FB: Northwest Conference

[footballfan413]

....I think UPS, Whitworth, Menlo and PLU all play WIAC schools on a pretty regular basis.   


I was just thinking about this...if MUC is so good why don't they ever play any upper level division teams for their out of league games? Like other teams such as Appalachian State University did against Michigan.

The OAC is a 10 member conference so they only need to fill one non-conference date a year.  Much harder for the  WIAC teams and other programs who need  3 opponents a year especially if they are very successful.  As to why they don't challenge themselves with upper level teams, I don't know but it would be hard to risk a loss for the play-offs if a team isn't desparate to fill a date.  That is why UWW scheduled D-II St. Cloud State last season to fill their last open date when time was runnning out and UWLC, despite scheduling DII and even D-IAA teams the last few years, has still played the last 2 season's a game short.  Besides, as they showed in the Stagg Bowl, they are a lot better at winning than losing!  Actually after playing them for the last three years, it has been my observation that they don't do either very gracefully!!   

[footballfan413]

In October, please. (chatter,chatter,chatter)

Actually, D.O.C.  the fall's in Wisconsin are absolutely beautiful most weekends.  Nothing better than a college football game on a fall afternoon, about 65 degrees, bright blue sky and the leaves changing!  At least through the first couple of weeks in Oct. anyway.  By Halloween, better come dressed accordingly. 

[D O.C.]

Thank-you. My point being October must be really, really nice, with a smaller chance of some foul weather. September too humid, November not visiting fan friendly.

The year you stole the glory in McMinnville was very strange for the Willamette Valley. The drizzly, dank weather broke on Saturdays and allowed a pleasant game day; eerie.

[bluenote]

The OAC is a 10 member conference so they only need to fill one non-conference date a year.   As to why they don't challenge themselves with upper level teams, I don't know but it would be hard to risk a loss for the play-offs if a team isn't desparate to fill a date. 

Why would they be worried about a loss if they are so great? We play upper division teams every year. And if they are good enough to win their league they make the playoffs anyway so what's the difference? I think they're scared to play up because they know they'd probably loose and it would make them cry like a baby with it's pants full.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I had intended (wisely) to stay out of this, but c'mon!  It takes two to arrange a game - what 'higher' level team would schedule MUC?  A big win - ho hum, so what?  A narrow win - OOPS, they're d3!  A loss (not at all unlikely) - coach, is your resume up to date?  What could possibly be the upside in such an arrangement for the 'higher' level team?

[footballfan413]

Well, Linfield, UW-Whitewater, UW-LaCrosse to name a few top D-3 programs the last few years have all managed to find upper level teams to play them.  I agree that is can be a lose/lose situation for the upper level programs and don't see the motivation either but it happens.  Are you saying that MUC has tried to schedule up and had no takers?
As I pointed out earlier, I think scheduling up is not a preferred course but rather a necessity when a program is having trouble filling open dates. With only one date to fill, I would put my money on MUC being happy with DIII competition, (unless you know something specific) over the idea that they can't find an upper level program to take them on.  And if that is the case, frankly, I don't blame them.  UWW's loss to DII St. Cloud State sucked this year especially since I would expect a rematch later on in the season to have a different result.  It was the Hawks 2nd game after playing a cupcake and a bye weekend.  Not nearly enough time for all the new pieces, (QB, coaches, offense, new starters) to  work through their learning curve. 

[bluenote]

I had intended (wisely) to stay out of this, but c'mon!  It takes two to arrange a game - what 'higher' level team would schedule MUC?  A big win - ho hum, so what?  A narrow win - OOPS, they're d3!  A loss (not at all unlikely) - coach, is your resume up to date?  What could possibly be the upside in such an arrangement for the 'higher' level team?

There are a couple of great teams besides MUC in their league but you'd think after beating team after team 56-7... 10 weeks in a row it would become a little boring. Maybe the players would like a little more of a challenge. They need to think outside the box and not worry what people would say if they won or lost, that's negative thinking. Either that or they have the petty bully mentality of "Wow, we beat teams every week by 60 points! We're cool man!"

[Mr. Ypsi]

I had intended (wisely) to stay out of this, but c'mon!  It takes two to arrange a game - what 'higher' level team would schedule MUC?  A big win - ho hum, so what?  A narrow win - OOPS, they're d3!  A loss (not at all unlikely) - coach, is your resume up to date?  What could possibly be the upside in such an arrangement for the 'higher' level team?

There are a couple of great teams besides MUC in their league but you'd think after beating team after team 56-7... 10 weeks in a row it would become a little boring. Maybe the players would like a little more of a challenge. They need to think outside the box and not worry what people would say if they won or lost, that's negative thinking. Either that or they have the petty bully mentality of "Wow, we beat teams every week by 60 points! We're cool man!"

That's fine from the MUC standpoint, but you're missing my point.  Why would the OTHER team want to risk playing Mount?

[bluenote]

That's fine from the MUC standpoint, but you're missing my point.  Why would the OTHER team want to risk playing Mount?

Um....maybe they'd consider it a challenge?....or maybe an alum of a school that got spanked by them year in and year out coaches now at an upper level school and wants to kick their hinder. The possibilities are endless....

I happen to know that there are several coaches on the Western Oregon (DII) team who we play every year who just get all fired up about beating us since we handed it to them so many times in the past....

[footballfan413]

That's fine from the MUC standpoint, but you're missing my point.  Why would the OTHER team want to risk playing Mount?

Mount is absolutely the gold standard program in DIII although the Stagg proved not unbeatable, but given the overall predjudice against DIII within the ranks of the upper levels, I doubt that they all believe it to be as big a risk as you seem to be implying.    I agree that there is much less in it for the upper level to play down but my point was that it happens with many top DIII teams and I would be willing to bet that Mount could find a game as well if they tried.  I don't know the answer to this question and am asking it sincerely, has Mount tried to schedule up and found no takers or is there just an assumption that upper levels wouldn't be receptive?

[skunks_sidekick]

When Mount has had an opening over the years (it's always the first game of the season), there has been some discussions with various D-II teams in the area (there are only four of them in all of Ohio) about a possible game.  Most of those talks were very preliminary, with the upper level teams not really being too interested in scheduling that kind of game.  Mostly for the reasons already stated in Mr. Ypsi's post.  Plus....Mount is not going to schedule an opponent unless it is a home/home arrangement.  They are lucky in that they only have to schedule one non-conference game a year.

That being said, it's MUC's desire and goal to play opponents in D-III.  Over the years they have went out and scheduled quality teams for that season opener.  Teams such as Albion (when they were strong), Allegheny, WHITEWATER, and this coming year they commence a home/home with St. John Fisher. 

[wildcat11]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the way Mount schedules.  If Linfield wasn't land locked I'd prefer a pure D3 schedule and I still have hope we can get there one day.  (If Pacific and Albertsons gets in gear).

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks for the back-up, Skunks.  I'm not a MUC guy (or even OAC) - I'm from IWU of the CCIW.  We know MUC as the nearly inevitable end of our rep's playoff run (over the 'modern' era, something like 0-8 against MUC, 11-3 against everyone else!).  This year we thought we'd caught a break when they shipped Mount east; then they import Whitewater to replace them (thanks a bunch, guys)!

The danger for the 'higher' team was well-illustrated by the grief that UM took for losing to Appalachian St.  Almost no one bothered to note that App. St. was on their way to a 3rd straight national title, and (while probably not having the depth to compete game-in, game-out in d1A) for a one-game match was easily a top 25 d1A team - all irrelevant: you lost to a 'lower' team.  Except for an emergency fill-in (as in that case), there are plenty of real cupcakes safely labelled d1A so as never to take that sort of risk again!

Scheduling is different in areas with few nearby schools (such as the Northwest).  In an area like Ohio, d2 or d1AA schools have plenty of less risky opponents to choose from.

[Pat Coleman]

....I think UPS, Whitworth, Menlo and PLU all play WIAC schools on a pretty regular basis.   


I was just thinking about this...if MUC is so good why don't they ever play any upper level division teams for their out of league games? Like other teams such as Appalachian State University did against Michigan.

What scholarship school that's any good at all would be dumb enough to schedule Mount Union?

[bluenote]

....I think UPS, Whitworth, Menlo and PLU all play WIAC schools on a pretty regular basis.   


I was just thinking about this...if MUC is so good why don't they ever play any upper level division teams for their out of league games? Like other teams such as Appalachian State University did against Michigan.

What scholarship school that's any good at all would be dumb enough to schedule Mount Union?

...my guess would be Michigan. But really, why would it be so dumb? Are you thinking Mount Union would automatically beat a good DII or 1AA team and make them look like a bad stain or are you saying it wouldn't be worth the upper level teams time because they'd squash MUC like a fly in an outhouse?