FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I was looking at the standings and was wondering if 3 teams can get into the playoffs from your conference?  It looks like you have 3 or 4 deserving teams.

Maybe, if all three go 9-1, but probably not if one is 10-0, one is 9-1 and one is 8-2.

[Pat Coleman]

You don't start one in this topic. Only administrators and All-American users can put new surveys in someone else's topic. Under All-American, you can only put a survey in a topic you own, which is why you have to start a new topic. If we approve of the survey we will merge it into its proper place.

[Bill McCabe]

kirasdad,  how likely is a 3 way tie?

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

You don't start one in this topic. Only administrators and All-American users can put new surveys in someone else's topic. Under All-American, you can only put a survey in a topic you own, which is why you have to start a new topic. If we approve of the survey we will merge it into its proper place.

OK, but I swear I originated the QB poll in this topic.  If I currently browse to the ODAC thread, I have the option to start a poll there:  http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?topic=4747.0

[reality check]

Bill McCabe

A three way tie is possible but the odds are against it.  I don't know if anyone can answer how likely a three-way tie is to occur since it's not something that can be predicted with certainty. 

Last year CAP and ONU both finished 8-2 while Mount went 9-1.  I thought we might have three teams in from the OAC.  What it comes down to though (the way I understand it) is what the rest of the playoff field looks like.  If someone else played poorly in their tenth game or lost altogether, ONU might have gotten the nod.  It's about the competition at large as much as it is about the quality of the teams in this conference when it comes to a third team.  ONU shot itself in the foot last year by losing badly to JCU.  If they played like they were capable of, then they would have surely made the playoffs at 9-1 right along with Mount and most likely CAP. 

You can't argue against performance either.  If you exclude MUC's playoff performances, the OAC at-large teams have managed to win 9 games against 5 losses.  Only the NWC conference has a better winning percentage than OAC runner-ups.  That's a respectable stat.  When you factor in that 4 of the 5 losses (2 for ONU, 1 for JCU and 1 for CAP) have come to MUC for OAC runner-ups then what they;ve done against the rest of the field is even more impressive.  The OAC at large teams have a playoff winning percentage of 90% against other conferences in the playoffs.  History says to this biased fan that a third OAC team would just make the playoff field more robust.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

kirasdad,  how likely is a 3 way tie?

Before last year I would have said not very likely.  This weekend will be the first glimpse as ONU visits MUC for a rematch of last years first Conference Loss for MUC since 1994.

If someone put a gun to my head I would say that MUC will end up 10-0, Capital will end up 9-1 and ONU will end up 8-2, but that is why they play the games and I am not a betting man.  As RC put it, who would have thought that ONU would lose to JCU last year, beat Mount Union, and then lose to Capital?

[frank uible]

In 2005, Ashland's per game home attendance was 3060; Mt. Union's was 3785.

[Bill McCabe]

Can Ohio Northern win again this year?  Or should I expect some serious payback?

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Can Ohio Northern win again this year?  Or should I expect some serious payback?

Based on their current records and performances, I don't expect a repeat performance from ONU.  I think Capital will be the toughest test for Mount Union in the regular season this year.  But (here come the wiggle words) stranger things have happened.  I did pick MUC to beat the Spread on the OAC Pick 'ems board.

[Toph]

Can Ohio Northern win again this year?  Or should I expect some serious payback?

I don't know if I'd expect "serious payback."  That IS one of LK's guys on the other sideline.  LK may be fond of running playaction up 63-0 against some teams, but I doubt he'd do it to one of his own. 

That said, I'll be there this weekend, and don't think that the possibility of seeing LK bring the hammer down in a big way didn't influence my decision.

[Bill McCabe]

Is Ohio Northern as good as they were last year?

[Toph]

The only thing I can say with certainty (having not yet seen Northern) is that Mount looks better than they did last year (I'm already cringing at the thought of what the Mount/JCU score might look like).  Mount will be tough to stop.

[cut above]

I don't think Northern is as good as last year.  I think Capital is just as good if not better than last year but in different ways; like the running game not being as strong but the air attack being much more explosive....I don't think anyone will challenge Mount but Capital.

[section13raiderfan]

I did not suggest playing a D2 school for the ego boost of it, nor for the financial aspect of it either. It seems to me that Mount Union might find D3 schools outside of the conference totally unwilling to schedule them under any circumstances. Therefore they actually might end up playing 9 games per season. That is not preferable to me. Play somebody...anybody...just give me a 10 game regular season. I dont even like the bye week scenerio from before.  If both the Buckeyes and Raiders go undefeated, then lets have a winner take all for the State Title! (just kidding). (I would go to such a game though)  Honestly though guys, the year when  Rowans coach K C Keeler went D2 and won the title...didnt you think that the team who lost was not as good as the Raiders were that year?  I was embarassed for them, and I cant even remember the name of the team.

[jdean]

The only thing I can say with certainty (having not yet seen Northern) is that Mount looks better than they did last year (I'm already cringing at the thought of what the Mount/JCU score might look like).  Mount will be tough to stop.