FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Scots13]

And MC was preseason ranked 2nd in USAC and E&H was preseason ranked 2nd in ODAC. I hope it doesn't hurt the ODACtion

Yeah. I did post earlier this season that the whole slate was slanted toward the ODAC as generally the ODAC teams were playing weaker USASAC teams, so I assumed it wouldn't go well for the USASAC when looked at in a vacuum.

That's a good win for Maryville and it has me curious about E&H, who seemingly came from nowhere last year with a new coach to have a big year. But yes, in games to watch, the USASAC actually did well. RMC and Methodist both picked mid-tier in the leagues won by Methodist, M'Ville and E&H both picked near the top won by M'Ville, and then W&L and Averett, both with lower expectations won by W&L. The Shenandoah wins kind of tip it back toward the ODAC, but not as much as that flat 10-2 appears.

Too many turnovers. I don't think they have much to worry about. 2 fumbles, 2 picks, 4 TOs on downs will kill anyone. Can still be a 7-3/8-2 team if they get past ETSU this week, which they can do.

I not saying they cannot go 7/3 or 8/2. I just don't know what you're basing the opinion on. They played a bad Ferrum team (0/3) and lost badly to what appears to be a good Maryville team (3/0). they might win the ODAC and go 9/1 but they will have to show more than what they've shown thus far.

It didn't help they turned the ball over 7 or so times.
They beat Ferrum 55-7 and HSC beat Ferrum 55-24. Does that mean E&H is 17 points better? No. It is probably safe to say HSC and E&H are fairly even and if they are fairly even, you of all people should hold E&H in pretty high esteem. All things being equal and all.

You're basing their future record based on a very bad performance. I'm excited about HSC because of play on the field the last 2 weeks and what I've seen from HSC teams over the last 5 years. i doubt in last 5 years of EH beating Maryville you would have predicted such a finish to their season. But this year Maryville beats them badly and you say 7/3, 8/2. I just don't get it.

They've played 2 games. You say I'm quick to say 8-2/7-3; I say you're quick to be dismissive. I was at the game last weekend. Maryville did not beat a 5-5 team.

[HSCTiger fan]

Scots I am not arguing they cannot be even 9/1. I'm wondering what you saw the other day to make you feel the way you feel. I watched the game on the Internet. I was not impressed with EH.  You pointed out that Maryville could have had 50 or more. Now you're saying EH can win the ODAC. I'm not saying they cannot be great or even win it all. I just wonder what you saw that I didnt.

[Scots13]

Scots I am not arguing they cannot be even 9/1. I'm wondering what you saw the other day to make you feel the way you feel. I watched the game on the Internet. I was not impressed with EH.  You pointed out that Maryville could have had 50 or more. Now you're saying EH can win the ODAC. I'm not saying they cannot be great or even win it all. I just wonder what you saw that I didnt.

I saw an offense that moved the ball all over the field but turned it over 7 times. Until the last touchdown we knew E&H had a chance to score and change the game literally in 3 snaps. Could Maryville put more points in the board with Shuler? No doubt. It that wasps offense that bad? No way.

[HSCTiger fan]

Scots I like reading your posts. But we saw two different things. You're lumping not converting 4th down conversions as turnovers?  I've never heard of TOs being counted that way.  EH most definitely did not "move the ball all over the field" in the 2nd half.  They had 7 drives in the second half. They picked up a first in only 1 of those drives. Their second half had four 3 and outs, two 4 and outs, and one drive that resulted in a TD, it was 7 plays for 45 yards.  With that 45 yards they only added 14 more yards of offense in the 2nd half finishing with a total of 59.  Further, for context one of the 4th downs they did not convert was a 4th and 15 on their last drive. The only INT or fumble in the second half came from Maryville. EH was terrible Saturday or Maryville was great. 

I agree with one thing said - Maryville did not play a 5/5 team Saturday. IMO EH won't even sniff at 5 wins if they play the same way they played this Saturday. That's not meant as a slight to EH. I think their fanbase, coaches and players would agree. I'll assume they are capable of 7 or 8 wins but much improved play over how they played Saturday will be required.

[Scots13]

Scots I like reading your posts. But we saw two different things. You're lumping not converting 4th down conversions as turnovers?  I've never heard of TOs being counted that way.  EH most definitely did not "move the ball all over the field" in the 2nd half.  They had 7 drives in the second half. They picked up a first in only 1 of those drives. Their second half had four 3 and outs, two 4 and outs, and one drive that resulted in a TD, it was 7 plays for 45 yards.  With that 45 yards they only added 14 more yards of offense in the 2nd half finishing with a total of 59.  Further, for context one of the 4th downs they did not convert was a 4th and 15 on their last drive. The only INT or fumble in the second half came from Maryville. EH was terrible Saturday or Maryville was great. 

I agree with one thing said - Maryville did not play a 5/5 team Saturday. IMO EH won't even sniff at 5 wins if they play the same way they played this Saturday. That's not meant as a slight to EH. I think their fanbase, coaches and players would agree. I'll assume they are capable of 7 or 8 wins but much improved play over how they played Saturday will be required.

Agreed. Saturday was not a good day for them. They can obviously play better.

And yes, I am lumping the TOs with fumbles, interceptions, and turnovers on downs. They were scrambling the second half, I'll give you that. But when a team has 2 picks, a fumble, and 4 TO on downs and still has over 300 yards of offense, you can imagine what they can do when they don't shoot themselves in the foot.

Maryville is not a great team. UWW, UMU, Linfield are great teams. Maryville is a very, very solid team as evident by their 3-0 start by beating Berry 43-17 (Berry shutout a decent Rhodes team last week), ETSU 28-21 (FCS start up that makes too many freshmen mistakes to close games), and E&H 30-13.
Maryville is a team that can go 10-0 this year if they take care of business against Huntingdon, I think we can agree. A 17 point defeat at the hands of Maryville is not cause for concern at this point of the season. Could MC have put more points on the board Saturday with Shuler? Yes. Should E&H have scored more than 13? Any other Saturday they would've. Last year was the only time E&H was held under 27 was against MC when they won 14-13 and evident of the 55-7 whipping they gave Ferrum the Wasps can score points this year.

E&H can go 1-9, 2-8, 3-7, 4-6 this year just as any other ODAC team can. That's just the way the ODAC is. I'm not saying they are a shoe in for the title, but they will be close to the top.

[jknezek]

I'm trying to get excited about W&L's game tomorrow night against NNAS. I am, really. I just can't. I generally get to watch Friday night games, or at least the second half of them. But I didn't even complain when my wife made other plans. Uggh.

[hasanova]

I'm trying to get excited about W&L's game tomorrow night against NNAS. I am, really. I just can't. I generally get to watch Friday night games, or at least the second half of them. But I didn't even complain when my wife made other plans. Uggh.

I understand.  Why is it being played on Friday and how did W&L end up with 6 home games?

[jknezek]

I'm trying to get excited about W&L's game tomorrow night against NNAS. I am, really. I just can't. I generally get to watch Friday night games, or at least the second half of them. But I didn't even complain when my wife made other plans. Uggh.

I understand.  Why is it being played on Friday and how did W&L end up with 6 home games?

I don't know the story, but I'm guessing it has something to do with Centre. The SAA picked up Wash U and Chicago, and I'm guessing that Centre pulled out of the series with us as we usually play them the 3rd or 4th week of the season. That wouldn't be open anymore. So I'm hoping NNAS is a stop-gap and next year we will have someone else on the schedule. But honestly, that could all be cr@p and W&L could have backed out of the typical loss to Centre and scheduled this game on purpose. I doubt it, especially since all 3 OOC games are home this year, which obviously will be bad next year if we flip the slate.

I know this was the return year for Averett, so not sure that is continuing next year. I'd bet and hope Sewanee will, simply for the history and the fact I get to the game at Sewanee every other year. But I'm hoping next year we have two of three different OOC opponents and get back to a road/home split so it's not all 3 of one or the other.

I have no idea why both the Averett and NNAS night games were/are being played on Friday instead of Saturday.

[HSCTiger fan]

Come on JK its football. Here's a guy that seems pretty excited. Maybe it will help you. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=49aHGCUFzpA

[jknezek]

Come on JK its football. Here's a guy that seems pretty excited. Maybe it will help you. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=49aHGCUFzpA

It's a no win game. If we win big, well, we were supposed to win big. If we don't, or lose, or even worse get someone hurt, then it's a mess. No. I think I'll just hope no one gets hurt and look forward to Guilford.

[hasanova]

Come on JK its football. Here's a guy that seems pretty excited. Maybe it will help you. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=49aHGCUFzpA

It's a no win game. If we win big, well, we were supposed to win big. If we don't, or lose, or even worse get someone hurt, then it's a mess. No. I think I'll just hope no one gets hurt and look forward to Guilford.

I'm planning to make the trip to Lexington on the 3rd.  Always a beautiful town, campuses (including VMI) and atmosphere.

[Scots13]

Well, we finally know what's up with Trenton Shuler-- staph infection, apparently in his stomach. Doctors have decided to keep him at Blount Memorial Hospital for a few more days. (This is his second stay in the hospital with this illness.) Doctors expect a full recovery. (Per father's post on Facebook.)

I hope you all will send up a prayer for Trenton and his family.

[jknezek]

Anyone else watch the UWW-Morningside game last night? I love ODAC football. I love our teams, our balance, our like minded schools in conference. But there is a reason the ODAC teams just aren't national players in DIII football. It's easy to dismiss when all you see is UWW vs. UMU in the Stagg, or one of those teams beating up on another DIII team. We're just a few players away, right? No. Those teams are different, and they are going to hang a monkey stomp on what we would consider an excellent DIII team.

I posted in the OAC boards that in DIII you typically get two of three: big, fast, or talented. Apparently UWW doesn't abide by those guidelines. Heck of a thing to watch them slug it out with Morningside, who was every bit their equal, but just not quite good enough on the night.

I get that it's a good win for DIII, I just wish more of DIII could compete with UWW. I'd trade that win for a more competitive division, but I'll take the win since I don't see my preference happening any time soon.

[hasanova]

jknezek, good luck to the Generals tonight ... I think they should win. 

On your theory about teams such as UMU, UMHB, Linfield and UWW ... I believe you are right.  I hesitate to put more than those four in the DIII "elite" because of the score when Wesley visited UMU last December ... it was, as you say, a monkey stomp. 

It certainly appears as though a team can go 10-0 in another part of the DIII landscape and get smoked when they face one of these teams ... as you also noted, the "elite" weren't listening on the typical DIII restriction of two out of three on speed, size and talent!  Their players could probably place elsewhere ... such as Pierre Garcon and Cecil Shorts III are proving.

[jknezek]

Thanks Hasa. Should be ok for the Generals, but you've got to play them on the field. Slow week for the ODAC before conference play opens. Guilford isn't going to get any stubbed toes during the bye week are they? Wouldn't mind something slowing your boys down a bit before they slam into Lexington...