FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[theaprof]

And Eric's a nice young man, to boot!

[cufan]

I have to think if Cap takes care of business against the fish and flaming pile they get into the NCAA.  If they trip up only Mount goes.  Thoughts.

[cut above]

I have to think if Cap takes care of business against the fish and flaming pile they get into the NCAA.  If they trip up only Mount goes.  Thoughts.

IMO they got in in '05 because they're losses were early in the season and by playof time they had proved to be undoubtedly deserving.  I think the losses were too late in the season this time around for them to make a simlilar statement. Not to mention the wins they had were over a couple very good teams. I don't think they have those under their belt either this year.  But by the nuymbers, why not? 8-2=8-2. I personlly think the 2nd place OAC tem should make regardless of record.

[section13raiderfan]

All you MUC fans should waltz on over to McDonalds and pick up the free copy of THIS WEEK IN FOOTBALL. There is a story written by Bob Frantz titled
MOUNT UNION SECOND-BEST COLLEGE TEAM IN OHIO. It is very factual and complimentary. Finally, some D3 respect from sombody! Frantz is a columnist with the San Francisco Examiner and a radio personality heard on WTAM locally.
He now knows what we all have known for quite a while here on D3FOOTBALL.COM. MUC is the real deal!

[Ric]

I have to think if Cap takes care of business against the fish and flaming pile they get into the NCAA.  If they trip up only Mount goes.  Thoughts.

Cufan I sure hope Capital gets in.  I think a lot of it depends on what happens around the nation with bubble teams.  For example, If St. John's loses to Bethel, St. John's gets in Pool C with one loss over two-loss Capital.  But if St. Johns' beats Bethel, Capital would have the nod over Bethel.  There are a handful of such games that will determine Capitals' fate if they win out.

The are the best defense Mount Union as played this year.  I gotta believe, even with an undermaned offense, they would still be in the top half of the 32-team field and would win some games if they get the chance.

[Ric]

All you MUC fans should waltz on over to McDonalds and pick up the free copy of THIS WEEK IN FOOTBALL. There is a story written by Bob Frantz titled
MOUNT UNION SECOND-BEST COLLEGE TEAM IN OHIO. It is very factual and complimentary. Finally, some D3 respect from sombody! Frantz is a columnist with the San Francisco Examiner and a radio personality heard on WTAM locally.
He now knows what we all have known for quite a while here on D3FOOTBALL.COM. MUC is the real deal!

Are you sure those are the same Bob Frantz? I mean I have no idea, they very well may be, but the Bob Frantz that is on WTAM lives in Cleveland and came from a station in Toledo.  I had no idea this guy was writing for a San Francisco paper.  Like I said he may be but I had no idea if he is the same guy.

[Ric]

My son just traded Charlie Frye to Seattle for a third round draft pick on Madden '08.  So obviously the Madden '08 Seattle Seahawks are not as smart as the real thing.

[HScoach]

I don't know whether Capital will get in.  But assuming they do, all I'm worried about is them not pulling a 'flaming pile' and losing to someone other than Mount!

[reality check]

The CAP faithful shouldn't assume they get in at 8-2 just because they did two years ago.  ONU and CAP were both 8-2 in 2005 and CAP got in because of the rest of the Pool C's candidates, the quality of CAP's wins and the fact that they actually led MUC in the third quarter of their regular season loss.

Besides what has already been written, it would help if OTT wins out against JCU and BW (no easy task) as well as a strong finish by WITT against Gheny and Hiram (an easier task).  But so much really does depend on the rest of the Pool C landscape.  Many think the OAC is down as much as MUC is up so but then again, CAP edged ONU for that second OAC playoff slot when MUC was last beaten in the regular season so some thought MUC might have been down as much as anyone was up in 2005.

I wouldn't pack the playoff bags yet if I was a Crusader fan but if they do get in, they better not pull a BW like hscoach said.  We have a reputation to uphold.

[mtfan]

I don't know whether Capital will get in.  But assuming they do, all I'm worried about is them not pulling a 'flaming pile' and losing to someone other than Mount!

DITTO THAT!!

Would love to see Cap make it and with the defense they demonstrated last week vs. Mount, could fair well in the first two rounds, after that its going to take big plays on both sides of the ball to win. Sure hope they can make the 32!

Congrats to Eric, well disciplined, well deserved, and setting a role model for many kids too i know.

[Ajwassup]

I have to think if Cap takes care of business against the fish and flaming pile they get into the NCAA.  If they trip up only Mount goes.  Thoughts.

Do think it will depend on if OTT wins out?  Obviously if OTT keeps winning, that helps Cap, but do you think iit will come down to that?

[JK]

Of course, as a Crusader fan, I would like to see them get in, but I agree with Ric, HS Coach and Reality.  A LOT of whether they get in at 8-2 depends on what the other pool C candidates look like.  We really need teams with similar or better resumes to lock up AQ's and leave us standing with a bunch of other 8-2 teams where we can use the argument of OAC strength to help our cause.  If Cap is the only 8-2 team with a bunch of 9-1 teams, then it doesn't really matter a lick how strong the OAC is.

All Cap can do is take care of business and see how the rest of it plays out.  They lost the ability to "control their own destiny" when they lost to OTT.  It's in other people's hands now...

[SaintsFAN]

Cap fans,

Don't worry.  HOPEFULLY the team that Hallett coached the past couple years will sneak up and bite a playoff worthy team in week 11's Bridge Bowl. 

One can hope at least. . .

[JK]

IN addition to my earlier post, I have been thinking a little about Cap's competition IN THE REGION for a pool C if they win out and assuming things hold the way they are (I know the pool C bids are nationally considered, not regionally, but I don't have enough knowledge of other schools to discuss here):

Probable Conference Runners-up in the North Region:
OAC: Cap (8-2)- Beat JCU, ONU, BW*, Witt when all were nationally ranked; Bad loss to OTT might not look AS bad if OTT finishes 7-3, MUC loss expected.
NCAC: Witt (8-2)- Lost to Cap head to head.  Advantage Capital.
HCAC: MSJ (9-1)- Likely in a pool C slot ahead of Cap, but weak conference could cost them even with their 9-1 vs. Cap's 8-2.  Happened last year in the east region (I think, where an 8-2 got in over a 9-1).  Rivalry game with TMC could cost them.
MIAA: Alma or Olivet (6-4 or 5-5): Forget it, only AQ from this conference
CCIW: Ill Weslyan (8-2): Gotta root for Wheaton to win out, including beat Ill Wesleyan in the last game.  If IWU wins, I don't know the tiebreaker scenario well enough to know who would get the AQ, but if Wheaton goes to pool C, they get the nod over Cap, if it is IWU vs. Cap, both at 8-2, I think Cap is the stronger candidate.
IBC: Lakeland (6-4): Same as MIAA
UAA: Not an AQ conference, but I would think that if Case wins out, they would get a Pool B.  If they lose to Wash. U. this weekend or OWU the next, then they throw themselves into the pool C discussion and their 9-1 likely gets in over Cap's 8-2.

I know there is a lot of football left to be played, but that is a small primer for Cap fans to let you know what we are up against.

[Mr. Ypsi]

JK,

Don't worry about IWU as a C - can't happen!  Since they already have two losses, if they finish 8-2 it means they beat NCC and Wheaton and would be the AQ.  However, NCC could finish 8-2 and be a C candidate.  I believe that Cap would probably rate ahead of them, but haven't done the calculations.  And it is probably true that a 9-1 C-candidate Wheaton would be ahead of Cap.