The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I would rank the UNC loss as being more devastating. Here's why: nobody laughed at the basketball team for losing a tip-in game to the national runner-up. However, when I was in Upstate NY last weekend - wearing my ODU sweatshirt - people were asking me what happened to the football team. Apparently the score was on the jumbotron at the Dome when Syracuse was playing BC. I originally thought (or hoped) that no one would've paid attention to the loss. But apparently they did. It certainly tarnishes the reputation of the program. The Butler loss didn't do that.

On the flip side... they asked "what happened?" This insinuates that we have a winning reputation. Everyone has a beat down every now and then.

Not everybody stops the game early though. I think people can live with 80-20. It's the stoppage that has them talking. At least that's the way it was presented to me while in NY.

While that game hurt at the time - it's quickly behind us and I don't think it has any impact on us whatsoever in the future. If a team/coach tried to use that against us on the recruiting trail - I think it would be an incredibly weak attempt to disparage us. How does BW lose in the living room of a recruit on that issue? He simply says - "I will put the welfare of your son above my own reputation, ambition and benefit - without question. If I believe something is detrimental to your son - I won't put him in that position - period? Your son's welfare will always be a top priority." He explains - he'll take the heat over putting his players in a bad spot. How does he lose with a mom/dad/grandparent? It's a win in every way in my opinion. I really don't see that being an issue at all going forward.

Surprised they knew of the stoppage. Ive had a few folks ask what happened. Only one was even aware of the stoppage. I told them from what I saw, it was practically to the point that BW would have to take redshirts off of some freshman to keep playing due to injuries and fatigue. Its not worth it when you're down 50 in the fourth qtr in the last game of the season. Still hate the decision though. I would have played it out.

(12-05-2013 11:11 AM)MonarchsWon Wrote:  While that game hurt at the time - it's quickly behind us and I don't think it has any impact on us whatsoever in the future. If a team/coach tried to use that against us on the recruiting trail - I think it would be an incredibly weak attempt to disparage us. How does BW lose in the living room of a recruit on that issue? He simply says - "I will put the welfare of your son above my own reputation, ambition and benefit - without question. If I believe something is detrimental to your son - I won't put him in that position - period? Your son's welfare will always be a top priority." He explains - he'll take the heat over putting his players in a bad spot. How does he lose with a mom/dad/grandparent? It's a win in every way in my opinion. I really don't see that being an issue at all going forward.

Can't help but agree with this one. Spin or no spin, I believe that Wilder genuinely cares about the welfare of his team and every athlete therein.

(12-05-2013 11:11 AM)MonarchsWon Wrote:  While that game hurt at the time - it's quickly behind us and I don't think it has any impact on us whatsoever in the future. If a team/coach tried to use that against us on the recruiting trail - I think it would be an incredibly weak attempt to disparage us. How does BW lose in the living room of a recruit on that issue? He simply says - "I will put the welfare of your son above my own reputation, ambition and benefit - without question. If I believe something is detrimental to your son - I won't put him in that position - period? Your son's welfare will always be a top priority." He explains - he'll take the heat over putting his players in a bad spot. How does he lose with a mom/dad/grandparent? It's a win in every way in my opinion. I really don't see that being an issue at all going forward.

It's quickly behind us, but not behind those outside the program. Anyone looking at this objectively can't say the stoppage was positive, or will bear positive fruit. While Wilder's hypothetical speech may be great for mom & pap, the program's reputation from this incident may not allow Wilder to get into the living room of a kid he otherwise would've. That perception could turn parents, coaches, & athletes off before a phone call is ever made. I'm just playing Devil's Advocate. We aren't having this type of debate around the loss to Butler.

Its nothing a win over NC State, Marshall or So Miss wont cure. Those may be hard to come by next season, but it would sure cure whats ailing us. The Monarchs have to prove themselves at the FBS level, and never, ever again shorten the clock.

^^^^^^^ one good win and this becomes a non-issue.

^Fans have short memory, our problem they also remember the last game and we have that one for 9 months. It doesn't reduce the good season we had, 8 win is 8 wins.

I think that playing 4 out of 5 of our FBS games against top-50 or so teams has caused a lot of people to perceive ODU as worse than it actually is. If we had played some more lower-rung FBS teams, people wouldn't have such a hard time figuring out where we are.

Nearly every team in C-USA is ranked in the bottom half of FBS, with most in the lower third. I'd rank ODU somewhere in the 80-90 range, based on how we competed when healthy. ODU will compete just fine against C-USA schools. I don't think wins will be as easy to come by as previous seasons, but I do think we go 2-2 OOC and then get 4 or 5 wins in conference, depending on who we get dealt from the West.

We're not playing in the ACC next year. There won't be a huge gap between ODU and the rest of C-USA.

(12-07-2013 06:59 PM)Monarch_Pride Wrote:  I think that playing 4 out of 5 of our FBS games against top-50 or so teams has caused a lot of people to perceive ODU as worse than it actually is. If we had played some more lower-rung FBS teams, people wouldn't have such a hard time figuring out where we are.

Nearly every team in C-USA is ranked in the bottom half of FBS, with most in the lower third. I'd rank ODU somewhere in the 80-90 range, based on how we competed when healthy. ODU will compete just fine against C-USA schools. I don't think wins will be as easy to come by as previous seasons, but I do think we go 2-2 OOC and then get 4 or 5 wins in conference, depending on who we get dealt from the West.

We're not playing in the ACC next year. There won't be a huge gap between ODU and the rest of C-USA.

Agree. In fact if you look at RPI, CUSA is only one small step above the CAA. makes you wonder if it's worth the investment and loss of rivalries. I hope it is. We should make a push for top half even next season. Time to go bowling.

RPI is a terrible measure for NCAAF, though. According to RPI, we are about 40 places below Idaho and 20 below Liberty. We'd be roughly #50 in the FCS. Haha, yeah right.

(12-07-2013 07:23 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(12-07-2013 06:59 PM)Monarch_Pride Wrote:  I think that playing 4 out of 5 of our FBS games against top-50 or so teams has caused a lot of people to perceive ODU as worse than it actually is. If we had played some more lower-rung FBS teams, people wouldn't have such a hard time figuring out where we are.

Nearly every team in C-USA is ranked in the bottom half of FBS, with most in the lower third. I'd rank ODU somewhere in the 80-90 range, based on how we competed when healthy. ODU will compete just fine against C-USA schools. I don't think wins will be as easy to come by as previous seasons, but I do think we go 2-2 OOC and then get 4 or 5 wins in conference, depending on who we get dealt from the West.

We're not playing in the ACC next year. There won't be a huge gap between ODU and the rest of C-USA.

Agree. In fact if you look at RPI, CUSA is only one small step above the CAA. makes you wonder if it's worth the investment and loss of rivalries. I hope it is. We should make a push for top half even next season. Time to go bowling.

The current C*USA rpi relative to that of the CAA does nothing to make me question the worth of investment ODU is making. IMO that logic presupposes that the two conference's rpi ratings are static. That of course, is not the case.
I also argue in support of the move because no individual, or organization decides to make such a move, with it's inherant risks, without good confidence that it's new position provides favorable growth potential. I trust ODU's choice to support that confidence, and if it had been my decision to make I would have done the same.

Well, so much for lingering effects...

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/12/3star-re...commit-odu

Again, the UNC loss mave have been the most embarrassing, but not nearly the most devastating.

If anything if I were a defensive player and I was cognitive it wasn't the coaches I'd be frothing to play here.

(12-16-2013 08:56 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  Well, so much for lingering effects...

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/12/3star-re...commit-odu

Again, the UNC loss mave have been the most embarrassing, but not nearly the most devastating.

I think ODU's up side is so evident to players, HS Coaches, and the football establishment, that the buzz in most recruiting circles is "Good things are happening at Old Dominion". One recruit was quoted as saying "they have something special there". Couple that with the Metro Area (1.5 million people, VA Beach/ Norfolk), the growth of the University (research, and many new buildings and more coming ~ 400 million has been proposed for the next 10 years) and good recruiting coaches with a passion and drive ...... Aim High is where we are headed!

Did 247 have Bentley as our best recruit? Did he drop in their ratings?

I think the secondary is having the biggest step up recruiting wise.

(12-16-2013 02:53 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  Did 247 have Bentley as our best recruit? Did he drop in their ratings?

I think the secondary is having the biggest step up recruiting wise.

This is great news. Going up against better competition in practice will only help our passing attack.

(12-16-2013 02:59 PM)odufansam Wrote:  

(12-16-2013 02:53 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  Did 247 have Bentley as our best recruit? Did he drop in their ratings?

I think the secondary is having the biggest step up recruiting wise.

This is great news. Going up against better competition in practice will only help our passing attack.

Bentley's composite rating is the highest of our 25 recruits, (24 for the 2014 class). The 247sport rating, he is 4th on the list. (I may have this reversed, not sure which is which)

Shuler Bentley Byrnes (Duncan, SC)
6-1/200 Commit ODU 5/6/2013
0.8161 66 33
0.90 20 8

347sport..... http://olddominion.247sports.com/Season/...ll/Commits