Strength of Schedule

After spending the last four weeks researching Mentor's ten opponents, I did my best to rank the games in terms of their difficulty. Enjoy.

The Big Ones...

1. St Xavier (Week 3): The Bombers last played Mentor in the 2007 state championship. The two have never met in the regular season, let alone in Cincinnati. St X is widely considered one of the top programs in Ohio. This year will be no exception. They are loaded on offense with size and talent. QB Sean Clifford is a Notre Dame commit. Top receivers (including Michigan State commit Noah Davis) and lineman also return. A potential star at RB, Sean Prophit, completes the balanced approach. Defensively, St X has been as consistent as any team in the state. Their 3-3 stack defense is the same scheme that St Ignatius runs. On pure talent alone, few opponents in Ohio would be as tough of a test as St Xavier. Throwing onto that a long trip to Cincinnati makes this the most challenging game on the season for the Cardinals.

2. St Ignatius (Week 2): Having played every year since 2005 (and three additional times in the playoffs), this has become the top public-private rivalry in Ohio. St Ignatius leads the regular season series 6-4 and Mentor has won three of the four playoff matchups in the 2000's. Overall, the series is as even as it gets. It is no coincidence that the football program elevated after years of scheduling the premier Ohio football power. This is always an important game for Coach Triv and the Cardinals to see how they stack up. The Wildcats are loaded on the offensive side of the ball. QB Dennis Grosel, WR's Cal Grbac/Jack Cook, and tackle Liam Eichenberg are part of what could be the top passing offense in Ohio. This will be an incredibly challenging game. The only reason I put this below the St X game is due to travel. Even though Mentor has fared well at Byers Field, having the game in Lake County is always an advantage.

Tier 2...

3. Solon (Week 6): The Comets have long been one of, if not the number one football rival for Mentor. After a long non-conference series, multiple playoff matchups, and being together in two different leagues - it is no secret that Mentor's success rides on the Solon game. The Comets have been down the past few years (zero playoff wins), but this season should be a couple steps forward. Offensively, they are loaded with returning skill players: QB Johnny Mooney, RB Melvin Jackson, WR Jake McCurry, and the dynamic Gil Barksdale. There are some questions on defense, but that side of the ball has been consistently good for many years. Expect the GCC crown to be decided in Week 6. Solon could very well knock off the Cardinals for the first time since 2010.

4. Elyria (Week 10): Elyria has finished 7-3 four seasons in a row. This will be the toughest conference schedule the Pioneers have faced in years. Maintaining at least 7 wins will be a challenge, but one I predict they will reach. Elyria has a lot of returning starters from a playoff team. Key skill players on offense return - like leading receiver Kyle Ringer and 1,000-yard rusher Chris Atkinson. Elyria should be big, skilled, and experienced in the front seven. They have a hall of fame coach and they get Mentor on grass in Week 10. Many elements that work in Elyria's favor. Besides Solon, I expect this to be the most challenging league game for Mentor.

Minor Challenge...

5. Brunswick (Week 9): The Blue Devils are difficult to judge right now. The most obvious reason is because they are replacing every starter from last season. Brunswick is a proud program with many years of success. But under the new coaching regime, the Blue Devils haven't even won a playoff game. Last year's team was good. The 2015 group will take a couple steps back. 

6. Strongsville (Week 8): Coach Laird had a positive season last year with the Mustangs. They had their first winning season since 2008. However, a lot of starters were part of a deep and experienced senior class. Strongsville does have some key guys returning, including QB Ryan Robertson and RB Zach Kahn. Mentor doesn't always play well at Pat Catan Stadium over the years.

7. Euclid (Week 4): Under Coach Rotsky, the Panthers should have a bit of a fire under their belt. The talent in the school combined with the incoming transfers makes Euclid a potentially dangerous team in the GCC. But sometimes it takes a couple years for the players to really catch on to a new coach and system. I expect Euclid to give Mentor more of a challenge than in recent past, but this is a game Mentor should win.

Running Clock...

8.  Boardman (Week 1): I expect Boardman to look improved this season. But some improvement won't be enough to keep this game close. Mentor's offense was a matchup nightmare for Boardman and I don't expect this year to look any different. Mentor's defense is going to take some lumps early as they have many first-year starters. But Boardman doesn't have enough talent on offense to seriously exploit Mentor's youth.

9. Medina (Week 7): The potential at Medina was seen in 2010 as they made the playoffs and knocked off Canton McKinley. But that success was short lived. The Bees have struggled to get wins in the old NOC River. They are going to be underdogs almost every week in the GCC until the program can see a major shift in numbers, talent, and confidence.

10. Shaker (Week 5):  The Raiders are Mentor's most serious challenge in the league...on the basketball floor. While Jarvis Gibson is taking the program forward, they just are not ready to compete with Mentor or the top of the GCC. It doesn't help that Shaker has lost some of their top returning players to other schools both near and far.

Next: Preseason All GCC Team