FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

As a fan I selfishly wouldn't mind if they played playoff games on the road every year.  I enjoy visiting other D3 campuses.   

[wally_wabash]

People mention other forums where some comments are flying about MU.  Can anyone offer links to these other sites?

Not other sites and not other forums on this site.  Basically just in here, from MU fans themselves.  Nobody else is saying peep about MU.  UMHB beat Linfield by 300, UWW beat three top 10s in back-to-back-to-back weeks (we call this the Emanski) and MU still holds 15 of the 25 first place votes in the poll. 

The haters and the doubters and whatever else just aren't out there, guys.

I thought this was true, too, to be fair...if you look in the Comments section of some things on the D3 main page, there is some stuff like that.  For example:

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2016/10/week6-top25-roundup

The D3 site comments are what I was referring to. A couple of WW fans complaining about playoffs already with UMU getting home field advantage, etc. Look, I get it. UWW has had Mounts number for a couple of years, but right now they're as similar programs as you're going to find out there. 6 titles for WW and 5 for UMU in the last 11 seasons. The same arguments just get old, but I think that those come from many people new to D3 and the D3 writers usually set them straight on facts. One guy even tried to say that they should have the final four teams matchup for the first week of the season. Talk about a scheduling nightmare. We all know UMU doesn't have the toughest SOS, but with the OAC schedule the way it is, we can only play one out of conference team.

Both are fantastic programs with great coaches and players. The older I get, the more I am just trying to enjoy every moment of Purple Raider football because you don't know what the future holds. Enough rambling, I'm enjoying watching these seniors lead the younger guys and helping them develop and looking forward to the rest of the season!

I forget about the comments section on the main site stories.  Just read through this one and, wow.  So yeah, if it's a fight you're looking for resqdog and hsbsballcoach, then that's definitely a place you guys can go and get into the mucky-muck with dudes who think the NCAA is in the tank for UMU (or MUC which is apparently still the preferred acronym for the Rhodes Scholars in the comments sections  ).

[edward de vere]

Wally Wabash says:  " . . . (or MUC which is apparently still the preferred acronym for the Rhodes Scholars in the comments sections.)."

This old National Merit Scholar also still prefers it.

[edward de vere]

But then again, I do have the occasional "get off my lawn" moments.

[wally_wabash]

Maybe "preferred" wasn't the right choice of words.  I "prefer" Constantinople to Istanbul (the former just sounds cooler), but alas, one is correct and one is not.  I think a six year grace period is plenty for people to have made the transition from Mount Union College to University of Mount Union.

[Desertraider]

Maybe "preferred" wasn't the right choice of words.  I "prefer" Constantinople to Istanbul (the former just sounds cooler), but alas, one is correct and one is not.  I think a six year grace period is plenty for people to have made the transition from Mount Union College to University of Mount Union.

No it isn't. I still have my Mount Union College key fob, issued with my building keys in 2001, on my key chain and my original MUC Purple Plus card issued the same year.

[wally_wabash]

Maybe "preferred" wasn't the right choice of words.  I "prefer" Constantinople to Istanbul (the former just sounds cooler), but alas, one is correct and one is not.  I think a six year grace period is plenty for people to have made the transition from Mount Union College to University of Mount Union.

No it isn't. I still have my Mount Union College key fob, issued with my building keys in 2001, on my key chain and my original MUC Purple Plus card issued the same year.

This is getting complicated.  You guys that go way back and were students at Mount Union College are fine.  Literally grandfathered in.     The rest of us can be bothered to respect the current nomenclature. 

[Desertraider]

Maybe "preferred" wasn't the right choice of words.  I "prefer" Constantinople to Istanbul (the former just sounds cooler), but alas, one is correct and one is not.  I think a six year grace period is plenty for people to have made the transition from Mount Union College to University of Mount Union.

No it isn't. I still have my Mount Union College key fob, issued with my building keys in 2001, on my key chain and my original MUC Purple Plus card issued the same year.

This is getting complicated.  You guys that go way back and were students at Mount Union College are fine.  Literally grandfathered in.     The rest of us can be bothered to respect the current nomenclature.

I actually never attended Mount. I went to Hiram and UAkron. However, I would like Mount to start a "alumni adoption program". Not satisfied with your Alma Mater? Get adopted by the Mount Union Alumni Association!

[Desertraider]

I understand the complaints that Mount never travels in the playoffs - but only to a point. Regardless of "neutral" venue, eventually they have to travel for that last game. However - if you want Mount to travel here are 2 simple ways to ensure it happens: 1) Beat them (regular season). Ok so not that simple. However, with a loss Mount probably wouldn't be the #1 throughout and host. 2) Hold up your end. When Mount isn't the #1 (as has been mentioned) and someone else is - hold up your end and win so Mount has to come to you. Losing, as a higher seed has done previously, and handing Mount home games doesn't mean the NCAA is on 'Mounts payroll' - it means you overlooked your current opponent because Mount was next (no way to prove that - but it seems logical). Well Mount isn't next if you lose, and then Mount hosts for the remainder.

What is tired is the "Mount is dominant, but they never travel so they aren't as good as (insert team - normally a WIAC team - here)". Sorry - but Mount wins. By winning they get home playoff games. And by winning those home playoff games they advance and get another one. Eventually, they travel to Salem (which actually seems like more of a home game given the frequency) and meet the other team that travels to Salem. It's DIII, it is a real playoff not a pretend one, and the winners advance. And in the end, as the Highlander says: There can be only one!

[bleedpurple]

I understand the complaints that Mount never travels in the playoffs - but only to a point. Regardless of "neutral" venue, eventually they have to travel for that last game. However - if you want Mount to travel here are 2 simple ways to ensure it happens: 1) Beat them (regular season). Ok so not that simple. However, with a loss Mount probably wouldn't be the #1 throughout and host. 2) Hold up your end. When Mount isn't the #1 (as has been mentioned) and someone else is - hold up your end and win so Mount has to come to you. Losing, as a higher seed has done previously, and handing Mount home games doesn't mean the NCAA is on 'Mounts payroll' - it means you overlooked your current opponent because Mount was next (no way to prove that - but it seems logical). Well Mount isn't next if you lose, and then Mount hosts for the remainder.

What is tired is the "Mount is dominant, but they never travel so they aren't as good as (insert team - normally a WIAC team - here)". Sorry - but Mount wins. By winning they get home playoff games. And by winning those home playoff games they advance and get another one. Eventually, they travel to Salem (which actually seems like more of a home game given the frequency) and meet the other team that travels to Salem. It's DIII, it is a real playoff not a pretend one, and the winners advance. And in the end, as the Highlander says: There can be only one!

I agree with this post. I don't know the percentages, but for the record, I believe a majority of UW-W fans agree with this as well. I believe the other thing that would chip away at the inevitability of Mount getting home field throughout would be if someone would beat them in one of those home playoff games. If people just step back for a minute, when is the last time Mount lost to anyone, anywhere other than UW-W?  To be honest, until that streak is broken, it would be really hard for me favor Mount playing on the road when they are undefeated in the regular season. At some point, some team in this entire nation needs to beat them. Until then, how can anyone complain about them having home field?

And for the record, having made my first trip to Alliance last year, I can confirm the field seemed like the right size and the goal posts seemed about right to me. The atmosphere was awesome, but nothing about it made it unwinnable for UW-W.  In my opinion, home field advantage had nothing to do with Mount winning last year against UW-W. How the Purple Raiders played had a whole lot to do with it.  To me, to think they couldn't have played that well in Whitewater or that Whitewater couldn't have played better at Mount is a discredit to both teams. I just have a distaste for discrediting any national championship team for any reason at the D3 level. They always earn it, IMO.

[MUC57]

Bleedpurple

Outstanding post. I think, or at least I hope, that's the way most Mount people feel.
And Wally Wabash - Sorry for the MUC in my logon name. I wasn't a Rhodes Scholar.

[Sherburne]

Maybe "preferred" wasn't the right choice of words.  I "prefer" Constantinople to Istanbul (the former just sounds cooler), but alas, one is correct and one is not.  I think a six year grace period is plenty for people to have made the transition from Mount Union College to University of Mount Union.

Wally,
You are one of a number of non-OAC regulars here. And, highly respected by me and other Raider fans.

I've attended many, many PRaider football games since 1967; mostly in Mount Union Stadium, numerous away games, including 3 Stagg Bowl Championships. I've attended numerous non-football MUC athletic events through the years; and, non-athletic events as well.

I was never a MUC student. But, thanks for the six year grace period. With your 6 years and my 49 years 'in service' I expect to be eligible to use MUC until 2070 - the Good Lord willing.

A relevant note from MUC/UMU: The Mount Union College Board of Trustees recently unanimously resolved that the name of the institution be University of Mount Union, following October's unanimous vote to change the designation from "college" to "university."  In the past few months, many questions regarding this designation change have been posed. We hope you will find the following information valuable.  If you have other questions, please contact the Office of Public Affairs and Marketing at information@mountunion.edu.

To others reticent to accept UMU. Take heart:
Q: Will the Alma Mater be changed?
The last line of the Alma Mater, which references "Dear Old MUC," is historical in nature and will remain unchanged. Q: Will the Alma Mater be changed?   

Sherb

[pvpanthers]

Well said, bleedpurple. And quite frankly, this seems to be the year where they are genuinely vulnerable to losing at home in the playoffs (should they get in). The team is inexperienced. Does not appear nearly as dominant as before. Best chance for them to lose at home in the playoffs since their loss to UMHB in 2004 and Rowan in 1999. It will not be because Mount is at home that they lose. It will be because they lost to a better team. There are a lot of great teams this year that could make it to Salem and win. It is that simple. The playoffs are going to be very entertaining this year.

[HScoach]

bleedpurple:   great post!   I agree 100%.

Other than field playing surface, I honestly believe that there is no "home field" advantage at the D3 level.   Until the stadium attendance gets large enough to affect the ability to communicate I don't believe it has an impact on the game.   Playing in front of 100,000 screaming people in your typical Big Ten stadium is an issue for the road team.   Playing in front of your average D3 playoff crowd doesn't count.   And I don't buy the lame excuses of travel, locker rooms, etc either.

What there can be however is a "home weather" advantage.   Playing in Wisconsin or Minnesota sub-zero temps is a serious disadvantage for a team not used to such temperatures say from Virginia, Delaware, Texas, etc.   Same as playing in Belton TX with 30+ mph winds is a serious disadvantage for a passing team from the northeast that rarely sees that kind of weather, hence why in my opinion that MHB has historically be a run heavy team.   It's not very wise to build your offense like Franklin's when you're likely to play in gale force winds late in the season.   And yes, I realize most of the United States can experience wind and cold weather conditions, but until you live and practice regularly in extreme wind or cold can you truly get comfortable with it.  Especially when the average D3 roster is mainly made up of kids from the same geographical region.

Weather is where I see playing at home can make a difference, but even that is lessened greatly in D3 when the vast majority of the schools are located in or around the Great Lakes.   It's not like we have a ton of schools in southern California or from SEC country that have to travel is the north in December to play.   

So, for the few occasions that Mount played in nice 30 temps in the semi-finals at home when it might be been 5 below in Whitewater or crazy windy in Belton then yes, Mount had an advantage playing at home.  And anyone nationally pissing and moaning about any home game before the Semi-Finals should just shut up.   Mount hasn't failed to win their region since the 1994 season.   And as long as the NCAA factors in past performance into the seeding of like ranked teams, how else is Mount going to be seeded in their region other than #1?   

If someone nationally wanted to talk about an unfair Mount advantage, they should look at the geographical regions and the 500 mile travel goal.   The most consistent advantage Mount has gotten over the last 10-ish years is being paired with the East Region, not playing at home.   Though that has been eliminated the last few years with the top 2 regional seeds being more national.

[jknezek]

I think there is a lot of home field in DIII, primarily related to the travel. You hit a 400 mile bus trip getting in Friday night, have a team dinner probably on the road of junk food. Sleep in a strange hotel bed. Get up and have a team breakfast that may or may not be any good. Ride to the campus. Know you've got a full night of crappy food and bus ride home. Worse for those 250 mile trips where you don't get the overnight. Get up at 5 a.m. Have crappy breakfast on the road. 4 or 5 hour bus ride to get stiff. Then know you get to spend another 4 or 5 hours going home that afternoon on a bus with a crappy dinner where you know you are going to be achy and sore after a long game.

Travel in DIII is a huge disadvantage for the visiting team. That being said, I'm not part of the UMU needs to go on the road brigade, I just think you are understating how hard it is to travel in DIII. Especially for the less compact games. You get conferences like the ASC or the USASC where those games are spread out. Or you get those playoff games like W&L to Hobart, which was 15 miles below the flight limit. Those trips are absolutely brutal.

So yeah, home field? Not really a concern except if you are an option team going from turf to long grass or something like. But travel? It can be difficult.