FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Raider 68]

But, but the D3 experts say that Mount Union won't play any tough OOC games

Wheaton has been a solid program for a long time. This schedule is very good for both
schools!

Thanks for the update D3fanboy!

[Dr. Acula]

Seeing ONU 7th in the preseason poll (behind Musky) will just never seem right to me.  But I guess to paraphrase Rick Pitino, Jamal Robertson isn't walking through that door. 

Also, I'll give them a break this time due to the unfortunate coaching events, but Ott yet again being at the bottom continues to be perplexing.  I mention it every year because it never ceases to be confusing.

[WRMUalum13]

Purple,

Thanks for the info. I knew about the freshman QB from Painesville, but did not know about
another freshman. Noah Beaudrie will most likely be the starter, but the QB room is strong.
Any word on the Youngstown State transfer?

you hate to put the pressure on a kid, but Mikey Maloney sure looks like a right handed Micheli

Getting Micheli (a MUC Mount Rushmore QB) comparisons without even taking a snap. Some would say that is audacious but the info I am getting is you might be on the right track and the sky is the limit for young Mikey. 

My money is on Maloney to be the starter. Heard a rumor, not sure how true it is, that there is a chance QB1 and QB2 for the Raiders will both be Freshmen and both play a lot.


In terms of the team, my biggest concerns are WR & CB. Need to find some playmakers at each of those spots to have a legitimate shot at Amos.

I hope he's a true dual threat guy. Despite the numbers Plunk and Ruby put up, I think the offense has struggled ever since we stopped using the QB as a major part of the rushing attack. From 2012 through 2019 we had very explosive offenses that kept the defense honest. Plunk was great but those offenses were fairly one dimensional

[hsbsballcoach7]

Purple,

Thanks for the info. I knew about the freshman QB from Painesville, but did not know about
another freshman. Noah Beaudrie will most likely be the starter, but the QB room is strong.
Any word on the Youngstown State transfer?

you hate to put the pressure on a kid, but Mikey Maloney sure looks like a right handed Micheli

Getting Micheli (a MUC Mount Rushmore QB) comparisons without even taking a snap. Some would say that is audacious but the info I am getting is you might be on the right track and the sky is the limit for young Mikey. 

My money is on Maloney to be the starter. Heard a rumor, not sure how true it is, that there is a chance QB1 and QB2 for the Raiders will both be Freshmen and both play a lot.


In terms of the team, my biggest concerns are WR & CB. Need to find some playmakers at each of those spots to have a legitimate shot at Amos.

I hope he's a true dual threat guy. Despite the numbers Plunk and Ruby put up, I think the offense has struggled ever since we stopped using the QB as a major part of the rushing attack. From 2012 through 2019 we had very explosive offenses that kept the defense honest. Plunk was great but those offenses were fairly one dimensional

Agree 1000%. Plunk was a great QB throwing the ball and Ruby made some ridiculous catches and was consistent, but that extra threat of the QB running just wasn't there and defenders didn't have to account for that.

As long as both lines are strong and the skill positions continue to improve throughout the season, just win and be paying your best ball at the end of the season.

I love the addition of Wheaton to the schedule! I may make that away trip with the family. Same with Grove City taking the next step to becoming a top D3 program.

[SPECIAL TEAMS STARTER]

Seeing ONU 7th in the preseason poll (behind Musky) will just never seem right to me.

ONU has a first year head coach and recently lost a newly hired QB Coach/Offensive Coordinator to Washington & Jefferson. Here they are entering the season with a new coach and no QB coach/Offensive Coordinator. I think this is why they have been ranked in the lower half of the OAC.

[WRMUalum13]

Purple,

Thanks for the info. I knew about the freshman QB from Painesville, but did not know about
another freshman. Noah Beaudrie will most likely be the starter, but the QB room is strong.
Any word on the Youngstown State transfer?

you hate to put the pressure on a kid, but Mikey Maloney sure looks like a right handed Micheli

Getting Micheli (a MUC Mount Rushmore QB) comparisons without even taking a snap. Some would say that is audacious but the info I am getting is you might be on the right track and the sky is the limit for young Mikey. 

My money is on Maloney to be the starter. Heard a rumor, not sure how true it is, that there is a chance QB1 and QB2 for the Raiders will both be Freshmen and both play a lot.


In terms of the team, my biggest concerns are WR & CB. Need to find some playmakers at each of those spots to have a legitimate shot at Amos.

I hope he's a true dual threat guy. Despite the numbers Plunk and Ruby put up, I think the offense has struggled ever since we stopped using the QB as a major part of the rushing attack. From 2012 through 2019 we had very explosive offenses that kept the defense honest. Plunk was great but those offenses were fairly one dimensional

Agree 1000%. Plunk was a great QB throwing the ball and Ruby made some ridiculous catches and was consistent, but that extra threat of the QB running just wasn't there and defenders didn't have to account for that.

As long as both lines are strong and the skill positions continue to improve throughout the season, just win and be paying your best ball at the end of the season.

I love the addition of Wheaton to the schedule! I may make that away trip with the family. Same with Grove City taking the next step to becoming a top D3 program.

If you can't make the trip, Wheaton has one of the best online streams I've ever seen, It rivals the local WKBN or KDKA coverage of small college games around here. Wheaton almost always competes with NCC, that's a great matchup

[BillyRayJimBob]

OAC Preseason Poll was released. Curious which OAC team voted for JCU in addition to Mount.

I would bet that the Mount coaching staff knows

I hope they do.

It may be more recent than my memory permits recollection, but when was the last time that Mount Union received less than 9 first place votes in the OAC Coaches Pre-Season Poll (not that it really matters a hill of beans, anyway)?
Was there a year where an Arth-like coach may have voted for his own team?  I'm a little foggy on it.

[Raider 68]

OAC Preseason Poll was released. Curious which OAC team voted for JCU in addition to Mount.

I would bet that the Mount coaching staff knows

I hope they do.

It may be more recent than my memory permits recollection, but when was the last time that Mount Union received less than 9 first place votes in the OAC Coaches Pre-Season Poll (not that it really matters a hill of beans, anyway)?
Was there a year where an Arth-like coach may have voted for his own team?  I'm a little foggy on it.

My guess it that Mount voted for JCU and JCU voted for JCU. We will probably never find out, but winning on Sept. 21st is all that matters. It is unlikely Mount will play JCU again, unless it is in the playoffs?

[#1OacFan]

Teams don't vote for themselves, They aren't allowed. Therefore it wasn't John Carroll who voted for John Carroll. I believe in 2017 John Carroll also got 2 1st Pl. votes. Tough to say who voted for JCU. Maybe Otterbein, their Head Coach is a former JCU starting QB. Maybe it was BW, Messing with both Mount and JCU's heads. I tend to want to give Heidelberg and Marietta passes because their head coaches have been in the league so long, but you never know. Muskingum got absolutely crushed by Mount so... I don't think it was them. Fries is new, so maybe. Who knows what's going on at Wilimington and Capital right now?

[#1OacFan]

If I had to pick who voted JCU ahead of Mount Union, I think you were answer is coming from one of the two Columbus schools. Just a hunch

[D3fanboy]

OAC Preseason Poll was released. Curious which OAC team voted for JCU in addition to Mount.

I would bet that the Mount coaching staff knows

I hope they do.

It may be more recent than my memory permits recollection, but when was the last time that Mount Union received less than 9 first place votes in the OAC Coaches Pre-Season Poll (not that it really matters a hill of beans, anyway)?
Was there a year where an Arth-like coach may have voted for his own team?  I'm a little foggy on it.

2017 JCU got 2 first places votes as the defending champ.  I guess there is some OAC coach that feels JCU got 35+ points better since last season, hopefully he is not a betting man.  Since 1992, the OAC has been won by Mount Union every year except 2016 (congrats to JCU and BW for the three-way tie in '94). 

[Raider 68]

JCU will have its hands full at Whitewater on September 7th, then another purple power the
Raiders on Sept. 21st. so, the question is: Who will be the most competitive this fall, JCU, B-W, Heidelberg or Marietta?

[#1OacFan]

I think you need to add Muskingum to this group. They lost to BW, driving the field for the win before they Through a pick 6. Heidelberg faked a Punt and ran 49 yards before making a FG with no time left of the clock to win 20-17. Lost to Etta 21-20 with a failed 2 point play at the end of the game. Don't sleep on the Muskies, they are under rated!

[Pat Coleman]

Been out of the country and not on the boards but glad to see good news on the Mount Union non-conference schedule for 2025 and 2026.

[Captainred81]

I would love to see the standings finish with

Mount
Etta
BW/Muskingum
JCU rounding out the top 5

Mount did beat Muskingum 74-7...

I could see Marietta finally getting over the JCU hump this year, and finishing second and getting a spot in the bracket. 

I think it would be cool if this ends up being the last Cuyahoga Gold Bowl game for a while, if BW reclaimed it.

I would love to see a 7-3 finish in OOC games, but not sure that can happen.  I think were looking at 5-5 best case if BW can beat Wittenberg.  IF the Muskies are better this year, maybe they can compete with MSJ, but I don't foresee it. 

I'm not sure that JCU will compete with UWW.  I just dont think their offense is going to be enough. 

I think Mount, Berg, Marietta, and I think Capital has the edge on Catholic....

Mount is gonna need a team like Wheaton to run with if they want to see what it takes to win, when Carroll leaves.