FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[HSCTiger fan]

I think BC, GC, EH and HSC win this weekend.

[tigerFanAlso2]

tigerFan

BC beating SU, tell me how that's going to happen ? Hope to see you tomorrow

[HSCTiger fan]

A couple of weeks ago every one loved BC. I still think they are a good team. They're fighting to stay in ODAC contention. Have to have some odaciness sometime. Why not tomorrow?

[Ralph Turner]

I think that we are evolving a term to incorporate the weirdness that occurs in this very balanced intercollegiate athletic conference...  ODACity.  For example,

How can Bridgewater have the ODACity to look so good against Thomas More  and then perform the way that they have the last 2 weeks?

[tigerFanAlso2]

maybe the ODAC is better than we think; BC beats Thomas More, HSC plays UWP in a competitive game in which HSC basically handed UWP the game because they good not field a punt that particular day and W&L should have/could have beat JHU, GC beat Huntingdon on the road. Who the heck knows

[jknezek]

The ODAC is generally better than we think because we tend to think in terms of post-season success. For the ODAC that makes the conference look weak because the majority of the league is good but no one is great. There aren't many conferences that can measure up top to bottom. Obviously the real power conferences like the WIAC and MIAC and the E8 have both power teams and strength top to bottom, but if you look at the NCAC, CC, Liberty League, etc there are whole stretches where the top teams can simply take weeks off from playing their best and still roll. That doesn't happen in the ODAC very often anymore.

On the other hand, when you look at Shenandoah vs Hobart, you see the problem. Shenandoah stands a chance at winning the ODAC, but they couldn't measure up to Hobart. W&L did lose to JHU, at home, in a very down year for JHU. HSC did lose to UWP at home. We can talk about shoulda woulda coulda, but the end result in those 3 games is "didn't". Guilford did take out Huntingdon, but M'Ville took out E&H. I'd stack the ODAC teams up against most of these liberal arts conferences 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 and down the line, and I'm guessing the ODAC loses 1 vs 1 and 2 vs 2 most of the time, but there aren't many conferences where the ODAC 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 aren't going to win a majority of those games.

[Ralph Turner]

+1! jknezek.  Such is the ODACity of the ODAC!

[jknezek]

So many hurt guys for W&L right now. Starting QB, starting slot back, best db, senior rb and more. Scary for a small team.

[jknezek]

W&L overcomes some serious injury issues to rush for almost 530 yards topping Guilford. Guilford hit short passes all day long, and Bell had a beautiful kickoff return for a TD, but otherwise the Quakers were held in check. It'll be interesting to see how W&L's passing defense holds up against H-SC and how H-SC's defense holds up to W&L's rushing.

I'll also be interested to see who comes back from injury this week, as W&L is extremely depleted of impact seniors. Both qbs played very well today, making few mistakes in the offense, but they are a freshman and a sophomore. Having Freeland back against a passing team like H-SC would also be more than helpful.

[D-BAT]

Shenandoah University 38 to 20 over Bridgewater.

[D-BAT]

On the other hand, when you look at Shenandoah vs Hobart, you see the problem. Shenandoah stands a chance at winning the ODAC, but they couldn't measure up to Hobart.

That was week 3 ... one would think any team would not have it all figured out in 3 weeks.  Week 6 is in the books and moving onto week 7.

[D-BAT]

WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University used a 21-point third quarter Saturday night to fuel a 38-20 ODAC football victory over Bridgewater at a packed Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium.

Playing before 3776 homecoming night fans, Shenandoah (5-1, 3-0 ODAC) erased a three-point halftime deficit with the third quarter explosion.

Rebounding from a fumble on the second half kickoff, the SU defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing BC possession and then blocked the Eagles (3-3, 0-3) punt attempt to give itself a short field.

Quarterback Hayden Bauserman, who threw for 446 yards on 35-of-55 passing, threw the first of his three third quarter touchdown passes one play later on an 8-yard strike to Jalen Hudson and the Hornets never trailed again.

http://www.suhornets.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/20171014z38rg2

[jknezek]

That was week 3 ... one would think any team would not have it all figured out in 3 weeks.  Week 6 is in the books and moving onto week 7.

Wouldn't the same apply to a Hobart team that got off to something of a slow start? Really hard to make any case for Shenandoah being in the same league as Hobart this season. They just weren't. No shame in that. The whole point of the conversation has been how the ODAC 1 has rarely fared well against other conference ones over the last decade plus. And just to be talking about Shenandoah as a possible ODAC 1 is a big step for a program that came into the league pretty much as a dumpster fire. So good on them, but let's hold off on the delusions of grandeur for a while.

[bclift]

Bridgewater had opportunities to put SU down by two scores.  Should have been 20 to 10 going into half time.  Once the punt was blocked by SU in SU territory in the third qt, it went down hill quickly.  BC just can't put it all together.  They will play for pride from here out. 

[jknezek]

Of the teams still in contention:

Shenandoah 1) at Guilford, 2) Apprentice, 3) at HSC, 4) W&L
HSC 1) W&L, 2) at E&H, 3) Shenandoah, 4) at RMC
W&L 1) at HSC, 2) at RMC, 3) Bridgewater, 4) at Shenandoah
RMC 1) at Apprentice, 2) W&L, 3) at Guilford, 4) HSC

You look at this and you have to think Shenandoah is in the driver's seat. Guilford is in full on struggle mode. Apprentice doesn't count. At HSC is going to be tricky. Hosting W&L definitely helps. That's a tough back to back, but they already own a win over RMC. Between the 4 contenders, this is the only trump card so far, though another shows up every weekend going forward.

I would put HSC in a very close second best shape. Hosting W&L is good for them. E&H is struggling. Hosting Shenandoah is helpful. The Game might loom very large though. And HSC has... struggled mightily... in The Game  (1-5 in last 6). Why second place? They don't own a trump yet. After this weekend, holding the home game against Shenandoah, it could easily flip.

I put W&L third in the list. Why over RMC? Because regardless the schedule, the Generals control their destiny, RMC does not. At HSC this weekend could put paid to the Generals' hopes quickly however, as they do have a conference loss. W&L has to play all 3 other contenders on the road. Plus Bridgwater at home. The schedule does not inspire confidence.

RMC. Probably should be third because they host 2 of the contenders, but like I said they need help. Shenandoah needs to pick up 2 losses for RMC to come through. RMC gets W&L and HSC at home. That helps. At Apprentice shouldn't matter, but this is a team who lost at Catholic, a team struggling to go .500 in a very weak conference. At Guilford looks the same way. The Quakers are struggling, and if that continues by the second to last game they may have given up. But again, RMC lost at Catholic. As for The Game, well if HSC is 1-5, then RMC is 5-1. And they haven't always been the better team over those 6 years. Not by a long shot.