Always OUA

Waterloo Suspends Men's Rugby team for one match

2013-09-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

I guess the headline is self explanatory

From the UW varsity website:

The University of Waterloo has suspended the men's rugby team for one OUA league game due to contravention of the Department of Athletics' student-athlete behavioral expectations.

"The responsible consumption of alcohol is a message that is strongly reinforced with all students on our campus including student-athletes," commented Director of Athletics Bob Copeland. "Overconsumption of alcohol can have dangerous consequences and is not conducive to a high performance training environment, nor does it reflect the values of our student-athlete community. "

The game they forfeited was scheduled for today in Kingston against RMC. The Warriors beat the Paladins last year 29-13.

I graduated from this school last year, so all of my sources (er varsity friends) did not come up with anything. If you remember a few years back, it was the school, not the OUA, who suspended its entire football team when 9 players were caught using steroids.

I could speculate at the drink (or shot) that broke the AD's back. It is frosh week, so use your imagination

As an alum, I feel embarrassed. As an athlete, I feel bad for the players not able to play. As a former undergrad and under 25-something, I laugh.

--MP

So this is awkward...

2013-08-13T19:37:00.002-07:00

We haven't posted anything in almost a year...

Lets catch up with our co-founders/editors/writers/20-somethings-who-love-niche-sports-leagues
Chris is doing work as the Content Producer for the Ottawa Senators (of the NHL!!!!!1!!!one!!) Find him here and here

And as for me, I am beginning my mathematics teaching career in a foreign country

While we're out of our respective schools, our love for OUA sports is still strong. We would love to see content continue on a league we spent the better of three years covering.

If you have an opinion/anecdote/story/picture/epic power ballad of anything related to the OUA, send it our way, and we'll give'r a post

Peace, Love, and the OUA,

MP

OUA Uncut: Mike Daly

2012-10-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Score recently put on mic on McMaster DB Michael Daly in a 43-0 win over Laurier. Michael sings, chirps, and throws his 182 lbs around to make some great hits and open field tackles. Daly and the Marauders take on Western next week in the OUA semi finals. Enjoy the rest of your Hallo-weekend

OUA Football Quarter-final Previews

2012-10-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Windsor Lancers at Western Mustangs

The Western Mustangs, despite getting a home playoff game, proved many people right this season. Around the OUA and CIS there was plenty of skepticism that this team simply lacked the talent of years past. Some deficiencies were evident during last year's Yates Cup -- though, granted, how deficient could you be in a provincial championship -- and the loss of Tyler Varga from the program certainly eliminated the offence's home run threat. While a cursory look indicates that they have one of the top offences and defences in the province, some more in-depth perusals will show you that much of these numbers were generated in games against the lower tier teams in the conference.

The fact is that while the Mustangs have plenty of individual weapons across the field on both sides of the ball, it hasn't come together at the right times. Take away lopsided wins against Waterloo, Toronto and Laurier and you find a team that hasn't scored when the defence plays well and hasn't gotten stops when they are scoring at ease.

A spotlight will fall on Mustang pivot Will Finch this weekend. As one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation this past spring, Finch comes with a sparkling pedigree out of Nelson HS in Burlington, but remains untested in OUA postseason play. While I'm sure the Mustangs are happy to be able to show off their prize so early in his career, a fifth year quarterback -- Donnie Marshall -- was their ideal starter, given his experience. Finch boasts better tools, there's no denying it, but Marshall has seen it all. While the offence will be better for Finch's presence going forward, there's always uncertainty that comes with a rookie quarterback.

Windsor has had problems all over the field, ironically, except for one position. Quarterback. Austin Kennedy has continued to be a game breaking player under centre in his second season as the full time starter. While he hasn't quite had the magic touch of 2011, he has been a formidable weapon nonetheless, plaguing defences across the province with his elusive skill and big arm. The question for Windsor is, of course, who else will be there to step up and help.

Kennedy has no problem amassing yardage -- leading the nation in passing yards per game -- and can put points on the board. However, he has a tendency to get reckless with the ball, throwing the most interceptions in the country (15). His mobility and a weak offensive line are also a liability. He was sacked the second most times of any quarterback in Canada (27) which is equal parts breakdowns in protection and Kennedy running himself into trouble. He'll need to balance explosiveness with game management to be successful, as the offence depends solely on his ability to make plays.

Defensively the Lancers will be in tough against a hard nosed Western offence. Given that Western boasts one of the bigger offensive lines in the province and arguably the most proven run-first playbook in active use, the Lancers will need to overcome the liability they've shown on the ground game as only the Waterloo Warriors surrendered more yards against per game on the ground this season. Against the top rushing attack in the province, they'll need big stops from their defensive front.

It'll be a pass to score, run to win game in London, and barring a massive performance from Kennedy, I can't see a way the Lancers pull off the road upset.

Western 38 - Windsor 25

Laurier Golden Hawks at Queen's Golden Gaels

A borderline catastrophic loss to the Guelph Gryphons in week seven means the Golden Gaels are forced to play a quarter-final game this year, despite appearing to be a lock for the first round bye earlier this season. This is why games are played on grass (note I said grass and not turf because Richardson Stadium) and not on paper, and the Gryphons deserve full marks for a brilliant comeback victory and a deserved week off.

The storyline to follow this week is the status of Ryan Granberg heading into Saturday's game. The Gaels' top back was used late in the game one week ago and had to be helped off after picking up a knock against Toronto. For those of you who follow this league quite closely, it may evoke memories of former Gaels' star Mike Giffin missing the Gaels' 2008 playoff opener (albeit a semifinal game) against the Ottawa Gee-Gees after being played under similar circumstances against a lowly Waterloo team.

If there's one thing the Gaels have it is offensive weaponry, but there isn't a coach in the province -- or the country for that matter -- who wouldn't relish having an explosive runner like Granberg behind their quarterback, particularly with a forecast calling for rain. With no Granberg, additional weight falls on the shoulders of Billy McPhee who has historically struggled in bad weather games thus far in his career. The loss of 32 in the backfield could loom large after the final whistle, even with players like Giovanni Aprile, Justin Chapdelaine or Scott MacDonnell split out wide.

Defensively for the Gaels, the team needs to keep doing what it has been doing all season long. They have been one of the more consistent units in the league and have effectively eliminated the home run threat, with the exception of a couple miscues. They'll be facing an inexperienced and largely ineffective Laurier team. The key will be making the routine look routine and keeping everything in front of them.

It's difficult to understate how dishevelled the Laurier Golden Hawks have been offensively this season. They have picked up the smallest amount of yardage of any team in the province and have been allergic to touchdowns since week one. Had Ottawa pulled the trigger on Gerry Etcheverry earlier in the season -- or simply not hired him at all -- a 35 point outburst from the Golden Hawks is likely nullified and Laurier more than likely misses the playoffs.

Herm Edwards may have unfurled his "play to win the game" speech after his then-New York Jets backed their way into a playoff position, but Laurier may have one upped the concept of backing in beyond recognition. They're here, and thus deserve their shot to advance, but a lot of things had to go right during a season that went very, very wrong.

With much youth and inexperience scattered across the field, it's difficult to score an edge for Laurier in any facet of the game. Who starts at quarterback for the Golden Hawks is currently a mystery, though it would be fair to assume that both Travis Eman and Steve Fantham will get snaps. Let's also not forget that one year ago, a much better Golden Hawks team than this one entered Queen's for this exact game and was beaten by an almost identical Gaels lineup, save for backup quarterback Ryan Mitchell starting the game. I have trouble finding a scenario wherein the Golden Hawks escape with a win.

Barring a turnover festival hosted by Billy McPhee I expect the Gaels to come away with a win here and punch their ticket to Guelph. The rain that is expected may play a factor, but it shouldn't be enough to slow down a much more effective and veteran Queen's squad. For Laurier, look out for Mitchell Bosch as he'll be sure to try and put on a show in what could be his last game in purple and gold.

Queen's 33 - Laurier 12

First Years Gone Wild

2012-10-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

Lakehead's Luke Judson is using his below average body to lead the league in points

We're just over two weeks into the OUA men's hockey season, yet a few players have already become comfortable in a league where age and experience can vary greatly from player to player. As of today, 5 of the top 15 point getters in the OUA are players in their first year of eligibility, though they are all born in 1991 (incoming freshman are born in 1994). Here is a rundown of those players

Luke Judson-RW-Lakehead Thunderwolves
6GP, 4G, 6A
Luke amassed 168 points in 276 games with the OHL's Belleville Bulls. According to his twitter account (@judder14) Luke is an average hockey player with a below average body. Luke is tied with team mate Thomas Frazee for tops in the league with 10 points

Andy Bathgate-C-Guelph Gryphons
6GP, 5G, 4A
Andy tallied 180 point in 240 games for the OHL's Bulls and Plymouth Whalers. He also played 2 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and was selected 151st overall by Pittsburgh in 2009. Bathgate and Judson were team mates on the Bulls

Colin Behenna-C-Waterloo Warriors
4 GP, 5G, 3A
Colin scored 202 point for the OHL's Barrie Colts in 240 games. Colin has scored the game winning goal in each of the Warrior's 3 wins thus far

Antoine Quevillon-LW-UQTR Patriotes
5GP, 4G, 3A
Antoine got 55 points in 119, playing with the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Shawinigan Cataractes

Mitchel Porowski-LW-Carleton Ravens
4GP, 4G, 2A
He previously split time between the Q's Gatineau Olympiques and the OHL's Brampton Battalion gaining 89 points in 214

Maybe coaches need to step up their recruiting. There is talent out there that can come in right away and make an impact to their team

We'll track their progress throughout the year

Programming Note: Programming will be back this week

2012-10-17T20:19:00.004-07:00

Hey Folks,

Long time no talk.

As many of you have heard, the UR blog over at theScore is no more, and as such I'll be able to re-dedicate the football coverage here which will then turn into hockey and basketball and big news and the like.

Thank you for bearing with us through this lull.

-Chris

Laurier Baseball Suspended over Hazing Incidents

2012-09-20T13:40:00.001-07:00

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks baseball team has been suspended a minimum of 4 games following reports over hazing

Source

More to follow

Weekend Rundown: September 4, 2012

2012-09-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

I decided today's rundown of week one will be a bullet point collection of my thoughts. Don't like it? Nobody cares about whether or not you like it, and 99.99999% of said nobodies don't care about my opinion either. Welcome to the world.

Without any further displays of loathing, here's today's rundown...

1) It's tough to get a read on that Windsor/Ottawa game for a couple of reasons. First of all, I didn't see it with my eyes beyond a highlight pack. Highlight packs are meant to tell a story, and this story was an utter demolition of one team by another. Said pack served said purpose. With this in mind, I have no idea how to evaluate them one week into the year. Does this make Windsor a scary Yates Cup favourite? It sure puts them in the discussion, especially since Austin Kennedy is doing his best Cam Newton at Auburn impression. But the fact of the matter is Ottawa could just be flat out terrible, in which case their result was no different than the other blowouts we saw. I have a hard time believing Ottawa is bad to the tune of 63-18, but you never know in this game. We'll revisit this after week two.

2) Speaking of blowouts, Western beat Waterloo! Who saw that coming? In all seriousness though, I was largely disappointed by the Western effort. This game I DID have the opportunity to watch and the Mustangs completely underwhelmed me. When I see a team that is supposed to be a Yates Cup contender against a team with a firm stranglehold on last place, I want utter dominance and I didn't get it. Physically, Waterloo held their own along the lines for much of the game and kept the Mustangs in check. Perhaps I'm being too hard on Western -- it's likely the case that I am -- but I wanted to see a little more. They take on a Toronto team riding high next week, and that should tell us a little more about who they are. Full credit to Waterloo in this one, they played with plenty of #want as any fellow baseball fan would attest.

3) McMaster and Guelph. Where to begin. First of all, the score is a little more than what I figured it would be (Ed. note - official predicitons here return this week. Huzzah!) though the statlines of particular individuals also corresponded with what I had in mind. Kyle Quinlan threw the ball all over the field? You don't say. Robert Babic with 150+ yards and a couple TDs? He's probably an all-CIS WR this year, go figure. It's like these guys won a national title or something. Guelph, as they have since I began following CIS football, continue to frustrate me to no end. A 3.5 yard per play average, juggling quarterbacks, and faltering after what was, by all accounts, a good start to a tough road game. Sustained effort and consistency in key on-field positions need to be priorities, otherwise development is stunted. They got beat by a better team, but a 41 point margin of victory is too much to declare this any sort of moral victory.

4) Opening the season on the road at the decrepid shack that is Richardson Stadium is not easy for any team, so kudos to the York Lions for a solid effort. Many teams are so focused on getting the hell out of there they forget to, you know, score points, but York did well for themselves. Myles Gibbon had a productive OUA debut with 241 yards and a couple of TD passes through the air and 68 yards on the ground. He was sacked six times, but given that the trenches are usually the last thing a program puts together, that's not surprising. Across the ball, Queen's got production from everyone you expected with Ryan Granberg taking home a gold star for a three TD game. A point of concern going forward has to be Billy McPhee and ball protection. Two interceptions against a York team can't happen, and it will come back to bite you much harder in games against better teams. Being aware of how hard you can throw a ball gets you in trouble. Billy the Kid needs to settle down and wait for bigger windows to open up.

5) This is the part of the post where everyone ought to rise up out of their chairs and give the Toronto Varsity Blues a round of applause. Not only did they win their home opener in front of a packed Varsity Stadium, they beat an OUA power program in the process. Now, I understand that the Golden Hawks are going through some sort of puberty phase right now, but the importance of this win for Toronto is hard to understate. Coach Gary and co. have been adamant about wanting to make each week about progress and this is a confidence booster for them going forward. As for Laurier, we knew this year would be a struggle. A bunch of talent has departed the program in the past 10 months and how they came out the other side was very much up in the air. They need to put this behind them and get focused on playing under the lights on national television. Nothing erases the sting of a loss like a win over a nationally ranked opponent in prime time.

6) On a note relevant to Laurier, I'm going to put a co-editor on blast and say I disagree with one Mr. Piazza on Travis Eman. Even if he's not ready for CIS football, I say you trot him out there and begin his education on the fly. There are ways to hide his discomfort in the system and with the playing style and he can only learn so much with a clipboard in his hand. Get him those reps now so he's ready to lead this team late in the season and in 2013. I know it's early to be looking that far ahead, but it may be the realist's best option.

7) Speaking of quarterbacking, can the Guelph Gryphons just anoint someone? They attempted 32 passes against McMaster -- 19 from the arm of Jazz Lindsey and 13 from the arm of Luke Nangle -- and you effectively benefit nobody by splitting throws. At the end of 2011 and coming into 2012, Lindsey was hailed as the future of Gryphons football and a can't miss OUA star. Most people, myself included, who had the opportunity to watch him play thought this was very evident. Why on earth is he having snaps siphoned away from him? (No disrespect to Nangle of course.) If this is to be Lindsey's team he needs to get the snaps, especially those that come against the toughest opponent on your schedule. Experience helps the game slow down for a young player. The Gryphons coaching staff needs to take its finger off the panic button. Success comes as players grow into the system, but they can't grow if you cut their opportunities at the first sign of struggles.

8) The theme of week one was essentially 'wait and see'. There were many big performances from teams and many duds dropped by others, but until we have enough knowledge to effectively contextualize these games, all they are is simply a final score. One thing I think we can all agree on is that it's damn good to have OUA football back.

Send us your thoughts on the weekend. Comment, tweet, facebook.

Beyond the Boxscore: Laurier at Toronto 9/3/12

2012-09-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

A cool video from the U of T Athletic Department

This segment takes you behind the numbers in the newspaper to break down some aspects of play

Pregame atmosphere
About 10 minutes before kickoff, the stadium was full. There was great representation from both teams. Varsity Stadium is perfect for the OUA; it would be awesome to see every school with facilities like these. Official attendance was 4397

Travis Eman
A lot of media hype (well, in the OUA anyway) was made when this quarterback transferred to Laurier from Furman University (South Carolina). The headlines of "Laurier lands NCAA QB" were a little misleading since he did not throw a pass in Division I football. He hasnt played 3 down rules in over 2 years (he went to high school in the states) and had very little time in training camp with the offence. Thus, I expected him to be very raw, and he was. Laurier Coach Gary Jeffries seemed to be easing Eman into the game. He called a lot of rushes early on, with some RB sweeps which did not produce anything. It seemed like Eman wasn't ready, and if so, why was he trotted out there? Perhaps the Hawks should started their back up QB, and eased Eman into the game later on, if at all. Towards the end of the game, Eman tossed two great balls in the endzone, only to have them dropped by his wideouts

Laurier Protection
The Laurier OLine did not do a good job of protecting Eman or K/P Ronnie Pfeffer. Pfeffer had Blue shirts in his face on the majority of his punts, and had a FG blocked. This unit needs to be better.

Toronto Offence
After a lackluster 1st quarter, the Varsity Blues offence started to shake off their pre season rust. They put together two nice drives where they chewed some clock and moved down the field steadily using both the arm of QB Rich Quittenton and the legs of RB Ashton Nelson. They didn't score on these drives, but their ability to consistently make plays is a good sign for Blues fans. Quittenton was zipping passes down the middle of the field as the game wound down.

Toronto DBs
I cant remember a game where I saw as many swats by defensive backs as I did last night. Tight coverage of Laurier receivers as well.

K/P Ronnie Pfeffer
This guy can boot it, when he gets the opportunity to (see Laurier protection)

The end result
Toronto got amazing field position twice that resulted in their TDs. While they weren't great throughout the whole game, they were better than the lifeless Golden Hawks who failed to score a single point in a game since 1984

FINAL: Laurier Golden Hawks 0 at Toronto Varsity Blues 19

Laurier (0-1) hosts Queens (1-0) next week while the Blues (1-0) travel to London to take on Western (1-0)

Closing notes
This was the first upset I've witnessed live in OUA football. It was very eerie, like the football gods were playing some trick on me. It just goes to show everyone: on any given day, anyone can win. Isn't that the beauty of sports?

Athletic Department Snapshot: Queen's Gaels

2012-08-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 37

Athletic Director: Leslie Dal Cin (entering her 6th year as AD)

Recent OUA Championships: Men's Fencing (2011-2012, 2010-2011), Football (2009-2010), Women's Rowing (2010-2011), Men's Rugby (2009-2010), Women's Soccer (2011-2012), Women's Squash (2009-2010), Men's Volleyball (2011-2012, 2009-2010), Women's Volleyball (2011-2012)

Recent CIS Championships: Football (2009-2010), Women's Soccer (2011-2012)

Major Sponsors: Adidas, Telus, Belair Direct

Athletic Department Snapshot: Ottawa Gee-Gees

2012-08-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 20

Athletic Director: Luc Gélineau

Recent OUA Championships: Women's Basketball (2011-2012), Men's Golf (2009-2010), Women's Hockey (2010-2011)

Recent CIS Championships: None

Major Sponsors: Adidas, Belair Direct, Gadar Sports Wear

Athletic Department Snapshot: Nipissing Lakers

2012-08-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 8

Athletics Director: Vito Castiglione

Recent OUA Championships:

Recent CIS Championships:

Major Sponsors: Adidas

CIS Top 10 Ranking Watch: Pre-season

2012-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Above: The first Google Images result for 'Rankings'

The first CIS Top-10 poll of the year has made its way to newstands across the nation and, as such, as a newly minted Top 10 voter after all these years I will be sharing my weekly ballot with you.

The Actual CIS Top 10

1. McMaster (0-0)	294 (25)	-
2. Laval (0-0)	257 (4)	-
3. Calgary (0-0)	246 (1)	-
4. Montreal (0-0)	180	-
5. Western (0-0)	142	-
6. Queen’s (0-0)	121	-
7. UBC (0-0)	100	-
8. Saskatchewan (0-0)	81	-
9. Acadia (0-0)	51	-
10. Windsor (0-0)	50	-

Chris Lund's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Pre-season Top 10

1. McMaster

2. Laval

3. Calgary

4. Montreal

5. Queen's

6. Western

7. Saskatchewan

8. UBC

9. Acadia

10. Windsor

My Thoughts

- Not too many this week given that we more or less line up on this one. This is probably the only time this year these ballots will line up in such a way.

- I think Queen's deserves to be above Western on a talent basis, but hey, we'll see how it shakes out.

- Voters ranking UBC ahead of Saskatchewan is odd to me given that UBC didn't win a game last year... *rimshot*

Leave YOUR thoughts below, in tweet or e-mail form, or on our Facebook page.

RougeRadio.com's CIS Football Preview

2012-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Above: A rouge radio

We have no affiliation with this program whatsoever, but this blog is happy to pump out other people's content so long as they're fighting the good fight and promoting CIS/OUA endeavours. As such, we humbly submit for your ears the "2012 RougeRadio.com CIS Football Preview" featuring CIS Director of Communications and all-around good guy Michel Belanger.

Enjoy!

AlwaysOUA's XP1000 Turbo Charged Power Rankings: Pre-Season Edition

2012-08-27T22:53:00.001-07:00

Image Courtesy of 'Googling' the word 'Power'

The AlwaysOUA rollout of fancy new (these Rankings are not new) toys for the year 2012 continues with our first OUA football power rankings - a rank of teams that command the most respect in that particular week... and GO!

Holders of the Power

1) McMaster - Making a Power Ranking in the pre-season is easy when the defending national champions return most of their roster and enter the year as the odds-on favourite to go undefeated and win the league again. As such, you find the McMaster Marauders in first place because they are the defending national champions and appear poised to go undefeated and win the league again. If they do, I'd have to think they would be favourites to play for a second national title. Hence, most power.

2) Queen's - The Gaels only graduated four players from the roster that fell to McMaster in the OUA semifinals (after incurring heavy losses) and steamrolled then-No. 1 Western in their season finale (after Western incurred heavy losses). Billy McPhee has the skillset to catapult him into the elite echelon of CIS quarterbacks this season in the Pat Sheahan system. The defence is loaded with veterans and playmakers. Ryan Granberg, Giovanni Aprile, Justin Chapdelaine, and on and on are elite talent on offence. I like what I see here.

3) Western - I realize that Western doesn't appear to have the face value talent that they have in years past. They have been largely panned for this, but if someone can seriously look me in the eye and tell me they don't think a Greg Marshall team will find a way to win more games than they lose then maybe -- maybe -- I'll consider it for three seconds before laughing it off. This team will be good. Do I think they're as good as the teams above? No. This is why they are three today and I'm sure they'll make me consider moving them up.

4) Windsor - Here's the deal: I put the Windsor Lancers here because of Austin Kennedy and the outrageously magnificent season he had last year. When you look at players who have the uncanny ability to carry a team in this league, Kennedy may actually be the top man for the job. With this in mind, I want Kennedy and the Lancers to prove what they can do. Is the 2011 team going to be a blip on a radar of crap or did they set the tone for a new, sweet, merciful era for a football program desperate to turn it around?

5) Ottawa - We're venturing into the heart of the rankings that will generate some controversy. I have Ottawa in the five hole because of a largely veteran lineup and talented quarterback. This is another program that just finds a way to win. I appreciate that they've faced a ton of adversity leading up to this year, but when you consider that a year ago they took a 'step back' and still finished 5-3, I am optimistic. Gerry Etcheverry is a battle tested coach and the Beckwith Park situation should only serve as a way of bringing this team together. They'll need something to pass the time on the bus rides and being friends seems like the obvious thing to do.

6) Guelph - The Gryphons are a tricky case this year with many unknowns on the roster. A lot of youth is being asked to step in and play key minutes at key positions. Obviously teams have had successful seasons with youth before but it is far from a guarantee. I do like that they appear to have improved their physicality along the offensive and defensive lines, as indicated by their result against a very good Saskatchewan team. Provided their running game improves from a year ago and Jazz Lindsey continues his development, this team has the potential to build towards a deep playoff run.

7) Laurier - The Golden Hawks are lower on my list than many would have them for two primary reasons. First of all I was flat out unimpressed with them last year. Lots of talent up and down the lineup, but for whatever reason just couldn't put it together. Fast forward a year and the bulk of their impact talent is gone, and after one of the largest recruiting classes in team history they're left with a lot of talent fresh out of high school to get this season off the ground. Quite simply, there's a lot of work to be done -- this is the second reason. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll be competitive, but they'll have to fight for anything they accomplish.

8) Toronto - The Varsity Blues have been making steady progress over the last two seasons but whether or not this year is a plateau, a step forward or a step back remains to be seen. Key losses at key positions give them a lot of ground to make up internally. However, I'm cautiously optimistic with this group. I really like the job Greg Gary and his staff have done since taking the reins at Varsity Stadium. Making games about managing expectations and breeding competitiveness has yielded positive results and I expect the upward trend to continue.

9) York - The Lions have taken drastic strides over the past couple of seasons with a big influx of talent into the system by way of active recruiting. Warren Craney and Co. have done an excellent job, simple as that. The addition of Myles Gibbon to the program appears to give the Lions a bonafide starting quarterback -- their first in some time -- which could be a real catalyst for them going forward into the next two seasons. York is money in the bank for a win this year and anything else would be gravy. They literally have everything to gain.

10) Waterloo - It's no secret that the Warriors are in a spot of bother. The year after their hiatus led to a constant beat down from opposition, the departure of their head coach and much open speculation as to why they brought the program back in the first place. There is good in this scenario though. They brought in a very good recruiting class, both in number of players and talent, they have a coach with CFL experience at the helm and they have everyone taking them lightly. The world has seen more unlikely underdog stories succeed -- there's no reason to bury Waterloo just yet. Relatively speaking though, they have no power, hence they are 10.

Those are your pre-season Power Rankings. Feel free to leave us a comment below, send us a Tweet/e-mail or drop us a line on our Facebook page. We respond to all non-idiots and some idiots just to be fair.

Weekend Rundown: August 27, 2012

2012-08-27T19:54:00.001-07:00

(Photo Courtesy of Marauders.ca)

You can expect a lot of new weekly features on Always OUA, the first of which we're rolling out will be the weekend rundown - a weekly recap of pertinent OUA issues.... and GO!

This past weekend brought us to that magical time which is pre-season OUA football. Seriously, what's better than the return of the OUA? I'm open to answers but you will be absolutely wrong.

McMaster vs. Laval

The Marauders -- or 2011 World Champs, whatever you want to call them -- went to Laval to learn how the big boys did it a year ago. Perhaps this time Laval hosted them for the same reason. Either way, it was a bit of a mixed bag for the Marauders.

McMaster didn't win the game, but by all accounts they looked quite good. Kyle Quinlan went 8 for 12 for 114 yards and a score while friend of the blog and Kingston native Marshall Ferguson went 5 for 18, picking up 141 yards to go with a TD and a pick. Jimmy Hill picked up 43 yards on six carries to go home as the Marauders leading rusher.

McMaster wanted to look at home against the Rouge-et-Or starters and did just that. If a Vanier Cup rematch doesn't get them amped up for the season, what will?

Getting to why this was a mixed bag, however...

Hold up: Bad news for Mac

The Marauders were dealt a blow over the weekend when it became known that Chris Pezzetta, their running back who emerged as a freshman star in 2011, went down with a knee injury. Larry Moko of the Hamilton Spectator has reported that Pezzetta will require surgery on his ACL and will sit out 6-8 months, rendering him unavailable for the 2012 season.

Now, most teams would be crippled by the loss as many, myself included, had Pezzetta on the shortlist to be the OUA (if not, CIS) rushing champion in 2012. But, as we all know, McMaster reloads running backs like nobody's business. Looking at the number of backs they've run through in the past three years without a drop off in production is jaw dropping. If anything, the year away from the field could be an opportunity for the second year player to step back and get a better grasp of the systematic element of the game and build on his physical tools.

It won't make the sidelines any easier to swallow, but it is a silver lining nonetheless. You need to find those in a situation like this. Other silver linings include the performances of Jimmy Hill and return of Tanner Forsyth.

Guelph vs. Saskatchewan

With a result that raised a few eyebrows around the CIS, the Guelph Gryphons knocked off the Saskatchewan Huskies by a 26-21 on the road in their pre-season action. As a consensus favourite with Calgary and UBC in the Canada West scene, Saskatchewan is no powderpuff. Guelph did well to earn a win, even in the pre-season.

Typically speaking, trips to Western Canada such as the one Guelph made this year have been very positive for teams in the OUA. You're off to play strong teams in the overarching CIS scene who play a very physical style of football. For a young team like the Gryphons, the opportunities for learning are virtually boundless, and to come away with a win is just another plus.

They will be a better team for the trip.

Luke Nangle played the majority of the time at the pivot spot for Guelph and racked up 142 yards on 10 completions. Carl Trivieri had a team high 77 yards receiving on three catches. Most reports indicate that the Gryphons really dominated the battle in the trenches which is encouraging given their struggles along the lines in recent years. Again, this is big.

York vs. Bishop's

York had a very York result during their pre-season game against Bishop's, dropping a 35-2 scoreline to the Bishop's Gaiters. So yeah, that.

It's easy to be pessimistic but let's be realistic here. They've brought in a heap of new recruits over the last two years. Bringing this group together is not going to be easy between the youth and new faces. Though there is ultimately room for optimism.

The talent is always getting better, it's just a matter of clicking. As things stand I fully expect York to get beat handily on opening day (no offence to any Lions reading this, but a packed Richardson Stadium in week one isn't exactly a favourable situation for anyone), but will they be a much better team in their season finale? Absolutely. This is about building a program, not about stats or results. You need to see the on-field displays before you can see those tangible outcomes.

As such I've left the stats out of this recap. Go find them yourself. Lazy.

Toronto vs. Concordia

The Toronto Varsity Blues had a much more encouraging pre-season showing than their cross-town rival, as they came within a touchdown of knocking off the Concordia Stingers.

The result is positive for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Toronto has lost a handful of staple players over the past two years and how they responded this year was very much up in the air. To go toe-to-toe with a competitive Quebec team and come close to knocking them off is a win for this team.

They have lost their starting quarterback (Andrew Gillis), defensive catalyst (Wilkerson De Souza) and really cool name (Dorian Monroe) in the span of a few months. The response has been very good thus far. Who slides in to what role is still up in the air, but the Varsity Blues could find themselves in the playoff discussion this year.

I have a lot of faith in Greg Gary & co. You should too.

Queen's vs. McGill

The Gaels got their pre-season off to the right start with a 23-9 victory over McGill. The last time the Gaels knocked off the Redmen was 2008, prior to a perfect season wherein they rolled through the OUA. Had it not been for devastating injuries to the likes of Mike Giffin, Thaine Carter, etc., the team may very well have won back-to-back Vanier Cup titles. Beating McGill got that stretch started.

The production was positive across the board from the Gaels as Billy McPhee threw for a hair under 200 yards (187), Ryan Granberg averaged roughly five yards per carry and Giovanni Aprile recorded a TD. You wanted your checkmarks? There they are.

I've been moderately baffled at the apparent lack of respect for the Gaels as I see this team as a legitimate Vanier Cup contender, let alone Yates Cup favourite. They have one of the best coaching staffs in the country and some of the most explosive veteran talent on top of that. These are good things for a team looking to win a title or two.

They have been notoriously slow starters since their Vanier championship, but they also haven't played a pre-season game in those years. If this game clicks them into high gear quicker than usual, the OUA ought to be very concerned.

Eman rightly cleared to play

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks got a nice break for the upcoming season as Travis Eman, a transfer quarterback from Furman University in South Carolina, was cleared to play by the CIS.

Normally I'm pretty hard line on these transfer cases but the Eman situation is considerably different than a player simply trying to back his way into more meaningful minutes. The 19 year old Brampton native transferred to Laurier in an effort to be closer to home and his mother who is ill.

Transfers are generally an area left to much scrutiny, but when it comes to family matters I'm hard pressed to find something more black and white. If you're passing up over $200k in scholarships to be close to home, there is no debate to be had.

Eman was rated the number two quarterback prospect in New York state by ESPN (yes, that one) after a successful career at Canisius High School in New York State. Provided he can re-adjust to the three down game, Laurier could be getting a massive boost from a big talent.

There's your weekend rundown. Feel free to leave us a comment below, send us a Tweet or an e-mail or drop us a line on our Facebook page. We respond to all non-idiots and some idiots just to be fair.

Athletic Department Snapshot: McMaster Marauders

2012-08-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 35

Athletic Director: Jeff Giles (entering his 3rd year as AD)

Recent OUA Championships: Football (2011-2012), Men's Rugby (2010-2011), Men's Soccer (2011-2012, 2009-2010), Men's Volleyball (2010-2011)

Recent CIS Championships: Football (2011-2012)

Major Corporate Sponsors: McDonald's, RBC, Labatt's

Athletic Department Snapshot: Guelph Gryphons

2012-08-26T16:29:00.002-07:00

Varsity Teams: 32
Athletic Director: Tom Kendall (entering his 9th year as AD)
Recent OUA Championships: Men's Cross C0untry (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Women's Cross Country (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Field Hockey (2010-2011, 2009-2010), FIgure Skating (2009-2010), Women's Rugby (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Men's Wrestling (2010-2011)
Recent CIS Championships: Men's Cross Country (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Women's Cross Country (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Women's Rugby (2011-2012)

Major Sponsors: Boston Pizza, Belair Direct, Russel Athletics

Athletic Department Snapshot: Laurentian Voyageurs

2012-08-24T07:37:00.001-07:00

Varsity Teams: 16
Athletic Director: Peter Hellstrom (entering his 14th year as AD)
Recent OUA Championships: None
Recent CIS Championships: None

Major Sponsors: Adidas, Coca Cola, Sun Life Financial

Athletic Department Snapshot: Lakehead Thunderwolves

2012-08-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 17
Athletic Director: Tom Warden (entering his 14th year as AD)
Recent OUA Championships: Men's Basketball (2010-2011), Men's Nordic Skiing (2011-2012), Women's Nordic Skiing (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Men's Wrestling (2009-2010)
Recent CIS Championships:

Major Sponsors: Royal Bank of Canada

Athletic Department Snapshot: Carleton Ravens

2012-08-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 20

Athletic Director: Jennifer Brenning (entering her 6th year as AD)

Recent OUA Championships: Men's Basketball (2011-2012, 2009-2010), Men's Fencing (2009-2010), Women's Fencing (2011-2012, 2009-2010), Men's Nordic Skiing (2010-2011, 2009-2010), Men's Waterpolo (2011-2012), Women's Waterpolo (2010-2011, 2009-2010)

Recent CIS Championships: Men's Basketball (2011-2012, 2010-2011)

Major Corporate Sponsors: Coca Cola, Tim Hortons, Ottawa Senators

Up Next: Lakehead Thundervolves

Athletic Department Snapshot: Brock Badgers

2012-08-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Varsity Teams: 28

Athletics Director: Robert Hilson (entering his 2nd year as AD)

Recent OUA Championships: Womens Wrestling (2011-2012, 2010-2011, 2009-2010), Mens Rowing (2010-2011), Mens Baseball (2010-2011), Men's Wrestilng (2009-2010)

Recent CIS Championships: Women's Wrestling (2011-2012)

Major Corporate Sponsors: Adidas, Dairy Queen, Scotiabank

Up Next: Carleton Ravens

Athletic Department Snapshot: Overview

2012-08-20T11:53:00.002-07:00

As many OUA sports are set to begin their season, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce each member school by taking a look at their respective athletic departments.

To compose each school's 'snapshot,' I have compiled the number of varsity teams they have, and how these teams have fared in the past 3 years. The snapshots will also feature how much each department budgeted for athletics last season.

With these snapshots, I wanted to target people who are new to the OUA (incoming first years, athletes in grade 11 and 12 etc) as well as the casual sports fan, in hopes that a little knowledge will go a long way in their decision to support the OUA. Questions, comments, and concerns always welcome.

--MP

Gee-Gees to play at Beckwith Park

2012-08-14T13:43:00.002-07:00

It's certainly not going to be an easy sell, but the Ottawa Gee-Gees will be playing their OUA Football season out at Beckwith Park, a facility southwest of Carleton Place. The Gee-Gees typically play their home games at Frank Clair Stadium which is wrapped up in Ottawa's Lansdowne Park construction project.

The facility is meant to be a holding place while Ottawa completes construction on a new $8 million facility.

The problems with the Beckwith plan are pretty obvious. For starters -- and no disrespect to the fine people of Carleton Place -- it's in the middle of freakin' nowhere. To have a team play its games 40 minutes from campus will do no wonders for attendance whatsoever. And, when you consider that as things stand Beckwith seats a whopping 400 people, it's not like they'd have anywhere to put them.

Now, to the program's credit, they are doing what they can to accommodate students and fans. They will be running shuttle buses from campus and bringing in additional bleachers to alleviate the space problem. Again though, you have to wonder what effect this will have on the team and program at-large.

Carleton Place won't be a great selling point for potential 2013 recruits. The new building will have that new stadium smell, but until they can see them go at it on the field, it'll barely be more than a promise.

The new facility is expected to be ready for Gee-Gees football come November, but the team's last official home game is October 20. Home field advantage won't be easy to come by for OUA squads this year and while it would be very cool to open the doors for a playoff game, they'll need to fight tooth and nail all season long for that right.

It's going to be a difficult season for the fans and players of this team -- let's not forget that playing in the middle of nowhere in front of family and friends isn't exactly going to get the adrenaline going -- but it appears as though they'll have to make due with eight road games.

The challenge will be making sure you don't have a season where nobody can say "If we had our home building..." because they need all the help they can get as it is.

Your move, Gary Etcheverry & co.

Ryerson Rams settle in at the 'Gardens'

2012-08-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

A (smaller) Maple Leaf Gardens is draped in blue and gold to welcome their new tenants: The Ryerson Rams. This renovation, which cost upwards of $75 million, also features basketball and volleyball courts, and a fitness centre.

Gone are most of the seats from the Leaf glory days (this rink seats only 1000) as well as the nostalgic moniker all Torontonians know and love. The new facility will be known as the Mattamy Athletic Centre; an homage to Mattamy Homes, who dropped a cool 15 mil for the naming rights

The men's hockey team will face off against UOIT on September 8th for the inaugural puck drop, while the women face Toronto the following day.