FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[DutchHawk]

How well does Olivet travel down to Iowa? We should have a large crowd and plenty of seating for everyone! Looking forward to Saturday!

Go Dutch!

[DustySJU]

Congrats to Olivet and our sister school Hope.  A rematch would have been a fun one to watch. 

I "Hope" someone from Olivet finds the time to post this week.  You guys have a chance on Saturday?   8)

[miaafbfan]

Good luck to Olivet in their playoff game! 

[formerd3db]

Indeed, I join in wishing good luck to Olivet on Saturday.  It will be a great atmosphere for a playoff game down there, although it will also be a tough place to play.  Central is a good team, quick and hard hitting as evidenced by their game with us up at Holland earlier this year.  As good as Central is, I do believe Olivet has a chance to beat them, but Olivet has to stay focused, sustain their drives and make their plays, cashing in on opportunities like they did against Hope.  The cannot revert to playing like they did in their first three games, or the letdown against Alma. 

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens.  It appears, as usual i.e. tradition, that this week of practice for the first round playoff game will be a cold, possibly wet one.  Hopefully, there is excitement on the Olivet campus this week for this special occasion.

[formerd3db]

BTW, I went to a book signing today at the local Barnes & Noble.  The author is former longtime Alma College football head coach Phil Brooks (his wife helped also!) who also coached at Eastern Michigan, several high schools and most recently St. Joseph (MI) Catholic.  His is a great new book entitled "Forward Pass, The Play that Saved College Football" by a major publisher in PA.  It entails the history of the development of the forward pass from the late 1880's to 1913 involving Stagg and Jesse Harper, the latter former Alma College, Wabash College and Notre Dame coach (Harper played for Stagg at U of Chicago, and then later coached Rockne and Dorias in their senior years at ND after his stints at Alma and Wabash).  The book is meticulously researched from the archives (including the papers of Rockne, Harper, Stagg) at Alma, Notre Dame, University of Chicago, Carroll (Wis) College, St. Louis University, West Point, the College Football Hall of Fame and interviews with Harper's son, etc. .  He was at the Notre Dame/Air Force game yesterday and evening, signing books there and it was well received.

This is a great book and having already delved into it (and being a historian and author myself on college football and other "stuff") I can highly recommend it.  Those of you who love college football and its history will want to add this to your personal library collection - it is a great read.  (And no, Coach Brooks did not pay me for this "plug" for his book!! ).  Pa

Pat, you should check this out!

P.S.  Coach Brooks meticulous research dispelled a long time myth that Notre Dame used the first ever forward pass against Alma the week before it was unveiled against Army in 1913.  I won't spoil the story in the book, but it is neat to read this.  Harper had contacted his former Alma friends and administrators and invited Alma down to play Notre Dame four years in a row from 1913-1916 and as a result, these Alma teams became known as "The Suicide Squads"!   for obvious reasons - combined cumulative score from those four games was 144-0 in favor of ND! (ouch! But at least Alma gave it "that old college try" and what an experience doing it! ).

[Duster72]

I can't find the book anywhere to purchase online.  Can you help us out on finding the book?  Thanks.

[bulldogalum]

d3db:

Alma might have a shot against the Irish this year, and I would imagine the forward pass would play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the game.

Best of luck to Olivet in the playoffs.  Go out and get a big win for the MIAA!

[dutchfan1]

Olivet -- welcome to the playoffs! The Central Dutch are excited to welcome you to Iowa! I've linked you to some hotel information, for anyone travelling to the game in Pella.
http://www.hotels-rates.com/Pella/IA/usa/#visited=true

Pella is approximately 45 minutes from Des Moines; anyone wishing to fly in would need to take that into consideration. Please come early to enjoy the Dutch hospitality.

Safe travels, and good luck in the playoffs.

Oh, and Go Central!!

[formerd3db]

I can't find the book anywhere to purchase online.  Can you help us out on finding the book?  Thanks.

The book was published by Westholme Publishing, LLC; address s Eight Harvey Avenue, Yardley, PA 19067
Their website is www.westholmepublishing.com
and the book's ISBN # is ISBN:  978-1-59416-052-3
The book is hardcover with dustjacket (great photos), is 262 pages and cost is $29.95.

If you check Barnes & Noble website and/or go to one of their branch stores, it should be there as they have been a sponsor for him for some of the book signings at their stores.  I hope that helps.

[formerd3db]

bulldogalum:

Yes, I think Alma just might have a chance!   For that matter, probably better chances would be  ;)Mount Union and Grand Valley State and perhaps even North Dakota State and Appalch' State.  It will be interesting to see what the ND administration does with this Weis situation overtime in view of and after the people bashing Faust, Willingham and even to some extent the Holtz years.

Do you think Olivet can pull this one off?

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

bulldogalum and formerd3db:

If Navy and Airforce can beat Notre Dame I think almost anyone would have a chance.  App St would for sure and NDSU would as well, as for Mount and GVSU who knows but it would be fun to see.  Its a shame for NDSU that they cant go to the playoffs this year even as the number 1 in IAA because they are on probationary membership moving up from DII, it would seem to be that shouldnt bar a team from the playoffs as a move down for DI would.

Olivet got good news with the seedings, I give them a slight chance now whereas if they had been seeded with Mount that chance would have been at none.  Olivet is physical and aggresive which will help but I dont know they have all the tools to win in the playoffs.

formerd3db, you saw Central play did you not? What can you tell us?

[HOF]

Congrats to Olivet!  Represent.

Today is All-MIAA day...

My picks for MVP on Offense are:  Niblock, Adrian and VanEerden, Hope or Booko, Hope

My picks for MVP on Defense are:  Hakeem Yakubu, Olivet or Courtney Pearson, TSU

Coach of the Year (I know they don't give one):  Matt Land, Tri-State or Dominic Livo, Olivet

We shall see soon!

[bulldogalum]

Do I think Olivet has a shot?

Well, I haven't seen either team this year, but everyone compares Olivet and Adrian defensively.  If they are, indeed, comparable, I would say that Olivet should have a shot against just about anybody, because they'll be able to hang around long enough to maybe make a big play or two on offense.  I know Olivet will come out fired up, and will play with a great deal of passion.

You've seen both of these teams play.  What are your impressions?

[ACRULZ]

Congrats to Olivet!  Represent.

Today is All-MIAA day...

My picks for MVP on Offense are:  Niblock, Adrian and VanEerden, Hope or Booko, Hope

My picks for MVP on Defense are:  Hakeem Yakubu, Olivet or Courtney Pearson, TSU

Coach of the Year (I know they don't give one):  Matt Land, Tri-State or Dominic Livo, Olivet

We shall see soon!

I understand the arguments for both Yakubu and Pearson but...yes I am going to be biased...Kyle Dunaj the MLB from Adrian deserves to be right in there.  His numbers may not be as good but he is the most valuable, however he is #2 in league play behind Pearson.  He is probably the best player on the Adrian D which is the best defense in the league...held Alma to 226 yards I believe and held Hope to 169 rushing yards on 58 carries???  That deserves it alone.  Even if he is not the D MVP he deserves a first team slot.  Olivet also has a solid Defense but compared to Adrian, they are not even a close second.

[bulldogalum]

I actually disagree, at least in theory, ACRULZ.  Dunaj is the best player on the best defense, but I look at that entire defensive team as a unit.  The reason they were so good is because they functioned well as a unit, not because of any great individual efforts.  But of course, I guess that sort of tips my hand as to how I feel about MVP's in general.