FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[BillyRayJimBob]

Have UMU and the Wisconsin schools ever considered moving up to DII where they might truly be tested?
[/quote]

Please don't go there ... Unless knowingly joking.

[BoBo]

That's the early line for next years Stagg vs Linfield? Or this year...I'm confused. Two safeties for Mount is your big time spread. Or is it a FG and a safety?
I do recall Mount blowing out everyone a couple years ago in usual Mount fashion, only to lose to UWW in the Stagg - it's happened and wouldn't be a surprise again.

Ah, Loki ... you try to pull me into a battle for which I am unprepared.

On Monday night, I will put out a spread for this year's combatants ... I do not underestimate the other team of Purple, but I have to set a spread that will appease all ... we will talk of next year another time.   

Sorry, didn't mean to put you on the spot. You always seem to humble me (and everyone else) on the pickem's and this is the only way acceptable to get back at you.

[WashJeff68]

^^^ Is that THE Jeff in Tennessee??  Anyone else in Cbus who listens to 97.1 should be asking the same thing.

No. I'm not into that.

[raiderfan1983]

My loyalty shows in my screen name.

After TG with my son's family we stopped in Alliance for the game. Left at half time because it was cold, the game was over, despite our request we were on the UMU side, and we had dinner plans in Cincinnati.

Based on today's results it will be another UWW-UMU Stagg Bowl.

UMU (and UWW) have proven they can dominate like no other two teams in college football. Have UMU and the Wisconsin schools ever considered moving up to DII where they might truly be tested? I recognize that the other sports might not be competitive, and that could be a reason for not moving up, but I'd be interested in others perspective.

Jeff in Tennessee

Why should either school consider moving up?  Let's say that UMU and UWW move up to DII.  Just for the sake of argument, let's say that both schools are successful at the DII level in the first year.  Neither makes it out of the early rounds of the playoffs.  What has either school gained by moving up?  You say in your post that they would be "truly tested."  I would argue that Mount was truly tested by JCU this year.  I know that Mount's run will eventually come to an end.  When that will happen, I don't know.  But until then, I am going to enjoy each and every year that they go to the Stagg (even if it is to play the same team over and over again).  You may not have meant anything like this by your comment, but this strikes me as an example of what is wrong in the world today.  We have two teams that are dominant in DIII football.  Rather than the onus being on the other schools in DIII to get better, we just need to move those schools up... they're too good.

On a completely different note, anyone else think that the timing of UB announcing the hiring of LL to be a little odd considering that he was still in the middle of a playoff run?  I may have missed the discussion of that on this board, but just wanted to see what everyone else thought.

[WashJeff68]

My loyalty shows in my screen name.

After TG with my son's family we stopped in Alliance for the game. Left at half time because it was cold, the game was over, despite our request we were on the UMU side, and we had dinner plans in Cincinnati.

Based on today's results it will be another UWW-UMU Stagg Bowl.

UMU (and UWW) have proven they can dominate like no other two teams in college football. Have UMU and the Wisconsin schools ever considered moving up to DII where they might truly be tested? I recognize that the other sports might not be competitive, and that could be a reason for not moving up, but I'd be interested in others perspective.

Jeff in Tennessee

Jeff,

Long story short - Let's not go down that road again.  Always seems to rear it's ugly head during championship week.

Haven't been on here so don't know the history. Thought it was a reasonable question.   

[BoBo]

My loyalty shows in my screen name.

After TG with my son's family we stopped in Alliance for the game. Left at half time because it was cold, the game was over, despite our request we were on the UMU side, and we had dinner plans in Cincinnati.

Based on today's results it will be another UWW-UMU Stagg Bowl.

UMU (and UWW) have proven they can dominate like no other two teams in college football. Have UMU and the Wisconsin schools ever considered moving up to DII where they might truly be tested? I recognize that the other sports might not be competitive, and that could be a reason for not moving up, but I'd be interested in others perspective.

Jeff in Tennessee

Jeff,

Long story short - Let's not go down that road again.  Always seems to rear it's ugly head during championship week.

Haven't been on here so don't know the history. Thought it was a reasonable question.   

Sorry, it's been discussed so many times on this board for UMU and the WIAC board for UWW that it gets old for some of us really old timers. Mr. Mom is right, it takes a lot of cash that just isn't available to these schools. In Whitewater's case, it would take an act of the state of Wisconsin legislature since by state law, the WIAC schools, when they merged with the the University of Wisconsin it was written into the law that they remain non-scholarship in nature. If they could somehow get the money to move up (which is never going to happen in the current economy), the enire WIAC would have to move. The other schools have no desire to move up to DII. Or allow one member school to do so.  A couple years ago a new Chancellor at Stevens Point made a comment that she had a plan to move SP to D2, but was forced out of the job a short time later. It just isn't going to happen. I'm sure Mount has their own specific reasons too, but I don't know enough to comment.

[Desertraider]

My loyalty shows in my screen name.

After TG with my son's family we stopped in Alliance for the game. Left at half time because it was cold, the game was over, despite our request we were on the UMU side, and we had dinner plans in Cincinnati.

Based on today's results it will be another UWW-UMU Stagg Bowl.

UMU (and UWW) have proven they can dominate like no other two teams in college football. Have UMU and the Wisconsin schools ever considered moving up to DII where they might truly be tested? I recognize that the other sports might not be competitive, and that could be a reason for not moving up, but I'd be interested in others perspective.

Jeff in Tennessee

Jeff,

Long story short - Let's not go down that road again.  Always seems to rear it's ugly head during championship week.

Haven't been on here so don't know the history. Thought it was a reasonable question.   

Sorry, it's been discussed so many times on this board for UMU and the WIAC board for UWW that it gets old for some of us really old timers. Mr. Mom is right, it takes a lot of cash that just isn't available to these schools. In Whitewater's case, it would take an act of the state of Wisconsin legislature since by state law, the WIAC schools, when they merged with the the University of Wisconsin it was written into the law that they remain non-scholarship in nature. If they could somehow get the money to move up (which is never going to happen in the current economy), the enire WIAC would have to move. The other schools have no desire to move up to DII. Or allow one member school to do so.  A couple years ago a new Chancellor at Stevens Point made a comment that she had a plan to move SP to D2, but was forced out of the job a short time later. It just isn't going to happen. I'm sure Mount has their own specific reasons too, but I don't know enough to comment.

Correct in that alot of the "old timers" have debated this one ad nauseum. For a refreshing new spin on the old classic - let's debate the rest of DIII (i.e. not UWW and Mount) moving down to a new D4. 

[bushman]

This could possibly be the last Mt./UWW matchup for a while.

[Desertraider]

This could possibly be the last Mt./UWW matchup for a while.

UWW is going to find next year a difficult one. Replacing 4 coaches - gotta hurt. Unless the "big announcement" is that LK is moving to UWW and VK will stay at Mount. Now that could be interesting.

[Mr. Ypsi]

This could possibly be the last Mt./UWW matchup for a while.

Quite true.  Traditional power St. John's may be reviving.  Linfield gave UWW all they could handle today, and their quarterback is only a sophomore.  I don't know what UMU and JCU lose to graduation, but if JCU is losing less, UMU may not even win the OAC next year.  And Wartburg also gave UWW all they could handle; again, have no idea how much they are losing (but probably NOT four of their coaches!)  And after seven unsuccessful trips to the semis in recent years, Wesley HAS to break thru sometime (don't they??!)  And don't forget UMHB, who was 'upset' (if it was an upset) by Linfield by just three points.

On the other hand, we have also anticipated the long-awaited demise of UMU/UWW match-ups pretty much every year.

[Desertraider]

This could possibly be the last Mt./UWW matchup for a while.

Quite true.  Traditional power St. John's may be reviving.  Linfield gave UWW all they could handle today, and their quarterback is only a sophomore.  I don't know what UMU and JCU lose to graduation, but if JCU is losing less, UMU may not even win the OAC next year.  And Wartburg also gave UWW all they could handle; again, have no idea how much they are losing (but probably NOT four of their coaches!)  And after seven unsuccessful trips to the semis in recent years, Wesley HAS to break thru sometime (don't they??!)  And don't forget UMHB, who was 'upset' (if it was an upset) by Linfield by just three points.

On the other hand, we have also anticipated the long-awaited demise of UMU/UWW match-ups pretty much every year.

JCU loses pretty much all the skill positions on offense (Myers, Michals, Greenwood, etc.). Mount is in the cycle where they lose the QB. And from the D3 piece on LL leaving UWW "Lance Leipold announced the hiring of six assistant coaches, four of them from his UW-Whitewater coaching staff to his staff at the University of Buffalo.". Article says that LL is taking his OC, DC, OL and WR coaches. That is gutting the staff.

[Desertraider]

From Tim Warsinskey at CPD:
"ALLIANCE, Ohio – According to the NCAA, the football game played at Mount Union on Saturday was a Division III national semifinal. The fact that it looked like a mid-season Ohio Athletic Conference game merely was a coincidence.

Either that, or Wilmington showed up wearing Wesley College jerseys."

Ouch. I at least gave them a comparison to Otterbein. I really liked Wesley HC on Kevin Burke:
"That kid is so freaking good,'' Drass said. "If you are out of position one iota, he is going to get you, and he is going to get you good.''

Sleep tight Raider Nation!!

[raiderpa]

Looks to me like JCU should be rated no lower than 4th in the nation in the final poll and maybe as high as three...

Whitewater is every bit as strong up front as Mt.  The skill positions seem very good, but I doubt they have the depth at wr that Mt has. Their DB's and pass rush will be the key to their beating Mt. If Burke is not under heavy pressure, lights out.  That is how JCU stayed in the game.  As soon as it became clear that Wesley wasn't going to get to him, the game was over. 

I would like to know if WWW rotates a lot of D linemen and who their best cover db is...#44 looked like a typical WWW beast at that position.

[Craft_Beermeister]

My loyalty shows in my screen name.

After TG with my son's family we stopped in Alliance for the game. Left at half time because it was cold, the game was over, despite our request we were on the UMU side, and we had dinner plans in Cincinnati.

Based on today's results it will be another UWW-UMU Stagg Bowl.

UMU (and UWW) have proven they can dominate like no other two teams in college football. Have UMU and the Wisconsin schools ever considered moving up to DII where they might truly be tested? I recognize that the other sports might not be competitive, and that could be a reason for not moving up, but I'd be interested in others perspective.

Jeff in Tennessee

How was the dinner in Cincinnati?  There probably would be more interest on this board talking about that then another UMU and UWW need to move up to DII debate.  That debate has gotten much too old.

[02 Warhawk]

Looks to me like JCU should be rated no lower than 4th in the nation in the final poll and maybe as high as three...

Whitewater is every bit as strong up front as Mt.  The skill positions seem very good, but I doubt they have the depth at wr that Mt has. Their DB's and pass rush will be the key to their beating Mt. If Burke is not under heavy pressure, lights out.  That is how JCU stayed in the game.  As soon as it became clear that Wesley wasn't going to get to him, the game was over. 

I would like to know if WWW rotates a lot of D linemen and who their best cover db is...#44 looked like a typical WWW beast at that position.

They do indeed....and #3 and #36. #3 is having hamstring issues, so #21 has been taking his spot at corner. #21 had a pick in the stagg bowl last year.