FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

Batcheller was a good QB for W&L. Not exactly in our heydey unfortunately, but he still holds some W&L pass records including passing attempts in a career, passing yards in a career, consecutive 200 yard passing games, and 200 yard games in a career. He shows up second and third in a bunch of other records as well. For all that, I think he was a better baseball player than QB in the end. If I remember one of the stories I wrote about him way back when, he played in the minors or at least had a bunch of good summerball experiences.

A good guy too. He graduated the year before me and our paths crossed quite a bit in those days.

I went to school with his stepfather, aunt and uncle and was in Boy Scouts with his stepfather and uncle - a really solid family and well-liked in the community.  I've met Christian and his siblings at social functions after his graduation - he's a nice guy.

[tigerfanalso]

jknezek

What your assessment of the E&H vs. CU game ?

Good luck to all this weekend.

[jknezek]

I haven't seen Catholic this year so I'm not sure. I do think they are better than we are used to seeing from them, so my pick'em leans that way. But E&H, like most ODAC schools, is hard to beat at home.

It's also very hard for me to compare defenses. I primarily watch the Generals, and the way W&L dismantles defenses is so different from the rest of the ODAC that it doesn't make a good foundation for comparisons. Can E&H's secondary cover Catholic's pass happy attack? I don't know simply because it wasn't in W&L's playbook to find out.

E&H played three OOC games against the USAC. They won all three, but... it was the USAC. It's hard to read anything into that. They gave up 22 points to R-MC's passing attack, which is pretty good, but seemed unable to move the ball on them. They gave up 47 to H-SC's passing attack, so that's not a good indication.

Catholic on the other hand beat a bad McDaniel program, then lost to a mediocre Gallaudet and what could be a pretty good Carnegie Mellon before going schizo on H-SC and R-MC.

Smart move puts money on the home team, but I think Catholic has played a better class of opponents OOC, played everyone tight (except RMC), and is probably a slightly better team. E&H has to figure this is the week to save their season though. They got unlucky in getting the ODAC's big 3 in a row to start the conference season, and they are probably feeling a little black and blue right now as well.

[abnrgr]

Jknezek is like a bookie.  Better than that loser "Jimmie The Greek" 

Thanks bro.

I think EH gets a home win.....

[jknezek]

Jknezek is like a bookie.  Better than that loser "Jimmie The Greek" 

Thanks bro.

I think EH gets a home win.....

ha. If you remember my attempts at setting a line in the "playoff pick'em" last year, you'd be quite confident no casino or bookie would hire me!

If I was a bookie, I'd have this game flat. I like Catholic, but home field for E&H probably covers the quality difference. And since I've said that, this game is destined to be a blowout one way or the other...

[tigerfanalso]

jknezek

I know it's early, but if W&L finishes 9-1; any chance at a first round home game ?

If HSC wins the ODAC at 8-2, they might be shipped up to Mt. Union like RMC was several years back.

[jknezek]

jknezek

I know it's early, but if W&L finishes 9-1; any chance at a first round home game ?

If HSC wins the ODAC at 8-2, they might be shipped up to Mt. Union like RMC was several years back.

It's too early, but I'm leaning towards no. A lot will depend on the PAC champion. UMHB, Wesley, and JHU are locks for home games if they keep winning. That's 3 of the South's 4. If Waynesberg goes undefeated, that would be a clean sweep. I prefer the ODAC champion to the PAC champion this year with identical records, and the only "C" you might get out of the south, as it stands right now, would be the second place in the ASC with 2 losses (LA College with 2 losses to the best of the South teams would be the most likely, unless HSU beats LC and UMHB) or Carnegie Mellon who has 1 loss, plays undefeated OWU this weekend, and still has to navigate a tricky UAA schedule. B-SC really sunk their chances losing to Trinity, Trinity sunk theirs losing to SRSU in a blowout, Huntingdon blew theirs losing to B-SC and the rest of the SAA already has 1 loss with games against each other to go.

The winner of the USAS is going to be an 8 seed, whoever it turns out to be is going to have multiple losses and no quality wins. The ODAC winner is at least a 1 loss team, so you will have to be very lucky to get a home game.

The big wildcard is if the committee keeps regions more or less in house, as they did for years, or if they do what they did last year and go with a more national tournament. I still don't see the ODAC getting a home game without a lot of help, which would primarily come in a loss by Waynesberg and/or JHU. I could see a scenario where the ODAC champion gets Waynesberg on the road, which I think would be a winnable matchup. I don't think a 9-1 ODAC champion ends up at UMHB, Wesley, or UMU, but I could see an 8-2 champion having to go to UMU, Wesley, JHU or the #2 ASC team. And of course Salisbury, as an E8 winner, will also be in the mix for either 9-1 or 8-2.

There are so many possibilities right now that is all just blowing smoke. And even at the very end, if the committee decides to do what they did last year, there is no possible way to predict the seedings with any degree of confidence. With as many teams inside the driving circle as there are, the ODAC champion could face the MAC, NJAC, HCAC, etc. It doesn't have to be a south team anymore.

[D-BAT]

SU's Head coach, Paul Barnes said ...

"All the games we have lost, it's on us," he said. "I've been waiting to play Hamp­den-Sydney even before we moved into the ODAC, because all I heard [was how good the Tigers were].

"For me, it's really exciting to play against them. I would love to show what I can really do against a good defense like them."

[hasanova]

SU's Head coach, Paul Barnes said ...

"All the games we have lost, it's on us," he said. "I've been waiting to play Hamp­den-Sydney even before we moved into the ODAC, because all I heard [was how good the Tigers were].

"For me, it's really exciting to play against them. I would love to show what I can really do against a good defense like them."

Be careful what you wish for ...

[jknezek]

Watching the W&L vs. Bridgewater game. Bridgewater is playing very well, but the announcers make me chuckle. They are some brutal homers. Every play its about what Bridgewater did right or how lucky W&L was. I guess it can be expected, but in all the games I've listened to over the last couple years, these guys are the worst at giving no credit to the opposing team.

For example, W&L just converted a third and 8, picked up 13 yards. The back wasn't even touched until he was past the front yard. The announcer says, "Boy W&L got lucky there getting to the corner before Bridgewater. That could easily have been snuffed out for no gain."

Been this way on every pitch. The pitch man is always "Dropped in the backfield if that pitch is made" and the runner is always "lucky." Very humorous. Every tackle the W&L guys is "buried," even if it's 5 yards down field...

[jknezek]

Bridgewater played an outstanding first half helped by a couple W&L mistakes. 10-0 Bridgewater leading, deservedly so.

[Uncle Jessie]

Any Handen-Sydney fans wanting to see the game you can watch it at www.suhornets.com incase you did not know. The audio stinks under the watch video option so you might want to open up a second window to click on the audio as well. If you do it that way it will come in better.

[jknezek]

Bridgewater up 17-14 on the Generals at the end of the third. W&L is not looking good and Bridgewater is driving. W&L is battling Bridgewater, themselves, and even the refs in this one, each of the three have killed W&L drives. Bridgewater is looking very good offensively and keeping W&L off the field as much as possible.

[TheEHC52]

Emory 15-14 over Catholic. Great win for the Waspers.

[HSCTiger fan]

4 games 3 upsets. WOW!  Who would have thought that next week's HSC Guilford game would be for first place?