FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[D3MAFAN]

Tigers,
You clearly earned our respect today and deserve to be in the D3 Top 25....I don't understand how you could have been overlooked by the pollsters based upon the way you played against our Cats today.

If they played like that every week they wouldn't have been left out, of course.

I think they really did play like that every week, the coaching was the same, they score early and the opponent adjust at half time, madhatter continue to be very aggressive in play calling...they just lost to a really good team at the end of day that came up with the big plays (defensive stops) in the second half. Other than the Wartburg vs. Bethel game, it was the most interesting. I think this game shows that in the playoffs, you have to show up and play every opponent as if they were the best team you faced all season and that coaching is the big difference, especially making the necessary adjustments to what the opponent does initially and then subsequently, which Linfield coaching staff did and HS-C did not. 

[HSCTiger fan]

Tigers,
You clearly earned our respect today and deserve to be in the D3 Top 25....I don't understand how you could have been overlooked by the pollsters based upon the way you played against our Cats today.

If they played like that every week they wouldn't have been left out, of course.

I think they really did play like that every week, the coaching was the same, they score early and the opponent adjust at half time, madhatter continue to be very aggressive in play calling...they just lost to a really good team at the end of day that came up with the big plays (defensive stops) in the second half. Other than the Wartburg vs. Bethel game, it was the most interesting. I think this game shows that in the playoffs, you have to show up and play every opponent as if they were the best team you faced all season and that coaching is the big difference, especially making the necessary adjustments to what the opponent does initially and then subsequently, which Linfield coaching staff did and HS-C did not.

I prefer to think they did prepare as if we were the best team they had seen all year. It's very hard to get ready us on a regular week. Even tougher when you toss in Thanksgiving.

[hasanova]

I watched yesterday's Linfield/HSC game on line ... or rather I watched two games ... the first half and the second half.  Great job HSC on representing the ODAC - I was rooting for you!  I hate to say this (again), but the Tigers will be a force to be reckoned with next season.   Hopefully, the rest of the ODAC can get better too! 

[D O.C.]

http://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2013/12/hampden-sydney-at-linfield-ncaad3.html

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Props to the Tigers.  Your boys played a great game yesterday, Glad the weather held so that there would be no excuses, just my boys and your boys.  I wont give any in depth analysis here just that all of the guys, both sides, played hard, hit hard left it all out there at the end.  Well done !! 
Safe travels home, see you down the road.

Peace out
 

GHC

[coco]

HSC, great game against our Wildcats.    I do not understand how you lost two regular season games.  You were the best team we have played this year.   Your passing game was VERY impressive; Nance best QB I have seen this year, Walker, best receiver. 

Next year you should be even better.

GT

I'm with George. I don't know how you lost two regular season games, as you guys were as good as you said you were.

My wife said she met a few very nice fans in the tailgating parking lot.

Maybe we will meet again down the road sometime.

[jknezek]

HSC, great game against our Wildcats.    I do not understand how you lost two regular season games.  You were the best team we have played this year.   Your passing game was VERY impressive; Nance best QB I have seen this year, Walker, best receiver. 

Next year you should be even better.

GT

I'm with George. I don't know how you lost two regular season games, as you guys were as good as you said you were.

My wife said she met a few very nice fans in the tailgating parking lot.

Maybe we will meet again down the road sometime.

The ODAC is like that. HSC was the CLASS of the ODAC this year, no mistake, but the difference between the top team and the bottom teams is not very wide. Every year there are very few gimmes in ODAC play, and it costs the champions dearly when it comes to seeding most years. We may not have a dominant team (though HSC is on a very good run winning pretty much every other year for a while now), but top to bottom the conference is extremely dangerous to everyone, especially ourselves.

[tigerfanalso]

It was exciting to see HSC travel cross country and compete (scare the hell out of) one of the best programs in the country.
Tigers should be very good next year BUT the rest of the ODAC will be better as well. Maybe, just maybe, the ODAC will get more respect going forward. The folks out West just could not believe HSC lost two regular season game. I guess they just don't understand playing in a competitive league against teams that can beat you every week if you don't play close to your best.

[jknezek]

It was exciting to see HSC travel cross country and compete (scare the hell out of) one of the best programs in the country.
Tigers should be very good next year BUT the rest of the ODAC will be better as well. Maybe, just maybe, the ODAC will get more respect going forward. The folks out West just could not believe HSC lost two regular season game. I guess they just don't understand playing in a competitive league against teams that can beat you every week if you don't play close to your best.

The ODAC is just one of those leagues where the top team may not line up with the best teams in the country (did a good job of it this year though!), but the bottom teams are going to be as good or better than the bottom team in almost any other league. Same with the middle teams. We talk about it every year, we live it every season. HSC got a bit lucky this year with their first round game, but they showed they belonged at Linfield. Great season and I think we all will look for more of the same next year.

My very early predictions include HSC and Guilford as the teams to beat next year. But as with every other year, it's probably going to be a wild ride.

[tigerfanalso]

Jk

Not sold on GC at this point. Until they learn how to play defense I just don't see them winning the ODAC. HSC has put 115 points on them the last two years. That is not going to get it done. I see GC in the top four but I still think HSC, RMC, W&L will fight it out for the title with GC playing more of a spoiler role. I do see GC being in the title hunt in 2015 if all key players stay in school. I've talked alot about OOC schedules. I think HSC has stepped it up next year opening up at Wabash and playing CNU in the second week.I think most would agree, not the two easiest opponents to open the season, certainly not warm ups in an effort to prepare for the ODAC title run.

[jknezek]

Jk

Not sold on GC at this point. Until they learn how to play defense I just don't see them winning the ODAC. HSC has put 115 points on them the last two years. That is not going to get it done. I see GC in the top four but I still think HSC, RMC, W&L will fight it out for the title with GC playing more of a spoiler role. I do see GC being in the title hunt in 2015 if all key players stay in school. I've talked alot about OOC schedules. I think HSC has stepped it up next year opening up at Wabash and playing CNU in the second week.I think most would agree, not the two easiest opponents to open the season, certainly not warm ups in an effort to prepare for the ODAC title run.

I think W&L will be very, very young next year in the offensive skill positions. I have great hopes for Hollerith and the FY QB who played some this year, but they need some better options to run the sweep and outside option plays, or they will be in trouble like they were this year. Also need at least one receiver that can scare some people into being honest. Not sure about defensively, this year's defense was better than last, but there were a few seniors. RMC will probably be there, E&H will have a new coach, Shenandoah will be in year 2 of Coach Yoder. Everyone has now seen some of what he offers, so we'll see if they can build on this year.

Guilford was good against everyone BUT HSC. They have a stumbling block with the Tigers they need to get over. But they were so young this year, they will be better next year. The loss at Catholic was part of the HSC hangover. They also need to be better against what will probably be a pretty good Methodist team (assuming the OOC stays the same). We'll see about the Quakers, but I think we can expect good things from them.

Too early to think about seriously, but that HSC-Wabash game has some great possibilities.

[tigerfanalso]

I still see W&L, RMC & HSC being the top three. Any time those schools are beaten by an ODAC team other than by each other, I consider it to be an upset. We have plenty of time to wait and can take this conversation back up around 8/15/14.
Now on to basketball (bores me to death).

[narch]

just getting a chance to post, but congrats to the tigers - given that there isn't much difference between the top of the odac and the top of the usasac, this should give every team in these two conferences a little spark...hsc gave the #2 team in the country everything it could handle...great job

[TheEHC52]

Christ on a cracker, these hits hurt my teeth to watch. Still impressed with what Sydney did out West.

http://deadspin.com/three-gigantic-hits-on-a-ridiculous-diii-punt-return-1474889933

[D3MAFAN]

just getting a chance to post, but congrats to the tigers - given that there isn't much difference between the top of the odac and the top of the usasac, this should give every team in these two conferences a little spark...hsc gave the #2 team in the country everything it could handle...great job

IMHO, just shows there isn't a difference between the ODAC and the NWC, except one conference has a super power.