FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[BillyRayJimBob]

I hope that this (between the two Grove City scores) is the Purple Raider football team that takes the field the next 13 games.

[Raider 68]

Did not hear for see the game, but based upon other posts and the box score, Grove City was not
as formable as many believed. I applaud them for scheduling an elite opponent, but they recognize
there is much to achieve to be competitive with top programs.

Although B-W won big over Wilmington, the game in two weeks will a good one in Berea.
The Raiders really do not have any other challenges until Marietta, IMHO.
QB Maloney is off to a great start, but he will need a championship
under his belt to be regarded as other Great QB's at Mount. 

[purple]

I saw the game. The difference in speed was such that after the first quarter, GC had given up. The body language of the players and coaches was, "OMG we're going to get 70 scored on us today." So I have a question....Can a D2 or D1 school just buy our best players?  Everybody knows who No.15 and No.4 are now.

[WRMUalum13]

Did not hear for see the game, but based upon other posts and the box score, Grove City was not
as formable as many believed. I applaud them for scheduling an elite opponent, but they recognize
there is much to achieve to be competitive with top programs.

Although B-W won big over Wilmington, the game in two weeks will a good one in Berea.
The Raiders really do not have any other challenges until Marietta, IMHO.
QB Maloney is off to a great start, but he will need a championship
under his belt to be regarded as other Great QB's at Mount. 

I don't think that's giving GCC enough credit, they were coming off a 17 point win against Cortland State (Quarterfinalists last year). In 2024 Grove City was knocked out of the playoffs by eventual semi-finalists Johns Hopkins, they only lost that game by 3 points.

In 2023, Grove City lost to eventual champs Cortland State by 1 point.

This year's team returned 8 starters from a 2024 squad that was an elite defense. 

Grove City is a very high quality program, that has already competed with elite teams. I just think this year's UMU team might be a on a different level than what we've seen in the Dartt era.

[WRMUalum13]

I saw the game. The difference in speed was such that after the first quarter, GC had given up. The body language of the players and coaches was, "OMG we're going to get 70 scored on us today." So I have a question....Can a D2 or D1 school just buy our best players?  Everybody knows who No.15 and No.4 are now.

Probably, but D2's aren't gonna have the money to do it,  and I think most D1 teams are gonna be spending their time and money watching the transfer portal for proven D1 talent.

Matt Jung from Bethel transferred up to FBS Wisconsin last year but I don't believe they had to entice him with anything besides a scholarship offer. He also had clear D1 size and speed, making that kind of decision a bit easier.

Star players hopping in the transfer portal and seeing if they get offers is a bigger risk than getting poached by NIL $$$, but the portal has been around since 2021, and we don't seem to have seen many stars take that path

And yes I know I'm kinda contradicting myself from an earlier post, but the more I think about it the less I'm worried about "poaching" and more just having guys hit the portal for greener  (bigger) pastures.

[wally_wabash]

BTW, Fast Five with Mikey Maloney in the pod today which should be of interest to most here. 

[D3fanboy]

Did not hear for see the game, but based upon other posts and the box score, Grove City was not
as formable as many believed. I applaud them for scheduling an elite opponent, but they recognize
there is much to achieve to be competitive with top programs.

Although B-W won big over Wilmington, the game in two weeks will a good one in Berea.
The Raiders really do not have any other challenges until Marietta, IMHO.
QB Maloney is off to a great start, but he will need a championship
under his belt to be regarded as other Great QB's at Mount. 

I don't think that's giving GCC enough credit, they were coming off a 17 point win against Cortland State (Quarterfinalists last year). In 2024 Grove City was knocked out of the playoffs by eventual semi-finalists Johns Hopkins, they only lost that game by 3 points.

In 2023, Grove City lost to eventual champs Cortland State by 1 point.

This year's team returned 8 starters from a 2024 squad that was an elite defense. 

Grove City is a very high quality program, that has already competed with elite teams. I just think this year's UMU team might be a on a different level than what we've seen in the Dartt era.

GCC looks like a team that needs to play from ahead and is looking to make the game a slugfest.  Mount is just too dynamic for that.  Stacking 9 offensive guys within 3-5 yards of the ball and trying to run straight forward isn't going to do much when Mount was flying around on offense. 

[D3fanboy]

I know that it's pretty early, but it sort of seems like the hierarchy of the OAC is showing.  With BW and Marietta taking care of their toughest OOC games and the rest of the OAC not exactly looking strong.  Is there a chance that the OAC could put three teams in the postseason?  a likely scenario would be Mount 10-0 BW/Etta 9-1 and the other 8-2.  I would think that 9-1 very likely gets you in, and 8-2 puts you right around the bubble

Its probably a moot point anyways, we all know that BW will BW and lose to Muskie or ONU.  Mess up their golden postseason chance with JCU running away, but at least they can still brag about another mediocre season again

[D3fanboy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHtiU_yvWvQ

Geoff Dartt was the speaker at the Hall of Fame Club luncheon today

[D3fanboy]

Marietta and BW will both be better than Grove City.

Going to be a big jump from Wilma and Cap to Mount for BW, Etta fighting for their lives against Otter is not promising.  Both can run the bottom of the OAC, but giving Mount a challenge?  Not sure about that

[Dr. Acula]

Looking at OAC results/stats so far.  I'm afraid of how vanilla the offense will have to be for long stretches against a lot of our conference opponents just to keep the final score respectable.  Maloney is 9th in the nation in passing efficiency already after playing arguably the two best defenses he will see in the regular season.

[D3fanboy]

Looking at OAC results/stats so far.  I'm afraid of how vanilla the offense will have to be for long stretches against a lot of our conference opponents just to keep the final score respectable.  Maloney is 9th in the nation in passing efficiency already after playing arguably the two best defenses he will see in the regular season.

you ain't lying

ONU getting beat by Franklin but beating Berg pretty soundly, Ott giving up 65 to OH Wesleyan but also being in a 33-31 4th qtr game with Etta, who is supposed to have a fantastic defense.  Wilma and Cap are who they are.  Berg better beat Calvin.  BW hasn't really played anybody.  Muskie vs Franklin in a couple of weeks will be telling.

Maloney and the starters shouldn't really see much second half OAC time, aside from BW and Etta.  Hopefully the coaching staff has learned from the past and will go for the throat in the first half and keep the boys as healthy as can be heading towards the postseason

[Dr. Acula]

If there was ever a year to give BW a misguided sense of being back it could be this year.  If Snell was still around I would guarantee at least one dumbfounding OAC loss.  Minimum.  I still don't trust them, but boy does the conference seem down so they might have a big enough talent gap to get it done.

[D3fanboy]

If there was ever a year to give BW a misguided sense of being back it could be this year.  If Snell was still around I would guarantee at least one dumbfounding OAC loss.  Minimum.  I still don't trust them, but boy does the conference seem down so they might have a big enough talent gap to get it done.

with no JCU around and the rest of the OAC looking less than great, what an opportunity for BW to put up a solid effort against MUC and then go on a run, get ranked in the top 25 and make the playoffs (could you imagine how long they'd brag about a playoff appearance and ranking?). 

Probably more likely is they start strong against Mount, fade away as they get "chippy" and then blow a game to Muskie and/or ONU.  Miss the playoffs and either lose in the bowl game or miss it all together.  But finish with their beloved non-losing season

[WRMUalum13]

I'm a big fan of Logan Hansen's D3 Football computer rankings, I think they do a nice job of approximating how good each team is. Here's his current ranking of OAC teams compared to all of D3.

2 - Mount Union
37 - Baldwin Wallace
44 - Marietta
61 - ONU
83 - Heidelberg
98 - Muskingum
141 - Capital
155 - Wilmington
167- Otterbein

for reference,
24 - Grove City
11 - Wheaton
19 - John Carroll