BTW..Thanks to everyone for their immediate feedback on this situation...my father and I appreciate it!  We may just end up huddling around the radio on Saturday...and there's somethig sweet about that moment as well.

You would think that in the year 2010...you could pay to watch a sporting event on the Internet?

Quick question...my father is a long-time season ticket holder to UMU and is currently in the Alliance City Hospital and unfortunately moving to full-time a nursing environment in the next couple of weeks.  The hospital does not provide access to ESPNU or ESPN to their patients.  They do have wi-fi however so I was wondering if the Stagg Bowl will be shown anywhere live on the Internet on Saturday?  He has a radio...but he is upset that he'll miss the game.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Can you talk Barry Sanders out of retirement?  He still has fresh legs!

In regards to the etiquette of running up the score...or for some teams...just running your normal offense...I met a former Ohio Northern Running Back while working out in a gym in Cincinnati a few months back.  We started talking D3 football and I asked him about Mount Union...as ONU has been on the losing end of some big scores and he said he would rather have the opposing team continue to run their plays then punt on 2nd down, take a knee on consecutive plays during the 3rd quarter, kick FG's on first down or fall down on their way to the endzone on purpose.  I did not push any harder on the questioning but I'm sure WWW and MUC could score 100+ on some teams but are too classy to do so.  It's a delicate discussion because you respect your opponent and don't want to embarass your conference yet at the same time...if the other team can't stop the dive play up the middle..I'm not sure what you do to keep the score down.  The playoffs make it even worse because you can't go to your 100th guy on the roster because you don't have one.

Quick question...Does anyone have an update on Wooster's Tony Sutton?  I would love to get in touch with him.

Thanks!

Quote from: Pat Coleman on October 19, 2009, 04:49:17 PM
Except that's still not an accurate representation of how we feel or what we've said.

I'm sorry if you feel that I mis-represented your comments.  If you feel that several teams from the OAC can challenge nationally for a championship then I've never heard that before...but that's great!

Mr. Ypsi
Great stats on UW-River Falls!
That's unbelievable!!!


You know this whole discussion can quickly topple if someone comes from a conference where every team is 5-5 for example...The would be the most competitive technically.

"I did say Mount Union...and maybe one other team"

I stand by my post that it is generally assumed that Mount and maybe one other team could compete for a national championship from year to year. 

Either way..this discussion is about competitive balance coming to the OAC...more than in  recent years.

Since our bottom teams don't normally play the WIAC's bottoms...that's a tough call...I will say however that prior to last weekend...the last time Heidelberg was within 30 points of Mount was 1998.  I believe that everyone is packed a little closer together in the OAC and therefore more competitive.  I would put the OAC up against any other conference this year.

Thanks Bobo...

Where I'm going with this discussion is that...in spite of Mount's general D3 dominance over the past 15 years+ with 10 National Championships...The D3 folks (Pat, Keith etc.) have left me and I would say most readers with the impression that the OAC is really a one team conference..with maybe one other team that could possibly challenge year in and year out.  The WIAC has been heralded as the best conference top to bottom due to the competition between the conference...and general success outside for at least a decade.  Regardless whether a WIAC team actually wins the National Championship...they are still considered the best conference.  Some might question that logic...but if you apply that same logic...then one could rationally say that Mount's games have been much closer this season versus the historical top and bottom of the OAC as compared to years past...and when you look at the OAC's current national rankings (4 teams/Top 25) that serves as additional evidence that one could make a strong case that the OAC is not only better...but closer in talent from the haves/have nots...making them a better overall conference...  If you follow that same logical pattern then I'm just taking the next logical step by saying that I think they have a decent argument to be rated as the best conference in D3 this year whether Mount wins a National Championship or not at the end of this season.

Bobo...not to defend kirasdad..but I made the initial comment regarding this subject.

Actually Pat and his folks tend to make the comment about "strongest conference" prior to the start of the season...and historically (last 10 yrs.) the folks at D3 say the WIAC will be the strongest year in and year out.

For discussion sake...I suggested that the OAC is the strongest conference top to bottom in the nation...and I believe there's honest data to date that supports my theory...from the national rankings to the closer contests between the member schools of the OAC.

Thanks Kirasdad. Your comment re: The OAC's presence in the Top 25 was also part of my rationale.  I'll be interested to see if Pat weighs in regarding this matter.

Well...it's been a awhile since I've commented but I've spent some time pondering this OAC season.

In years past when Mount was blowing out conference opponents by 50 points per contest Pat Coleman would say...that proved that the OAC was not as strong and balanced as the WIAC.

With scores this season being much closer week to week...I would contend (using Coleman's rationale) that the OAC is much more balanced then in year's past and therefore the strongest conference in the country top to bottom over anyone else.

Thoughts?

test...It's been a long time!