FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Plus at the end of it all There Can Be Only One! Somebody put in a Highlander GIF...I dont know how too.

[BillyRayJimBob]

On all the bracket stuff it is what it is. If Brockport and Frostburg and JCU hadn't been looking ahead....especially JCU then Mounts road would have been tougher. But they were looking ahead IMO. That's what has made Mount different. They dont look ahead and you dont see those upsets very often....maybe overlooked UMHB in that first meeting. But to say Mount gets the easier bracket annoys me and ignores that 80% of the teams are east and have to get moved around which doesn't leave much room for other teams getting moved this way. At least that is how I see it.

Even Pat and Keith mentioned (in so many words) in their podcasts that Mount's biggest competition lies on the other side of the bracket. Mount can sleep walk to the Stagg Bowl, it doesn't matter if they're look ahead or not

I don't think they were looking ahead past MHB that year. MHB just had the best team in the country in 2016.

I read desertraider as referring to the 2004 game ... the first meeting with UMHB.

[02 Warhawk]

On all the bracket stuff it is what it is. If Brockport and Frostburg and JCU hadn't been looking ahead....especially JCU then Mounts road would have been tougher. But they were looking ahead IMO. That's what has made Mount different. They dont look ahead and you dont see those upsets very often....maybe overlooked UMHB in that first meeting. But to say Mount gets the easier bracket annoys me and ignores that 80% of the teams are east and have to get moved around which doesn't leave much room for other teams getting moved this way. At least that is how I see it.

Even Pat and Keith mentioned (in so many words) in their podcasts that Mount's biggest competition lies on the other side of the bracket. Mount can sleep walk to the Stagg Bowl, it doesn't matter if they're look ahead or not

I don't think they were looking ahead past MHB that year. MHB just had the best team in the country in 2016.

I read desertraider as referring to the 2004 game ... the first meeting with UMHB.

Gotcha. I didn't think we were looking back that far. I thought he was referring to the first of two matchups over the past two seasons. My mistake.

[Desertraider]

It was referring to the 2004 game. I think Mount overlooked them. Not taking away from UMHB in that one. I also think Mount overlooked SJU in 2003 Stagg. Mount played like they just needed to show up. I like what Gagliardi said about that one. Essentially that Mount could run or pass but they weren't going to let them do both.

Back to bracket.  I know Mount had an easier path. But it is annoying when it is argued that it is some conspiracy or desire by committee. Teams from east get moved north or wherever.  My point was that if Brockport or JCU or Frostburghad not been upset Mount would have had 3 top...what top 8 teams in their bracket? I really was worried about Brockport after last years clash with UMHB. I thought it was their year.

[Pat Coleman]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

[02 Warhawk]

It was referring to the 2004 game. I think Mount overlooked them. Not taking away from UMHB in that one. I also think Mount overlooked SJU in 2003 Stagg. Mount played like they just needed to show up. I like what Gagliardi said about that one. Essentially that Mount could run or pass but they weren't going to let them do both.

Back to bracket.  I know Mount had an easier path. But it is annoying when it is argued that it is some conspiracy or desire by committee. Teams from east get moved north or wherever.  My point was that if Brockport or JCU or Frostburghad not been upset Mount would have had 3 top...what top 8 teams in their bracket? I really was worried about Brockport after last years clash with UMHB. I thought it was their year.

Understood. I think many of us, including myself, believed teams like Brockport, Frostburg (and to some extent John Carroll) were a bit overrated this year. And were no real threat to Mount. Considering how early they bowed out of the playoffs really doesn't help their argument against that. If Brockport was truly a top 3-4 team in the country, then they should have no problem making the trip to Alliance for the semi's.

I don't think it's a conspiracy at all that Mount gets the path they do each year. It's just where Mount is situated on a map. Geographically, it makes sense putting them in an East heavy bracket each year. It keeps the traveling to a minimum for teams out there. However, it's a foregone conclusion each postseason that Mount won't break a sweat in their regional bracket. Which is usually the case each year.

[02 Warhawk]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

You live in Minnesota don't you?

[skunks_sidekick]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Well of course not Pat!  It would ruin the conspiracy theorist whole agenda.   

[Desertraider]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Well I know I didn't rank them in the National Top 8. I get that polls are subjective but if I see a team ranked at #4 I dont come to the conclusion they are "illegitimate ". Maybe top 25 should be:
1. Mount
2. UMHB
3. UWW
4. SJU
5-25. Doesn't matter.

[OzJohnnie]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Well I know I didn't rank them in the National Top 8. I get that polls are subjective but if I see a team ranked at #4 I dont come to the conclusion they are "illegitimate ". Maybe top 25 should be:
1. Mount
2. UMHB
3. UWW
4. SJU
5-25. Doesn't matter.

BOOM!  Finally.

[archgemini24]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Well I know I didn't rank them in the National Top 8. I get that polls are subjective but if I see a team ranked at #4 I dont come to the conclusion they are "illegitimate ". Maybe top 25 should be:
1. Mount
2. UMHB
3. UWW
4. SJU
5-25. Doesn't matter.

Fair enough. I said top-5, maybe top-10, but that could have been generous. Looking at the full bracket, then at the elites gets you a different outlook. 6 versus 4 of the top ten on each half looks a little askew, but 3 versus 1 just looks bad. Some folks may not care to look at anything below that because they do not think it matters unless a major, Pat-and-Keith-talk-about-it-for-30-minutes level upset occurs.

Also, yay, first negative k. Not sure what prompted it, but there it is.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Last I checked, Ypsilanti is west of the Appalachians, and I had Brockport as #3 in the country until UWW and SJU asserted themselves later in the season.  By the start of the tourney I had them #5.  And I had Frostburg as #6, though, since their leaving D3, I never really looked at them too hard.

[Ice Bear]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Turns out they would be 100% correct to not recognize either as legit in comparison to any of the top 5/6 maybe even through 10 teams in country. Very frustrating as an East region fan but so very true.

Until one of our teams beat Mount/U Dub/UMHB, etc the discussion is really moot at this point.

[Ice Bear]

It was referring to the 2004 game. I think Mount overlooked them. Not taking away from UMHB in that one. I also think Mount overlooked SJU in 2003 Stagg. Mount played like they just needed to show up. I like what Gagliardi said about that one. Essentially that Mount could run or pass but they weren't going to let them do both.

Back to bracket.  I know Mount had an easier path. But it is annoying when it is argued that it is some conspiracy or desire by committee. Teams from east get moved north or wherever.  My point was that if Brockport or JCU or Frostburghad not been upset Mount would have had 3 top...what top 8 teams in their bracket? I really was worried about Brockport after last years clash with UMHB. I thought it was their year.

Understood. I think many of us, including myself, believed teams like Brockport, Frostburg (and to some extent John Carroll) were a bit overrated this year. And were no real threat to Mount. Considering how early they bowed out of the playoffs really doesn't help their argument against that. If Brockport was truly a top 3-4 team in the country, then they should have no problem making the trip to Alliance for the semi's.

I don't think it's a conspiracy at all that Mount gets the path they do each year. It's just where Mount is situated on a map. Geographically, it makes sense putting them in an East heavy bracket each year. It keeps the traveling to a minimum for teams out there. However, it's a foregone conclusion each postseason that Mount won't break a sweat in their regional bracket. Which is usually the case each year.

Great point and really the only one that needs to be made against someone rallying for the strength of Brockport/Frostburg in relation to the North and West.

[Ice Bear]

Yes, but nobody west of the Appalachians would have recognized Brockport or Frostburg as legitimate opponents regardless.

Well I know I didn't rank them in the National Top 8. I get that polls are subjective but if I see a team ranked at #4 I dont come to the conclusion they are "illegitimate ". Maybe top 25 should be:
1. Mount
2. UMHB
3. UWW
4. SJU
5-25. Doesn't matter.

BOOM!  Finally.

dlip thinks most years, if not all, this is true regarding the d3 landscape. There are the top 4/5 teams in the nation and then there is everyone else. It's not offensive, bold, or arrogant...it's reality. And good for these top teams that refuse to be displaced from the top tier. Someone doesn't like it then STFU and just beat any of those teams (dlip used to not like it).

dlip looking forward to the final eight and especially the final four...and of course the final two.