FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[wrighthall220]

Congrats to 3  ODAC teams getting votes for the Top 25 poll!  GC players and fans don't take the snub too personally this early in the season... many voters are probably under the impression HSC will be just as impressive as they were last year and may have overlooked your strong season last year.    I think it's a great sign that the ODAC may be gaining respect from the D3 world.   I would love to see more than 3 teams within the top 35 at the end of the season. 

[Pat Coleman]

When you only get three votes, as Hampden-Sydney did, I don't think "many" voters are involved.

[hasanova]

Congrats to 3  ODAC teams getting votes for the Top 25 poll!  GC players and fans don't take the snub too personally this early in the season... many voters are probably under the impression HSC will be just as impressive as they were last year and may have overlooked your strong season last year.    I think it's a great sign that the ODAC may be gaining respect from the D3 world.   I would love to see more than 3 teams within the top 35 at the end of the season. 

From my point of view, I don't expect a team coming off a 5-5 campaign to get any preseason recognition.  Until you win with some consistency, you haven't earned it.  There are simply too many deserving teams and the funnel gets pretty narrow to pick the best 25 out of 234! 

[wrighthall220]

When you only get three votes, as Hampden-Sydney did, I don't think "many" voters are involved.

I understand they only got 3 votes, however, that does not discount the fact that many of the voters do not realize HSC has lost a pile of players when other teams that have improved and maintained a solid team from the 2005 season didn't receive 3 votes... 3 votes are 3 votes.. someone out there doesn't realize how much they've lost.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

JT got mentioned in the St. Pete Times:

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/04/Bucs/The_daily_grind.shtml

HOT UNDER THE COLLAR
The heat is getting to everyone. During a kickoff drill Thursday morning, a brief skirmish ensued between safety Blue Adams and tight end Matt Kranchick. But the incident was quickly broken up when linebacker Jermaine Taylor, left, got between the players.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

When you only get three votes, as Hampden-Sydney did, I don't think "many" voters are involved.

I understand they only got 3 votes, however, that does not discount the fact that many of the voters do not realize HSC has lost a pile of players when other teams that have improved and maintained a solid team from the 2005 season didn't receive 3 votes... 3 votes are 3 votes.. someone out there doesn't realize how much they've lost.

Trust me, I know I'm about to sound like I'm eating crow (*chomp* mmmm), but I have a feeling H-SC will be just as good as W&L or GC. I could argue any one of those three schools for being the one (or couple) to knock of BC in the near future. Should 'Sydney get national respect?  Ehhhh, no.  They could never finish strong (or beat BC) when they had Russell or Ricca, so how can you when they'll start a freshman QB?  And like I pointed out before, I believe the Tigers graduated their best player (at least statistically) at every position.  But they have a load of talent coming back.  For example, we BC fans like to tout the fact we have such a deep team and rotate in a lot of players every game ... well, in last year's BC-HSC clash, both the Eagles and Tigers played 46 players.  So the Tigers may have lost a lot to graduation (like BC did), but they were as deep as the Eagles (perhaps not skill wise, though).

Them having three votes means one to three voters put them 23, 24 or 25.  I wouldn't have ranked them, but I also wouldn't write off the Tigers.  I could see them still going 7-3, 8-2 this year.  Also keep in mind that 57 schools received at least one vote in the preseason poll, which means collectively, the voters think 57 schools are top 25 material.  That doesn't surprise me, seeing everyone is 0-0.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

[...] Incoming O Line: Two transfers (Salisbury and Catawaba). Size of incoming group: (6'3, 260) (6'3, 320-Salisbury) (6'2, 245) (6'2, 250) (6'2, 280) (6'3, 290) (6'2, 300)  (6', 250-Catawba)... So it looks like they have addressed the O-line issue. [...]

I'd be cautious in listing the size of OLs as a plus.  BC had a 6'5'', 325-lb D-1AA scholarship transfer a couple years ago (our local paper even featured him - said he chose BC over Mount Union), but he ended up playing exactly zero games for us.  He fizzled out of the picture, didn't even finish playing for us (but I believe he still goes to school here).  I even had an NFL scout contact me about him (he had seen my fansite, saw his size on my roster) ... asked how good he was ... I told him how many games he played in (or didn't play it), and that was that.

Anyway ... I think of the 71 new kids BC has coming, only one is a 300-pounder.  Probably out best lineman recruit is currently only 6'0'', 240 lbs.  So the fact that E&H has a 6'3''-285, 6'4''-300, 6'4''-270, 6'1''-300, 6'0''-300, 6'9''-290 (yes, I typed that correctly - 6'9'', 290) doesn't make me nervous at all.

As Division III coaches like to say, "if they're that big and not playing Division I-A or Division I-AA ball, something is up."

[Pat Coleman]

When you only get three votes, as Hampden-Sydney did, I don't think "many" voters are involved.

I understand they only got 3 votes, however, that does not discount the fact that many of the voters do not realize HSC has lost a pile of players

I disagree -- at the most, three of the 25 voters voted for them, but more likely just one person did. That means in fact that many of the voters DO realize HSC has lost a pile of players.

Hampden-Sydney around #50 in the country? Not impossible. It could happen.

[EHCPride]

I don't care, if he's 6'9" he can be taught to block.  Long arms and halfway decent feet go a long way.

[CBE]

Jermaine got mentioned again in the blog at Buccaneers.com today......


The Bucs hustled from there into a single kickoff return, with both sides running full speed. RB Michael Pittman was the return man and the wedge in front of him was formed by FB Rick Razzano, TE Anthony Becht, DT Keith Wright and DT Jon Bradley. On the coverage team, LB Jermaine Taylor did a great job of slicing through the blocking to get to Pittman around the 25-yard line, though there was no contact, by design.

[mybleedinghands]

Not to take away from the discussion about the upcoming seaoson or the following person's accomplishments but here goes...

I was looking at the ODAC football media guide, and in 1982, the ODAC POY was a kicker named Hiter Harris from H-SC. I have never heard of a kicker being named player of the year! I don't know anything about what he did that season, but a kicker being named POY seems a bit absurd to me if he was simply just a kicker and did nothing else. Does anyone know anything about this person's 1982 season??

[Forma80]

Going to have to agree with Kid on the OL size issue, especially in DIII. Technique goes a long way, as the Denver Broncos displayed all those years with the smallest OL in the league-- my grandmother still could've had a 1,000 yard season behind those guys.

It's been my experience in the ODAC that the giants are often the most uncoordinated, and nothing against this 6'9" guy, but I'm guessing if that body had any coordination he'd be playing a little further up I-81 at a D-I school.

I will, however, have to give E H Dad the nod as the preseason favorite to receive the 2006 award for Best User of Meaningless Statistics.

[Trenches]

   Hey everyone. The oline thing.... I wasnt focusing on size, it's just that i only have limited knowledge of the incoming squad. My point was that considering the loss of three starters. It's good to see a couple transfers and some decent size kids come in. So at the very least there will be a little depth there.

As far as o-line size goes...
GC: last years starters were listed at (6', 280), (6'1, 245), (6'1, 270), (6'3, 275), and (6'2, 265)... the three graduated. This leaves returning starters of (6', 280) and (6'1, 245), so it was good to see some meat coming in. That's all. Trust me, I know you can't judge a lineman based on size alone. I have played with and against plenty of huge guys that weren't worth anything.

In general: Size helps. There's no way around it. I always wished I was 3 inches taller. I knew that the added height would help block the pass rushers vision as well as give me a longer reach. However, this doesn't mean that I think all big guys are automatically better then the little guys. Some of the best lineman I have played with were "small." 

The thing about size is (equaling out variables like heart, desire, determination, etc...) you can take a guy with an 80" reach and teach him to block and move, but you can't teach a kid who can block and move an 80" reach.

[e h dad]

     Forma80,

                  I am very humbled by your vote for me receiving the nod for the "Most Meaningless Statistics Award".I just hope I can do the award justice and make you proud. God Bless you !!!!

      Trenches,

                  AMEN!!!!!

      PEACE I AM THE E&H DAD

[Jacketlawyer]

Good Lord, the posters haave been busy.  Gotta get some reading done here.

Nice upgrades to the web site, by the way.