From 32 teams down to the final two, Mount Union and UW-Whitewater meet for the fifth time in the title game and play each other for the seventh consecutive year. The purple haze has already begun to descend on Salem Stadium — which could become whitewashed with lots more snow than we’ve seen here in recent years.

For the final matchup, as in years past, we’ve assembled some team insiders as well as the D3football.com staff to make predictions. Many of the picks point to common hesitance and questioning over how the weather will factor in and whether Mount quarterback Kurt Rocco will be cleared to play after an injury last week.

And perhaps even moreso than in the previous four years, the picks are more balanced. Neither MUC nor UW-W appears the clear favorite. However, it does seem to many that defense will be a crucial component in this matchup.

Previous years’ picks: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008

Keep reading to see what the crystal ball is telling us for Stagg Bowl XXXVII:

Pat Coleman, D3football.com executive editor
After the Mount Union/Baldwin-Wallace game, I rather publicly changed my No. 1 vote from Mount Union to UW-Whitewater. And I would have a hard time backing down from that now. From what I’ve seen, I stick with Whitewater. It’s a rare occurrence where intimidation is not a factor when facing Mount Union. Last year Cecil Shorts burned the Warhawks for two early touchdowns before Whitewater got its defensive act together, and the Purple Raiders were able to get just enough offense the rest of the way with a boost from Drew McClain’s 78-yard interception return to win the game. If the weather’s bad, UW-Whitewater has the best offensive weapon on the field, and it’s not Levell Coppage, it’s Antwan Anderson. Anderson is more of a power, straight-ahead runner, the thunder to Coppage’s lightning. And the difference between Jeff Donovan 2008 and Jeff Donovan 2009 is striking. I’m counting on Kurt Rocco playing and the weather keeping the score down but believe the team with the running game that can succeed in less-than-perfect conditions to come out with the win.
UW-Whitewater 21, Mount Union 16

Keith McMillan, D3football.com managing editor
Since seeing these two teams meet in last year’s Stagg Bowl, I’ve been on record more than once believing they’d be back, and I’ve had UW-Whitewater No. 1 from the start, a shade ahead of a Greg Micheli- and Nate Kmic-less Mount Union. But after last week in Alliance, I strongly considered picking the Purple Raiders. The offensive line won more often than not against a Wesley defense as talented as any I’ve seen. And the defense flat-out put the Purple Raiders on their backs until Cecil Shorts rode in to the rescue. Whitewater was not nearly as impressive, though they overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to outlast Linfield. But the Warhawks do arrive in Salem without the question mark at quarterback, which could tilt the game in either team’s favor. I’m going to stick with my gut and go Whitewater, but Mount Union fans can rest easy knowing I stink at picking the Stagg Bowl (5-4 since 2000, including a bad whiff in ’03). But I don’t think either defense will allow 30-plus, as each winning team has scored in the four previous matchups.
UW-Whitewater 19, Mount Union 16

Gordon Mann, D3football.com deputy managing editor
“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, what a wonderful Christmas it would be.” Looking at Stagg Bowl XXXVII, this should be a very merry Christmas. Mount Union has a strong, balanced offensive attack IF Kurt Rocco is healthy, BUT, IF he’s not, then the Purple Raiders won’t be able to throw the ball against the Warhawks like Linfield did last week. And I don’t think a one dimensional offense beats UW-Whitewater this year. IF the weather is okay, Mount Union’s defense has the speed and strength to contain UW-Whitewater running back Levell Coppage. BUT since the forecast shows some precipitation, I think the Warhawks will be able to run the ball effectively. Given all the unknowns, IF you still care what I think, my pick is for another Mount Union title BUT that doesn’t mean much.
Mount Union 21 UW-Whitewater 17

Dan Buckel, Mount Union public address announcer
I believe the story of this game will be the ability of the Mount defense to contain the UW- Whitewater offense and limit their scoring, The Raiders must make sure that Levell Coppage has a difficult day. With the dual threat the Warhawks present on offense, I believe that this will be the toughest test to date for the Raiders. The fun could be watching the chess match between the coordinators and seeing which coordinator has the “hot” hand.  Assuming Kurt Rocco plays and is up to par, the Raider pass offense is very tough to defend; the corps of receivers is as good a group as Mount has put on the field at once. Most people look at Cecil Shorts, however, but the other wide outs and tight ends are fine receivers with very good speed across the board. It will be very hard to cover and shut them down.  It will be even tougher if the O-line of Mount gets a push and the run game is somewhat effective. So far, Mount Union has protected the quarterback very effectively, which has allowed Rocco to grow and gain confidence. Pass protection and keeping Rocco upright is huge. No Rocco and the Mount offense loses at least half the playbook.
With Rocco: Mount Union 31, UW-Whitewater 17
Without Rocco: Mount Union 23, UW-Whitewater 17 (OT)

Jay Perkins, Uwwfootball.blogspot.com
Big games between evenly matched teams are usually won and lost by a handful of big plays that prove decisive in the outcome. Trying to draw conclusions from a statistical analysis of teams that dominate as consistently as Mount Union and UW-Whitewater can turn into splitting hairs very quickly. In my mind, the key to the game will be how the UW-W offensive line fares against Mount Union’s fast and talented defensive front. If Whitewater establishes a running game and is able to create a balanced attack, they should be able to score enough points to win. Assuming Kurt Rocco is healthy, UW-W’s defense must find a way to slow down the Mount passing attack. However, with weather possibly playing a factor, UW-W’s running game is more reliable than the Mount ground attack. In terms of big plays, few factors rate as high as turnovers. UW-W takes care of the ball exceptionally well having only 12 turnovers in 14 games. Mount has turned the ball over 23 times this year. In addition, UW-W has put the ball on the ground only 8 times all year. The Purple Raiders have fumbled 22 times, losing 13. In addition, UW-W is battle tested having fought through challenges in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Warhawks have pointed toward this game since Dec. 21, 2008. Look for them to get it. 
UW-Whitewater 34 Mount Union 21

Ryan Tipps, D3football.com senior editor
The structure of this UW-Whitewater team doesn’t vary much from last year’s, and the same elements that helped the Warhawks perform well for three quarters in the ‘09 Stagg Bowl will be critical again. Mount Union’s defensive line, with or without its full complement, is scary good. And Whitewater’s best weapon against that is the dual rushing set of Levell Coppage and Antwan Anderson, who can trade carries and stay reasonably fresh against the stout Mount defense. Also of note, with MUC quarterback Kurt Rocco’s status in question, Whitewater has had to prepare for the possibility of different men under center for Mount. While that means the Warhawks won’t be able to tailor their defense to one specific game plan, perhaps it also means that they’ve prepared themselves to be more versatile and adaptable on the field. For each of the past four years, this matchup has showcased critical turning points, whether it was Matt Kostelnik’s blocked punt in 2006 or the breakout years of Greg Micheli or Justin Beaver, and with that history comes the likelihood of more surprises on Saturday (especially with Mount, which is more dynamic with big-yardage plays than most any other squad in Division III). Ultimately, the secret word for success by either team might be “containment” — containment of Mount’s big-play abilities and containment of Whitewater’s ground-game muscle. Defense on Saturday will be the winner.
UW-Whitewater 23, Mount Union 20

Tom Pattison, Warhawkfootball.com
You can call Stagg Bowl XXXVII “One for the Thumb” as Mount Union and UW-Whitewater collide at Salem Stadium for a fifth consecutive year. Being asked to handicap Saturday’s game is an interesting dilemma this year due to the status of two of the prime players for Mount Union. Will Kurt Rocco be back in the line-up after leaving the game last week due to an “undisclosed” injury? Meanwhile on defense, will OAC Defensive Lineman of the Year Joe Millings return this week after sitting out the last two games? Will Cecil Shorts be at wide receiver or at quarterback against Whitewater? The Warhawks have been aching for a return matchup against MUC after falling 31-26 in last year’s Stagg Bowl. The key will be Whitewater’s offensive line giving Jeff Donovan time in the pocket, especially since MUC leads D3 Nation with 49 sacks. Pound the Rock, baby! First one to 30 points wins.
UW-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 21

Ric Brienza, Mtunionfootball.com
Mount Union has won five of six meetings over the last seven seasons against Whitewater, including three wins in four championship games. A late touchdown in 2005 and 2008 made those one score finishes, while the Warhawks late score in 2007 gave them a 10-point win. This year Mount Union is banged up, and Whitewater is confident. So what happens? The Larry Kehres factor. He loses, but not often — 21 times in 24 years to date, with 11 of those loses coming in his first five seasons. Does Whitewater give him his 22nd loss? Or does Mount Union win its 11th national championship? Once again we’ll have someone score late to make the final count.
Mount Union 31, UW-Whitewater 27

Frank Rossi, D3football.com broadcaster
Defense does win championships, and the weather Saturday may make the game much more of a defensive struggle than we’re used to when these two teams play. Mount Union had had the more impressive defensive production so far, shutting down a hot Wesley offense for most of last weekend. Whitewater’s defense has not looked as strong, and it looks like Mount Union has its quarterback scenario in hand. I give the Raiders the slight edge — enough to pull out a close victory.
Mount Union 20, UW-Whitewater 17