Quick ODU Thoughts

Dollaz

Egor Demin Watch Club Member
I actually think they are gonna be good this year. They finally return a starting QB and have a capable backup. They kept who they wanted to keep and added some key pieces. The WRs are JUCO but highly thought off guys. Wish I had more time
 
So maybe the Over vs Indiana?
I like the over. I wished I researched into Indiana more but I think the number is low.

When I say good, I mean in competition to win the Sun Belt, 7-9 wins?

I have heard that the offense was behind this preseason but I’ve heard that every year. They return QBs, RBs, and some OL. WRs are somewhat of a concern but I know they got the JUCO WRs they wanted from good JuCO programs.

Defense gets Jason Henderson back but they lose a lot of positions. Have heard good things but I would imagine Indiana is a tough test.

I expect a close game until Indiana pulls away late
 
And I took ODU to cover us James and Joseph to score tds

If you can get a line on Hargrove, I would take a stan on him scoring but I can’t find him in my books bc they think it will be Roche
 
I guess just blindly bet any Joseph over the rushing total that you can find?
He can run for sure and they have the style offense to hit big plays. The backup might be a better runner, TBH. Had a long run vs VT last year and in the 1 game he started.

I would gear more towards touchdowns for Joseph and not yards on a game by game basis.

I feel mostly good about the game, Joseph turnovers were a big difference and goal line stops or that would have flown over
 
Northern Illinois +17.5. Is Maryland even gonna move the ball well enough to cover 3 scores? I am not buying that offense at all and NIU usually is pretty solid mid tier defense. NIU gave up points through special teams (help themselves too) so I have to believe they cover those things this week. Maryland is gonna have to throw the ball and have a freshman QB will new weapons.

SMU/Baylor o63.5 and SMU -2.5. I have no faith that Baylor can stop SMU and think SMU is a level above them....and playing at home....giving up less than a FG.

Georgia State +13.5 I know they got blown out but I watched that game and thought they have some dudes. Especially at running back. Does TJ Finley play? If so, thats a boost to the passing game. I know Memphis will score here but a home dog of 2 tds that can run the ball pretty well is appealing to me.

Miss State +6.5. This is more of a fade of Arizona State than anything. I dont think they should be top 15...maybe not 20. Playing on the road vs. an SEC team. Miss State looks like they have improve both O and D line. Northern Ariz had 1 less first down than Ariz State.

COnsiderations:

I think Ole Miss could be really good this year, but 10.5 on the road against Kentucky....have to give Kentucky some thought here. Simmons will have a lot of pressure on him being on the road. Started a little shaky last week but I think he's going to be really good.

Charlotte +13.5. I will probably wait and hope to get over 14.

BYU -20.5. Stanford is bad bad. Need to look into BYU some more.
 
Northern Illinois +17.5. Is Maryland even gonna move the ball well enough to cover 3 scores? I am not buying that offense at all and NIU usually is pretty solid mid tier defense. NIU gave up points through special teams (help themselves too) so I have to believe they cover those things this week. Maryland is gonna have to throw the ball and have a freshman QB will new weapons.

SMU/Baylor o63.5 and SMU -2.5. I have no faith that Baylor can stop SMU and think SMU is a level above them....and playing at home....giving up less than a FG.

Georgia State +13.5 I know they got blown out but I watched that game and thought they have some dudes. Especially at running back. Does TJ Finley play? If so, thats a boost to the passing game. I know Memphis will score here but a home dog of 2 tds that can run the ball pretty well is appealing to me.

Miss State +6.5. This is more of a fade of Arizona State than anything. I dont think they should be top 15...maybe not 20. Playing on the road vs. an SEC team. Miss State looks like they have improve both O and D line. Northern Ariz had 1 less first down than Ariz State.

COnsiderations:

I think Ole Miss could be really good this year, but 10.5 on the road against Kentucky....have to give Kentucky some thought here. Simmons will have a lot of pressure on him being on the road. Started a little shaky last week but I think he's going to be really good.

Charlotte +13.5. I will probably wait and hope to get over 14.

BYU -20.5. Stanford is bad bad. Need to look into BYU some more.
Nice looking card!

Smu and Baylor a stalk all day for myself!
 
Felt good about week 1. Georgia State just kind of got in my head and I just have to realize that staff sucks, it doesn't matter how much talent they have. SMU- yuck, but Im cool with my read.

Have my eye initially- NC STate, Houston, Georgia Tech, Troy, Texas Tech, Purdue, App State.

Now to the game of the week :)

I expected a .500ish record for VT this year. They came out week 1 and I thought they looked really good. Come to week 2 and they look like a 3 win team after last week so its tough to gauge what they really are at this point.

Drones doesnt really scare anyone at QB. The OL is really weak this year. THey do have some advantages at the skill positions. They are averaging 3.4 ypc and 5.5 yards per pass. So far the weaker part of ODUs defense is the running game so I think that will be a key...can VT establish the run? VT running game aint Indiana's.

On offense, ODU has the big play ability. Last year ODU had benched their QB and tried Joseph for a couple series before turning to a true freshman QB, who was mostly weak but had a 65 yard TD run. ODU generated 245 yards rushing. This year Joseph is the clear starter and can compete with his arm and legs.

ODU should be able to move the ball better than last year and VT has trouble with the QB running ability. This game will come down to if ODU can do a respectable job in stopping the run and getting VT off the field. On offense, they will probably need 1-2 big plays through the passing game.

I think this is a competitive game. This could be the first P4 road win.
 
Felt good about week 1. Georgia State just kind of got in my head and I just have to realize that staff sucks, it doesn't matter how much talent they have. SMU- yuck, but Im cool with my read.

Have my eye initially- NC STate, Houston, Georgia Tech, Troy, Texas Tech, Purdue, App State.

Now to the game of the week :)

I expected a .500ish record for VT this year. They came out week 1 and I thought they looked really good. Come to week 2 and they look like a 3 win team after last week so its tough to gauge what they really are at this point.

Drones doesnt really scare anyone at QB. The OL is really weak this year. THey do have some advantages at the skill positions. They are averaging 3.4 ypc and 5.5 yards per pass. So far the weaker part of ODUs defense is the running game so I think that will be a key...can VT establish the run? VT running game aint Indiana's.

On offense, ODU has the big play ability. Last year ODU had benched their QB and tried Joseph for a couple series before turning to a true freshman QB, who was mostly weak but had a 65 yard TD run. ODU generated 245 yards rushing. This year Joseph is the clear starter and can compete with his arm and legs.

ODU should be able to move the ball better than last year and VT has trouble with the QB running ability. This game will come down to if ODU can do a respectable job in stopping the run and getting VT off the field. On offense, they will probably need 1-2 big plays through the passing game.

I think this is a competitive game. This could be the first P4 road win.
Awesome stuff. Evening game in Blacksburg is never an easy task. VT has put up 20 & 11.....ODU 14 & 54 (but can't really count/compare N Car Central).....both teams should be running a lot since both have running QBs...and neither team is scary through the air.....Im liking the U50.5 here more than a side, but definitely leaning ODU +7.5.....Any thoughts on the total and whether you think it will rise or lower?
 
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Its tough for me to take an under in ODU games at the 50 mark. Im not saying they are a high octane offense, but they have the big play ability to score at any point. They have had 2 long (75ish yard runs via the QB against Indiana) and a 93 yard run (albeint against NCC). NCC is FCS but I expect them to be a good FCS team so I was extremely pleased with the game (very experienced team with a strong FCS OL).

But, also the offense may score in 45 seconds but also may be off the field and punting in 45 seconds. I am generally lower on the ODU defense than most fans and its the same thing every year, they dont get off the field. They just allow teams to methodically move the ball down the field and then hope to stop them in the red zone. Granted, that is a good thing for the under, in general.

I cant really get a good feel for the total yet. Indiana scored 27 but could have had more if they executed in the red zone. They ran the ball at will. But, I dont think VT has the OL or the running game to match the numbers of Indiana. And Indiana's QB is a heck of a lot better than Drones.

I've seen VT completely stifle this offense too many times just from the strength of their front 4. I think ODU is better equipped this year with a talented QB and big, physical WRs. The OL appears to be solid (though some concern that the LT went out last game).

As I type it out, I may lean toward the under but its not a play for me. As I said previously, it comes down to if ODU can stop the VT runs on 1st and 2nd downs. On offense, they are going to have to hit a couple plays thorugh the air. I expect ODU to have a good passing attack this year, but that may not come vs. a P4 team.
 
I'm on the +7 this week. I too think this will be a close one even if it might be difficult for the Monarchs to pull off the upset in Blacksburg. I think the line should be more like 3 or 4.
 
Va Tech gonna have enough bodies to form an O-line? Man they are thin up front. Saw the anchor of their line go down before half vs Vandy and it was game over. Haven’t checked on his availability yet.
 
It's really something how ODU consistently has been able to get explosive plays, especially in the run game. This is going on several years. 2 more big ones in week 1, even against a well coached D like Indiana. I've always been impressed by that. Thanks Dollaz.
 
Va Tech gonna have enough bodies to form an O-line? Man they are thin up front. Saw the anchor of their line go down before half vs Vandy and it was game over. Haven’t checked on his availability yet.
Pry said yesterday (or maybe it was on Wednesday) that 7 of the 10 OL are getting some kind of daily medical treatment. 4 are potentially questionable for tomorrow.

If one stater misses, it will shuffle the entire OL, like they did against Vandy. You have young guys playing in unfamiliar positions like in the 2nd half against Vandy. I don't think ODU has the personel to exploit it like Vandy did, sending a zero coverage blitz, but just one starter out will hurt.
 
Pry said yesterday (or maybe it was on Wednesday) that 7 of the 10 OL are getting some kind of daily medical treatment. 4 are potentially questionable for tomorrow.

If one stater misses, it will shuffle the entire OL, like they did against Vandy. You have young guys playing in unfamiliar positions like in the 2nd half against Vandy. I don't think ODU has the personel to exploit it like Vandy did, sending a zero coverage blitz, but just one starter out will hurt.
Thank you!
 
Felt good about week 1. Georgia State just kind of got in my head and I just have to realize that staff sucks, it doesn't matter how much talent they have. SMU- yuck, but Im cool with my read.

Have my eye initially- NC STate, Houston, Georgia Tech, Troy, Texas Tech, Purdue, App State.

Now to the game of the week :)

I expected a .500ish record for VT this year. They came out week 1 and I thought they looked really good. Come to week 2 and they look like a 3 win team after last week so its tough to gauge what they really are at this point.

Drones doesnt really scare anyone at QB. The OL is really weak this year. THey do have some advantages at the skill positions. They are averaging 3.4 ypc and 5.5 yards per pass. So far the weaker part of ODUs defense is the running game so I think that will be a key...can VT establish the run? VT running game aint Indiana's.

On offense, ODU has the big play ability. Last year ODU had benched their QB and tried Joseph for a couple series before turning to a true freshman QB, who was mostly weak but had a 65 yard TD run. ODU generated 245 yards rushing. This year Joseph is the clear starter and can compete with his arm and legs.

ODU should be able to move the ball better than last year and VT has trouble with the QB running ability. This game will come down to if ODU can do a respectable job in stopping the run and getting VT off the field. On offense, they will probably need 1-2 big plays through the passing game.

I think this is a competitive game. This could be the first P4 road win.
Is Joseph a good passer? If they plan to run qb draws, options, etc with him, I doubt it is very successful. If they are able to establish a passing game or enough to keep the dbs honest and Joseph drops back and then runs or with a delayed qb draw then they will have success.
 
Pry said yesterday (or maybe it was on Wednesday) that 7 of the 10 OL are getting some kind of daily medical treatment. 4 are potentially questionable for tomorrow.

If one stater misses, it will shuffle the entire OL, like they did against Vandy. You have young guys playing in unfamiliar positions like in the 2nd half against Vandy. I don't think ODU has the personel to exploit it like Vandy did, sending a zero coverage blitz, but just one starter out will hurt.
Update regarding the VT Oline. It looks like 2 Freshmen will start.

 
Brent Pry started his Hokies head coaching career with a loss to ODU and his last game as head coach for the Hokies was a loss to ODU.
 
That was a great call. Glad I tailed…thank you!
Glad to hear that someone did. I was surprised about how VT didn't even look like they could compete with ODU. ODU scored first 3 touchdowns ( i think in 4 or 5 possessions) of all over 88 yards. VT got it going a little bit in the 3rd Q but the game was over. Little bit concerned with the ODU run defense but now they have a week off before Liberty. Hopefully the week off prevents the let down spot.
 
Tulsa +11.5- OSU got blown out by Oregon but even vs. Tenn Martin, they only had 127 yards rushing and 232 yards passing. Less than 5 yards per play...had 5 punts.

Arkansas -7. Just think a difference in class here. Ark offense has been absurd.

Indiana -4.5. Just been very impressed with Indiana so far.
 
Tulsa +11.5- OSU got blown out by Oregon but even vs. Tenn Martin, they only had 127 yards rushing and 232 yards passing. Less than 5 yards per play...had 5 punts.

Arkansas -7. Just think a difference in class here. Ark offense has been absurd.

Indiana -4.5. Just been very impressed with Indiana so far.
GO on those plays.

Well deserved week off for the Monarch's!
 
UVA
Arkansas
Illinois
Tulsa
Arizona

Already posted in ML Dog thread and will likely have each on the spread as well.

Onto Liberty/ODU. Liberty waxes ODU on an annual basis so its extremely odd to see a 16.5 point spread.

Liberty starter, Ethan Vasko is a local kid that was previously committed to ODU but flipped to Kansas for the money. Never played and transferred to Coastal. He shredded ODU twice with them. He got injured last week and had a sling but reports are that hes listed as the co starter this week with former UNC QB Merdinger. There is also a true freshman that played last week.

Despite the lack of points, Libertys offense has moved the ball fairly well in most games until Vasko got injured. They average 5.7 yards per play. Running game is solid at 4.4 yards per game. Passing offense is ok...ish completed 54% at 7.4 yards per attempt. ODUs pass defense is shutting teams down at 5.7 yards per pass. The weakness so far has been the running game, giving up 4.7 yards per attempt. Liberty is giving up almost 3 sacks a game so that is something to moniter. Def. a class difference as ODU has faced Indiana, VT, and NCC Central.

On defense, Liberty has been gashed on the groud at 5.7 yards per attempt on 40 carries per game. The pass defense ahs been decent but teams are running 40 times per game and only throwing 25. ODUs offense is gashing teams averaging 8.1 yards per play. Running game is average 7.6 yards per attempt on 32 carries per game. Through the air they are completing 67% and 8.9 yards per attempt. They are giving up less than 1 sack per game (liberty averaging 1 sack per game).

This would be a spot I would generally consider a potential let down spot but coming off a bye, how does that impact the game?

Im gonna sit this one out in all likelihood. May make a small wager on the over as I expect them to both move the ball. However, there is potential rain/wind for this game so Im waiting it out. If I had to bet something, I would take the points with Liberty.
 
I was hoping the deceiving score line would help us this week, but no dice. ODU is favored by 17. ODU played Liberty last week in basically hurricane conditions. They had a 25 to 11 first down advantage, and gained nearly 500 yards to 200 for Liberty. The only reason it was remotely competitive was a. rain b. ODU turned it over 3 times in the red zone. I actually think 2 of them were bad calls (Joseph crossed the goaline, another should have be incomplete) but they didnt have reliable replay system. The game was really never competitive.

Coastal is avering only 293 yards of offense on the season on 4.4 yards per play. They run 35 time sfor 146 yards and attempt 17-32 for 147 yards passing on a pedestrian 4.6 yards per attempt. ODUs defense is solid, nothing spectacular. They give up 4.9 yards per play; 4.3 on the ground and 5.8 thru the air. I dont see Coastal having a ton of success through the air in this game. ODUs defense should perform pretty well. Coastal beat S. Alabama by 18 despite having only 112 yards passing (182 on the ground). SA had a really large statisitcal edge.

ODU averaging 7.8 yards per play and 468 yards of offense. 36-238 on the ground and 17-25-230 in the air. They have a really balanced attack and can attack the defense in whatever manner they want. They also have the potential for a big play at any moment and teams are starting to play 2 high to prevent the big plays and just allowing us to run the ball at will. Coastals defense is ok giving up 381 yards at game at a 5.2 yards per play. 41 rushes for 172 yards (4.3 ypa) and 21-33 209 passing yards 6.4 ypa). Vs. ECU they gave up 507 yards on 86 plays. ECU's offense are no world beaters. I would probably put more stock in that game than the FCS game or the UVA game.
I was hoping to get under 2 touchdowns, but I still like the Monarchs here. I think once they get on the board, Coastal is going to have trouble matching scores. If ODU can force them to have to throw the ball to get back in it, I see it getting pretty ugly.
 
I was hoping the deceiving score line would help us this week, but no dice. ODU is favored by 17. ODU played Liberty last week in basically hurricane conditions. They had a 25 to 11 first down advantage, and gained nearly 500 yards to 200 for Liberty. The only reason it was remotely competitive was a. rain b. ODU turned it over 3 times in the red zone. I actually think 2 of them were bad calls (Joseph crossed the goaline, another should have be incomplete) but they didnt have reliable replay system. The game was really never competitive.

Coastal is avering only 293 yards of offense on the season on 4.4 yards per play. They run 35 time sfor 146 yards and attempt 17-32 for 147 yards passing on a pedestrian 4.6 yards per attempt. ODUs defense is solid, nothing spectacular. They give up 4.9 yards per play; 4.3 on the ground and 5.8 thru the air. I dont see Coastal having a ton of success through the air in this game. ODUs defense should perform pretty well. Coastal beat S. Alabama by 18 despite having only 112 yards passing (182 on the ground). SA had a really large statisitcal edge.

ODU averaging 7.8 yards per play and 468 yards of offense. 36-238 on the ground and 17-25-230 in the air. They have a really balanced attack and can attack the defense in whatever manner they want. They also have the potential for a big play at any moment and teams are starting to play 2 high to prevent the big plays and just allowing us to run the ball at will. Coastals defense is ok giving up 381 yards at game at a 5.2 yards per play. 41 rushes for 172 yards (4.3 ypa) and 21-33 209 passing yards 6.4 ypa). Vs. ECU they gave up 507 yards on 86 plays. ECU's offense are no world beaters. I would probably put more stock in that game than the FCS game or the UVA game.
I was hoping to get under 2 touchdowns, but I still like the Monarchs here. I think once they get on the board, Coastal is going to have trouble matching scores. If ODU can force them to have to throw the ball to get back in it, I see it getting pretty ugly.
Thoughts on the O54?
 
Good thing I make bets before listening to journalists lol

Was on the way to the game terrified hearing Coastal guy say they found their QB and have 4 great running backs and best DL in the league. Had me convinced we were gonna lose 😂
 
Just a quick review, ODU made Coastal look like a bad FCS team. Completely outclassed at every position. ODU called off the dogs early in the 3rd Quarter or the numbers could have been more lopsided. Going forward, that is one thing to keep in mind with Rahne is that he is not one that typically tries to run up the score. ODU had 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing. Coastal had 189 yards total. ODU could have done whatever they wanted either on the groupn or through the air. Like Coastal, Marshall will also be coming off a bye.

Diving into Marshall.

Lost to GA- I dont spend 5 mins thinking about this

Lost to Missouri State- took me a few mins to realize they are FBS. On first thought, I thought this was an awful loss for Marshall (well it still is) but Missouri State has been relatively solid this season. Marshall only had 12 first downs and gave up 460 yards.

Beat Eastern Kentucky- QB change in this game. One sided game, not putting much stock in this one.

MTSU- Marshall dominated the 4th Q here. The new QB was 18-22 for 261 and 4 touchdowns. Had 27-14 first down advantage. MTSU did put up 300 yards passins, which seems to be a common theme.

Louisiana- lost in double OT 54-48. Pretty even first downs, Marshall was a little more successful through the air 24-31 for 258 yards. 3 touchdowns

Matchup wise, Marshall doesnt have great offensive numbers but, they have improved the last 3 weeks after changing QBs. They are pretty solid on the ground, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt on 44 carries. ODUs defense has been really solid, especially of late and this might be the toughest matchup since Indiana.

On defense, Marshall is slighly below average probably. Give up about 5.9 yards per paly. Run defense is solid at 3.9 ypc. Pass defense is a concern giving up 16-30 or 245 yards per game....they are giving up 8.2 yards per attempt.

ODU is going to bring something to Marshall that no many Sun Belt teams can do and that is really beat you on the ground and through the air. Marshalls defense is going to have to protect the back end to a certain degree. Marshalls offense has gotten going of late and I expect they will be able to move the ball.

I have no interest in suggesting fading an ODU team that is making things look easy right now. I do feel like this line is a little higher than I would line it. Marshalls change at QB seems to be a huge benefit to them. I might have a tiny interest in the over but not sure I would support it. 14 points on the road at a team I think ODU has only beat 1 time in history is a tall task. Having said that, ODU looks to be a class above everyone else in conference (maybe not JMU) so I will probably just sit back and root on the Monarchs.
 
I watched some of that Marshall- Louisiana game. Louisiana made a QB change about midway through the the 3rd quarter down 31-17 and the replacement chewed them up. They kicked a FG on his first drive and then scored 5 straight TDs, with the last two in OT to win it. He ended with 125 passing and 130 rushing in basically a half.

Not sure if it was a case of Marshall not being prepared as that would have been Louisiana’s 3rd or 4th QB who played by that point in the season, or if it’s something they’re susceptible to.
 
I watched some of that Marshall- Louisiana game. Louisiana made a QB change about midway through the the 3rd quarter down 31-17 and the replacement chewed them up. They kicked a FG on his first drive and then scored 5 straight TDs, with the last two in OT to win it. He ended with 125 passing and 130 rushing in basically a half.

Not sure if it was a case of Marshall not being prepared as that would have been Louisiana’s 3rd or 4th QB who played by that point in the season, or if it’s something they’re susceptible to.
Great notes here, thanks.
 
Just a quick review, ODU made Coastal look like a bad FCS team. Completely outclassed at every position. ODU called off the dogs early in the 3rd Quarter or the numbers could have been more lopsided. Going forward, that is one thing to keep in mind with Rahne is that he is not one that typically tries to run up the score. ODU had 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing. Coastal had 189 yards total. ODU could have done whatever they wanted either on the groupn or through the air. Like Coastal, Marshall will also be coming off a bye.

Diving into Marshall.

Lost to GA- I dont spend 5 mins thinking about this

Lost to Missouri State- took me a few mins to realize they are FBS. On first thought, I thought this was an awful loss for Marshall (well it still is) but Missouri State has been relatively solid this season. Marshall only had 12 first downs and gave up 460 yards.

Beat Eastern Kentucky- QB change in this game. One sided game, not putting much stock in this one.

MTSU- Marshall dominated the 4th Q here. The new QB was 18-22 for 261 and 4 touchdowns. Had 27-14 first down advantage. MTSU did put up 300 yards passins, which seems to be a common theme.

Louisiana- lost in double OT 54-48. Pretty even first downs, Marshall was a little more successful through the air 24-31 for 258 yards. 3 touchdowns

Matchup wise, Marshall doesnt have great offensive numbers but, they have improved the last 3 weeks after changing QBs. They are pretty solid on the ground, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt on 44 carries. ODUs defense has been really solid, especially of late and this might be the toughest matchup since Indiana.

On defense, Marshall is slighly below average probably. Give up about 5.9 yards per paly. Run defense is solid at 3.9 ypc. Pass defense is a concern giving up 16-30 or 245 yards per game....they are giving up 8.2 yards per attempt.

ODU is going to bring something to Marshall that no many Sun Belt teams can do and that is really beat you on the ground and through the air. Marshalls defense is going to have to protect the back end to a certain degree. Marshalls offense has gotten going of late and I expect they will be able to move the ball.

I have no interest in suggesting fading an ODU team that is making things look easy right now. I do feel like this line is a little higher than I would line it. Marshalls change at QB seems to be a huge benefit to them. I might have a tiny interest in the over but not sure I would support it. 14 points on the road at a team I think ODU has only beat 1 time in history is a tall task. Having said that, ODU looks to be a class above everyone else in conference (maybe not JMU) so I will probably just sit back and root on the Monarchs.
Great stuff Dollaz.

Really appreciate this content and the forum always loves when Old Domination sports is humming!
 
One of the popular podcasts lists Old Dominion as the lock of a century. Said it is their biggest bet in 10 years. Dude has been pretty good all year. It is a lot of points on the road for lock of the century, but I'm just sharing.
 
That makes me cringe, lol.

I cant get over how much better that Marshall has looked over the past 3 games, albeit vs. questionable competition.
 
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