FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

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jknezek

If you can't get excited to beat your rival, something is wrong. The crowds at The Game are huge. Football alumni are big into The Game, so the current team knows it. It matters whether the ODAC is on the line or not. And it certainly matters when playoff seeding is on the line. HSC has just dropped the ball recently when it comes to The Game. And I don't buy that it is Coach Favret's indifference since he dominated that rivalry until the last 5 years.

Maybe it's just bad luck. We aren't dealing with a huge sample size. But whether it is RMC's superbowl or not, HSC has been the significantly better team and they've been made to look like chumps too often recently in the last regular season game.

hscathletics

Quote from: HSCTiger fan on May 24, 2016, 08:26:46 AM
The thing about "The Game" has been this.  RMC treats it as their super bowl each year.  HSC has not.  2010 HSC needed to win to go to playoffs. HSC won. 
2011 HSC already had won the ODAC regardless of "The Game" RMC won. 
2012 HSC comes off 4 overtime loss to WL, with no ODAC to play for RMC wins. 
2013 With ODAC at stake and despite 5 turnovers HSC wins
2014 Without Holton Walker and Johnny Moore - RMC wins a game that doesn't matter in ODAC
2015 WL has lock on ODAC and RMC wins again.
2016 ?

Pedro makes "The Game" the end all, be all game. Last year it was the difference in RMC having 2 losing seasons in a row. Marty does not. Example:  When "The Game" has mattered for the ODAC or when playoffs are assured- HSC has lights installed for practice. When "The Game" has not matter for ODAC or playoffs they haven't. 

I know "The Game" means a lot to the alumni (maybe everything) but right now HSC coaches care more about winning ODAC's.

With the lights at the turf field, having lights installed for practice is no longer necessary as the turf field is fully lighted and a set of lights is installed that also shines on to the football practice fields.

hasanova

#19607
Quote from: jknezek on May 23, 2016, 02:47:38 PM
Quote from: tigerFanAlso2 on May 23, 2016, 02:21:45 PM
HSC 6-1
W&L 6-1
RMC 5-2
E&H 5-2
BC 4-3
GC 4-3
SU 2-5
CAU 1-6

Ok JK, tear this apart. Actually I have no idea but this could be a fun conversation to include Hasa and TigerFan

Well the easiest way to tear it apart is to send you back to remedial math!  ;D For every game a team wins against a conference rival, there is one winner and one loser. So overall, the whole conference has to go .500. You've set up a scenario where conference teams go 33-23 against each other. Has to be 28-28. You need to find 5 more losses and 5 fewer wins.
I've been in a meeting all day, so jknezek beat me to it.  lol  Both sides must add up to 28. 

HSCTiger fan

#19608
Quote from: jknezek on May 24, 2016, 12:17:58 PM
If you can't get excited to beat your rival, something is wrong. The crowds at The Game are huge. Football alumni are big into The Game, so the current team knows it. It matters whether the ODAC is on the line or not. And it certainly matters when playoff seeding is on the line. HSC has just dropped the ball recently when it comes to The Game. And I don't buy that it is Coach Favret's indifference since he dominated that rivalry until the last 5 years.

Maybe it's just bad luck. We aren't dealing with a huge sample size. But whether it is RMC's superbowl or not, HSC has been the significantly better team and they've been made to look like chumps too often recently in the last regular season game.
I'm not saying I like it. I am saying it's the way it's been the last few years. Pedro is obsessed with hating HSC. It's obvious from the time you meet the guy. HSC had a couple kids transfer from RMC recently. One because Pedro kicked him off the team for "liking" a Nash Nance Instagram post. You cannot wear burgundy or gray to team meetings without feeling the wrath of Pedro.  He includes his coaches' playing records against HSC in their bios. They have a "days until we play hsc" clock in the weight room. 

He is such a weird dude.  Ever notice there's no roster on RMC football page?  Why?  When Pedro was recruiting my son I mentioned how I read the bios of each offensive linemen and how none of the freshmen had played. The next week the roster was down and now it's only up during season. When my son called him and said he was going the HSC, Pedro asked "Is that your final decision?"  My son "yes". Pedro - click!   I've wondered if slams the phone on a Bridgewater or Emory & Henry recruit.  My point is Pedro installs hatred of HSC from before recruits ever step on campus and it continues thru out the season. Marty installs a one game at a time approach.  Don't look ahead on the schedule. On my son's recruiting visits, we heard a lot more about HSC at RMC than we heard about RMC at HSC. Marty promises 3 things - a top notch education, memories that last a lifetime and you will be in the ODAC hunt in early November. 

RMC has had recent success against HSC. There's no doubt. But they have been out of ODAC chase early too.  When it is the first week of October and you have no shot at ODAC what do you do if you're RMC?
Hampden Sydney College
ODAC Champions 77, 82, 83, 87, 07, 09, 11, 13, 14
NCAA Playoffs - 77, 07, 09, 10, 11, 13, 14
The "Game" 60 wins and counting...
11/18/2018 Wally referred to me as Chief and admitted "I don't know about that!"

jknezek

I guess I just don't understand much of what that has to do with it. H-SC used to dominate the rivalry until about 5 years ago. I'm assuming Coach Arruza had the same antipathy for HSC then as he does now. Maybe not? Either way, the team with the better squad should win. You'd be hard pressed to find many people that think RMC has been better over the last 5 years so H-SC is  dropping the ball losing to a team that doesn't have their quality 4 of the last 5 times. That's on H-SC and it's not about RMC.

Quite frankly, as good as H-SC has been in general, they have stunk up the joint in The Game for 5 years. Even the game they won there were 5 turn overs, 8 penalties, and only a stopped 2 pt conversion at the end of the 4th quarter saved them from OT. And that was probably the best H-SC team I'd seen in 5 or 6 years. No, something isn't right with H-SC about that game. I'm very skeptical of pawning it off as RMC is miraculously better one game a year.

HSCTiger fan

Not sure what you're looking for. Last week you argue HSC is not as dominate over the last 4 years as they were the 4 prior. HSC was 1-3 the last 4 years against RMC and 2-2 the prior 4 years against RMC. 

2015 a bad RMC team barely beats the worst HSC team in years.

2014 a 5-5 RMC team beats a 7-3 HSC team missing 3 first team all ODAC players.  One of which was an all-american.

2013 you say was HSC's best team in 5-6 years yet they struggled to win at RMC.  2013 RMC was also the best RMC team in 5-6 years.

2012 Whose to say RMC was not better?  They had a better record overall and a better record in ODAC.  Forget the fact HSC was coming off 4 OT loss to WL

2011 An 8-2 RMC team beats an 8-2 HSC team. Both teams are very good.

Granted HSC has had more overall success in those years. 11, 12, 13, 14 were basically pick'em games. The only big upset was last year.
Hampden Sydney College
ODAC Champions 77, 82, 83, 87, 07, 09, 11, 13, 14
NCAA Playoffs - 77, 07, 09, 10, 11, 13, 14
The "Game" 60 wins and counting...
11/18/2018 Wally referred to me as Chief and admitted "I don't know about that!"

jknezek

And last week you were talking about how H-SC is always in the title hunt and now your talking about how they aren't that much better compared to RMC, who has rarely been in the title hunt, over the last 5 years.

What am I looking for? Not much. I just think H-SC has underperformed in "The Game" in the last 5 years. I don't know why. You posited that it was because "The Game" is all RMC has to play for while H-SC doesn't have as much invested. I don't really buy that theory but I don't have a good one to substitute.

Regardless, the discussion came out of my ludicrous attempt to project ODAC records and games this year. TFA2 and I had some fun comments about me including a loss in "The Game" in my projections. It seemed a good laugh to me. That's all.

HSCTiger fan

Quote from: jknezek on May 25, 2016, 12:01:45 PM
And last week you were talking about how H-SC is always in the title hunt and now your talking about how they aren't that much better compared to RMC, who has rarely been in the title hunt, over the last 5 years.

What am I looking for? Not much. I just think H-SC has underperformed in "The Game" in the last 5 years. I don't know why. You posited that it was because "The Game" is all RMC has to play for while H-SC doesn't have as much invested. I don't really buy that theory but I don't have a good one to substitute.

Regardless, the discussion came out of my ludicrous attempt to project ODAC records and games this year. TFA2 and I had some fun comments about me including a loss in "The Game" in my projections. It seemed a good laugh to me. That's all.

I agree this conversation is in good fun. But regardless I don't see RMC being that much worse than HSC at the time they played.  What year would you say my analysis in my previous post is wrong?  What year was a tremendous upset?  I just don't see it. 
Hampden Sydney College
ODAC Champions 77, 82, 83, 87, 07, 09, 11, 13, 14
NCAA Playoffs - 77, 07, 09, 10, 11, 13, 14
The "Game" 60 wins and counting...
11/18/2018 Wally referred to me as Chief and admitted "I don't know about that!"

jknezek

 2015 I agree were not the best teams, but H-SC was a significantly better team than RMC. H-SC lost to the two best teams in the conference going into the game, and one of those losses was a 4th quarter goal line stand. RMC lost to the conference bottom feeder and only beat the two other teams at the bottom of the standings (until H-SC). So HSC was good enough to take out all but the best, RMC wasn't even good enough to consistently beat the worst. That's an upset.

2014 was a huge upset. Missing All Americans or not, that was a good H-SC team and a not good RMC team. Worse, "The Game" was at H-SC. Ugly.

2013 wasn't an upset, but that RMC team was nowhere near H-SC's quality that year and you know it. The final score was way closer than it should have been. That H-SC team had the offensive pieces to play with the big boys. Explosive. RMC had the offensive pieces to be competitive in the ODAC. That RMC team squeaked past W&L and Bridgewater.

I'll give you 2012. That was a good HSC team but I think Nance wasn't quite ready after a year or two on the Volunteer practice squad and it showed in the early loss to Catholic, which was ridiculous, and the justifiable loss to a good Huntingdon squad. Macon was ok that year, but they got shellacked by W&L, squeaked past a mediocre Guilford and a miserable Shenandoah team. I just don't think that team was all that good but you are probably right that HSC was hit or miss that year. Of course it was also at HSC.

2011. This was an upset. HSC was on their way to a perfect ODAC record before they started looking ahead to the playoffs or something else and blew the RMC game. 8-2 both, sure, but RMC dropped two conference games, so the final record flatters them immensely compared to a similar record HSC. Close conference losses by RMC, but HSC only had 2 conference games within 1 score before they managed to lose by 14 to an RMC squad that lost to a bad E&H team and a darn good W&L team. No, this was a big upset.

tigerFanAlso2

2011 is when this crap started. HSC was looking to host a 1st round game, got shi_ beat out of them is Ashland and forced to drive to Centre College for 1st round game. HSC should have beaten that RMC team by 14 but instead, got beat by 14. 

HSCTiger fan

#19615
All good points. So what's the differentiator?  I honestly feel that RMC takes the rivalry more seriously than HSC.   

Bottom line is HSC gets everyone's best shot.  Every ODAC team circles their date with HSC. None more than RMC. HSC has had problems with teams that pound it offensively. Wabash in 14,15. Bridgewater in 14, WL in 10, 12, and 15. RMC has done every year since 11. If you control the ball effectively you can beat HSC.
Hampden Sydney College
ODAC Champions 77, 82, 83, 87, 07, 09, 11, 13, 14
NCAA Playoffs - 77, 07, 09, 10, 11, 13, 14
The "Game" 60 wins and counting...
11/18/2018 Wally referred to me as Chief and admitted "I don't know about that!"

tigerFanAlso2

yes, but RMC did not pound the ball in 2015. The HSC defense completely dominated that game. RMC scored on its first drive and after that they hardly made a first down, only crossed mid field a few times. That game is still a mystery and I'm still trying to block it out of my mind. Can't remember how many times we where in the zone and came away with 0, ok, it is officially out of my mind, bring on RMC in 2016 !!! Can't wait for another shot. I know the Tigers will take care of business.   

HSCTiger fan

The Baltimore Ravens' John Urschels is attending MIT pursuing a Phd.  While there this semester he worked out with the MIT football team. Here's what he said ....I didn't know what to expect. But what I found was that the team at MIT is no joke. It is a football team — in some ways, more of a football team than any I'd ever seen. These guys love football. They are playing the game because they want to. No one is making them come to practice, no one is checking up on them. They know as well as anyone about head injuries; they know that football is dangerous; they know the feeling of exhaustion and pain. They still play. They don't do it for money, and they don't do it for status. The average size of their crowds is fewer than 1,000. On campus, no one gives them a second look. (The guys who won the Putnam Competition — a national math contest — three years in a row are the ones who get treated like star quarterbacks.) But they show up every day and work hard because it's their choice — because they love to play...

I think this is very indicative of all of D3. To see the full article http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/john-urschel-s-excellent-mit-offseason-142359101.html
Hampden Sydney College
ODAC Champions 77, 82, 83, 87, 07, 09, 11, 13, 14
NCAA Playoffs - 77, 07, 09, 10, 11, 13, 14
The "Game" 60 wins and counting...
11/18/2018 Wally referred to me as Chief and admitted "I don't know about that!"

jknezek

Love it HSCTigerFan  Thanks for posting. I think that a lot of people don't realize just what a commitment any DIII sport is. Something I always try to keep in mind when I'm disappointed in a W&L game in any sport is that these kids shouldn't give one rat's rear end about me or any other fan. They play for themselves, their teammates, and for the game. There's no payoff, no privilege, no nothing for these guys outside what they take from it themselves. So more power to them for putting in the blood, sweat, and tears... win or lose, play well or play badly, they are honoring a commitment to their teammates and themselves, no one else.


y_jack_lok

Quote from: HSCTiger fan on May 27, 2016, 09:57:36 AM
The Baltimore Ravens' John Urschels is attending MIT pursuing a Phd.  While there this semester he worked out with the MIT football team. Here's what he said ....I didn't know what to expect. But what I found was that the team at MIT is no joke. It is a football team — in some ways, more of a football team than any I'd ever seen. These guys love football. They are playing the game because they want to. No one is making them come to practice, no one is checking up on them. They know as well as anyone about head injuries; they know that football is dangerous; they know the feeling of exhaustion and pain. They still play. They don't do it for money, and they don't do it for status. The average size of their crowds is fewer than 1,000. On campus, no one gives them a second look. (The guys who won the Putnam Competition — a national math contest — three years in a row are the ones who get treated like star quarterbacks.) But they show up every day and work hard because it's their choice — because they love to play...

I think this is very indicative of all of D3. To see the full article http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/john-urschel-s-excellent-mit-offseason-142359101.html

This is great. Thanks. I shared it on the basketball board of another conference in another region.