FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[patcummings]

I think seating will be an issue, at least good seating.  Whitewater will probably travel more than you think and Mount certainly will considering no one came to Salem last year. 

[skunks_sidekick]

As someone else has posted previously, the reason Mount is always on the "smaller side", is it's where the ESPN cameras are focused (or so I have heard).  They want the fullest stands they can get.  Not that they don't show the "home" side, but most of their cameras are located on the pressbox side, which is the "home side".  I have been to four Staggs, and Mount has been on the visitors side every time.  Are they trying to say we aren't good enough for the "cool" side?  I think this is a WEST REGION conspiracy.  We get screwed every time we turn around.  It's a wonder we can even play having to be on that obviously inferior side.  

Thank the football GODS the "real Stagg" was played two weeks ago.  Phewwwwwwww........Again, I am glad we get to bask in the glory that is WEST!  

[patcummings]

Not sure if I'm right about this...

Mount is the #2 in a lower seeded bracket, making them the road team to begin with.

[oldmantoo]

By the way, my first hack, little to no research, off the cuff prediction:

MUC: 21
UWW: 17

How does anybody predict the score of the game.  I always have trouble when there are no common opponents or realistic way to judge.

What I did find interesting in Ric's unofficial MUC site in his tale of the tape, there is actually a team that averages more penalties and penalty yardage the MUC!

[reality check]

pat

I don't know if the seeding matters because many years, as eluded to by skunks sidekick, MUC has been the visitor at the Stagg Bowl although they were the #1 seed in the #1 region. 

[oldmantoo]

As someone else has posted previously, the reason Mount is always on the "smaller side", is it's where the ESPN cameras are focused (or so I have heard).  They want the fullest stands they can get.  Not that they don't show the "home" side, but most of their cameras are located on the pressbox side, which is the "home side".  

At least there really are no really bad seats on the visitor side.  The stands are up off the ground and even if you are in the first couple of rows, people walking by do not block your view like on the visitors side at MUC's stadium.  I think I am in the first or second row about the 35, not as good as in Alliance but still pretty decent seats.  There I sit on the press box side with the animals on the 45 yard line!

[Ric]

Pat I was told in 2003 ESPN requested Mount to be on the visitors side because of the fan base.  I asked the Salem reps who would be the home/visitors this year in the post game press conference and was told that would be determined in a meeting with ESPN Sunday (yesterday).  So I don't think seeding had much to do with it.

On the bright side, since Mount will be wearing all white (that's what I was told today) they can just send an underclassman out to midfield to flop around rather than wave a white flag when its 68-0 Whitewater at halftime.

[skoaltrain]

I think seating will be an issue, at least good seating.  Whitewater will probably travel more than you think and Mount certainly will considering no one came to Salem last year. 

Cummings, I wouldn't go quite that far......We were there.

[Olinemom]

Kirasdad-- Your probably right  and I can't really afford another divorce   Like formerd3db said, I have the feeling this game is going to be real close and a nail biter!   The other thing is after all those road trips from FL to Mount last year, I just always wondered would it would be like to exit off in Virginia as opposed to driving all the way to Alliance

a lot warmer (well, relatively speaking) than in Alliance.  The last time I was there, it was like Siberia! lol.   And you could have some delicious brownies and other good stuff at Stone Station who will be there to meet and greet fans from MUC and WW.  I hear that the MUC side is sold out!  But, never fear, Stone Station has tickets on the 50 yard line.  We will be there in style.

[b4uknewit]

Apparantly ESPN did not recognize this so called game of the year by teams other than the ones playing this Saturday in the Stagg  Was it televised, cause I have pretty good cable and I missed it   In regards to pansies and traveling, well, I have a 99 Ford with 250,000 miles........ on it's 3rd engine. My sons refuse to let me shoot it and put it out of it's damn missery because it has most of those miles chasing highschool and college football careers around. And I still have at least (minimal) 2 yrs of MUC football and 4 yrs God knows where left   yes I know, some boys from Ohio made something called the airplane   they were from Ohio were they not?  ROLL~RAIDERS  

[skunks_sidekick]

Being the visitor only determines uniform color.  It does not determine seating (see Ric's post, as I was compiling this post, if you have any questions).  

Ric - CLASSIC!!!!!  I love it!  

By the way, just for the record, LK thinks any internet board, or smack talking by "fans" is about as important as all the "great" athletes that decided they needed to play NOW, and not wait their turn at Mount.  

Speaking of which, there is a great story about Kmic.   He heard from many top notch D III, and higher, about how it was silly to wait to play at Mount when he could play NOW for them.  He told them, "I know I have to prove myself, and maybe wait my time, but it's worth it".  

He asked LK earlier in the year where he stood, and LK told him, "just be ready, you never know".  That should tell you just a bit about the kind of kid that is coming to Mount to play football.  Guys that think they need to be stars now, don't make it.  Guys that are willing to bust their ass every day in practice with no game time, are the ones that in the end, become Mount stars.  

LK just does what he does.  The "pressure", the "hype", the "greatest/best/next", are irrelevant.  He respects everyone, but fears no one.  

[b4uknewit]

I like these definitions of MOUNT from my Websters dictionary    MOUNT n, a riding horse (we have a few of those on the O'line)     a device that holds something (we have been guilty of that)  and finally, MY personal favorite    {TO ASCEND}  Things that make you go HMMMMMM

[JK]

By the way, my first hack, little to no research, off the cuff prediction:

MUC: 21
UWW: 17

How does anybody predict the score of the game.  I always have trouble when there are no common opponents or realistic way to judge.

What I did find interesting in Ric's unofficial MUC site in his tale of the tape, there is actually a team that averages more penalties and penalty yardage the MUC!

oldman,

As it states, it is just an initial thought, meant to spur discussion.  I didn't, nor do I really care to do a lot of research on this to make a more educated guess.  All that prediction is based on is what I know about MUC and what I know about whitewater.

You want reasoning, here we go:

MUC's strength is Defense, WW's is offense.  I know WW is pretty balanced.  Beavers is a great TB and the QB and WRs are good.  Playing straight up, I think MUC can take away one or the other and make WW one dimensional.  One dimensional teams don't usually win big games, especially against a team that can match you shot for shot like MUC can on O.  I don't know much about WW's D, but I think MUC, having faced two really really good defenses the last 2 weeks in my Crusaders and the Flaming pile of Rowan, will be just fine. 

Also, I think the inexperience factor plays a part against WW.  MUC, even though this particular group hasn't really "been there" like some of the others, when you go to MUC, you expect to get to the Stagg, so it is kind of "ho-hum."  WW, this being their first Stagg, will be pretty jacked up, adrenaline going, all that.  THat isn't always a good thing.  That causes the highs to be really high and the lows to seem really bad.  I think it will lead to a turnover or two that may be the difference for MUC.

I think it will be a close, fairly well played, low scoring game.  If MUC gets to determine the "tempo" it will be.  WW wants to run away and hide before MUC know what hit them.  They would prefer to play it wide open.

Lastly, I shy away from trying to predict based on common opponents.  There is too much of an element of unknown there.  Some teams just match up better against others, despite their records.  Some coaches have a bead on others tendencies.  There are also rivalries and things that play emotionally against teams, making common opponent comparison pretty variable.  Look at CAP-OTT (big rivalry, if you don't know) and ONU-OTT.  ONU buried OTT, CAP lost to OTT, but CAP beat ONU.  HMM....

So, there you have it.  Nothing I have seen or heard this week has made me change my mind.  I still say:

MUC 21
UWW 17 

[JK]

By the way, the last MUC championship was 2002, correct, when this group of Seniors were Frosh???

IF, and I do mean IF, MUC loses on Saturday, that would mean only one National championship for this group of Seniors?  Since MUC started winning titles in 1993, what was the last class to leave MUC with only one championship?  93?  94? I know the guys who were seniors in 96 (my class at Capital) won 2...Frosh (93) and Senior (96) year, so I think it would be before that.

Ric, little help???

Wow, that would be failure by MUC standards.  A class with only one championship...

[mtfan]

Ric
hey, you held that score pretty darn close, nice call! though I expected more scoring by Mount my 15 point margin wasn't too far out!  OH! BTW we won't need no stinkin' white flag either, lol!  and where were you for the nativity at work tonight?? Man, I got shepard duty figured you'd at least have been a wise man ! LOL (but then maybe you were wise enough to get out quick!) LOL, it was a great time though!
B4uknewit
HEy, you mean you're not gonna tailgate with us on this one??    Well, can't blame ya being in Florida, hope you had a safe trip home from Texas and didnt end up with Cauliflower-ear after the game last week! After all the runs you made last few years getting to home games, I gotta believe Ford would have you doing some ads with that truck!! 
llamaguy
Hey, we'll be looking for you again, we'll be gating there somewhere as well, would be nice to meet up with the B_water gang once again and meet up with Pat as well!

GO RAIDERS !!!!
7 WAS HEAVEN BUT 8 IS GREAT!!