Bob Berezowitz came up to me after the game and asked when our All-American team came out. When I told him it came out just before the game, he asked, “Did Kleppe make it?”

Hmm, yes, Ryan Kleppe was first team All-American and our Defensive Player of the Year. The Whitewater program had taken the AFCA All-American snub pretty hard, all things considered. Three state school players in the starting 22 for the AFCA (they only name a first team), six in ours.

Thos who talk about coaches reviewing film (by the way, does anyone still use film and a projector these days?) and make superior choices should use this as a guide. Kleppe’s value was far more evident on video or in person than on a stat sheet.

In the end, no All-American team is superior to any of the others. Some are more prestigious. Some involve less politics. Some are so large they aren’t worth the shirt they’re printed on for you to buy.

But in the end, it only seems fitting that Berezowitz was looking out for the best interests of his players.

THE GAME: You may have been to Salem once or twice. Maybe you haven’t been there in a few years. But if you haven’t, and you’re downplaying the experience based on your one or two trips in, you’re missing the boat.

Here’s what Salem has done for the game that you don’t know about:
Some things were done a long time ago, such as adding more lights and press box space. Most people have seen those in action.
However, if you haven’t been to Salem in the past two seasons, you might not realize that the stadium has a new scoreboard and there is now a large video screen stationed behind one of the end zones for the Stagg Bowl.

An elevator was installed last year to expand access to seating for wheelchairs and those who need help getting around.

This year, the locker rooms were completely overhauled with individual lockers installed for players.

Next year, there will be field turf. In fact, the grass may be coming out as we speak — while most wouldn’t commit to it happening, one person close to the field said the process could start as soon as Monday, today.

Here’s what the NCAA has done for the game that you don’t know about:
The home office’s liaison for Division III football, who has taken the moniker “Idiots of the First Magnitude” that was applied by a person posting a comment to the blog, was behind Division III getting the later time slot and the game on ESPN.

Fans realize that there was a video broadcast of the national semifinals last week. Since we promoted it heavily and our voices were involved, we’ve been getting a lot of credit, but in fact, that’s the NCAA’s doing. They paid for the video and got it done. We just did the talking.

There is probably more I don’t know about or have forgotten to mention.

THE LEGACY: With all apologies to Kenyon, it’s time we started talking about Mount Union football in John Wooden-like terms. This dominance of a major sport is approaching UCLA men’s basketball proportions. We should be talking about Larry Kehres in epic terms that transcend the sport of football, and he should be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible.