FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Good call, man. Obviously, different people write different conferences and have different opinions -- we have tried to correct them when we notice them.

[jdean]

Mount's varsity offense should be fun to watch again but I'm looking forward to the JV season. Six first team all-Ohio frosh by my count and an out-of-state player who reportedly had the interest of some DI schools as a strong safety.

[JK]

Pat,

I subscribed to the Kickoff, and it said I successfully registered, but I never got a confirmation email and my credit card was never charged.  I assume that I need to re-subscribe?

[Shark]

Just looked over Mount's roster. Knew LK had more out of state kids coming in the last few years but was still surpised to see at least 10 kids from Florida (most at skill positions) on the roster.

It is incredible how much D3 football has changed in past 10 years. Kickoff around the corner

[ohiofootball]

JK- I saw KY football last year at MSU. They have a way to go, but the team looked good in that game.

ELee- Goings '97 graduate went to OSU and as we all know transferred to Pitt.

RC- thanks for the Jamal update. elee should help us out more.

jdean- you think those players will be watching all season?

[Pat Coleman]

JK -- I don't have a registration for jrkova2@email.uky.edu in the system. Send me an e-mail or a private message through the board here and we'll investigate further.

[joelmama]

It is intersting to see how many players outside of Ohio are on the MUC roster.  Back in the day (25 years ago we had a bunch of people from PA a couple from New York and one or two other strays from NJ or somewhere else.

Not that I have nothing to do but I am sitting in on a conference call with nothing to do but listen so I did a tally from Ric's website roster.

PA 18
FLA 10
IL 4
NY 3
IN 2
MI 2
CA 1
NC 1
VA 1
NJ 1
Total 43 out of about 175 so close to 1/4th

[seventiesraider]

There is a great Terry Pluto article on the front page of the Akron Beacon Journal which focuses on the season opener between Mogadore and Manchester. It speaks volumes about the values and love of the game that is fostered at high schools such as this which send so many young men to Mount and other D3 schools. Of course it is near and dear to me as I live and teach in Mogadore.

TERRY PLUTO ARTICLE

[BashDad]

JK:
I continue to be very proud of you and many others for their efforts/sacrifices to cover all our butts here at home.  You might want to add two other NCAC schools who rated very high in the Princeton Review ratings which came out recently--both Wabash and OWU earned exceptionally high marks.  Again, thanks for your service at a very troubled time. 

My wishes for good, safe play to all in the OAC as the season gets underway--JK is one reason that all of us can live, and play, as we do. 

[Raider1]

Only 10 days until football is back!

[HScoach]

The Pick-em's are coming.  The Pick-Em's are coming.

[e_lee]

Not looking good fro Jamal Robertson.   I think his fate is dependent on Stephen Davis and how many RBs the Panthers want to carry.  If Davis is unable to play this year(looks like he is) Robertson ahd better hope the Pantehrs plan on carrying 4 RBs.  Right now It appears he is behind Davis, Deshaun Foster, Erick Shelton and Nick Goings.

[reality check]

HSCoach/Ric

Saw the results of the draft.  You guys seemed to stick to your OAC guns (specifically your MUC guns).  But this makes me wonder...do you guys do EVERYTHING together???  Only one OAC pick not by you two; I like the loyalty.

It also worries me that you picked a couple unranked MUC'ers to fill out your squad.  I know that means you are seeing some good things in camp and could mean that the rest of the OAC is in trouble and will have to start learning some new names.  Does this mean Jorris won't be the QB in your collective mind(s)?

I was a little surprised that Lenhart wasn't picked up by anyone and that Hedges didn't get the nod from someone along the way.

[Ric]

reality check, we talked about drafting both guys you mentioned, Hedges and Lenhart.  The problem is they both have the same bye week as the Mount guys we liked. So adding them would become more of a reality after 9/10.

As for Robinson at RB and Mason at QB history tells us Mount's QB and TB would do well on any fantasy team.  The question with Robinson is not how he'll perform (he led the OAC last year in yards per rush playing behind two seniors) but will he be durable enough to last a season.  That is only because he hasn't been "the guy" at this level yet.  We think he will have numbers placing him in the top dozen backs in the nation this year.  With Mason, same thing.  No he is not the starting QB, that has not been determined.  But I think he has the edge heading into tonight's scrimmage at W & J.  We could see another platoon situation in which case we'll never start him.  But we took him with the 104th pick out of 108 in the draft.  I think the upside warrents that risk.

[jcu87alum]

Nice job, JK, on the Princeton Review rankings.  I for one think this is a very important area for us in the OAC, despite the fact that it isn't directly tied to tackling sleds or the Stagg Bowl.    We have many fine member institutions which provide a great balance of excellence in the classroom and on the field.

Here is a look at how the conference fared in the just-released U.S. News rankings as well as a look at the NCAC:

OAC
BW         Midwest Master's - 12th
CAP        Midwest Master's - 15th
HEI         Midwest Master's - 34th
JCU         Midwest Master's - 6th
MAR        Midwest Bachelor's - 15th
MTU        Midwest Bachelor's - 14th
MUS        Liberal Arts - Tier 3
ONU       Midwest Bachelor's - 5th
OTT        Midwest Bachelor's - 6th
WIL        Midwest Bachelor's - 41st


NCAC
ALL         Liberal Arts - 88th
DEN        Liberal Arts - 51st
EAR        Liberal Arts - 69th
HIR         Liberal Arts - Tier 3
KEN        Liberal Arts - 32nd
OBE        Liberal Arts - 23rd
OWU      Liberal Arts - 100th
WAB       Liberal Arts - 51st
WIT        Liberal Arts - Tier 3
WOO      Liberal Arts - 68th

For clarification, the Liberal Arts category is a national ranking (v. regional).  For all rankings, first tier is through 25, others are as noted.   I happen to feel the U.S. News rankings to be a more realistic analysis, but that's all a matter of opinion.   I was an undergrad when the NCAC was formed from the PAC and OAC and (at that time) each member school was a Phi Beta Kappa institution.  That may or may not still be the case, but their members generally, but not entirely, are of a very high academic caliber.

JCU87ALUM