Ohio Northern coach: Playoff experience edge goes to Witt

Saturday’s game

Who: Wittenberg (10-0) at Ohio Northern (9-1)

When: Noon

Where: Ada, Ohio

What: First round of NCAA Division III playoffs

SPRINGFIELD — The top first-round game in the NCAA Division III playoffs might take place in Ada at noon Saturday when Ohio Northern hosts Wittenberg. Voters on D3Football.com have tabbed it as the best of the games between No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

With the drama Wittenberg has experienced on the road this fall, in surviving four close games, anything less than a nail-biter would be a surprise. On the other hand, if Wittenberg’s road struggles continue, it might not be that close.

“It’s the only matchup in the first round of two top-10 teams. That’s unique,” Ohio Northern coach Dean Paul said. “Of course, we know Wittenberg is a great team. They’re very, very good and had success in the playoffs last year, so they have the edge there in terms of players who have been through the playoff process.”

Paul coached Thomas More to the playoffs in 2001 when it lost 41-0 to Wittenberg at home in the second round. Ohio Northern, despite a 42-18 record in Paul’s first six seasons, has not been to the postseason since 2000.

This year’s team, led by senior quarterback Kyle Simmons and senior running back Brent Donley, finally broke through.

“Three of the last six years, we were the highest-ranked team not to make it,” Paul said. “We were getting tired of that.”

Playoff opportunities are hard to earn in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The league’s automatic berth is Mount Union’s birthright at this point. The Division III powerhouse has won every OAC title outright since 1995, losing only once in that span, to Ohio Northern in 2005. The Polar Bears haven’t won the OAC since 1942.

This year’s Ohio Northern team hoped to end that streak, but lost 27-0 to Mount Union on Oct. 2. The Purple Raiders dominated, outgaining the Polar Bears 451-183 and 25-9 in first downs.

Ohio Northern, ranked seventh by D3Football.com and 11th by the American Football Coaches Association, didn’t let that result ruin its season. It has won each of its last six games by at least 20 points.

“It was disappointing,” Paul said. “Mount made us look pretty bad, like they have done to a lot of people. We competed hard and just didn’t make any plays, and the defense was on the field way too long.

“The thing about this group is we have good leadership,” he added. “I was hoping they’d be disappointed but not discouraged.”