FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Barber Greene]

Darryl Sims is new AD at Oshkosh

http://www.wiacsports.com/press/DarrylSimsUWO.html

[Barber Greene]

Makes sense to me. Remember all those other years when Mount Union lost a bunch of key players and it caused their program to fall back to the pack?

Yeah, me neither.

I am just wondering what will be the cause of Mt. Union falling back to the pack (assuming they can't be this good in perpetuity  )? Will it be when Kehres steps down? When they have a real challenger in their own conference?

[HScoach]

Makes sense to me. Remember all those other years when Mount Union lost a bunch of key players and it caused their program to fall back to the pack?

Yeah, me neither.

I am just wondering what will be the cause of Mt. Union falling back to the pack (assuming they can't be this good in perpetuity  )? Will it be when Kehres steps down? When they have a real challenger in their own conference?

This easy is.  When LK retires the run of dominance is done and they'll become Augustana.  A program with great history and name recognition, but just like every other team that has some good years and some average ones.    The reason they're so good sounds too simple, but it's Larry Kehres.  They have better talent now than 95% of D3, but that wasn't the case back in the 1990's.

Many of the playoff opponents in the 90's were bigger, faster, stronger than Mount was and physically pushed them around at the line of scrimmage.
1992:  La Crosse (lost 29-24)
1993:  Rowan
1995:  La Crosse (lost 20-17)
1996:  La Crosse and Rowan
1998:  Rowan
1999:  Rowan (lost 24-17 in OT)

The list of schools that can physically match up at the line is a short one today: UW Whitewater, but it wasn't always the case.  The early Mount teams won in spite of their line play.  Now they're winning because of the lines.



FWIW, there have been plenty of REAL challengers in the OAC over the last 20 +/- years.  It just hasn't always been the same team for the last 20 years.  

Ohio Northern in the late 90's had more talent than MTU and should have beat them a couple times, and probably would have if ONU's coach at the time wouldn't have "out-thought" himself.  They had a true stud TB (that's still playing professionally) and twice on 4th and less than 1 they give it to the blocking FB instead of the guy that Mount can't tackle.

The Tom Arth (practice squad QB for Indy Colts) led JCU teams between 99 and 02 were very good.  Lost to Mount 57-51 in triple OT in 1999 and had multiple almost "sure thing" opportunities to win it.  Mount hit a 48 yard FG that was barely good to stay alive.  JCU had 1st and goal at the 1 yard line in the 2nd OT after MUC had kicked FG in the top half of the period and it looked like it was over.  But one of the JCU lineman moved early on the snap and Mount ended up forcing a FG to send it to a 3rd OT.  Then in '02 Arth led JCU thru the East Region before losing at Mount in the semi's.  

The Capital teams of '06 and '07 lost to Mount in the playoffs by 3 points each time.  Those Capital teams were extremely scary because their defenses were very fast and could match up with Mount's spread and they had a much better QB than Mount had.

The difference between the WIAC and OAC is the bottom have of the conferences.  The crappy WIAC teams are still physically strong and will make you work for a win.  The bottom half of the OAC wants no part of being on the same field as Mount.  I'd love to see a 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, etc match-up between the two conferences.  I think the first 5 games would be pick-ems, though the bottom games would get ugly in a hurry.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Makes sense to me. Remember all those other years when Mount Union lost a bunch of key players and it caused their program to fall back to the pack?

Yeah, me neither.

I am just wondering what will be the cause of Mt. Union falling back to the pack (assuming they can't be this good in perpetuity  )? Will it be when Kehres steps down? When they have a real challenger in their own conference?

Most think it is when Kehres steps down.  Mt. Union does have "real challenger(s)" in their own conference.  Usually the #2 team in the conference makes the DIII playoffs and makes some noise.  Check Capital, ONU and JCU over the past decade for verification.  It's just that Mt. Union has been that much better than everyone else that makes it look like the rest of the OAC is weaker.  Many times the #2 team in the OAC has made a good run in the playoffs, only to have to run into Mt. Union and face the same consequences as the rest of the Raider opponents.  Only UWW has been able to match, and overcome, what Mt. Union has been able to achieve as of recently.

EDIT:  Sorry for some of the same info as HSCoach, I was typing before his post hit the board... 

[Just Bill]

Darryl Sims is new AD at Oshkosh

http://www.wiacsports.com/press/DarrylSimsUWO.html

Interesting that they have hired a "football guy".  Could be one more strong indicator that UWO is truly serious about improving their football program.

[BoBo]

Darryl Sims is new AD at Oshkosh

http://www.wiacsports.com/press/DarrylSimsUWO.html

Interesting that they have hired a "football guy".  Could be one more strong indicator that UWO is truly serious about improving their football program.

With only 5 conference championships since 1913 and only 1 in the last 38 years, they got no place to go but up!!    Just think, if he sticks around for 2 more years & maintains the current rate of winning, Leipold will have more victories as a HC in about 4 1/2 years than the Oshkosh career leader (Russ Young) had in 14 years. Obviously, playoff games add up to 5 more games a year to the total, but still, it's kind of amazing when you think about it.

[02 Warhawk]

Darryl Sims is new AD at Oshkosh

http://www.wiacsports.com/press/DarrylSimsUWO.html

Interesting that they have hired a "football guy".  Could be one more strong indicator that UWO is truly serious about improving their football program.

Between hiring a new AD, and their brutal schedule this season, they aren't fooling around trying improve their program. I really do hope this works out for the titans.

[Pat Coleman]

Makes sense to me. Remember all those other years when Mount Union lost a bunch of key players and it caused their program to fall back to the pack?

Yeah, me neither.

I don't believe a No. 3 vote is "back to the pack," JB.

And yes, there are years in which Mount Union has finished lower than second in the nation. For one opinion out of 25, it seems reasonable.

[umhb2001]

I don't know much about UW LaCrosse, but it looks as though it should be a good matchup with UMHB on top based on last year's final standings. The game vs ETBU should be a good test for both teams. I look forward to that one as a marker for us.

[Raider 68]

Makes sense to me. Remember all those other years when Mount Union lost a bunch of key players and it caused their program to fall back to the pack?

Yeah, me neither.

I am just wondering what will be the cause of Mt. Union falling back to the pack (assuming they can't be this good in perpetuity  )? Will it be when Kehres steps down? When they have a real challenger in their own conference?

Most think it is when Kehres steps down.  Mt. Union does have "real challenger(s)" in their own conference.  Usually the #2 team in the conference makes the DIII playoffs and makes some noise.  Check Capital, ONU and JCU over the past decade for verification.  It's just that Mt. Union has been that much better than everyone else that makes it look like the rest of the OAC is weaker.  Many times the #2 team in the OAC has made a good run in the playoffs, only to have to run into Mt. Union and face the same consequences as the rest of the Raider opponents.  Only UWW has been able to match, and overcome, what Mt. Union has been able to achieve as of recently.

EDIT:  Sorry for some of the same info as HSCoach, I was typing before his post hit the board... 

I am not quite buying into the fact that when Coach Kehres retires that all of sudden Mount will no longer be dominant. Will the Raiders be affected, sure, but if one thinks that He, Coach Kehres has not been grooming his successor then, we are all underestimating his long term planning. Look at all the current coaches out there as former players who are doing well, not to mention his current staff.

He will have a grand plan to keep the Raiders as a top D3 program, but I foresee him to coach a while yet!

[BoBo]

Makes sense to me. Remember all those other years when Mount Union lost a bunch of key players and it caused their program to fall back to the pack?

Yeah, me neither.

I am just wondering what will be the cause of Mt. Union falling back to the pack (assuming they can't be this good in perpetuity  )? Will it be when Kehres steps down? When they have a real challenger in their own conference?

Most think it is when Kehres steps down.  Mt. Union does have "real challenger(s)" in their own conference.  Usually the #2 team in the conference makes the DIII playoffs and makes some noise.  Check Capital, ONU and JCU over the past decade for verification.  It's just that Mt. Union has been that much better than everyone else that makes it look like the rest of the OAC is weaker.  Many times the #2 team in the OAC has made a good run in the playoffs, only to have to run into Mt. Union and face the same consequences as the rest of the Raider opponents.  Only UWW has been able to match, and overcome, what Mt. Union has been able to achieve as of recently.

EDIT:  Sorry for some of the same info as HSCoach, I was typing before his post hit the board... 

I am not quite buying into the fact that when Coach Kehres retires that all of sudden Mount will no longer be dominant. Will the Raiders be affected, sure, but if one thinks that He, Coach Kehres has not been grooming his successor then, we are all underestimating his long term planning. Look at all the current coaches out there as former players who are doing well, not to mention his current staff.

He will have a grand plan to keep the Raiders as a top D3 program, but I foresee him to coach a while yet!

I don't know Raider 68...a coach with his record deserves some adoration, but the length to which some Mount fans on this website go to lavish on the praise, makes an outsider to Raider Nation, like myself, conclude they dread the day he decides to step away. They seem to fear or have an extreme reluctance to face the reality of what will happen to their Purple Raiders when their idol is no longer at the helm of the machine. Grooming a replacement isn't as easy as it sounds, IMO.

[HScoach]

Bobo:  I definitely dread the day LK retires.  Regardless of how good the next guy is, and I'm sure he'll be the best available, it's impossible for him to have the record that LK does.  We're not talking about replacing a long tenured, really good coach.  We're talking about who replaces the winningest coach in college football history.  Any Mount fan than says it doesn't worry him is either lying or doesn't really care all that much about the program.

I don't think the team will instantly suck after he retires, but I believe it will begin to slide back to either being a really, really good program that has a shot at a title on their best years like a SJU or Linfield, or will slide even more to become an Augie.  But I'm not optimistic enough to think we'll replace him with an equal or greater talent.  The odds aren't in our favor. 

[Raider 68]

Bobo:  I definitely dread the day LK retires.  Regardless of how good the next guy is, and I'm sure he'll be the best available, it's impossible for him to have the record that LK does.  We're not talking about replacing a long tenured, really good coach.  We're talking about who replaces the winningest coach in college football history.  Any Mount fan than says it doesn't worry him is either lying or doesn't really care all that much about the program.

I don't think the team will instantly suck after he retires, but I believe it will begin to slide back to either being a really, really good program that has a shot at a title on their best years like a SJU or Linfield, or will slide even more to become an Augie.  But I'm not optimistic enough to think we'll replace him with an equal or greater talent.  The odds aren't in our favor. 

I am not looking forward to the day Coach Kehres retires either and his contribution to college football is no doubt exceptional by anyone's measure. IMHO, the program will still be one of the best in D3 for a long time. I said one of the best not necessarily "the best", but we will see!

Meanwhile, let's look to 2010 for now!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Bobo:  I definitely dread the day LK retires.  Regardless of how good the next guy is, and I'm sure he'll be the best available, it's impossible for him to have the record that LK does.  We're not talking about replacing a long tenured, really good coach.  We're talking about who replaces the winningest coach in college football history.  Any Mount fan than says it doesn't worry him is either lying or doesn't really care all that much about the program.

I don't think the team will instantly suck after he retires, but I believe it will begin to slide back to either being a really, really good program that has a shot at a title on their best years like a SJU or Linfield, or will slide even more to become an Augie.  But I'm not optimistic enough to think we'll replace him with an equal or greater talent.  The odds aren't in our favor. 

To elaborate a bit.

Augustana won the Walnut-and-Bronze FOUR straight years (1983-86), a streak even The Mount hasn't managed (though they have long-since displaced Augie as "the Greatest Dynasty").  Their 'slide' was NOT due to the retirement of the coach - Bob Reade coached them in 83-86, and was still coach at least as recently as 94 (he was CCIW COY in 87, 90, 93, and 94).  (The Augustana website seems quite reluctant to give his exact overall tenure.)

The HC is obviously A (perhaps even THE) major factor, but there is clearly something more going on as well.  I'd suspect it is at least also institutional support, alumni support, level of opponents, and luck - and probably other factors I've even forgotten to mention.

[TooForRaider]

Bobo:  I definitely dread the day LK retires.  Regardless of how good the next guy is, and I'm sure he'll be the best available, it's impossible for him to have the record that LK does.  We're not talking about replacing a long tenured, really good coach.  We're talking about who replaces the winningest coach in college football history.  Any Mount fan than says it doesn't worry him is either lying or doesn't really care all that much about the program.

I don't think the team will instantly suck after he retires, but I believe it will begin to slide back to either being a really, really good program that has a shot at a title on their best years like a SJU or Linfield, or will slide even more to become an Augie.  But I'm not optimistic enough to think we'll replace him with an equal or greater talent.  The odds aren't in our favor. 

I tend to agree. But, in the near future, the biggest hurdle for Mount Union will be the rise of D2 schools in Ohio-they are popping up everyday.