FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

Respective Records for ODAC Opponents:

RMC (5-0, 2-0) -- 9-16
W&L (3-2, 2-0) -- 13-11
Guilford (4-1, 1-1) -- 9-16
Shenandoah (3-2, 1-1) -- 12-13
Bridgewater (2-3, 1-1) -- 16-10 Counting NNA, who has played all DIII plus Brevard, who I'm counting for E&H.
H-SC (1-4, 1-1) -- 16-9
Catholic (3-2, 0-2) -- 11-14
E&H (1-4, 0-2) -- 13-8 counts Brevard's game against NNA

Interesting to look at. How good are RMC and Guilford? How bad are E&H and H-SC? I think at this point we can safely say that RMC's OOC opponents were weak. We can also say they have taken out two mid-tier ODAC schools. So I think it's safe to say R-MC is fair at the top of the ODAC. As for Guilford, we can say their OOC was laughable as well, but they beat a bottom tier ODAC school and lost to a who knows who they are H-SC in a downpour. I think it's fair to say the jury is out if they are a middle or top tier ODAC team.

As for E&H, losing to M'Ville is looking like no big deal for a mid-tier ODAC, losing to Ferrum isn't great. Losing to part time W&L and apparently mid-tier Shenandoah has them looking like they are sinking to the bottom tier of the ODAC this year. If they get themselves straightened out, they can win a game or two in the conference but not likely to go on a tear. Hosting R-MC will be interesting for E&H.

That leaves Bridgewater and Catholic. Start with the Eagles. Beating Gettysburg isn't looking like much. Losing to TMC is no big deal. Losing to Apprentice has me scratching my head. Beating H-SC but getting shut out at R-MC is an odd combination. It's the shutout that gets me. 5 first downs and 83 yards of offense. That's pitiful. 10 punts. No turnovers. The Eagles' longest drive was 21 yards and they never found RMC's red zone, stalling out and missing a field goal at the 28. Without the H-SC game, you'd put this Bridgewater team right at the bottom of the league. With that result you just throw your hands up in disgust.

Catholic. I'm going to say they are better than they've been. Still not good. Their OOC opponents aren't good, so that 3-0 is nothing to flaunt. I don't think they are as bad as the beating Guilford laid on them. I think W&L helped make them look better than they are. Regardless, I'd be surprised if they don't get a conference win or two from some combination of hosting H-SC, Shenandoah and Bridgewater, and traveling to E&H. Especially if the QB keeps improving.

What about W&L you say? I have no idea. Too much inconsistency. Wins against Sewanee, E&H and Catholic aren't looking like much. The loss to C-M-S isn't bad, and could very easily have been a win. The loss against JHU was what it was. The Generals have injuries, mental errors, and have shown a complete inability to play a full game. They have potential, that offense can be deadly at times, but with the three game stretch sitting in front of them they need to improve a whole lot this week to be contenders.

[HSCTiger fan]

Unofficial HSC highlight video from the "Mud Bowl".

https://vimeo.com/186177289

[tigerFanAlso2]

Not sure what to take away from the HSC vs. GC game other than HSC got its first win and that is huge.
Both teams gutted it out. through the entire game we were all saying that a special teams mistake would make the difference and that is out it pretty much how it played out. HSC showed lots of guts playing a ranked/undefeated team, refused to back down. Hats off to the Tigers. Here is to hoping a new season has begun. We'll find out in DC on Saturday. Not able to make the trip but will be watching on computer. Which CUA team will show up; the one that played GC or the one that played W&L ?
Which HSC team will show up, the one that played GC or the one that played BC ? One play at a time for the remainder of the season. Go Tigers !!!!!

[hscathletics]

Field looks considerably better today now that the wind and sun has pretty much dried it out. Still not great but not looking thoroughly destroyed.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Saturday's weather makes a turf field sound like a really good thing, otherwise I'll take grass any day over turf.
obviously all other odac schools disagree !!!

[HSCTiger fan]

Saturday's weather makes a turf field sound like a really good thing, otherwise I'll take grass any day over turf.
obviously all other odac schools disagree !!!

The person whose job is to wash the uniforms is wishing for turf. 

[hscathletics]

Saturday's weather makes a turf field sound like a really good thing, otherwise I'll take grass any day over turf.
obviously all other odac schools disagree !!!

The person whose job is to wash the uniforms is wishing for turf.

So is the physical plant. Going to take every bit of the time before the next home game to get it back to playable condition, so I've heard. No one is allowed to step foot on the field until the morning of the next home game.

[tigerFanAlso2]

only a few grass fields left in football, lets not change !!!

[jknezek]

only a few grass fields left in football, lets not change !!!

I find grass fields for football anachronistic, but that doesn't change the charm. I hope H-SC doesn't change, but the economics of turf are hard to dispute these days. On the other hand, I'm annoyed that the DIII College Soccer Championship this year will be played on turf. Soccer is a game I think benefits from grass. Field hockey, lacrosse, football, I think turf is either a benefit or a wash. But a nice grass field looks and smells so good!

[tigerFanAlso2]

HSC soccer and lax have a turf field to play on if they so choose. Not having sports like field hockey and other female sporting events, offers the ability to keep the grass field. I'm like you, I like the looks, smell, etc. offered by a grass field. Would not change for the world and I hope administration feels the same and evidently they do, grass has been on the field for a long, long time. Even though the grass can create issues, like having to move a home game to a local high school because of excessive rain, like we did for the CUA game in 2015, I still prefer to keep it.

How do you see the odac playing out this coming weekend. I'm to the point of having absolutely no clue. I've got a feeling W&L is going to show what they are capable of this week. If they can defense the pass I don't think GC running game will create many problems. Would not have said that two weeks ago however. HSC, who knows but hopefully they will can momentum after their first victory but typically do not play well in DC.

[jknezek]

I put my thoughts up above. I'm just not that strong on W&L. They aren't bad, but they aren't what I expected. The lines are a problem I didn't expect to be so bad. I thought a small drop from last year, but with the experience in the skill positions and defensive backfield I thought it wouldn't be as obvious. But with a system that involves as much line precision as W&L's offense, that's been a problem and it's gotten worse with injuries. On defense we aren't getting pressure. So eventually a decent QB picks the zone apart. I think GC wins. W&L really struggles on the road, so that's not going to help.

I have no idea on Catholic-HSC. Honestly, Catholic is better than I expected. Let alone how tight they played W&L, the long road trip OOC's they won are hard games even if the opponents weren't very good. The loss to GC? I'm putting that in there with GC's loss to H-SC. Just aberrations. I don't think your Tigers are very good. Middle of the ODAC maybe? I expect them to lose maybe 3 more games. At W&L, at Shenandoah, and The Game. At Catholic and home for E&H they should win. But too many injuries, too many holes. Unless some of the players grow into roles quickly, H-SC just doesn't look like a threat.

Bridgewater's offense isn't good. Against bad defense like Gettysburg and H-SC, they are fine, but anyone with competence, which includes NNA, has closed them down. The loss to R-MC was pitiful. Eagles defense is OK. It will earn them a couple conference wins. W&L and E&H at home are good opportunities. Shenandoah is better. Still not very good. I think they can win at Bridgewater and hosting H-SC, possibly at Catholic. The only thing that gives me pause this weekend is the night game. I'm assuming it will be a good crowd, and Bridgewater has been a tough road game for almost everyone in the ODAC, even when they stink. So while I think Shenandoah is better, this could be a game where the better team loses.

R-MC's defense is stellar. The offense? They need some help. Or at least to add some new wrinkles. But the defense could carry them to a title. I don't think they will have a problem with E&H. E&H isn't very good. They have some play makers, but as has been true recently, they lack discipline. I don't expect much from E&H this year.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Jk

Pretty much agree with everything you stated above although I do hold out more hope for HSC than you. I think they grew up in the 4th quarter @ BC, turning what could have been a 52 to 20 blow out into a 10 point game, all in the last 8 minutes of play and follow that with the win in the mud bowl. Granted, weather was HSC best defense but they hung in there with a ranked opponent and found a way to win. I'm hoping to finish 4-6 with a win in The Game. Anything can happen and I think they will finally be up and prepared to give RMC a challenge. Love to see RMC come in 9-0 and leave 9-1, probably dreaming but I've got to hold on to hope !!!

Good luck to your Generals this weekend. I know HASA will be pulling hard for his Quakers. I think it is going to be a good game, but watch out for that QB.

[CMR]

Weekend Predictions:  RMC, GC, SU, and CUA.

[tigerFanAlso2]

CMR

You are probably right but I'm going with E&H, W&L, SU and HSC.

I think the odac is not very good this year and just about anybody can win any game. The best of the odac so far is the RMC defense, I'm thinking the W&L offense might catch a spark, RMC might not play well after the long road trip and I've got to pick HSC over CUA just because. Really have no clue about SU but sounds like they might be better than last year.

[y_jack_lok]

E&H was the better team today. An interesting bit of trivia about the Jackets' scoring -- their 20 points cam on a safety, field goal, two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing) a one point conversion and a two point conversion (rushing). Not sure there are any other ways to score points in football without scoring another touchdown and getting a two point conversion with a pass.