dropping my kid off in D.C. and Thursday night opener in Indiana, so I'm hoping to stop by there next month and also do some pre-Stagg2020 scouting in Canton.

[rscl70]

Oh my gosh! Wilmington's field is in their team color too!! 



(Someone please laugh!)

+K

[MUC57]

bluestreak66

I laughed! Thanks. ☠🏈

And a +k to you , sir.

[Desertraider]

In other news - jcu's new AD...the comments. I know the scope wasn't limited to football however. Go ahead and keep telling yourself that their are other fish to fry. Maybe in other sports. But in football? No. There. Aren't. Her comment was the Tommie in her talking. As a Tommie there are other fish (like Johniies,etc to fry). You can't worry about Mount until you get to them by frying the other fish. As a Tommie she can say that. As a Blue Streak - she can't.

For JCU - there are no Tommies, Johnnies, Cru, UWW, UWO. To get a shot at any of them you have to beat Mount. Sure you can schedule one of them to open. Doesn't matter if you win or lose - means nothing. Because if you can't beat MOUNT - you more than likely won't make the playoffs anyway. And if you don't make the playoffs - you can't win a championship. And no championships means NOT A NATIONAL POWER. Mount isn't like the other fish - Mount ate them. They are the big friggin' FISH that will prevent you from becoming a national power. And they are in your conference. No other team matters if your jcu. You want titles and national recognition - you have to beat Mount. They are the key to all of that. My .02 cents.

I think winning their opener means everything.  If they go 9-1 and lose to Mount every year they will make the playoffs every year.  And at 9-1 they'd probably get their chance against one of those top teams sooner rather than later thanks to seeding.     

In terms of becoming a national power - not so much. Look they could schedule UWO or UT and win by 20. Sure its great for their season but the only way jcu can guarantee playoffs is to run the table in the OAC. To do that they have to beat Mount. It is the only way they will be guaranteed a playoff spot. Winning the opener and finishing 9-1 by losing to Mount leaves it up to the committee and we have had a few years where a good OAC #2 didn't get in. Conversely, they could lose that opener, run the table in OAC - get the AQ - and they still have a shot to go deep in playoffs on a national stage. A 1 loss team isn't a lock for playoffs - we all know that. If I am jcu's coach the focus is winning the OAC (i.e. beat Mount). Otherwise it is all left up to others. Win the opener, lose to Mount and miss playoffs - the opener didn't matter. Lose the opener, beat Mount and get the AQ - the opener didn't matter.

[Craft_Beermeister]

Yesterday the Clevenad Browns signed former UMHB QB Blake Jackson as another training camp WR.  Jackson was a leader on the UMHB team that beat UMU in the 2016 semifinals. Jackson was impressive as a WR last Spring for Calgery in the CFL earning renewed attention by NFL GMs. Congratulations and good luck to the young man.

[Dr. Acula]

In other news - jcu's new AD...the comments. I know the scope wasn't limited to football however. Go ahead and keep telling yourself that their are other fish to fry. Maybe in other sports. But in football? No. There. Aren't. Her comment was the Tommie in her talking. As a Tommie there are other fish (like Johniies,etc to fry). You can't worry about Mount until you get to them by frying the other fish. As a Tommie she can say that. As a Blue Streak - she can't.

For JCU - there are no Tommies, Johnnies, Cru, UWW, UWO. To get a shot at any of them you have to beat Mount. Sure you can schedule one of them to open. Doesn't matter if you win or lose - means nothing. Because if you can't beat MOUNT - you more than likely won't make the playoffs anyway. And if you don't make the playoffs - you can't win a championship. And no championships means NOT A NATIONAL POWER. Mount isn't like the other fish - Mount ate them. They are the big friggin' FISH that will prevent you from becoming a national power. And they are in your conference. No other team matters if your jcu. You want titles and national recognition - you have to beat Mount. They are the key to all of that. My .02 cents.

I think winning their opener means everything.  If they go 9-1 and lose to Mount every year they will make the playoffs every year.  And at 9-1 they'd probably get their chance against one of those top teams sooner rather than later thanks to seeding.     

In terms of becoming a national power - not so much. Look they could schedule UWO or UT and win by 20. Sure its great for their season but the only way jcu can guarantee playoffs is to run the table in the OAC. To do that they have to beat Mount. It is the only way they will be guaranteed a playoff spot. Winning the opener and finishing 9-1 by losing to Mount leaves it up to the committee and we have had a few years where a good OAC #2 didn't get in. Conversely, they could lose that opener, run the table in OAC - get the AQ - and they still have a shot to go deep in playoffs on a national stage. A 1 loss team isn't a lock for playoffs - we all know that. If I am jcu's coach the focus is winning the OAC (i.e. beat Mount). Otherwise it is all left up to others. Win the opener, lose to Mount and miss playoffs - the opener didn't matter. Lose the opener, beat Mount and get the AQ - the opener didn't matter.

I still say the opener matters because these two things have occurred a grand total of one time in the last 20 years.  Since Mount became Mount a 9-1 OAC runner up has never been left out and JCU has beaten Mount one time.

They need to win playoff games to ascend to a national power.  Their most likely path to playoff berths (by miles) is as OAC runner up.  I agree it's absolutely correct to focus on running the table because, as you said, it's the only guaranteed way in, but they also have to be realistic concerning the odds of success.  They've been focused on doing that for years and they've accomplished it once in 3 decades. 

Wally would need to chime in on the pool C landscape, but my point was just that 9-1 and a loss to Mount is probably their most consistent, feasible path to the playoffs.  Last year would have been an interesting test had they finished 8-2 with losses to UWO and Mount.

[D O.C.]

Lookit this board light up!

[wally_wabash]

Wally would need to chime in on the pool C landscape, but my point was just that 9-1 and a loss to Mount is probably their most consistent, feasible path to the playoffs.  Last year would have been an interesting test had they finished 8-2 with losses to UWO and Mount.

I think I agree with this but would stop short of saying that 9-1 with a loss to Mount is a guaranteed ticket into the tournament.  There are too many variables to be certain that any 9-1 runner up would be guaranteed a place in the postseason, particularly in a 10-team league with a full round robin (this is a SOS restrictor) and no certainty that anybody else in the league outside of Mount Union will be good enough to be regionally ranked (removing in-league chances to boost the 9-1 runner up's profile via RRO results). 

The most recent example of where being 9-1 in the OAC can be dicey is actually when Mount Union was in the at-large pool.  Mount Union was not the top at-large team in the nation, or even in the region (that was Wheaton), and really the thing that put Mount Union in was probably the fact that even though their SOS was bad and they had no regionally ranked wins, they were flat out dominant.  I believe they outscored opponents in their 9 regular season wins by 500 points or something ridiculous like that.  Even with that kind of dominance, they still weren't the top choice.  Strip away that kind sustained regular season dominance, and replace one close RRO loss with a wipeout, and there's no guarantee of anything.  Particularly if you catch a selection committee populated with members that really value "who you beat" more than "who you lost to".