Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Hello from Southeastern Louisiana
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slulionsfan
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Posted: 7/4/2015 5:40 AM
Hi Bobcats fans, hope all is well in Ohio. I know it's only July, but I'm a Southeastern Louisiana supporter and will be making the trip to Athens for the game on September 19. I'm looking for some feedback on the best places to visit, eat, etc., while we're there, and maybe get some discussion going about the game if anyone is interested.

Our message board is http://slulionsden.bbforum.co/ feel free to stop by!
colobobcat66
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Posted: 7/4/2015 10:35 AM
slulionsfan wrote:expand_more
Hi Bobcats fans, hope all is well in Ohio. I know it's only July, but I'm a Southeastern Louisiana supporter and will be making the trip to Athens for the game on September 19. I'm looking for some feedback on the best places to visit, eat, etc., while we're there, and maybe get some discussion going about the game if anyone is interested.

Our message board is http://slulionsden.bbforum.co/ feel free to stop by!

Welcome. I have an idea that you guys will give us all we can handle. I wish we had some of your DL, what was it 8 guys over 290#. Wow.
The locals will have to help you with the local fare here.
slulionsfan
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Posted: 7/4/2015 12:33 PM
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Hi Bobcats fans, hope all is well in Ohio. I know it's only July, but I'm a Southeastern Louisiana supporter and will be making the trip to Athens for the game on September 19. I'm looking for some feedback on the best places to visit, eat, etc., while we're there, and maybe get some discussion going about the game if anyone is interested.

Our message board is http://slulionsden.bbforum.co/ feel free to stop by!

Welcome. I have an idea that you guys will give us all we can handle. I wish we had some of your DL, what was it 8 guys over 290#. Wow.
The locals will have to help you with the local fare here.
Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I'll get some great suggestions from the locals.

I believe we have nine DL over 290. The roster hasn't been updated with the current sizes. We have bigger guys than most because we run a 3-man front. Our D-ends are really D-tackles.

I hope we can make it competitive. We usually compete well in our games vs non-BCS FBS opponents but haven't been able to pull one off yet. We have to replace our QB, who is now with the Colts, but we have some good skill players back on offense and should be strong defensively.
rpbobcat
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Posted: 7/4/2015 12:47 PM
Always stay at the O.U. Inn.
Its a little pricey, but very nice and close to everything.

Eating, Jackie O's Brew Pub.
slulionsfan
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Posted: 7/4/2015 1:03 PM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
Always stay at the O.U. Inn.
Its a little pricey, but very nice and close to everything.

Eating, Jackie O's Brew Pub.
Much appreciated!
Jeff McKinney
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Posted: 7/4/2015 3:26 PM
Hey, welcome to our board! Looking forward to playing Southeastern Louisiana.

If the weather is decent, you'll have a good time here. Nice town to visit, pretty good tailgating atmosphere. Game atmosphere pretty good. Our stadium only seats 24,000, but normally we draw well until November when the bad weather and mid week games start.
perimeterpost
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Posted: 7/4/2015 4:10 PM
welcome.

In our biased opinion we have one of the most scenic college campuses in the country, if you're into that sort of thing taking a stroll through campus is something I highly recommend. The stadium is right on campus so everything is very close together, but some parts can be a little hilly, so keep that in mind.

The main street off campus is called Court Street and the students refer to it as Uptown as it is up a hill from any part of campus. As you would expect in a college town there's lots of bars and comfort food type establishments littering Court St with some kitschy shops sprinkled throughout. The Burrito Buggy is a sentimental favorite parked right across the college green on the corner of Court and Union if you're looking for some street food.

Another uniquely Athens food experience is Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina on the corner of Court and State. Its an employee owned co-op that's been around for 30yrs, they specialize in locally sourced ingredients with attention to providing vegetarian and vegan options for their dishes. The food is in the style of Mexican food but its not authentic Tex-Mex. Imagine if you described Mexican food to a bunch of hippies that had never had it before and then they went in the kitchen and tried to replicate it. That's Casa Nueva, and I mean that in a good way.

Enjoy your trip.
Jeff McKinney
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Posted: 7/4/2015 4:23 PM
Bagel Street Deli on Court St. is excellent.
ytownbobcat
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Posted: 7/4/2015 4:25 PM
Looks like you have about 25 JC players on your roster. Is that typical for you guys?
L.C.
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Posted: 7/4/2015 6:04 PM
ytownbobcat wrote:expand_more
Looks like you have about 25 JC players on your roster. Is that typical for you guys?

Looking at their recruiting for the last few years, they seem to recruit about 20 JUCOs a year, and only a few Freshmen;
http://tinyurl.com/phfcbju

Just looking at recruiting, I'd guess the number of JUCOs on the roster is closer to 50 than 25. I'm guessing that they also have a fair number of transfers from bigger programs that choose an FCS school so that they don't have to sit out a year. The combination works, though. Recruit a ton of JUCOs, and then keep the roster full using transfers.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 7/4/2015 7:11 PM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
Always stay at the O.U. Inn.
Its a little pricey, but very nice and close to everything.

Eating, Jackie O's Brew Pub.
If you don't have a room, you better get it now. That's OU"s parents weekend. I just checked the OU Inn, Hampton, Fairfield Inn and Baymont (all in town) and all are full. You might check the two state parks - Burr Oak and Lake Hope - both about 30 minutes away.
Last Edited: 7/4/2015 7:19:03 PM by Alan Swank
slulionsfan
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Posted: 7/5/2015 12:26 AM
perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
welcome.

In our biased opinion we have one of the most scenic college campuses in the country, if you're into that sort of thing taking a stroll through campus is something I highly recommend. The stadium is right on campus so everything is very close together, but some parts can be a little hilly, so keep that in mind.

The main street off campus is called Court Street and the students refer to it as Uptown as it is up a hill from any part of campus. As you would expect in a college town there's lots of bars and comfort food type establishments littering Court St with some kitschy shops sprinkled throughout. The Burrito Buggy is a sentimental favorite parked right across the college green on the corner of Court and Union if you're looking for some street food.

Another uniquely Athens food experience is Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina on the corner of Court and State. Its an employee owned co-op that's been around for 30yrs, they specialize in locally sourced ingredients with attention to providing vegetarian and vegan options for their dishes. The food is in the style of Mexican food but its not authentic Tex-Mex. Imagine if you described Mexican food to a bunch of hippies that had never had it before and then they went in the kitchen and tried to replicate it. That's Casa Nueva, and I mean that in a good way.

Enjoy your trip.
I very much enjoy walking around and exploring college campuses I have the pleasure to visit. I'll be sure to take a pregame stroll and soak up the sights and sounds. Appreciate the food recommendations! Hope to try one on Friday night!
slulionsfan
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Posted: 7/5/2015 12:47 AM
L.C. wrote:expand_more
Looks like you have about 25 JC players on your roster. Is that typical for you guys?

Looking at their recruiting for the last few years, they seem to recruit about 20 JUCOs a year, and only a few Freshmen;
http://tinyurl.com/phfcbju

Just looking at recruiting, I'd guess the number of JUCOs on the roster is closer to 50 than 25. I'm guessing that they also have a fair number of transfers from bigger programs that choose an FCS school so that they don't have to sit out a year. The combination works, though. Recruit a ton of JUCOs, and then keep the roster full using transfers.
We have 26 JC transfers and 13 FBS transfers, plus a few walk ons who transferred from other institutions but weren't recruited athletes. Several have been in our program for three years and one will be in our program for four years when it's said and done. We do heavily recruit JCs and take a targeted number of FBS guys, but we sign our fair share of high school kids as well. Many of our best players were recruited and signed by us out of high school.

To answer ytownbobcat's question ... it has become typical since Ron Roberts took over as head coach following the 2011 season. He's a product of the California JC system as a player, and has strong ties there, not to mention other JC systems around the country. He recruited JCs heavily while the head coach at D-II Delta State and continued the trend here. So far, it's worked out great and we've had very few problems. The kids we've taken have been good in the class room as well as in community and have represented our program well.
Athens
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Posted: 7/5/2015 2:39 PM
slulionsfan wrote:expand_more
Hi Bobcats fans, hope all is well in Ohio. I know it's only July, but I'm a Southeastern Louisiana supporter and will be making the trip to Athens for the game on September 19. I'm looking for some feedback on the best places to visit, eat, etc., while we're there, and maybe get some discussion going about the game if anyone is interested.

Our message board is http://slulionsden.bbforum.co/ feel free to stop by!

Welcome. I have an idea that you guys will give us all we can handle. I wish we had some of your DL, what was it 8 guys over 290#. Wow.
The locals will have to help you with the local fare here.
Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I'll get some great suggestions from the locals.

I believe we have nine DL over 290. The roster hasn't been updated with the current sizes. We have bigger guys than most because we run a 3-man front. Our D-ends are really D-tackles.

I hope we can make it competitive. We usually compete well in our games vs non-BCS FBS opponents but haven't been able to pull one off yet. We have to replace our QB, who is now with the Colts, but we have some good skill players back on offense and should be strong defensively.
Our coach is 10-0 against FCS schools including some that were playoff teams that year. The games are usually competitive until the 3rd quarter then the defense takes over. We've had only 1 losing season in the past decade 2008 (4-8) so this school knows how to win.
Athens
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Posted: 7/5/2015 3:12 PM
All of the hotels in Athens and Logan are sold out for the weekend. The same goes for hotels in Lancaster except for a Holiday Inn going for $180. You might want to find a hotel in Columbus if you are flying into that airport or drive 30-40 minutes past Athens to Parkersburg WV. I travel to the games from the East so I usually stay in Parkersburg.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 7/5/2015 10:17 PM
Try Jackson, OH, which is only 45 minutes away. The Comfort Inn had rooms a few minutes ago for $99.
slulionsfan
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Posted: 7/6/2015 2:45 AM
Uncle Wes wrote:expand_more
Hi Bobcats fans, hope all is well in Ohio. I know it's only July, but I'm a Southeastern Louisiana supporter and will be making the trip to Athens for the game on September 19. I'm looking for some feedback on the best places to visit, eat, etc., while we're there, and maybe get some discussion going about the game if anyone is interested.

Our message board is http://slulionsden.bbforum.co/ feel free to stop by!

Welcome. I have an idea that you guys will give us all we can handle. I wish we had some of your DL, what was it 8 guys over 290#. Wow.
The locals will have to help you with the local fare here.
Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I'll get some great suggestions from the locals.

I believe we have nine DL over 290. The roster hasn't been updated with the current sizes. We have bigger guys than most because we run a 3-man front. Our D-ends are really D-tackles.

I hope we can make it competitive. We usually compete well in our games vs non-BCS FBS opponents but haven't been able to pull one off yet. We have to replace our QB, who is now with the Colts, but we have some good skill players back on offense and should be strong defensively.
Our coach is 10-0 against FCS schools including some that were playoff teams that year. The games are usually competitive until the 3rd quarter then the defense takes over. We've had only 1 losing season in the past decade 2008 (4-8) so this school knows how to win.
We know the odds very well considering we've never beaten an FBS opponent, not to mention how hard it is for any FCS program to win vs an FBS. That said, I think you may find us to be a pretty tough out, especially defensively. Hopefully we give our best effort, play a clean game, and come away relatively healthy.

Appreciate the hotel and food recommendations!
The Optimist
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Posted: 7/6/2015 8:16 AM
Unfortunate hotel draw with this falling on Parents Weekend. In addition to the hotel situation, also note the restaurants in Athens are going to be packed that weekend... A 1 hour wait at pretty much all sit-down restaurant is probably the norm as parents feed their starving children.

I agree with others who suggested Jackie O's. Good food, good beer and good atmosphere. Also good location although parking could again be dicey with the parents in town.

As for the football, this game follows up our home opener against Marshall which I think many here feel is the toughest game on our schedule. It's also the week before our only game against a P5 opponent in Minnesota. Frank Solich's teams aren't the sort that overlook anyone.
Gallia Cat
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Posted: 7/6/2015 7:29 PM
Check to see if the new Fairfield Inn has any availability. Its been open less than a month and maybe its been overlooked.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 7/7/2015 2:14 PM
Gallia Cat wrote:expand_more
Check to see if the new Fairfield Inn has any availability. Its been open less than a month and maybe its been overlooked.
Don't hold your breath on that.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 7/8/2015 9:11 AM
Good article from the Dispatch on the local food movement in Athens.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/food/2015/07/08/l...

Also, as I posted on the 4th, the Fairfield Inn is full.
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