FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

Hi I haven't had a chance to get to alliance in 4 years and I was coming to akron for a afternoon game Saturday so I was thinking of catching the Mt.-Cap game as well. Does anyone have any idea what kind of crowd to expect and if there will be plenty of seats for the game?

I imagine there will be ample seating available for that game.  ONU and BW will be the only home games that will be even close to full this year and that's partially because those two have good support in Alliance normally. 

[Raider 68]

Hi I haven't had a chance to get to alliance in 4 years and I was coming to akron for a afternoon game Saturday so I was thinking of catching the Mt.-Cap game as well. Does anyone have any idea what kind of crowd to expect and if there will be plenty of seats for the game?

ohiofan1954,

If you are coming to Alliance, I will have an extra ticket at a reduced price since my wife will not be going to game.

We have seats in the covered stands, 40 yard line, and it will be raining most of the day. Please send me a PM if you are interested.

[pradierguy]

1. What team breaks Mounts scoreless streak? - ONU next week. I don't think Capital gets on the board Saturday.

2. What team is first to really challenge Mount (I don't think it will be an OAC team this year)? No clue. UWW?

3. More likely to happen - VK steps outside and schedules NAIA or DII team (like a Notre Dame College) OR VK pulls a LL and moves up to DII or DI?

VK addresses his future in this article recently posted in the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/college-footballs-greatest-father-son-coaching-dynasty-is-at-mount-union/2015/09/30/33324492-677f-11e5-8325-a42b5a459b1e_story.html --- Sounds like he might be planning to stick around awhile.

[wally_wabash]

1. What team breaks Mounts scoreless streak? - ONU next week. I don't think Capital gets on the board Saturday.

2. What team is first to really challenge Mount (I don't think it will be an OAC team this year)? No clue. UWW?

3. More likely to happen - VK steps outside and schedules NAIA or DII team (like a Notre Dame College) OR VK pulls a LL and moves up to DII or DI?

VK addresses his future in this article recently posted in the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/college-footballs-greatest-father-son-coaching-dynasty-is-at-mount-union/2015/09/30/33324492-677f-11e5-8325-a42b5a459b1e_story.html --- Sounds like he might be planning to stick around awhile.

I have no idea what Vince Kehres may or may not do in 2 or 3 or 10 years.  But no coach ever, anywhere is going to do an interview like that and say anything other than some iteration of "I love it here, I'm not planning on going anywhere".  That's always the case right up until the minute that it isn't.  And it's not even fake or insincere either- there just may be opportunities down the road that nobody foresees right now. 

[ExTartanPlayer]

I have no idea what Vince Kehres may or may not do in 2 or 3 or 10 years.  But no coach ever, anywhere is going to do an interview like that and say anything other than some iteration of "I love it here, I'm not planning on going anywhere".  That's always the case right up until the minute that it isn't.  And it's not even fake or insincere either- there just may be opportunities down the road that nobody foresees right now.

Bingo.  Coaches always will adamantly deny interest in other jobs, whether they are definitely staying put or they just got off the phone from their agent to set up a secret interview an hour outside of Tuscaloosa to discuss the Alabama job.  And I don't really blame them, even when they are being insincere.  If you open that door at all - "Yeah, it's nice here, but man if that Texas job opens up, I'm gone" - you're opening a whole bunch of different cans of worms.

We live in an era where Bobby Petrino just up and left the Falcons mid-NFL-season with a letter that could fit into a couple of Tweets, and where Nick Saban firmly denied that he was a candidate for any NFL jobs right up til he took the Dolphins job (and then denied that he was a candidate for any college jobs right up til he took the Alabama job), and where Bret Bielema just slinked off and left Wisconsin right before they played in the Rose Bowl.  Guys will never open that door until they're already gone.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm sure you have navigated some job transitions in your day.  Do most of you let your bosses know when you're just poking around at other places, or do you wait until there's a firm offer in hand?

[Bombers798891]

I have no idea what Vince Kehres may or may not do in 2 or 3 or 10 years.  But no coach ever, anywhere is going to do an interview like that and say anything other than some iteration of "I love it here, I'm not planning on going anywhere".  That's always the case right up until the minute that it isn't.  And it's not even fake or insincere either- there just may be opportunities down the road that nobody foresees right now.

I once interviewed a college coach for a story who told me that he was going to stay where he was because he loved it and left to take a new job before the story went to press. I work for a magazine, but still.

[rscl70]

I don't have any info on others.

Mount Union plays Rose-Hulman next, in 2016 and 2017, then plays North Carolina Wesleyan in 2018 and 2019.

Actually, it's the other way 'round.  Wesleyan in '16 - '17 and Rose-Hulman in '18 - '19.  Westminster in '20 - '21.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Do the players/coaches ever get tired of pounding everybody, until the Stagg Bowl ? It would be interesting to watch UMU schedule up for it's OOC game, top D3, D2 or top NAIA program and would probably be more fun for the kids in the program. I love to win as much as anyone, but beating everybody regular season by a lot just seems, well, frankly boring. Unbelievable program that I assume Linfield (as an example) would love to have a home/away series with and that type of game would be great for D3 football. I'll assume UMU 2nd and 3rd teams could go 10-0 during the regular season, most years, certainly this year.

[reality check]

tigerfan

If you think OOC schools are just lining up to play Mount, you're sadly mistaken.  Everyone wants Mount to "schedule up" but those DII and NAIA's you're asking for, don't want to lose to Mount either.  I think that Mount schedules the best team that's willing to play them in Week 1.  If that turns out to be Bethany or Westminster or NC Wesleyan, than so be it.  They can't make these top schools say yes to a stomping week 1.

[tigerFanAlso2]

I'm certain OOC is difficult for UMU as it is for other D3 powers; would be fun to watch and good for D3 if it ever where to happen.

[Dr. Acula]

I wouldn't think they would get tired of winning big.  It's probably a big part of their sustained success.  Blowing people out allows you to get your younger kids a lot of varsity PT against other teams' starters.  Plus you're playing 50% more games than almost anybody else every year.  That's 5 more games, 5 more weeks of practice reps, etc. that your kids get EVERY YEAR.  That's huge for the development of your young guys.  It's literally giving them an extra season of development by the time their junior season starts.

Also, I'm not sure if I'd say they usually blow everyone out until the Stagg Bowl.  Often times during their run the OAC has had a strong 2nd team.  Admittedly not as often as we'd like lately with the exception of JCU the last 2 years.  And they've definitely been pushed hard in the playoffs before Salem.  UMHB, Wesley, NCC off the top of my head have all pushed them to the brink recently in Alliance.

[Dr. Acula]

tigerfan

If you think OOC schools are just lining up to play Mount, you're sadly mistaken.  Everyone wants Mount to "schedule up" but those DII and NAIA's you're asking for, don't want to lose to Mount either.  I think that Mount schedules the best team that's willing to play them in Week 1.  If that turns out to be Bethany or Westminster or NC Wesleyan, than so be it.  They can't make these top schools say yes to a stomping week 1.

I don't blame them at all.  It's all risk, no reward for those scholarship programs.  If they beat Mount from a lot of folks they'd just hear "Well, you can give scholarships so you should win."  And if they don't beat Mount...

[reality check]

tigerfan

If you think OOC schools are just lining up to play Mount, you're sadly mistaken.  Everyone wants Mount to "schedule up" but those DII and NAIA's you're asking for, don't want to lose to Mount either.  I think that Mount schedules the best team that's willing to play them in Week 1.  If that turns out to be Bethany or Westminster or NC Wesleyan, than so be it.  They can't make these top schools say yes to a stomping week 1.

I don't blame them at all.  It's all risk, no reward for those scholarship programs.  If they beat Mount from a lot of folks they'd just hear "Well, you can give scholarships so you should win."  And if when they don't beat Mount...

[HSCTiger74]

I have no idea what Vince Kehres may or may not do in 2 or 3 or 10 years.  But no coach ever, anywhere is going to do an interview like that and say anything other than some iteration of "I love it here, I'm not planning on going anywhere".  That's always the case right up until the minute that it isn't.  And it's not even fake or insincere either- there just may be opportunities down the road that nobody foresees right now.

Bingo. Coaches always will adamantly deny interest in other jobs, whether they are definitely staying put or they just got off the phone from their agent to set up a secret interview an hour outside of Tuscaloosa to discuss the Alabama job.  And I don't really blame them, even when they are being insincere.  If you open that door at all - "Yeah, it's nice here, but man if that Texas job opens up, I'm gone" - you're opening a whole bunch of different cans of worms.

We live in an era where Bobby Petrino just up and left the Falcons mid-NFL-season with a letter that could fit into a couple of Tweets, and where Nick Saban firmly denied that he was a candidate for any NFL jobs right up til he took the Dolphins job (and then denied that he was a candidate for any college jobs right up til he took the Alabama job), and where Bret Bielema just slinked off and left Wisconsin right before they played in the Rose Bowl.  Guys will never open that door until they're already gone.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm sure you have navigated some job transitions in your day.  Do most of you let your bosses know when you're just poking around at other places, or do you wait until there's a firm offer in hand?

   The only exception to this that I ever heard about was Lou Holtz, who had it written into his contract when he took the Minnesota job that they had to release him if Notre Dame ever came calling.

[wally_wabash]

First this:

I'll assume UMU 2nd and 3rd teams could go 10-0 during the regular season, most years, certainly this year.

is false.  Full blown myth.  Not even this year is this true. 

And the rest...

Do the players/coaches ever get tired of pounding everybody, until the Stagg Bowl ? It would be interesting to watch UMU schedule up for it's OOC game, top D3, D2 or top NAIA program and would probably be more fun for the kids in the program. I love to win as much as anyone, but beating everybody regular season by a lot just seems, well, frankly boring. Unbelievable program that I assume Linfield (as an example) would love to have a home/away series with and that type of game would be great for D3 football.

I was actually thinking about exactly this the other day.  Buried in amongst the selection and seeding criteria is a particularly handy tool for Mount Union- it's the rule that basically gives 10-0 Mount  Union the golden home field ticket through the Stagg Bowl, so long as they 1) keep playing deep into the tournament every year and 2) go 10-0 in the regular season.  The only way Mount Union gets dislodged from four home games in the tournament is if they take a challenging regular season game and lose it.  Now, I don't believe that anybody who's really good is beating down Mount Union's door for a non-league game.  That just isn't happening.  But if it were- if somebody really good like Linfield or UMHB or whoever else you think lives in that strata of the division- there's not a particularly compelling reason for Mount Union to play that kind of game in September.  Mount Union cannot better their position in the tournament by playing that kind of game.  That is all risk, zero reward for the Raiders.