FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[usee]

Usee:  Sorry to see Wheaton slip up yesterday.  Good luck next week.  Always enjoy seeing the Thunder come to town.

HSC, Thanks for the wishes. I have a lot of wishes too but no excuses. Thunder didn't get it done saturday and will have their hands full next week. Good luck to all who play Mount!

[purpled]

All you MUC fans should waltz on over to McDonalds and pick up the free copy of THIS WEEK IN FOOTBALL. There is a story written by Bob Frantz titled
MOUNT UNION SECOND-BEST COLLEGE TEAM IN OHIO. It is very factual and complimentary. Finally, some D3 respect from sombody! Frantz is a columnist with the San Francisco Examiner and a radio personality heard on WTAM locally.
He now knows what we all have known for quite a while here on D3FOOTBALL.COM. MUC is the real deal!

Are you sure those are the same Bob Frantz? I mean I have no idea, they very well may be, but the Bob Frantz that is on WTAM lives in Cleveland and came from a station in Toledo.  I had no idea this guy was writing for a San Francisco paper.  Like I said he may be but I had no idea if he is the same guy.

Bob Frantz of WTAM/Cleveland (http://www.wtam.com:80/pages/bobfrantz/ondemand/) tells me, definitively, that he did write the Raider piece in "This Week In Football" - TWIF.  Has he written for the SFChronicle as well?  I can't say, definitively.

Thanks to Mr. Frantz, I was able to find his Raider article and copy it below with thanks to him,  McDonald's and TWIF.

A few weeks back, I joked in this space about Ohio State’s unique in-state schedule this season. A line-up that has included Youngstown State, Akron, and Kent State, I wrote, could only be viewed as a tune-up for the Buckeyes’ inevitable showdown with Oberlin College for total state supremacy.
   Truth be told, I can now reveal that I chose Oberlin as my punch-line almost at random, having first considered Mount Union to drive my point home. But then it occurred to me:
   The Buckeyes would never be bold enough to mess with the Purple Raiders.
   Okay, so I’m still teasing. A little.
   Even in an era that has produced upsets by 1-AA schools such as Appalachian State over national powers like Michigan, the idea of the largest university in the entire nation lining up across from small liberal arts school with 2,200 students is absurd. But I use such a fictional match-up only to illustrate this point: Ohio State is just about the only amateur football team in the state that I would favor over the Raiders on any given Saturday. That includes the aforementioned state schools, along with Bowling Green, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, and the rest of the Division 1-A big boys.
   The non-scholarship boys from Division III Mount Union are just that good.
   Most Ohio football fans are aware of Mount Union’s ongoing dynasty, yet there is still a certain lack of respect for the Raiders’ accomplishments in many football circles. “It’s only D-III,” the cynics remind one another. “What’s the big deal?”
   The big deal is that head coach Larry Kheres has supervised the most successful program in the history of college football—in any division—and the numbers will have you searching for a spatula with which to scrape your jaw off the ground.
   The Purple Raiders have won the last 2 national championships in the NCAA’s small-school division, and an unimaginable 9 of the last 13 titles since 1993. The championship streak includes two “three-peats”, with the Raiders claiming national titles from 1996 through 1998, and again from 2000 through 2002.
   They have won 15 consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference titles, and they own the two longest winning streaks in the history of college football, including a 55-game run from 2000 to 2003 that followed their own 54-game stretch.
   Want more? Try this one: Mount Union is now 155-2 in regular season games since 1992, and they have not lost a regular season road game since in 16 years.
   Saturday’s 37-0 rout of Capital University improved the Raiders’ 2007 record to 7-0, in which they’ve outscored their opponents by an average score of 54 to 3. Overall, the Mount Union football team has gone 224-10-1 since 1990.
   Simply staggering.
   And while big-school fans may still scoff at the Purple Raiders’ incomprehensible dominance of the D-III competition, it should also be noted that each and every one of the team’s 9 national championships was won on the football field—not in some computer lab. Kheres’ boys have never been handed a single top-ranking based solely on reputation, the way schools such as Notre Dame and Michigan have done over the years. There is a national playoff system at the D-III level, which means the Raiders have had to face the very best teams in the nation in elimination games, year in and year out, before claiming their crowns.
   The Ohio State Buckeyes remain the top-ranked team in America right now, true, but if you’re looking for the real kings of college football in Ohio…stop in Alliance on your way to Columbus. The Raiders are second to none.

I think it is fair to say that the admiration Mr. Frantz has for the football program carried on by Larry Kehres comes with the pain of being an alum of Heidelberg College.  But, in his words, "As a 1990 graduate of Heidelberg College, I'm well aware of D-III football and have watched in amazement as Mount Union has dominated since the early 90's."

I stand corrected...Mr. Franz gets my tip of the hat for his article. Thank you sir!

[skunks_sidekick]

Interesting idea for conversation......who WOULD everyone want to see Mount play in their one and only non-conference game?

I think the St. John Fisher match-up for the next two years will be a great first game test. 

I myself have lobbied for a SJU-Mount home and home for more than a few years.  I just feel that two of the most storied/successful
programs in the last twenty years should strap it up and go at it.  I for one want to take a trip to Collegeville and hang out with all those arrogant, cocky, but good host Johnnie fans at the famed Clemens Stadium.  HOWEVER, we already know they DON'T want to come Mount Union Stadium!  Their experience has been less than fun when coming over here.   

Linfield would be another team I would LOVE to see Mount slaughter...errrr..play sometime in the future.  Their fans were the most obnoxious, goofballs when they had their "Brett Elliot" run.  Unfortunately, now they are just another decent D-III team.  They can't even win their own conference.  MHB would be a great home and home situation for the Mounties.  Being a city of Chicago fan, I would certainly like to see a home and home with any of the better teams from there. 

On another note.......does Mount rest the starters this coming week?  How long do they play?  Thoughts? 

Oh....and what a STUPID NFL broadcast policy to not show any other game during the home market's game.  I have Time Warner so unless I want to head to the local watering hole (I just got back from vacation last night and there is a ton of stuff to do around the house), I will just have watch the 7455 highlight takes of the Patriots vs. Colts game.

One other thing.......CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY RULES!  I need to detox for about two weeks!

The lawn calls.......OUT!   

[runyr]

Thanks, bambord, for the link to Franz article.  Very nice.

Listening to the Mount/Carroll game yesterday and all the talk about Capital, I was harkened back to a quote I'll never forget by former Capital coach Roger Welsh.  In a wonderful article (if you're a Raider fan) in the Columbus Dispatch by Rob Oller called Purple Reign (11-8-96), coach Welsh said of Mount Union, "They make my knees wobble."  That was Coach Welsh's last season. 
While listening to the Raider game yesterday, I couldn't help but wonder if the Raiders were finally making Regis Scafe's knees wobble too.

[Ric]

Ramblings...

Fact, The Capital - Mount Union game was the hardest hitting for Mount thus far.  Told not by a coach but someone respected by the coaches, yesterday.  Cap is the hardest hitting team Mount plays in the OAC.  Credit Collins!

Fact, skunks is right, there is a team out there, that if they play Mount Union, will probably pay on the scoreboard for comments made by their head coach to the wrong person.  Idiotic, ignorant, incorrect statements by the way.  People hold grudges, I'd feel the same way if one of my piers said something similar about me.  I for one, hope that matchup happens this year.

Not fact, just a thought, what is going on at ONU? What I mean is, the best two games the Bears played against Mount Union in the Dean Paul era were his first two.  In 2004, the Raiders scored 14 4th quarter points to break a 27 all tie in Ada, then in '05 Northern beat Mount in Alliance.  The last two games have not been contests.  A lot was said about Coach Kaz being a great recruiter but not a good game day coach.  Might it be the opposite for Paul? A so so recruiter but a very good game day coach? Just a thought, might be totally wrong on that?

Fact, JCU is going backwards.  That team wanted no part of Mount Union yesterday.  I expect that kind of performance from other teams, not from a program such as JCU's.  Purple is right, those kids might as well of stayed in their dorm rooms yesterday.

Not a fact, just a tought, St. John's would give Mount Union the toughest game in Salem this year.  Yes I know the two times they met in Alliance the games were not close, but history tells me, despite how many points they have given up in games, etc, if Mount faces them in Salem, they will be the best prepared opponent down there.  I don't really want to face Whitewater, not because I fear them, but because having the same matchup for the third straight year would take something off the game. I would expect that matchup to draw the smallest crowd.  My choice would be, if Mount Union gets there, and yes ok I know there is a lot of football to play, but I'd like to see either St. John's or Mary Hardin-Baylor, but yes I know, you better becareful of what you wish for.  I'm just so glad its almost playoff time!

[HScoach]

Ramblings...

Fact, The Capital - Mount Union game was the hardest hitting for Mount thus far.  Told not by a coach but someone respected by the coaches, yesterday.  Cap is the hardest hitting team Mount plays in the OAC.  Credit Collins!

Nice story, but unless you played in it, you have no basis on which to comment!

[Ric]

Yeah I forgot, nevermind Cap hits no harder than the Little Aviators.

[HScoach]

Since we're in playoff mode, my dream post season would be the following:

1st Round = doesn't matter as anyone in position for a 8 seed in the north is terrible.  But if I had to pick just one, I'd select Case Western.  (don't know why though.  maybe it's the new meat thing, or maybe it's just to prove to another school that there is a huge difference between being good and the best)

2nd Round = Wabash (no one has ever been as cocky coming to MUC as Wabash - beating them by 40+ would be a nice tune up for the next round)

Regional Final = Capital (keeps North Region all OAC again and Mount O needs a test before the Stagg)

Semi-Final = Mary Hardin Baylor (no coming back from 17 down on this defense)

Stagg = St John's (might as well put the 2 best coaches on the best stage - if anyone can figure out how to beat MUC it's Gagliardi)

[pradierguy]

I just read on a different site that ESPN Gameday is coming to MUC next weekend? This can't be true.

[HScoach]

Did you purposely create a goofy screen name, or can't you spell?

I heard the same rumor too.

[pradierguy]

haha p-raider-guy or something

Wonder if it is going to happen. What great exposure for MUC if true

[Ajwassup]

I just read on a different site that ESPN Gameday is coming to MUC next weekend? This can't be true.

where did you read that about ESPN Gameday?  Can you post a link or something so that I can find the article.  Thanks

[reality check]

Ric

I think DP is a very good recruiter as well as a great game-day coach.  What I do think might be a little different in the DP era versus the Kaz era is that DP focuses so much on an academic mission.  This is not a knock on Kaz but rather a compliment for Paul.  I hear every year of the great talent that ONU is bringing in so it's hard to believe the recruiting is not on par with the 90's and early 00's.  I would venture to say that the all-state players are greater in number than what we saw during many of the Kaz years but I believe there are more young recruits that don't cut it regarding grades and living up to the standards of the ONU program.  When your football team focuses on a team GPA greater than the school's overall GPA, you are setting your standards high and might be losing a couple of the players that would have been fine before.  That's not to say that we didn't have good student athletes at ONU under Coach Kaz.  There were plenty of great student athletes then as well as now but I would bet a couple great athletes of the "glory years" would not exactly fit into the vision of the staff at ONU right now.  Who's philosophy is better???  I'm not sure either is right or wrong; just different.

[reality check]

Did you purposely create a goofy screen name, or can't you spell?

DING DING DING

We have a winner. 

That's a bad sign and I'm not sure "pradier" even knows yet.

[pradierguy]

makin fun of the new guy huh? well please explain what you mean