So I first got a call around 2:15 or so that Ohio Northern was leading Mount Union 21-7 in the second quarter. Ehh, yeah, whatever — if I had a dime for every time someone called me or sent me an instant message that Mount Union was losing, we’d have enough money to stop running pop-up ads.

Oh wait, we stopped doing that a couple months ago.

So yeah, didn’t really think much of it. Got another call at halftime. One late in the third quarter and then another with three minutes or so left in the game. At that point it gets serious — you have to doubt even Mount Union’s chances of scoring twice in three minutes. I’m already on the way out the door from the game I was covering, so I’m heading to a wireless hotspot I know sits about two blocks from the stadium. Got cut off at a stop light. Missed the end of the game. Caught the Mount Union student station giving the final score.

So everyone voting, have fun with your Top 10. I’m thinking of starting with my ballot from like six weeks ago. You know, when Mary Hardin-Baylor was still ahead of HSU and Ohio Northern was in my top 10.

Deep down inside, too, I’ve had this nagging feeling about Hardin-Simmons without Jordan Neal at quarterback. Descriptions of the UMHB defense today reminds me of its performance at W&J in the national quarterfinals last year. Could be time for another roll.

We’re getting close to the time where we’ll start having teams clinch playoff bids. Some of these will involve our favorite 11-letter word: tiebreakers. However, Johns Hopkins is 4-0 with a two-game lead on Dickinson (have not played yet) and Muhlenberg (Hopkins beat them today). They have two games left to play. Lakeland plays Aurora next week and can clinch the Illini-Badger with a win.

Speaking of tiebreakers, we could be seeing them in several conferences. How odd is it for half the HCAC to be in first place and Hanover not be one of the teams?

I had to call the folks at Wesley to confirm that Brockport score. No injuries or suspensions to report. No excuses made for the long bus ride. Wonder what that means for the Salisbury/Wesley game next week.

Congrats to Brad Duesing, definitely back on pace now to get 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight year. Only one other receiver has done that, Susquehanna’s Mark Bartosic.

Interested in:
The NCAA’s appeals process. How does it work, really? Is Ohio Northern really off the hook until the appeal is heard? That sounds more like Major League Baseball than the NCAA.
Kalamazoo. Upset Alma. How did that happen?

Concerned about:
Union. For the second week in a row. If you were playing the comparative scores game (always dangerous — ask Mount Union) then look at Union’s results vs. Coast Guard and Kings Point (a seven-point game at home and an OT game), then look at RPI’s (a 17-point game on the road, 41-point win at home).
Wheaton. Looks like the team that played the second half against North Central went to Illinois Wesleyan.

Crazy e-mail of the week:

So, for three years every game that Mt. Union has played has been
significant, but when Linfield
is the #1 ranked team in the nation and defending National Champs their
games and players aren’t
worthy of a mention because??????????????????????
Love you dearly, Wake Up and report Division III football!!??!!??:)

Let’s ask the Mount Union fans what they feel about our coverage the past three years, k? Heck, we don’t even have to go back through three years. Just last week Linfield was on the front page and Mount Union was not. The week before Linfield was on the front page and Mount Union was not. There was a week Mount Union was on the front and Linfield was not (Oct. 1, when Mount Union needed 28 unanswered points to beat Capital). The week before that, neither team was on the front. But that was also Linfield’s bye week. The week before that, Linfield was on the front page and Mount Union was not. And both schools were on the front page for their respective season openers.

Get your facts straight before you complain. Thanks.

But we can’t talk about Week 8 without talking about the tragic death of Minnesota-Morris student and men’s basketball player Rick Rose, who died when the goalposts came down after Morris’ win against Crown, the final game in Morris’ current stadium. Perhaps it’s time to end this tradition. It isn’t worth it.

Absolutely a perfect football afternoon in Abilene, where in a little over an hour the #9 Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders will try to derail the #3 Hardin-Simmons Cowboys. I’ll be keeping a running blog of the events here.

Funny; for some reason there are a LOT more press representatives in the box today (this early) than there were the last time I was here (HSU’s 51-13 demolition of Louisiana College in Week 3). Amazing how two top ten teams will draw the media. 🙂

Well, this is a change of pace.

Normally I arrive fashionably late to the weekend Daily Dose parties, but this time I’m the first one here. So I’ll just throw in my two-cents (plink, plink), munch on some hors d’oeuvres and wait for someone else to arrive.

Wish you were here: In my opinion there are two Top 20 teams with must win games this weekend, No. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor and No. 20 Ohio Northern. The next loss will be the second for either team and will put them firmly on the playoff bubble. In a perfect world I’d watch the Crusaders fight for their playoff life against Hardin-Simmons in Abilene.

UMHB can’t win the ASC because of its rain out versus Louisiana College, so Pool C is its only door to the postseason. Would a 7-2 national runner-up make the playoffs as a Pool C team? Maybe, but it certainly isn’t a slam dunk. And Cru fans know the pain associated with relying on an at-large bid.

This is as close as we’re getting to a playoff game in Week 8. Let’s get it on.

Game that will disappoint: Usually this is Pat’s department, but I’ll “borrow” it since it connects with my last point. It seems every year we go into the off season saying, “You know, if [insert OAC runner-up here] brings everyone back, in the right situation they can beat Mount Union next year…”

Nope. Doesn’t happen. Just ask Baldwin-Wallace, Capital and John Carroll. And I can’t see it happening for ONU either, especially in Alliance.

Don’t sleep on this one: Trinity (Texas) hasn’t blown out anyone this season and I don’t see why that would change with 6-1 Centre in town. In the USAC Methodist gave Ferrum a fight last Friday night. I’d be surprised if they don’t do the same when CNU comes to their place tomorrow.

Most Likely Top 25 Team to Lose: There isn’t much to pick from other than the games involving two Top 25 squads. Maybe Brockport upends a travel-weary Wesley in New York.

Gordon’s Super Ridiculous Pick of the Night: Four words for you — Kenyon Lords, Conference Champs. If they beat OWU tomorrow, it becomes more than a mathematical possibility. PS — I still haven’t nailed one of these. I’m due.

Saturday Night’s Alright: After a quiet Week 7, west coast visitors and night owls get a treat when the other undefeated pacific coast team with an exciting QB plays Redlands. Occidental is the favorite and would be a very compelling Pool C candidate should the Tiger stumble. And it’s always fun when both broadcast teams do such a good job that you don’t know whom to listen to. We’ve got links to both broadcasts on the scoreboard.