There’s always a lot of talk about how much teams improve between their first and second games. New skill players are broken in; the men up front learn a little about how to jell; and teams learn the basics of what’s going to be effective this season. And often we get to see how those improvements translate against teams that had a bye last week.

Will a week of seasoning make a big difference for such teams as Delaware Valley or UW-Oshkosh? After all, they both have some tall tasks ahead of them.

Pat Coleman, Keith McMillan and I again give you our thoughts on that and other things to look out for over the weekend:

Game of the Week.
Ryan’s take: No. 20 Washington and Jefferson at No. 10 Delaware Valley. The Aggies were the only MAC team to notch a win last week, though it didn’t scream “domination.” The Presidents, on the other hand, have to open their season this week, and I can think of at least 200 opponents I’d rather face right out of the gate than DelVal — especially without having my offense rest on the skilled shoulders of graduated All-American Bobby Swallow. I’ll fess up that I don’t have W&J on my Top 25 ballot now, but a win or even a very strong showing would likely change that.
Pat’s take: Ursinus at Franklin and Marshall. This is what the expanded Centennial has led to — conference games in Week 2. And it should be a good one. F&M tuned up with a rout of Washington and Lee last week while Ursinus picked off three passes and broke up six more in a win against Albright. Winner gets a little taste of front-runner status headed into its game with Johns Hopkins later in the year.
Keith’s take: No. 13 Willamette at No. 14 Hardin-Simmons. That they’re top 25 teams is nice. That the Bearcats travel a long way to Abilene is even more interesting. But what does it for me is the stakes, knowing both these teams, coming off big wins in Week 1, need to keep the momentum going because the route to the playoffs via winning the NWC or ASC’s automatic bid is far from guaranteed.

Surprisingly close game.
Ryan’s take: Rose-Hulman at DePauw. These two teams are meeting for the first time since Rose bolted from the SCAC ahead of the 2006 season. Each school is debuting this week and is replacing a quarterback who was among the school’s best ever. That means a lot will be said for what happens in the trenches on Saturday, whether there’s protection and pressure. Typically, DPU is at least a two-touchdown favorite, but I think things will be a little closer than that this time around.
Pat’s take: No. 15 Thomas More at Hanover. We had already given Hanover a big jump in our Kickoff rankings this fall, moving the Panthers up 71 slots, one of the biggest upward moves of the year. But Hanover outdid even our optimism last week with a win at Centre. They’re playing their first game, while Thomas More is making its season debut. Then again, Thomas More will have some Hanover video to work from.
Keith’s take: Christopher Newport at Salisbury. Neither team looked to be its typically powerful self on offense in Week 1, scoring 6 and 13, respectively. I think both units get on track, producing a game that’s surprisingly high-scoring, yet close.

Most likely Top 25 team to get upset.
Ryan’s take: No. 19 Johns Hopkins. Opponent Randolph-Macon has the benefit of a game already under their belt — and in the walloping doled out last week, it’s clear that the veteran-laden Yellow Jackets are firing on all cylinders. Where does that leave the Blue Jays in their first game of the season, without last year’s All-America running back? 0-1, that’s where. (Apologies to Keith for snagging a chance for him to dote on his alma mater. R-MC.)
Pat’s take: None. Although I think Johns Hopkins has drifted very high considering what’s back, traditionally we try not to repeat each other. So consider this an additional vote for Johns Hopkins, while I’ll also note that a game featuring No. 13 at No. 14 is really a toss-up, so I wouldn’t think that’s upset-eligible either.
Keith’s take: No. 9 St. John’s. The Johnnies and Blugolds have a history of tight matchups, and playing under the lights at Carson Park should be a comfortable atmosphere for UW-Eau Claire. I’m not sure what we can take away from St. John’s’ Week 1 56-10 blowout of Northwestern, but the Blugolds rushed for 220 yards in a 35-31 win against NAIA Bethel (Tenn.) Whether they can run half as well against the Johnnies will be a factor.

They’ll be on your radar.
Ryan’s take: Franklin and Marshall. The Diplomats’ matchup against Ursinus could very easily be the de factor title game for the Centennial Conference (and it’s only Week 2!). Both teams have a game under their belt, but F&M’s competition that first week wasn’t the most primed team. Seeing how they perform against a team like Ursinus will go a long way to showing their true potential. While the Dips are without All-Region receiver George Eager this year, quarterback John Harrison proved last week that he has plenty of targets at his disposal, hitting four players at least three times each.
Pat’s take: East Texas Baptist. Coming off a win against UW-La Crosse, the Tigers have a chance to go 2-0 with a home game against Redlands. That would be a welcome change of pace after going 3-7, 3-5 in the ASC last year. And by the way, F&M is already on my radar. They were on my preseason Top 25 ballot, and nobody else’s.
Keith’s take: Occidental. The 42-25 loss to Menlo was surprising, and I can’t imagine the Oaks’ switch in classification suddenly made them a great team. The Tigers were more likely affected by the preseason turmoil surrounding their coach. If it was just Xs and Os and poor execution, then maybe Puget Sound starts off 2-0. I’ll be watching the Tigers to see how they rebound from a tough start.

Team playing its opener that you’re most curious about.
Ryan’s take: Wheaton. The perennial CCIW power has a slew of new faces among its starting ranks, but I’m most interested in seeing how they’ve settled in at the quarterback position with a trio of players all in the mix. Not to mention that Wheaton scrimmaged my alma mater, Wabash, last weekend, so I’d like to see how the notes from that matchup translate to real-world play.
Pat’s take: Mary Hardin-Baylor. It seems like the Cru lost its way a little bit last season, getting away from what it does best on offense. If they still rotate between LiDarral Bailey and Kyle Noack, perhaps they’ll have a better plan in Year 2 on how to best use them at quarterback.
Keith’s take: Union. Ithaca is at home and has the dreaded already-played-once advantage (a 33-3 win against St. Lawrence). With the Liberty League’s defending champion now playing in another conference, we’d like a hint as to who’s going to contend. Union might be one of the usual suspects, but beating the Bombers could move them to the top of the LL-teams-to-watch list.

Who will win the challenge, PAC or MAC?
Ryan’s take: MAC. Clearly the MAC didn’t have a great opening week, but top to bottom, I have a lot of respect for the conference’s strength. They should win more than half their games against the PAC.
Pat’s take: MAC. Pretty close, though. I have King’s beating Bethany but that’s a big toss-up. If Bethany wins the PAC could tie with wins by Geneva, Waynesburg and St. Vincent.
Keith’s take: MAC. The balance from top to bottom sets the MAC up well for a handful of wins among the middle teams. I like this concept a lot though, especially in getting W&J and Del Val an early-season challenge, and one a win to pad its playoff resume.

Which team will bounce back from a Week 1 loss?
Ryan’s take: Hope. The Dutchmen had a tough draw in their opener against Illinois Wesleyan, and to be sure, Wisconsin Lutheran is not going to be a pushover. But what we saw in that week was a defense that shut down the Titans for the entire first half, coupled with an offense that was able to move for more than 400 yards. If Hope can keep from tiring late in the game, they should be able to break their nonconference losing streak that dates to 2004.
Pat’s take: Widener. The Pride couldn’t take too much of it in the season-opening shutout loss to Alfred but should have a good shot to bounce back against Thiel. Turning the ball over fewer than six times would be helpful here.
Keith’s take: Monmouth. The ineffectiveness of the Scots’ offense against Wartburg was one of the big surprises of Week 1, and Grinnell won under a new coaching staff. Monmouth beat the Engineers 59-0 last year, and Alex Tanney and Co. will be eager to wash the taste of being dominated from their mouths.

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