One could contend that things are “going pretty well according to plan” for Ohio Dominican University head coach Bill Conley. After learning the ropes of the GLIAC for a couple of seasons, the Panthers broke out with an 8-3 mark in 2012. Each of the three losses came at the hands of a ranked opponent, and ODU closed out the second half with a five-game win streak. Conley is a proven commodity at more than one level of college football, and he’s showing his stripes once again, as ODU is quickly earning a reputation within the GLIAC as a team to be reckoned with. The rest of the league appears to have taken notice, as ODU is the coaches’ pick to finish second in the South Division.
The responsibility for keeping things moving forward in 2013 will fall on the shoulders of junior quarterback Mark Miller and his fellow backfield mates. Miller was quite efficient last season and will have the luxury of having his top two receivers returning, as well as his top three ground gainers. The rushing attack will feature sophomore Brandon Schoen, who notched more than 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign. The team will need some patience in order to replicate their production last year, however, as nearly the entire offensive line must be retooled. Similarly, about half of the defense also departed, but leading tackler Justin Bell will once again lead the charge from the secondary.
With only four home dates this year, the Panthers will live a “traveler’s life” for the most of the season. This is particularly true of the second half of the slate, as four of their final six games will be on the road. There is some “bang for the buck” in their home games, however. They have early visits from Hillsdale College and Grand Valley State University, and the highlight of the schedule may well be a nationally televised Thursday night game against University of Findlay in week seven.