After injuries to key players led to a disappointing 5-5 season in 2008, the Capital University football team is healthy and motivated to start another run of NCAA playoff appearances in 2009.
The college football world also believes that the Crusaders should return to the same winning ways that saw the program make three trips to the NCAA postseason in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In the D3football.com Preseason Poll, which was released on Aug. 5, CU was among the "Others Receiving Votes" with 56 points. Capital had the 31st most points of any school and third most among Ohio Athletic Conference members.
"We will have upwards of 25 seniors and fifth year guys. When you have that sized group in this conference, that means you could have a pretty competitive ball club," said second year head coach Jim Bickel. "We also feel like we have a very good group of freshmen coming up. So that combination gives us a positive feeling as we go through the season."
Another positive for the Crusaders will be the return of some leaders on offense and defense in senior quarterback Marty Assmann (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley HS) and middle linebacker and classmate Matt Heagen (New Concord, Ohio/John Glenn HS). The two are apart of a group of Crusaders who endured injuries last season.
"This game challenges your depth, as well as the physical nature of this conference. The good part about last year is that we developed some depth because some guys were thrust into playing. We turned a negative into a positive," Bickel said.
Overall, Capital will return 54 letterwinners and 19 starters from last season including seven players that were selected to the 2009 OhioCollegeFootball.com Preseason All-Ohio Team.
Headlining the list led were All-Second Team Offensive picks Kyle Koblinski and Matt White. The duo was joined by Honorable Mention selections Cory Dutcher, Sam Jacobs, Marty Assmann, Evan Blake and Brad Pickens. Koblinski and Dutcher were All-OAC Second Team picks on the offensive line while Jacobs and White were Honorable Mention selections at linebacker and wide receiver respectively.
A spread offense appears to be the main formation for a group that has had success being a primarily passing unit over the last several years.
"The sky is the limit for what we can accomplish this year," Assmann said. "We have great chemistry on the team. We have great athletes. We all get along and are on the same page. We know we can be good, we now just need to grow as a team and strive to be as perfect as we can."
Linebacker will once again be the strength of the defense, spearheaded by Heagen and junior Sam Jacobs (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson HS) while senior Brad Pickens (Norwalk, Ohio/ Western Reserve) will anchor a solid defensive backfield.
"I'm focused on having the best year possible this season," Pickens said. We're very goal-oriented and focused on winning the conference and making the tournament."
After contributing to a Crusader team that was rated as high as third-nationally earlier in their careers, the senior class is aiming their sights on an even higher ranking in 2009.
"Success for me is being winning a national championship, and that's what we're going to try to do. If we do what we're capable of and things go right for us then we should have a shot at it," Heagen said.
Senior punter Tom Gantner (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/ Bishop Hartley HS) added, "Everyone's first goal is to get that OAC championship, and then a national championship. But overall, we want to work together, do the best we can, and to have fun."