FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Ok, so I am bored and have nothing else to do right now.  Average margin of Victory for MTU from 2001-2007

2001 = 34.9
2002 = 34.3
2003 = 45.3
2004 = 36.9
2005 = 41.2 (Only 9 wins in Regular Season.  Lost to ONU 14-21.  I did not include that score)
2006 = 41.7
2007 = 51.8

I actually like watching those closer games in the past like the JCU, ONU, and BW games.  Much more exciting as a fan.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Sadly it appears Mount Union would have to travel extensively (which is probably foreclosed by economics and/or players' academic schedules) or play opponents out of DIII in order to create a schedule which would produce many more objectively interesting games.

And, none of the local DII or D1AA (or D1 Playoff Series) teams want to risk a loss to Mt. Union (a "lower" level team) that might affect their playoff chances.

[frank uible]

How about Valpo. Dayton or Butler (I know that in the past Butler has played Albion, lost and come back for more). Mount would probably beat these Pioneer teams, but one of them might give Mount a decent game in a good year for the Pioneer team. A check of the 2008 Butler schedule shows Albion, Hanover and Franklin on it.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I would like to see it, to see how well MTU could stack up to a DII team.  I guess the only person who can really answer the question is LK.

Ashland is close and also would be a good barometer game.

In the early 90s MTU played Dayton in the playoffs when Dayton was still in DIII.  I remember conversation back then about FB players at Dayton getting Track scholarships and soon after the NCAA decided to not allow schools to be split division like that (at least with FB I think).

[Pat Coleman]

Similar to last year. I watched a game or two on STO on the dish but between the production values, the uninteresting lineup and the ugly old turf (I know, no longer a factor) I couldn't bring myself to watch any more.

And I love watching Division III football. So that says something.

I should clarify that I saw two Baldwin-Wallace home games on STO. I understand the production/experience may have been different at other sites.

[reality check]

Frank

MUC would not only need to travel extensively like you mentioned but more problematic would be the fact that the Purple Raiders would need to leave the OAC to make your assertion a reality.  All this is in terms of conversation is another angler at the "Mount should move up" discussion.  Dayton has played teams like ONU, and WITT but I don't think they want any part of Mount Union.  The most difficult part of the equations is the 10 team OAC.  Unless the OAC added members and went to two divisions, there's no way to schedule these miscellaneous games.  I'd love to see some other regional games but I don't know how they could accomplish it any other way.  And even if the OAC returned to two divisions, what quality schools will want to play the top tier OAC schools???  The NCAC/HCAC schools that have playoff berths to risk won't want to deal with the top OAC schools.  If the OAC expanded and the other D-III schools in our own back yard don't want to step up and D-II's/I-AA's don't want lower level losses, what is anyone to do?  All that said, I'd love to see OAC schools play COW, Thomas More, Hanover, Bluffton, Wabash, Witt, OWU, Denison, Allegheny, etc. play the different schools in the OAC on a more regular basis.  I just don't see it presenting itself as a feasible possibility.

[reality check]

Kirasdad

Dayton footballers are still getting all sorts of help beyonds the normal grants and federal aid whether it's "leadership" scholarships or special interest aid.  That didn't end in the early 90's.  My high school quarterback went on to UD and started three years and I know he got some sort of "scholarship" aid that was most definitely not based on GPA or class rank.


Saints

You're easily better at pick 'ems than the slightest of retards. 

Speaking of Doeder, I wonder if his correctional facility has internet access.  And where the heck is 4u these days?

[frank uible]

reality: Mount could leave the OAC for football purposes only and play an independent schedule (if it played too many -  the NCAA specifies a number which I don't have off the top of my head - outside of DIII, then it would not qualify as a DIII school, perhaps only with respect to football). Nonetheless there must be at least 10 teams which would give Mount a good game and which would have the courage to schedule Mount. A knotty problem but possibly not an insoluble one.

[JK]

FYI-

Capital posted their 2008 media guide sometime since I last checked on Thursday.  Here's a link:

http://www.capital.edu/20384/

[PurpleSuit]

Nonetheless there must be at least 10 teams which would give Mount a good game and which would have the courage to schedule Mount. A knotty problem but possibly not an insoluble one.

There probably are a 10 teams in D3 that could give Mount Union a game, especially on the road.  But I don't know how much those teams would want to play Mount in the regular season.  With the way the playoffs are set up, a regular season loss could diminish many teams' playoff chances

[reality check]

And what impact would that have regarding Division III playoff implications for Mount Union?  Would their "independent" games need to be in region to qualify?  Would their non-division III games not count in the first place?  I can't remember for certain but I recall the year ONU lost to Dayton but made the playoffs as a Pool C, the committee more or less ignored the non-DIII loss and treated the Bears as an 8-1 team that beat out other 8-2 or 9-1 teams for a Pool C.  So if MUC plays independently against regional, non-regional and higher level programs they basically become lost in the shuffle.  And for what?  So that the proponents of the idea of having MUC play up or out of DIII can have a pseudo-solution.  Horrible idea on almost all levels.  I'm sorry but that argument stinks.

I don't see anyone in the OAC crying about Mount Union and as long as we are the ones playing them year in and year out and taking our beatings but challenging ourselves, I don't think anyone else has room to talk or whine.  If someone is sick of seeing MUC win by 50+, get better or take care of the problem yourselves.  Besides those two options you can ignore their games, focus on the other 238 teams playing and deal with watching them in Salem on ESPN2.

I worked with a program at the Division II level that wanted to go the "national independent" route.  How'd that turn out?  They blew their budget year after year.  They found out they bit off more than they could chew and then they discontinued football altogether as a result.  Even with all of the support and success at MUC, playing a national schedule makes little sense.  Who's going to play them at the D-III level coast to coast that is better than what they see in the OAC?  You aren't going to see Whitworth, HSU, UMHB, Wesley, Redlands, the WIAC's or (insert school of your choice here) jumping up for a shot to play the national independent power year in and year out.  They'd play weaker schools than they face in the OAC and they'd do it in while killing their kids with travel and out of region so that their playoff chances go down because of the system.  

It just doesn't make sense.  And that's not even addressing the whole "play one sport out of the conference you play everything else in" argument.

[reality check]

And since I'm on a roll...

I say we start the petition now to send Kenyon up and out of the NCAC for swimming so that they can finally measure themselves up against some real competition.  I mean 29 titles, these guys need to look into some independent meets.  I'm thinking a dual or tri meet maybe.  Something like Auburn, Stanford and Kenyon. 

Or just have them barnstorm the country challenging Michael Phelps from town to town on the tour.   

[frank uible]

Nonetheless to a fan of football, who has no rooting interest in Mount or any of its opponents, Mount's games are very likely to be boring. And the response, I guess, is "who cares whether such a person is bored with Mount's schedule - first and foremost Mount wants to maintain its good chances of getting to the DIII playoffs".

[section13raiderfan]

Mount Union is NEVER boring. Amazing is the proper word. However,  from the opponents perspective MUC may be a little overwhelming....but not boring. Ask UWW, If you dare to play em, you just might elevate your own program and even beat em once in a while. The only way to make MUC less "boring" would be to have them drop to the mediocre level. Is that what you want? All due respect to UWW, but MUC is the standard for D3 football. You have to rise to that standard to eliminate the boredom.

[SaintsFAN]

Nonetheless to a fan of football, who has no rooting interest in Mount or any of its opponents, Mount's games are very likely to be boring. And the response, I guess, is "who cares whether such a person is bored with Mount's schedule - first and foremost Mount wants to maintain its good chances of getting to the DIII playoffs".

At a job where I work with many other D3, D2, D1-AA, and NAIA football guys, the MUC scores give me a chance to point out to them that the D3 level is no joke and that alot of d3 programs would more than hold their own against them (well except for the scholarship level of 1-AA).  I still have monthly arguments with guys from Georgetown KY (the NAIA closest equivalent of MUC) about D3 teams being able to beat NAIA teams...no matter what freaky rules they get to abide by in NAIA.