FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[New Tradition]

New Tradition,

What team do you support?  Just wondering if you have seen Franklin play this year.

I'm a North Central guy.  I have not seen Franklin play this year, but I did get a chance to see their O last year, which was VERY good.  The QB has poise and makes some fantastic reads.

[Toph]

I thought there would be more talk about Ott and Frankllin but not a word.  Is this matchup that boring?

I think that Ott wins this handily.  One thing that I have seen consistently out of teams from the OAC that puts them head and shoulders above everyone else is speed on defense.  As long as Ott's DB's can keep up with the receivers and they get some pressure on that QB from Franklin (I think it's the same kid from last year, he's excellent), then they should come out on top of this one.  Plus the 2nd place team from the OAC is traditionally better than about 80% of all of the champions of other conferences, IMO.

This Otterbein team might talk and act like they're better than 80% of all the conference champions, but I don't think they'll make it out of round two.

At least they get to do their "normal pregame routine" with a home game.

[New Tradition]

I thought there would be more talk about Ott and Frankllin but not a word.  Is this matchup that boring?

I think that Ott wins this handily.  One thing that I have seen consistently out of teams from the OAC that puts them head and shoulders above everyone else is speed on defense.  As long as Ott's DB's can keep up with the receivers and they get some pressure on that QB from Franklin (I think it's the same kid from last year, he's excellent), then they should come out on top of this one.  Plus the 2nd place team from the OAC is traditionally better than about 80% of all of the champions of other conferences, IMO.

While I agree that the second place team in the OAC is typically very strong and could win some other conferences, I think saying that the top two teams in the OAC are better than 80% of all teams in D3 may be stretching a bit.

Perhaps a bit.  Over the last 6 years (if you include the 10th ranking that Otterbein is currently sporting), the worst that a 2nd place OAC team has finished as far as national ranking according to the D3 week 16 poll is 19th:

2008:  Otterbein - 10
2007:  Captial - 13
2006:  Captial - 3
2005:  Captial - 5
2004:  Ohio Northern - 19
2003:  Baldwin Wallace - 9

If you average the rankings of the 2nd place OAC team from those 6 years together, you get a ranking just under 10.  Considering one of those 9 ranked above the 2nd place OAC team is always MUC, that leaves, on average, 8 other teams that finish ahead of the second place OAC team.  If there are 27 conferences, I guess that means that they are better than about 70% of all of the other conference champs.  So yes, 80% is stretching it, but not by much.   If you're just talking about teams in general, then a ranking of 10th out of the 242 total teams puts them better than 96%.

[runyr]

BTW Masseyratings.com rates Trine's foe last Saturday, Kentucky Christian as the worst team in the NAIA.

I read that as Kentucky Chicken at first pass!  I must be hungry.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Nice Research New Tradition!  +K

[rscl70]

Ott's poor showing against JCU wasn't that surprising, coming off an emotional defeat at the hands of MUC.

Franklin and Ott both hung 42 points on BW, Franklin in week one and Ott in week 5.  If you can tell anything from a common opponent it would seem Ott has the edge on defense.  I think this could be a close game with lots of offense.  Then again, comparing the competition both have faced, Ott just might run away with it.

Should Ott make it to the second round they will probably face North Central and I don't see the Cards winning that one.

[raiderfan1983]

Well, I'm impressed New Tradition.  I would also give you +K if I could.  Great stuff.

[New Tradition]

Nice Research New Tradition!  +K

Thanks, kirasdad.  Unfortunately, I found out the hard way how good the 2nd place team from the OAC is.  Capital ended my college career by beating us at home in the opening round of the 2005 playoffs, and then I watched them hand NCC its lunch in 2006 in the second round.

[raiderfan1983]

Plus, your last post gives me solid stats I can use when I go to other boards and crow about the supremacy of the OAC and for that, I am truly indebted to you.

[New Tradition]

Well, I'm impressed New Tradition.  I would also give you +K if I could.  Great stuff.

I'll give you some!  Better to give than to receive.

[runyr]

that dude in pic was the center of problems at the case/wabash game a yr ago.  the pic was taken from a spartan fan who was tired of the obsenities and verabl abuse from this group directed at parents and siblings....

lets hope he stays in indiana this weekend and lets the loyal, respected wabash following journey to cleveland.

Then Wabash better by leaving their homo cheerleaders in Indiana.  They were the problem in Alliance. 

After cheerleaders, he should have added in parenthesis, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."  They did that on Seinfeld all the time.  The problem with the 'Bash cheerleaders wasn't their perceived gender preferences, it was their costumes and antics. 

[New Tradition]

Ott's poor showing against JCU wasn't that surprising, coming off an emotional defeat at the hands of MUC.

I found that this has played a pretty big factor in games this year.  Each team that North Central defeated this year also lost the following week as well until Augustana defeated Millikin (who finished 7th in conference) in week 10.

Should Ott make it to the second round they will probably face North Central and I don't see the Cards winning that one.

Which Cards?  

[New Tradition]

Plus, your last post gives me solid stats I can use when I go to other boards and crow about the supremacy of the OAC and for that, I am truly indebted to you.

I'm pretty sure they already know.  Plus I think Pat and Keith's conference rankings might carry a bit more weight in that argument than my meager stat job. 

[Blutarsky]

Well, I'm impressed New Tradition.  I would also give you +K if I could.  Great stuff.

I'll give you some!  Better to give than to receive.

New Tradition:  A Calculus teacher with a conscience??  Welcome to the OAC board.

[New Tradition]

Well, I'm impressed New Tradition.  I would also give you +K if I could.  Great stuff.

I'll give you some!  Better to give than to receive.

New Tradition:  A Calculus teacher with a conscience??  Welcome to the OAC board.

Ha, I'm actually a history teacher.  Never made it as far as calc.