FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[reality check]

Nice tribute for Coach Bendekovic today at Dial Roberson.  The Polar Bears scored on the first play of the game and never looked back.

[mtfan]

RC
NICE PIC!!! thanks for sharing it!!! Congrats to ONU as well on another fine win! ANYONE GET A FINAL OF BW/ MARIETTA??

[jdean]

The smell is really getting rank in Berea--BW lost to 'Etta 32-31. How low can they go?

Now that Augie has knocked off the North Region's only legit #1 it looks like the speculation about UWW will come true. Since Wabash is alot closer to them than we are in eastern Ohio maybe the NCAA will arrange that matchup.

Good picture and nice tribute for the late ONU coach.

[Toph]

Congrats to Capital.  They played a hell of a game to come away with the win, especially the D. 

Theotherpurple-
If beating Carroll and Northern "proves" that Capital belongs in the playoffs, what does losing to Otterbein "prove?" 

[cufan]

It proves you can bring it up every post

[Toph]

It proves you can bring it up every post

Only posts relating to Capital's playoff chances.
Why shouldn't I continue to bring it up?  All the Cap fans claiming that this win gets them in the playoffs is basically suggesting that we and the NCAA simply forget that loss to Otterbein.  I hate to rain on the purple parade, but it happened, it's on your record. 

[onyxrook]

I, like everyone else, will side with the Cap fans and say that they belong in the play-offs.  However, I, like all the non-Cap fans, will say that Cap stays home.  There is no 8-2 team more worthy than the other two in the OAC.  Maybe next year. 

You can't talk like it's certainty with losses unless you have a conference championship.  That's just the way it is.  Of course, we could all be wrong.  We'll see next Sunday.

[4blue1]

jdean

   Just wondering if you were at the BW/Etta game.  Etta was down 31-13 with 11 min to go and came through.  Your "how low can they go" is certainly not a slam against a bunch of kids that worked their butts off for a win.  Granted as we all know from reading these posts that no team holds a candle to the top few but how many other teams including the top have come back from a deficit like that this year.  Great job Etta a real team effort to ge the job don!!! A group of stars always shines brighter than just a few and you proved it today!

[runyr]

Otterbein.edu is showing:
Otterbein   65
Heidelberg 35

That's only 30-point spread, so 'Berg picks win! 

[jdean]

4blue:
There were many games I would liked to have seen today--the BW v 'Etta was not one of them. My remarks had nothing to do with 'Etta and everything to do with BW,  a program whose candle has apparently been snuffed out for 2005.  Good luck in Ada next week.

[reality check]

I have been browsing all the outcomes today and am trying to figure out some of the playoff projections...

Here's what I read so far:

In the West Linfield, UWW, SJU, OXY, Monmouth are almost locks.  Cal Luth, Central, Coe and Moorhead all sit with one loss and look to be in better shape for at-large bids than anyone else in the OAC.  So that makes 9 teams in the West.  I would bet one of them gets booted with a loss or by the committee.

In the South Trinity, Ferrum, UMHB, Thiel, BWater, Wesley and Johns Hopkins are most likely in as autobids.  HSU and W&J are virtual locks and Depauw needs to beat Bash to get a chance.  I have 9 teams looking real good with a tenth team in with a win.  The South actually looks like the most crowded region.

In the East Ithaca, Union, Del Valley, and Rowan (even with a loss) look to be in.  Hobart/RPI winner and SJF have pool c's within reach.  The East looks a bit thin to me with 6 teams at one loss or less.

The North had a shake-up today.  Bash, MUC, MSJ and Alma have autos.  Augustana got in with the win today and North Central is now a near lock as a Pool C.  There are 6 slots taken up for sure the way I am reading it.

OK so that makes 30 teams and Depauw can take the 31st spot by winning the Bell Game.  So you have 1 spot left over that I don't know where to go with.  

This is just my take.  I wanted to see how hard it is to makes sense of all the races and whatnot.  It is not impossible for another OAC team to get in but the numbers I am coming up with are indicative of a grim picture.

[cufan]

Toph

Not sure but did Otterbein beat Cap this year?  If you could clear that up for me that would be great.

[Mr. Ypsi]

rc,

One correction (I think) - Albion annihilated Alma today (66-27).  If I'm not mistaken, I think Albion is the MIAA rep.

But that doesn't affect your overall point - MIAA will NOT be getting a C.

[Pat Coleman]

That's not true either. If Albion loses at Olivet next week and Adrian wins, they'll be tied at 5-2 in the league and Adrian won that game head-to-head. Don't know how the other 4-2 teams can impact that, but it's not a lock.

[JK]

Talked to both Coach Collins and (ex-)Coach Welsh after the Cap game.  Both were very happy.  Man, have we come a long way since the days I was there.

Capital scored a defensive TD on the first play and never really looked back.  The D was absolutely stifling save for one drive.  Knocked out Phillips for the 2nd Qtr (although he did come back and play the 2nd half).

The offense established the run early and didn't really need to sling it the way Cap likes to.  JCU gave Cap a 30 look on D and like Coach Collins said afterward, "we saw that and figured we'd just line up in the "I" and see if they could stop the run."

It will be a shame that Cap won't get in.  As others have said, they deserve to be there, but I will be the first Cap guy to say that 8-2 probably won't do it.  This was my first game this year, so I haven't seen anyone else, but I have seen and played and been around enough football to know that this Cap team is GOOD!  I HOPE I am wrong and they get in, but history has shown I will probably be right.  Maybe the historical success of the OAC runner up in the playoffs will help get Cap in the expanded field.  Maybe Coach Collins can do some lobbying, Mack Brown style.

Take these comments for what they are worth: Coach Welsh's wife said to me today that in a conversation that he (Cap AD Welsh) had with OAC Commissioner Tim Gleason, the commish says the same tiebreakers would apply to second place if it meant a playoff bid and that he (Gleason) thinks that the second place OAC team will get in.  What does that mean?  According to some further explaination it means that while the "Official" OAC records will show a three way tie for second, Capital, since they hold the head to head would be the team the Commish will push for a pool C bid, and again, he feels that with the expanded playoffs the second place OAC team will get in.  I'm not sold.

I know the old credo about one week at a time and any given day, but with Wilma next week, had Cap beaten Otterbein, they could be sizing themselves for OAC Co-champion rings.  Instead we are reduced to wishing, hoping, and probably not playing in two weeks.

I know I speak for all Capital fans when I say "F***ing Otterbein."  It just adds insult to injury that it was them.