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2007 OAC Preview

                                                                  by Mark Grossman

     Over the last decade plus, two things have been consistent in the ultra-tough Ohio Athletic Conference, Mount Union is top dog and the battle for the coveted second spot (and likely Pool C playoff birth) is an ever changing battle.  While Mount Union’s 15 consecutive OAC titles ('92-'06) may give the impression of an easy dominance of the conference, anyone who has followed the OAC over this period knows that winning the conference is never an easy task.  Regarded by most knowledgeable Division III aficionados as the second toughest conference in all of D3 behind the equally tough and more balanced Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), the OAC regular season slate battle hardens whichever teams are fortunate enough to survive and earn a playoff spot.

     Each few years a different team seems to rise to the brink of unseating the Raiders as conference champs, and many of those challengers were rewarded with a Pool C playoff spot and earned a second chance at the Raider Machine by winning their way back to Alliance.  In the mid-1990’s it was the John Carroll Blue Streaks led by All-Everything linebacker London Fletcher that were battling the Raiders for OAC supremacy, capped by the Blue Streaks’ earning a 1997 playoff bid and ultimately falling to MTU again in the North Region Finals.

     From 1999 through 2001 it was the Ohio Northern Polar Bears led by the talented offensive trio of Jamal Robertson (TB), Steve Vagedas (WR) and Shane Franzer (QB) who stepped forward to challenge the Raiders.   The ONU years were capped by playoff runs in both 1999 and 2000 that ended in losses to MTU.

     The 2002 season saw John Carroll return to the second place spot under the guidance of All-American quarterback Tom Arth.  The 2002 JCU squad was shipped to the East Region by the NCAA playoff selection committee and won their way back to Alliance for a re-match with the Raiders in the National Semifinals.

     The 2003 Baldwin Wallace team was the next challenger to the throne as the Yellow Jackets earned a playoff spot on the strength of their second place OAC finish, but lost an opening round contest to Wheaton College of the CCIW.  Interestingly the 2003 Yellow Jackets are the only second place OAC team to ever lose a playoff game to anyone other than the Purple Raiders.

     Ohio Northern pushed the Raiders for the conference title in 2004, and beat the Raiders in 2005 to snap Mount Union’s 100 regular season game win streak, but lost to John Carroll and Capital to finish in a second place tie with Capital in 2005.  Capital on the strength of their second place OAC finish which included a head-to-head win over ONU and a tightly contested regular season game versus MTU, received one of the last 2005 Pool C playoff bids and earned a re-match with the Raiders in the North Region Finals that ended in a three point loss.   2006 was more of the same for the Capital Crusaders as they once again lost by 3 points to Mount Union in the North Region Finals.  In fact, the three closest games Mount Union played in all of 2005 and 2006 were the above mentioned match-ups with Ohio Northern and Capital.

     So with the glow of Mount Union’s ninth national title fading into our memory banks, we begin to turn our attention toward the upcoming 2007 football season and the burning question of which team is the next challenger to step forward and push Mount Union for the OAC title?  To answer this question, let’s take a look around the conference for 2007:

Team Capsules (Listed in order of 2006 final standings)

Mount Union Purple Raiders / 2006 record: 15-0 overall, 9-0 OAC (1st Place)

     After an extremely successful 2006 season, the Purple Raiders are poised to challenge for not only an OAC title in 2007, but their record 10th national championship as they return seven Stagg Bowl starters on each side of the ball as well as both kickers.  And most importantly, Larry Kehres returns for his 22nd season as the architect of the Raider Dynasty.

     The offensive returnees include a “who’s who” list of highly regarded talent with Greg Micheli (Stagg Bowl MVP) at quarterback, Nate Kmic (D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year) at tailback, Pierre Garcon (American Football Coaches Association First-Team) at wide receiver, Derek Blanchard (First-Team All-OAC) at left guard, Eric Safran (First-Team All-OAC) at center, as well as Stagg Bowl starters Brandon Boehm at wide receiver and Terrance Morring at full back.  Not included in the above returnees are Josh Henniger at left tackle and Geoff Dartt at right guard, both of whom begin the 2006 season in the starting lineup but were lost to injuries and are expected to return for 2007.

     Also returning to play a key role in the offense is Justin Wray at tailback/receiver who was voted Second-Team All-OAC as a back-up to Nate Kmic which speaks volumes about Wray’s abilities.  Wray would clearly start at tailback for any other team in the OAC outside of Ohio Northern who returns First-Team performer RJ Meadows.  The biggest loss offensively, no pun intended, from 2006 Greg Lewis (6-5, 317), who was twice named the OAC Lineman of the Year at right tackle.

     Defensively the Raiders look to be just as loaded with returning talent with Matt Kostelnik (First-Team All-OAC) at strong safety, Matt Rees (First-Team All-OAC) at linebacker, Nick Barren (Honorable Mention All-OAC) at free safety, Tony DeRiggi (Second-Team All-OAC) at linebacker, Jonah Wilson (Second-Team All-OAC) at cornerback, Nick Parr (Second-Team All-OAC) at defensive tackle and Patrick McCollough at defensive tackle. 

     Also returning to battle for playing time is Cameron Rose who was lost for all of 2006 with a pre-season injury after playing a great game in the 2005 Stagg Bowl as well as a host of young defensive backs that saw action such as Jonathon Previlon, Daryl Ely and Darrell Pierce.  The biggest holes to fill defensively heading into 2007 are the defensive end positions as Justin Stickley (First-Team All-OAC) and Sam Vucelich (Honorable Mention OAC) both graduate after terrific senior seasons.

     With so much talent returning coupled with the history of the Mount Union program not being satisfied with past successes, there is little pointing to the Raiders being anything but the favorite to win the 2007 OAC crown.  And any team that can survive the battles in the always tough OAC is well conditioned for a legitimate run at a National Title.

     (FYI, a more in depth look at the 2007 Raiders will be published before the start of fall camp.)

Capital Crusaders / 2006 record: 11-2 overall, 8-1 OAC (2nd Place)

     Under the capable leadership of Jim Collins, the Crusaders have made the giant leap from “OAC also-ran” to North Region Finalist.  Since 2001, Capital has 49 wins versus 17 losses (with eight of those L’s coming against MTU) and consecutive appearances in the NCAA Elite 8.

     However as they come off the most successful season in the college’s football history, questions abound as Capital graduates its greatest senior class.  Gone is Rocky Pentello, a four-year starter at quarterback and the 2006 OAC Offensive Back of the Year, as well as seven other offensive starters including both running backs.  Only Derek Alexander (First-Team All-OAC) at wide receiver, Adam Persing (First-Team All-OAC) at left tackle and Will Smith at left guard return to the Capital offense.  The huge void at quarterback appears to be filled by Marty Assman, a highly regarded sophomore from Bishop Hartley High School that saw mop-up duty in 2006.

     Defensively the Crusaders loose the top tandem of safeties in the conference in Tom and Kyle Hausler, as well as three-fourths of their defensive line and one linebacker.  And anyone wondering the impact of the Hauslers at safety only needs to look at offensive production of the Purple Raiders in the two Mount Union/Capital games from this year, as Kyle missed the regular season match-up and the Raider running game dominated with Kmic breaking several long runs through the position normally manned by Kyle Hausler.  Returning to Capital defense are five starters lead by James Starks (First-Team All-OAC) at cornerback and Zac McKenzie (Second-Team All-OAC) at defensive tackle.  Rounding out the returnees are Pete Ankrom and Eric Andriacco at linebacker as well as Matt Coleman at corner.

     The most disheartening statistic for the 2007 Crusades is that of the 15 players that earned All-OAC honors in 2006, only four of them return for 2007.  So not only are the Crusaders losing the majority of their starters, they lost the vast majority of their playmakers.

     Going into 2007, Coach Collins has some major holes to fill to have any chance of remaining near the top of the OAC.  As the roster stands today with only three starters returning on offense and no one in the backfield with any valuable experience, the Crusaders will likely rely on the five returning defensive starters to carry the team in the early going of 2007.  Potentially mitigating the lack of returning depth is the quick fix of upper-classmen Division 1 transfers into the open “playmaker” positions.  This is an avenue of talent acquisition that Coach Collins has excelled at the last few years.  As evidence, one needs to look no further than Lewis Howes who only played at Capital for his senior year, yet was Capital’s most explosive receiver in 2005.  As well as Derrick Alexander who is on campus for only the 2006 and 2007 seasons.  And this doesn’t include the transfer of arguably the best player in the history of the school (Rocky Pentello from Toledo) and their best linebacker (Joel Sickmeier from Mount Union).

     If Collins is looking for immediate help for the 2007 Crusaders, I expect him to focus on the running back position given Capital’s poor rushing totals.  If there was one glaring weakness in the 2005 and 2006 Crusader teams, it was their lack of any legitimate running game to take the pressure off of Rocky Pentello.  This issue was never more evident than last year's regular season showdown with the Purple Raiders that was played in a blinding snow/sleet storm.  Mother Nature took care of limiting the Crusader passing game that day and the absence of a running game completely eliminated any semblance of a productive Capital offense.  By contrast, the Purple Raiders have displayed a great balance between running and passing in recent years which have been a big factor in their OAC and national titles.  Coupling dismal rushing production with the limitations of starting a young quarterback, I would expect Collins to put a real premium on finding a legitimate running threat for 2007.

     One thing that you can count on is that Coach Jim Collins has built a very good and talented program in Columbus and the Crusaders will not be an easy victory for anyone in 2007.  The question remains however whether they can remain Mount Union’s toughest competition for the OAC Crown, or whether they slip back to being just another of the OAC’s very good squads. 

Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets / 2006 record: 7-3 overall, 6-3 OAC (3rd Place)

     After an uncharacteristic losing season in 2005, the Yellow Jackets rebounded nicely with a very successful 7-3 record in 2006 which proved to the rest of the OAC that their rumored fall from grace was premature.  Coach John Snell was deservedly rewarded for their resurgence with his second OAC Coach of the Year award.

     For the Jackets to improve on their 2006 record, Snell has some big offensive holes to fill as B-W loses seven starters from a squad that averaged 21.4 points and 292 yards per game in 2006.  The biggest offensive loss is the graduation of Brandon Hedges at tailback who leaves Berea as the school’s second leading scorer for a position player.  Compounding the loss of a great running back is the graduation of three offensive linemen and the blocking fullback.  One advantage that B-W does have however is the return of senior Mickey Mental at quarterback.  In fact, Mental is one of the few returning OAC signal callers as Mount Union, Capital, Ohio Northern and Marietta all graduate very successful quarterbacks.  Also returning with Mental to the B-W offensive huddle are Matt Lepley (Second-Team All-OAC) at wide receiver, John DiMattio at center and Matt Scarl at right guard.

     The historically strong Yellow Jacket defense returns eight starters from the OAC's fourth ranked (27th nationally) scoring defense (13.6 pts/game).   Anchoring the defense will be a great young middle linebacker in Paul Burger (Second-Team All-OAC) who had a monster game against Mount Union.  Other returnees include Luke Chronister (Honorable Mention All-OAC) at outside linebacker, Darren Cereshko at cornerback, Karl Schreiber at safety, Jerimiah Chronister at defensive end, Joe Kowalski at defensive tackle, Tim Boston at outside linebacker and Dale Buckner at defensive end.  Also returning to the Jacket defense is Jake Knipp, a 2006 preseason All-American at safety that was injured in the season opener at Augustana (IL).   Knipp's return effectively give Baldwin-Wallace a returning starter at nine of the 11 defensive positions.  That doesn't bode well for the offenses around the OAC.

     On the strength of this defense, the Jackers held Mount Union (Division III's top scoring offense at 43.9 pts/game) to a season low 14 points in a 14-0 loss.  The 14 point differential was the Raiders' closest regular season game.   In fact, the Raiders' have been held to 14 points of less only three times since B-W's 23-10 win over Mount Union in 1994.  That's not a misprint.  In the last 12 years, Mount Union has been held to two touchdowns or less only three times, and B-W was able to do so in 2006 and returns eight of the guys that were on the field that day.   Historically, the Jacket defense has given the Raider offense fits and often holds MTU to, or very near, their season scoring low point.  And 2007 doesn't look to be any different either.

     Another returning weapon for the Jackers that often gets overlooked by the casual fan is the punter.  Kevin Soflkiancs (First-Team All-OAC) lead all of Division III for the second time in three years with a 42.6 yard average.   And when coupled with the very stingy defense, the field position gained from a great punter can make the difference in a tight game.

     It's the overall returning experience on defense and at quarterback that makes B-W faithful look forward to 2007 with hope.  With a very good defense returning nine of 11 key pieces and one of the few experienced quarterbacks in the entire conference, one should expect Baldwin-Wallace to be near the top of the OAC standings when 2007 ends.  The question is how close to the top?  Are the Jackets good enough to challenge Mount Union for the conference title?  Are they good enough to qualify for the NCAA playoffs and make a run through the North Region like Capital has done the last two years?  Or are they only good enough to push the better teams to the brink, before falling short?  Only time will tell, but all indications point toward 2007 being a very good year for the Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets.

Marietta Pioneers / 2006 record: 6-4 overall, 5-4 OAC (Tied for 4th Place)

    The 2006 season for the Pioneers presented an interesting contrast in results and expectations.  Their overall 6-4 record was right on the predicted target as a “middle tier” OAC team.  And as expected, they were easily handled by Mount Union and Capital, clearly the top two teams in the conference.  However it was how the Pioneers ended up at 6-4 that's so interesting.  On the positive, they beat two teams that most regard as historically upper echelon OAC squads (Baldwin-Wallace and Ohio Northern).  But on the negative they lost to the Otterbein Cardinals whose only other OAC wins were against Heidelberg (0-10) and Muskingum (2-8).  Looking back, the loss to Otterbein cost them a 7-3 record which would have been their best season since matching that in 1996.

     Looking closer at the individual numbers from the 2006 season, two things jump out.  First being that Jason Vrable won’t be back at quarterback, and second being that the heir apparent at quarterback has no college football experience.  There’s no doubt that Vrable was the focus of the Pioneer offense over the last four years as evidenced by his records which include:

·          Sixth place on the OAC's single-season passing attempts list (375)

·          Ninth on the OAC single-season passing yards list (2,845)

·        Single-season and career record holder in every Pioneer passing category including 202-of-375 (.539) for 2,845 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2006 as well as career numbers of 495-of-902 passes for 6,102 yards and 41 touchdowns.

     With Vrable putting up huge numbers in 2006, back-up quarterback Dexter Hughes was largely ignored as he attempted only three passes (completing none) and rushed three times for five yards in 10 games.  All indications point to the Pioneers entering the 2007 season with a starting quarterback that has yet to complete a pass in college.  That can’t be a good sign of things to come.  The Pioneers were competitive in eight of their first nine games with the exception being a 52-10 loss to Capital, so it is understandable that Hughes didn’t get much playing time throughout most of the season.  But shockingly, Coach Wiese didn’t play Hughes in the season finale against Mount Union even though the Pioneers were trailing 45-10 entering the fourth quarter.  And with four minutes left in the contest, it was still Vrable leading the Pioneer offense against the Raiders' third string defense.  Thereby eliminating the last chance of getting Hughes some valuable playing experience before heading into the off-season.  On a side note, an intriguing piece of trivia on Dexter Hughes is that he hails from Woodsfield/Monroe Central High School, the same school that produced recently graduated Mount Union signal caller Mike Jorris.

     Mitigating Hughes’ lack of experience will be seven returning starters from the 2006 offense including all five linemen (Brad Roberts at left tackle, Steve Kwolek at left guard, Kyle Musselman at center, Lance Parrish at right guard and Jason Mackay, a Second-Team All-OAC performer at right tackle).  Also returning is Chad McDaniel (Second-Team All-OAC) at wide receiver and the combination of George Davis and Garrett Banks at tailback.

     The Pioneer defense returns six starters, led by their only 2006 First-Team All-OAC selection in Clay Ream at nose guard for their 3-4 scheme.  Joining Ream in the front seven are Pete Hashman at defensive end, Carter Shaver at outside linebacker, Grant Cowell and Brian Hahn at inside linebacker.  The only returning defensive back is Cody Venderlic at cornerback.

     The general outlook for 2007?  At first glance with 13 of 22 starters returning, it appears that Marietta will be in pretty good shape.  However a drought of playmakers seems to be the underlying theme as they return only one First-Team All-OAC performer (and that’s at nose guard) with only two other returning players earning special mention in 2006.  So with the Pioneers severely lacking in “difference makers” and led by a quarterback who’s only attempted three passes, it’s not likely that Marietta will be able to duplicate their winning record in 2007.

     Making the '07 outlook even more bleak for the Pioneers is the upgrade in the level of competition for the season opener.  Gone is an Emory & Henry squad that is fighting to return to mediocrity and in its place comes a trip to Collegeville, Minnesota to face St. John's University.  Yes, you read that right.  St. John's of Minnesota.  The same St. John's team that is led by college football's winningest coach, John Gagliardi, who has the Johnnies consistently in the D3 Top 10.

     So not only does Marietta enter the 2007 season without an experienced quarterback or any known playmakers, it opens the season on the road versus a team expecting to battle for a national title.  Ouch.

Ohio Northern Polar Bears / 2006 record: 6-4 overall, 5-4 OAC (Tied for 4th Place)

     After back to back 8-2 seasons, the Dean Paul led Polar Bears took a step back in 2006 with an overall 6-4 record mainly due to injuries of key personnel.  Much of season was played without returning First-Team All-OAC running back RJ Meadows who was clearly the focus of the entire offense as evidenced by his 131 yards per game average over the first four weeks of 2006.  And defensively, the week five showdown with Mount Union was costly as First-Team All-OAC defensive end Jason Trusnik injured a shoulder and highly regarded cornerback Steve Gunter was lost with a knee injury.  Prior to the injuries, Ohio Northern was on it's way to another solid campaign as they started the season 4-0, including a 23-9 road win at John Carroll.  However the Bears lost their next four games before closing with two easy wins over Heidelberg and Wilmington.

     While a four game losing streak is never a good thing, Coach Paul should take solace in the fact that the Bears were extremely competitive with Capital (17-10), Baldwin Wallace (13-7) and Marietta (16-6).  Only the 49-7 thumping at Mount Union was a lost cause.  However it should be noted that the Raiders were “exceptionally focused” for Ohio Northern since the Bears broke Mount Union’s 100-game regular season winning streak the previous year.  So while their overall record might be disappointing, there were definitely mitigating factors that indicate the Polar Bears were a better team than their 6-4 record indicates.

     As ONU heads into 2007 looking to regain it’s position among the OAC’s elite programs, much of the offensive load figures to fall on the very capable legs of RJ Meadows (First-Team All-OAC in 2005 and 2006) at tailback.  The good news for Meadows is that three starting offensive linemen also return, led by Nate Dunnington (Honorable Mention All-OAC) at left tackle, Steve Francis at left guard and Eric Schroeder at right guard as well as his blocking fullback Tarry Summers.  With the graduation of senior quarterback Adam Quirk, David Delk (the only returning wide receiver) will need junior quarterback Jeff Pankratz to mature quickly to keep the Polar Bear offense balanced.

     Defensively Ohio Northern returns seven starters from the 2006 squad that ranked 10th nationally in total defense at 208 yards per game.  The biggest hole to fill is at the defensive end position vacated by Jason Trusnik (First-Team All-OAC and two-time Paul Hoernemann Award winner as the conference’s best defensive lineman).  Filling those shoes is impractical to expect as Trusnik was one of the best defensive ends in the history of the OAC, however the Bears’ D-line is hardly suspect as they return the other three starters from 2006 in Jake Fallis (Second-Team All-OAC) and Chris Stone at tackle and Josh Lokai-Owens at end.  The returning leader of the defense is middle linebacker Lenny Trusnik (First-Team All-OAC), a very active linebacker who brings good size to the middle of the Polar Defense at 225 lbs.  The secondary looks to be a strong point of the 2007 defense with three returnees headlined by highly regarded Steve Gunter at cornerback who performed admirably in man-to-man coverage on Pierre Garcon before injuring his knee last year.  Joining Gunter in the backfield is Austin Netzley at free safety and Cullen Rasmussen at corner.

     Overall, the Polar Bears look to be in pretty good shape for the 2007 season as they return 13 of 22 starters, and most importantly their best offensive player in Meadows.  The question mark at quarterback might appear a little disheartening, but Quirk was more of an “offensive cheerleader” than he was playmaker, so with the focus of the ONU offense being the running game anyway, the loss of a senior quarterback is not a death sentence like it is for passing teams like Capital and Marietta.  If the Polar Bears can stay healthy this season, I fully expect them to make a run at another 8-2 (or better) record and be in the thick of the battle for a coveted playoff spot.

John Carroll Blue Streaks / 2006 record: 5-5 overall, 5-4 OAC (Tied for 4th Place)

     If I had only one word to describe the 2006 season for the Blue Streaks it would be “uncharacteristic” as they finished with a non-winning season for the first time since re-joining the OAC in 1989.  2006 also tied their worst OAC finish in the standings with a fourth place finish in the conference.

     One very bright spot from 2006 was sophomore quarterback Matt Petruziello who played very well in his first year as a starter.  Many people outside the program (myself included) figured that with the graduation of Doug Phillips, a 2005 Gagliardi Finalist, and the recruitment of the highly regarded Rudy Kirbus from Ohio powerhouse St. Ignatius High School, it would be either veteran back-up Steve Spence or Kirbus fighting for the open quarterback position.  However by season’s end, it was Petruziello who was firmly entrenched under center for the Blue Streaks.  And based on his overall numbers and especially his play against Mount Union in week nine, I fully expect Petruziello to join Greg Micheli in the next grouping of elite OAC quarterbacks.

     The problem for Petruziello is the question marks surrounding him in the JCU huddle.  Gone is his favorite target Joseph Konrad (First-Team All-OAC at wide receiver) and most of his running game in Matthew Divis (Second-Team All-OAC at tailback).  Petruziello will have a few familiar faces in the huddle as David Kaszar at left guard, Andy Matusek at right tackle, Tim Cohn at tight end and Peter Spachner at wide receiver also return.  But unfortunately for JCU none of the other four returning starters earned All-OAC honors last year so it looks like the quarterback is going to have to carry the load in 2007.

     Defensively John Carroll returns seven starters from an excellent 2006 squad that ranked sixth nationally (second in the OAC) in total defense at 203 yards per game.  Carol Melaragno (First-Team All-OAC) returns at free safety to lead a secondary that should be the strength of the 2007 defense.  Joining Melaragno is Matt Siracusa at strong safety and Matthew McDonald at cornerback.  The linebacking core is set with Michael Nettling (Second-Team All-OAC) at middle linebacker and Luke Palmisano at outside linebacker returning.  The only real hole on paper is at defensive tackle where the Jackets must replace Manny Andreoulakis (First-Team All-OAC).  Trying to make up for that loss are returnees Derrick Bendau at tackle and Nadhal Eadeh at end.

     For the Blue Streaks to improve on their 5-5 record Regis Scafe is going to need his defense to carry the team until some offensive firepower can be found to surround Petruziello.  There’s no doubt that the JCU defense will be amongst the best the OAC has to offer this season, but with Mount Union, Capital, Baldwin Wallace and Ohio Northern on the schedule, it’s unrealistic to expect the defense alone to carry JCU to top of the conference.  A good defense is needed to win in the OAC, but it’s not enough by itself.  The overall success of the 2007 season will hinge on a bunch of offensive youngsters that the casual fan knows nothing about.

     Compounding the need for the rapid growth of offensive newcomers is the brutal early schedule for the Blue Streaks as they play ONU, B-W and Capital in Weeks three thru five.   If JCU can win two of these three games, they’ll be sitting in great shape for the rest of the season.  Win all three, and you can start planning your playoff tailgate party menu.

Otterbein Cardinals / 2006 record: 4-6 overall, 3-6 OAC (Tied for 7th Place)

     If there was one OAC team that had to be very disappointed with how 2006 went, it must be the Otterbein Cardinals.  The Cardinals entered 2006 on an emotional high after finishing 2005 with a surprising 7-3 record that garnered Coach Joe Loth OAC Coach of the Year honors.  With quarterback Paul Stelzer (considered by many to be one of better signal callers in the conference) returning to lead the team, the preseason media poll tabbed Otterbein as the fourth best OAC team ahead of John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace.  Even the league coaches bought into the hype with the Cardinals picked to finish fifth.

     However before Otterbein could get settled into the season, Mount Union came to Westerville in week two and applied a 71-14 thrashing that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.  The Purple Raiders had their way with the Cardinals in building a 34-7 lead early in the contest on only five offensive plays.  Otterbein appeared to have recovered from the MTU loss the very next week by beating Marietta 27-24, one week after Marietta shocked Baldwin-Wallace in overtime.  However the wheels came off two weeks later in a demoralizing 38-7 loss in week five to Wilmington.  The same Wilmington team that opened the season with three consecutive shutout losses.  At season’s end, the Cardinals were left scratching their heads with a seventh place finish in the conference.

     So entering 2007, what can one expect to see in Westerville?  Numbers wise, the Otterbein offense is experienced with eight returning starters headlined by Doug Tima (First-Team All-OAC) at left tackle as well as three other starters along the offensive line in Mike Young at left guard, Drew Owens at right guard and Andy Fries at right tackle.  Returning skill positions are manned by Stelzer at quarterback, Scott DeLong at wide receiver, the combination of Tyrone Morgan and Dan Gendron at tailback and fullback Brandon Rees.

     Defensively the Cardinals return seven starters led by Kieran Johnson (First-Team All-OAC) at inside linebacker and defensive ends Tyler Evans (Second-Team All-OAC) and Mike King (Honorable Mention All-OAC).  Also returning are Ben Darling at tackle, Tony Furr at cornerback, Mike Cathers at strong safety and Thomas Teeter at free safety.

     Taking a page in program building from nearby Capital Coach Jim Collins, it appears that Otterbein will be upgrading there depth via Division 1 transfers.  Reportedly (if you can believe internet information), Loth is getting four local players injected into his system from various D1 colleges.  The four players are Jack Rafferty (Dublin Coffman High School) from Western Kentucky University, Eric Yates (Dublin Scioto High School) from the US Naval Academy, Austin Weaver (Dublin Coffman High School) from Robert Morris University and Kyle Storey (Dublin Coffman High School) from Central Florida University.

     I’m not sure what happened to the Cardinals in 2006 that produced the seventh place finish, but with 15 of 22 starters returning for 2007, Loth has to be figuring on a much improved team that shouldn’t be content with another bottom half conference finish.  However the teams expected to be above them in the preseason rankings are all solid and it will probably take an upset win or two for Otterbein to achieve another 7-3 record like 2005, but what can’t happen with 15 returning starters is disheartening losses to teams like Wilmington.

Wilmington Quakers / 2006 record:  3-7 overall, 3-6 OAC (Tied for 7th Place)

     After leaving the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1999 with a 9-1 record and splashing onto the OAC scene in 2000 with a 7-3 mark, the Wilmington Quakers have been a team in steady decline.  The 2001 season ended with a 5-5 record and the last five seasons have seen the Quakers alternate between 3-7 and 2-8 finishes.  So the question is, will history repeat itself with a 2-8 record for 2007?

     When looking at a team that is six years removed from a winning season and finished tied for seventh place last year, what interesting tidbits of information are really there to sink one’s teeth into?  How about the fact that the Quakers return a sophomore starter at quarterback that was recruited by Larry Kehres?  Billy Blackburn attended the high school summer football camp that Coach Kehres and his staff hold each year and he impressed Kehres to the point that he was recruited to attend Mount Union.   However the very athletic Blackburn decided to stay in southwestern Ohio and joined the Quakers.

     Blackburn leads a total of nine returning offensive starters for a Wilmington offense that hopes to improve on their 10.2 points per game average from 2006.  The other returnees include Brandon Hiatt (Honorable Mention All-OAC) and Michael Brown at wide receiver; Shawn Tucker, Chris Herrington and Luke Casto to the offensive line; as well as Jermaine Taylor and Brent Scherz at running back.

     Defensively the Quakers return six starters from a defense that averaged 28.1 points surrendered per game but lose Chad Otte, the 2006 Lee Tressel Award winner as the conference’s top defensive back.  The linebacking core in Wilmington’s 4-3 scheme returns intact with Chad Adams at outside linebacker being the defense’s only returnee with all-conference honors from last season.  Joining Adams is Brandon Heim at outside linebacker, John Rupp at middle linebacker, Conley Smoot at tackle, Brad Osbourne at end and Brandon Porter at cornerback.

     Improving on their 3-7 record is going to be extremely difficult, but not because the Quakers won’t likely be better than 2006.  It’s because the majority of the teams above them in the OAC are significantly more talented than the Quakers.  Their closest competition standings wise in ’06 was Otterbein, but the Cardinals under achieved in finishing 4-6, and likely won’t do so again.  Therefore it appears another finish near the bottom of the OAC standings is in store for Wilmington.

Muskingum Muskies / 2006 record: 2-8 overall, 1-8 OAC (9th Place)

     2006 was a very significant season in the history of Musky football for a couple reasons.  First being the retirement of long time head coach Jeff Heacock after 26 years (104-144-4 record) and the discovery of the forward pass.  Thereby joining the rest of the football world in the 21st century.  For years under Heacock, the Muskies had been a run, run and run some more offense regardless of the game situation.  And it’s a good thing they passed the ball some in 2006 because incoming head coach Al Logan intends to (according to the school’s press release) "introduce the spread offense into the Muskingum football program."  If Logan follows through with his promise, the Muskies may pass the ball more in his first season than Heacock did in his 26.  For those of you thinking the name Al Logan (Muskingum class of '82) sounds familiar, that might be because his previous post was as offensive coordinator at Wittenberg University.

     Two of the more pressing long range battles for Coach Logan will be the changing of attitudes in New Concord and recruiting better talent as Muskingum’s last winning season was 1995.  In the short term, much of Logan’s immediate success will depend on how quickly and accurately he can evaluate the talent already on the roster and then to tailor his schemes to get the most out of that talent.  His evaluation offensively will begin with the seven returning starters from an offense that finished ninth in the OAC in scoring (10.7 pts/game) and dead last in total offense at 186 yards per contest, which was a whopping 40 yards behind ninth place Wilmington on that list.  The returnees include Andre Nash at quarterback, Jack Murray (Honorable Mention All-OAC) and Matt Lilly at wide receiver, Brandon Rennard at left tackle, Dave Dicicco at left guard, Josh Cottle at center and Ryan McClain at fullback.

     If Muskingum has a chance to improve on their ninth ranked scoring defense in the OAC, Logan has a huge hole to fill at inside linebacker with the graduation of Jack Junker (First-Team All-OAC), the team’s only First-Team All-OAC performer.  Time will tell whether the Muskies retain the 3-4 defensive scheme from last year with the following six starters returning:  Josh McInturff at nose tackle, Nathan Hedge (Honorable Mention All-OAC) at outside linebacker, Anthony Carson at inside linebacker, Sam Miller at outside linebacker, Brandon Ledford at free safety and Jordan Rhodes at cornerback.

     Based on the turmoil of a new coaching staff and the limited talent on the roster, it appears that 2007 will be a repeat of 2006 with the Muskies fighting with Wilmington and Heidelberg to stay out of the OAC cellar.

Heidelberg Student Princes / 2006 record: 0-10 overall, 0-9 OAC (10th Place)

     Although riding a 36-game losing streak, the Student Princes enter the 2007 campaign with renewed hope as a new sheriff is in town with the hiring of Mike Hallett as the college’s 33rd head coach.  Hallett resigned from Thomas More College after a 46-16 record to join Heidelberg.  Hallett also served as Thomas More’s offensive coordinator for five years prior to taking over the head coaching reigns.  He is a very familiar name around the OAC based on his All-American play at defensive tackle on Mount Union’s first championship team in 1993.  The addition of Hallett to the OAC coaching ranks fills eight of the 10 head coaching positions in the hands of OAC alums.  Only Marietta and Wilmington are coached by someone from outside the OAC.

     In Hallett’s introduction to the college, he indicated that, "We’re going to shock the Ohio Athletic Conference and the rest of the country."  The first step in making that bold statement come true is breaking Division III’s longest ongoing losing streak of 36 games dating back to a 21-13 victory over Marietta in week four of the 2003 season.  To put that in proper perspective, there isn’t a traditional four-year student athlete on the Heidelberg roster that has won a single collegiate football game.  The correction of a “losing attitude” is Hallett’s biggest hurdle in Tiffin.

     To complete the “shock the OAC” prediction, turning the Student Princes into a winning team would definitely fit the bill.  You have to retreat through the record books all the way back to 1994 to find the last season that Heidelberg finished with a winning record.  The upcoming senior players would have been in fourth grade when the Student Princes finished at 7-3 in 1994.

     With eight starters back from the OAC’s seventh ranked offense (256 yds/game), the potential exists for the Student Princes to be relatively productive.   Heidelberg’s lone offensive OAC award winner returns at wide receiver in Dawond Roddy, a Honorable Mention All-OAC pick in 2006.  Returning with Roddy is James Blankenship at left guard, Adam Wolfe at right guard, Phil Carr at right tackle, Kenny Sims at wide receiver, Joe Richardson at fullback and Chris Cola at tailback.  The quarterback position returns Steve West and Bryan Prorok, both of which saw significant playing time in 2006.

     If Hallett hopes to make an immediate dent in the win column, he must shore up the conference’s most porous defense.  Not only was their defense the worst in the conference, it ranked as such by a significant margin by averaging 41.1 points/game (ninth ranked Muskingum = 32.0 pts) and 485 yards/game (ninth ranked Marietta = 361 yds) surrendered.  The improvement begins by getting more production from the seven returning starters which includes: Tony Carothers at tackle, Matt Grieves at end, Matt Nero at middle linebacker, Chris Strawser at outside linebacker, Jimmy Bright at cornerback, Brian West at strong safety and the defense’s sole award winner in Fran Cavotta at cornerback, a 2006 Honorable Mention All-OAC selection.

     Bringing the Heidelberg program back to being respectable is going to be a huge undertaking for Coach Hallett.  However he brings a successful attitude and a winning pedigree with him from his time playing for Larry Kehres and his coaching stint at Thomas More College.  And if anyone can do it, Hallett may just be the guy.

The Games that will shape the 2007 season:

     A team’s season is often made or destroyed by a single win or loss.  And that is especially true in the extremely tough OAC where the champion is guaranteed a playoff spot and the runner-up is likely to garner a Pool C at-large bid.  With the defending National Champion Purple Raiders and numerous legitimate title contenders in conference, the 2007 slate is sure to produce some real gems.  The following is a listing of the games I expect to fit that bill:

September 22nd:  John Carroll at Ohio Northern

Two of the expected OAC heavyweights hook up early in the season with the loser backed into a corner in the OAC in week two.  2006 result:  Ohio Northern 23, John Carroll 9

September 29th:  Baldwin-Wallace at John Carroll

The early season gauntlet for JCU continues with B-W coming to town one week after battling ONU.  2006 result:  Baldwin-Wallace 24, John Carroll 8

October 6th:  Mount Union at Ohio Northern

MTU gets its first test of the season against the last OAC team to defeat them.  ONU should be more than ready after getting blasted last year and losing their season to injuries.  2006 result:  Mount Union 49, Ohio Northern 7

October 6th:  John Carroll at Capital

If JCU is for real, we’ll know it by the fourth OAC game as their early schedule is a real bear.   2006 result:  Capital 24, John Carroll 21

October 13th:  Ohio Northern at Capital

ONU gets a taste of back-to-back battles with Capital coming on the heels of the Purple Raiders.  2006 result:  Capital 17, Ohio Northern 10

October 20th:  Baldwin-Wallace at Mount Union

B-W’s defense has done its job over the years holding the Raiders out of the end zone.  They’ll need the offense to set up to finally get the win.  2006 result:  Mount Union 14, Baldwin-Wallace 0

October 27th:  Mount Union at Capital

MTU goes against the Crusaders for the fifth time in three years, but this time there’s no Rocky Pentello under center for the Crusaders.  If Capital enters this game undefeated, look out because Marty Assman is another Pentello and we could be looking at another classic battle.  2006 results:  Mount Union 38, Capital 12 (regular season);  Mount Union 17, Capital 14 (North Region Final)

October 27th:  Baldwin-Wallace at Ohio Northern

Last year's game was a defensive battle and this one should be no different.  2006 results:  Baldwin-Wallace 13, Ohio Northern 7

November 3rd:  Mount Union at John Carroll

The last time the Raiders traveled to University Heights, they bombed the Streaks 70-0.  Don’t expect that to happen again with the caliber of defense that JCU now plays.  2006 result:  Mount Union 31, John Carroll 14

November 10th:  Baldwin-Wallace at Capital

Last year’s defensive battle sent Capital to the playoffs and B-W home wondering "what if."   This year could carry the same kind of weight in the final standings.  2006 result:  Capital 19, Baldwin-Wallace 7

How it might end up:

Based on the uneducated guesses of this football fan, I think the OAC might shake out as follows:

1. Mount Union – Loaded with returning talent and plenty of depth to fill what few holes exist.

2. Baldwin-Wallace – The B-W defense has a chance to be “special” and the experience at quarterback will make up for the loss of Hedges at tailback.

3. Ohio Northern – The return of a healthy RJ Meadows will carry the offense and the experienced gained by the youngsters filling in due to the injuries will pay dividends.

4. Capital – I’m guessing the hole at quarterback is just too large to fill immediately and the Crusaders take a few steps backwards in the OAC standings.

5. John Carroll – It was awfully hard to put the Blue Streaks this low, but there are just too many unknowns surrounding Petruziello in the offensive huddle.  The defense should be very stout and will keep them in every game, but their early season schedule is brutal with ONU, B-W and MTU in a row.

6. Otterbein – Too many returning players including a senior quarterback to put the Cardinals any lower.  If they play to their potential, they could sneak up on one of the big OAC boys.

7. Marietta – Lack of experience at quarterback will hurt their chances of catching Otterbein.

8. Wilmington – The Quakers better watch out because they’re not too far away from the conference cellar.

9. Heidelberg – Hallett will improve the Student Princes, but they’re too far behind the rest of the conference to expect much more than a win or two this season.

10. Muskingum – Logan’s spread offense might be a better longterm answer than run-run-run, but doing so without a legitimate passing quarterback is tough.

     The above is simply my “way too early prediction” of the 2007 OAC season.  Take a minute to jot down your predicted finish and let’s reconvene in November to compare.  Until then, let the players stay healthy and may the Raiders... er... the best team win!

                                                                                    Mark Grossman