Many observers of the Colonial Athletic Association think the Old Dominion University football team overachieved this season. The league’s coaches picked the Monarchs to finish 10th in the 11-team conference in their annual preseason poll, but ODU went 9-2 in the regular season, 6-2 in conference games.

Head coach Bobby Wilder, a Madison native, thinks the Monarchs are right on schedule.

“We are right on track to be where I wanted to be,” Wilder said. “My goal, when I was hired on Feb. 13, 2007, was within five years to build a top 10 program, nationally. We’ve done that.”

Early last week, Wilder was named one of the 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the national coach of the year at the Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA’s new, not-so-improved name).

Old Dominion defeated Norfolk State 35-18 in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday. It was the Monarchs’ first playoff game, and they’ll play next Saturday at Georgia Southern.

It’s tough to fault the coaches’ line of thinking. This is just Old Dominion’s third season playing football, and the Monarchs’ first in the CAA. For what it’s worth, they thought Towson would finish last, and the Tigers won the conference title. Maine, picked ninth, one spot ahead of ODU, tied the University of New Hampshire and ODU for second place.

Wilder, who played quarterback at Maine, shook off the preseason predictions and went about building his team. You’re in the toughest FCS league in the country, he told the Monarchs. Go out and win it.

Wilder built Old Dominion’s football program from scratch. When coaches around the country were breaking down film of opponents in the fall of 2007, Wilder was buying the video equipment his team would need.

When other coaches were offering tradition, Wilder was convincing recruits to come help him build a history. With the Old Dominion campus in Norfolk, Va., in the heart of some very fertile recruiting country, Wilder didn’t have to go far to build his team. The 757 area code that’s also home to ODU has been very good to Wilder.

“Half our roster are 757 kids who grew up within 20 minutes of the school,” Wilder said.

Seventy-five percent of the Monarchs grew up in Virginia.

The Monarchs played their first game in 2009, and in the three seasons since are 27-7. Old Dominion games constantly are sold out, with 20,000 fans cramming into the bleachers at the school’s Foreman Field. Saturday’s win over Norfolk State was the most anticipated game in the Monarchs’ short history. Not just because it was the first playoff game, but because the opponent was from across town.

“They’re 4.2 miles from our campus,” Wilder said. “All 20,000 seats are sold out. And we could probably get 20,000 more fans if we had the room.”

Wilder’s coaching staff in the 757 has a distinctively 207 look. Special teams coordinator Michael Zyskowski played at Maine for Wilder. Defensive coordinator Andy Rondeau coached alongside Wilder at Maine. Quarterbacks coach Ron Whitcomb threw for 8,183 yards playing for Wilder at Maine.

And there’s Waterville native and former Black Bear quarterback Brian Scott, ODU’s offensive coordinator.

“Brian’s doing a phenomenal job,” Wilder said. “He’s as good as anybody I’ve been around as far as calling plays.”

If the Monarchs win next week at Georgia Southern and Maine wins at Appalachian State, then we’ll have the first meeting between Wilder’s Monarchs and his alma mater.

That’s looking a little too far ahead. In terms of the big picture, Wilder and Old Dominion are sure to have plenty of big games in the future. That’s part of the plan.

“This is a program, I feel very strongly, is built for the long haul,” Wilder said.

The little picture is a snapshot of Georgia Southern, where Wilder hopes his Monarchs can overachieve some more.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com