FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Bombers798891]

Hey, sorry for the naive question, but is UWW/Mount on national TV? I live in NY, but would love to watch the game?

[ExTartanPlayer]

Not sure about real TV, but you can definitely watch online via ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app.

(and if you have a cable subscription, I think you can log in through the ESPN site, you just have to enter your cable login and password - this is how I watched a couple of Central Michigan games this year when I couldn't be up there)

[Raider 68]

Not sure about real TV, but you can definitely watch online via ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app.

(and if you have a cable subscription, I think you can log in through the ESPN site, you just have to enter your cable login and password - this is how I watched a couple of Central Michigan games this year when I couldn't be up there)

ExtartanPlayer,

You a Central Michigan grad?

[ExTartanPlayer]

Not sure about real TV, but you can definitely watch online via ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app.

(and if you have a cable subscription, I think you can log in through the ESPN site, you just have to enter your cable login and password - this is how I watched a couple of Central Michigan games this year when I couldn't be up there)

ExtartanPlayer,

You a Central Michigan grad?

No, I graduated from the "good" CMU* (Carnegie Mellon), but my fiancee has been teaching at Central Michigan for the last two years, so I've been up there a few dozen times by now.  Her teaching job was always probably going to be a temporary thing (we both prefer living in Pittsburgh) but I'd said "Well, if you're going to be here, let's have some fun and get into it!" so on my visits, we went to 4 or 5 games last year + 2 this year.  Since we didn't get to as many Central Michigan games this year, I pulled up the stream online (if I wasn't at a Carnegie Mellon game, that is!)

*I kid about the "good" CMU, haha.  It's just funny that since she got the Central job, we always have to watch our acronyms!

[edward de vere]

As much as I'm rooting for dear old emm you cee to win Saturday, life will go on if it doesn't.

And remember - the Boston Red Sox were never going to win another World Series because The Curse and decades of futility would always be in the players' heads.  Until one year the players completely emptied out their heads . . . or, er, did something or other . . . and won the World Series.

[edward de vere]

Maybe we need to bring in Bill Murray from the movie "Stripes" to whip everybody into shape the night before The Big Game.

[Desertraider]

As much as I'm rooting for dear old emm you cee to win Saturday, life will go on if it doesn't.

And remember - the Boston Red Sox were never going to win another World Series because The Curse and decades of futility would always be in the players' heads.  Until one year the players completely emptied out their heads . . . or, er, did something or other . . . and won the World Series.

Is the Red Sox example supposed to be a comfort? If the Raiders suddenly go on an 86 year streak of futility - I am blaming you!

[Craft_Beermeister]

Gotta totally agree with HC that Mount should have been happy to go in down 6 at last year's Stagg.  That was the turning point, IMO.

Another opinion, Mount HAS to win this game..another loss to WWW would be a huge blow to the psyche of all players and coaches and could create a mindset that may not be overcome about beating WWW.   To lose at home, even worse.

Even though the Raiders have more NC's, the VK era needs this win to establish that he belongs and the Raiders are still in the stratosphere of D3 football.  I believe a loss would be such a mental blow to all associated with the program, even fans, the doubt that would be created would be overpowering, and even though a great program, the elite status will take a hit.
We will never not give our hearts to the Raiders, but this one is really HUGE...

I had my pacemaker double checked, and so I am ready to go.

You win at the highest level with a combination of superior talent gained from great recruiting, good coaching and player development, winning culture, focus on team goals over individual goals, and some on occasion luck.  Saturday's game is extremely important and from a fan perspective bragging rights.  At the player and coaching level I don't believe there is a perminate loss in psyche.  There is a serious disappointment that comes with a loss, but both UMU and WWW are elite teams with elite players that feed of of big wins and have the ability to turn losses into motivation. 

I think the perspective Raiderpa gave is one of the fans.  JCU is a very good D3 football fear that has loss to Mount Union for several years in a row.  Ask Toph if JCU goes into games against Mount with a defeated psyche already to surrender.  I think not. 

[raiderpa]

Great points Beermeister...and I am a fan...
thanks for your take....

[Craft_Beermeister]

A great article just came out on Vince and Larry Kehres where amoung many interesting things and insight on the Mount Union football team the author Terry Pulto points out that on Mount's 2005 coaching staff there was Matt Cambell now coach of Iowa State, Jason Candle now coach of Toeledo,
Nick Sirianni, now the quarterbacks coach for the San Diego Chargers, andMatt Caponi who is currently defensive backs coach at the University of Arizona.

Add it up: Two Division I head coaches, one NFL assistant and one Division I assistant along with Vince head coach at UMU and QB coach Larry Kehers all from the same single Division III coaching staff in 2005.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2015/12/mount_union_continues_to_rise.html

[Craft_Beermeister]

Great points Beermeister...and I am a fan...
thanks for your take....

For us fans because we have such high expectations which I earned through multiple consecutive wins of our teams we end up being crushed when our elite teams eventually loose. As Mount Union fans the distortion in reality that even the best teams have to eventually loose occurs because we experienced runs of 55 and 54 games in a row in the past. 

Whitewater has put together an impressive win streak as well and in college football such long winning streaks in today's world are unheard of.  So fans of both teams respect the elite opponent but have an expectation their team will win and when they don't us fans get crushed.  The players and coaches get crushed by a loss as well, but for them after a short period of time they can go right back at it in getting their player bigger, strong, and faster to come back next season with a strong desire to excell.  For us fans there becomes a long off season and we don't have the strenuous workouts to work off our level of frustration or whatever the correct word is to describe it.

In the D3 playoffs all that are left are great teams that have had great seasons, but on Saturday two of those great teams will be done and unlike the regular season they won't be able to hunker down in the following week and work hard to right the ship.  However shortly after the loss while it still stings they will be back in the workout facilities getting refocussed while the fans well we just have to wait and let our expectations rebuild over time.

[Desertraider]

Beermeister - good points and if Mount has the ability to turn losses into motivation then they should be supremely motivated come Saturday. For the Seniors especially as they have never beat "The UWW". Now while you make good points I have to bring in the "oh crap" factor. JCU doesn't go in to Mount week ready to pack it in...but when the score hits 7-0, 14-0, 21-0 - at some point a few of those players start to say "oh crap, here we go again". It doesn't have to be all of them, or even most of them - just a few is all it takes. Having said that - I do not believe this Mount team will suffer from this come Saturday. Should be great game regardless and my prediction is the winner will win it all. I am worried however that Pat is the only one picking Mount and he has been wrong the most Not sure if that means anything so I will choose to take it as 'Pat is the only one picking correctly'.

[jamtod]

Should be great game regardless and my prediction is the winner will win it all. I am worried however that Pat is the only one picking Mount and he has been wrong the most Not sure if that means anything so I will choose to take it as 'Pat is the only one picking correctly'.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

[emma17]

These players and coaches on these two teams have accomplished so much over this season and previous seasons- there won't be any quit in any of them. There are only winners here.

We are very much looking forward to visiting Alliance and Mt Union.

[hazzben]

A great article just came out on Vince and Larry Kehres where amoung many interesting things and insight on the Mount Union football team the author Terry Pulto points out that on Mount's 2005 coaching staff there was Matt Cambell now coach of Iowa State, Jason Candle now coach of Toeledo,
Nick Sirianni, now the quarterbacks coach for the San Diego Chargers, andMatt Caponi who is currently defensive backs coach at the University of Arizona.

Add it up: Two Division I head coaches, one NFL assistant and one Division I assistant along with Vince head coach at UMU and QB coach Larry Kehers all from the same single Division III coaching staff in 2005.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2015/12/mount_union_continues_to_rise.html

That's one impressive coaching tree!

Reminds me of Hayden Fry's at Iowa. The other epic one was the NFL Films chronicle: Cleveland '95. I'm sure I don't need to remind you guys of all the talent that left town on that staff