Ohio Northern football to open 2008 schedule Sept. 13 at CCIW champion North Central (Ill.)

April 18, 2007

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern football team will open its 2008 schedule Sept. 13 at two-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin champion North Central (Ill.) in Naperville, Ill.

The Polar Bears will then travel to Mount Union to open the Ohio Athletic Conference portion of their schedule on Sept. 20 in a night game at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance.

Ohio Northern’s home opener is Sept. 27 against Otterbein at Dial-Roberson Stadium.

The Polar Bears will also host Muskingum Oct. 4 at 1:30 pm, Marietta on Oct. 18 as part of Homecoming Weekend at 1:30 pm, Capital on Nov. 8 at 1 pm and Wilmington Nov. 15 at 1 pm.

Northern will also make trips to Heidelberg on Oct. 11, to John Carroll Oct. 25 and to Baldwin-Wallace on Nov. 1. All three of those games are slated for 1:30 pm kickoffs.

North Central and Mount Union ended the 2007 season ranked nationally at Nos.11 and 2, respectively. If both squads are again ranked in 2008, it would mark the fifth consecutive season that ONU would face nationally-ranked opponents in back-to-back games.

Northern was ranked as high as No. 8 nationally last year and finished the 2007 season receiving the 33rd most votes in the final D3Football.com poll.

Ohio Northern finished 7-3 overall and were third in the OAC with a 6-3 mark in 2007 under fourth-year head coach Dean Paul.

The Polar Bears expect to return 37 lettermen and 15 starters in 2008.