MOUNT UNION WINS D3 NATIONAL TITLE, SUNDAY'S RESULTS SPARK REFLECTION

Watching ESPN2 Saturday afternoon, I couldn't help but think that it could have been Capital out there playing for a national championship on national TV.

The Purple Raiders grabbed a 28-7 lead in the third quarter and held on to win 35-28 over the University of Wisconsin--Whitewater. In the quarterfinals only two weeks ago, MUC narrowly defeated the Crusaders in Alliance 34-31 in one of the best football games--not d3 games, not college games--any football games I had ever seen.

We know that this is Mount Union's eigth national title but first since 2002. We know all about wide receiver Pierre Garcon (everybody's favorite Proposition 48 player in Division III.) But let's focus on Capital and the OAC for a second.

When the Crusaders met Mount Union, few gave Capital a fighting chance to win; therefore, for most, predictions were way off. In a losing effort, senior wide receiver Lewis Howes put on a show (245 yards, three touchdowns) against the nation's No. 2 defense. In short, the so-called dominant 'D' from Mount couldn't stop him. Rocky Pentello exorcised his Purple Raider demons, at least in the sense that he played well against them. The win, obviously, is still elusive. Seniors like Joel Sickmeier, who put a devastating hit AJ Hawk-style on the Mount Union freshman phenom tailback, proved they could battle with Mount Union in the trenches. The Crusaders walked off the field with a tremendous amount of respect from the opposition and from all around Division III. It might have been the most prideful loss a team could have. The "Mount-Union-is-down-this-year" argument doesn't hold water after what happened this weekend. It's possible that Capital was the second best team in the country, but regardless, they made a historic run unforgettable to the Bexley campus. It will be interesting to see if this year was a zenith for Jim Collins and the program or merely a stepping stone. Either way, it was a lot of fun.

Staying with football, let me move from guys who pay money to play the game to guys who get paid millions to do it. I'll start with the Bengals to please the "Who-Dey" fanatics. With their 41-17 win over lowly Detroit, Cincinnati claimed the AFC North championship. They will be in the postseason, which I told you they would. I, however, told you they would win 10 games. They are at 11 and still rolling. Let me tell you, though: the ones that will matter most are in January. Cincinnati has proved they have one of the top two or three offenses in the NFL; it's good enough to win you a championship. They key will be defense, especially against the other great offenses. Great defenses come up with big plays to win games. No one shuts out the Colts, but you can force turnovers and come up with goal-line stands. If the Bengals can come up with these plays in the playoffs, they have as good of a shot to win the Super Bowl as anyone.

If you'll remember, in September I singled out the Steelers and the Vikings as my Super Bowl picks. In Minnesota, Daunte Culpepper went down for the season, the notorious "party boat" incident occurred (which is still being investigated, by the way,) and at 2-5, I felt like an idiot. Then came Brad Johnson, who in messianic fashion led the Vikings to six straight wins and playoff contention. Today the Steelers and Vikings met in Minnesota, both 8-5, in a pivotal game for both teams. Pittsburgh won 18-3, and a serious hole was punctured into the Viking vessel headed for the playoffs. I won't rule them out of it completely. With the NFC as weak as it is, they could still slip in. Pittsburgh got a loss from Kansas City yesterday, also, which means if the playoffs started today, the Steelers would begin on the road at either Denver or Cincinnati. Honestly, I would love to see a Cincinnati/Pittsburgh third meeting, so that as an unbiased observer, I can watch the trash-talking unfold. I'll stand by those Super Bowl picks, but we all know it's not going to happen.

Finally, Charlie Frye (from Wi....Wil....Willard, Ohio) notched his first win as a starting quarterback today as the Browns got themselves a 9-7 win in Oakland. You can tell by the score Frye didn't win this one, but he didn't lose it either. For a rookie who wasn't expected to play much, he is stepping in nicely. I think we can safely say the Browns won't be drafting a quarterback. At 5-9, the Browns are proving there are several teams (Oakland included) who are actually worse than they are and deserve a higher draft pick. Even though every win means a lower draft pick, every win also is a good sign for next year. In my opinion, next year has already started.

Another big star snubs the Tribe? My thoughts coming soon (tomorrow if you're lucky.)

CAPITAL UPENDS WABASH, FACES A REMATCH WITH MOUNT UNION

It's rare that in a college football season a losing team will get a chance to avenge that loss later in the season. The Capital Crusaders, however, are an exception.

Thanks to a historic playoff run, most recently highlighted by a 14-11 victory over Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the Crusaders will get to tackle Mount Union again, this time in the elite 8 of the NCAA Division III playoffs. In an earlier meeting this year, Capital lost 42-24 in Alliance but held a 17-14 lead at the end of the third quarter. This game, too, will be played on the Purple Raiders' home turf.

Capital's two playoff victories have both come to the surprise of this writer. They have won two games on the road limiting two high-powered offenses, North Central and Wabash, to 19 and 11 points respectively. Though the offense has struggled, the emergence of Jeremy Mulkey and Lewis Howes has given the offense enough big plays to score. Though most saw the offense as this team's greatest threat coming into the season, it is the defense that is making this surreal postseason run a reality.

Reality will hit the Crusaders hard Saturday as once again they will have to play in the most hostile environment in Division III. When you play Mount Union, you don't just play the team on the field; you play the banners on the sidelines, seven of which display "National Champions."
The Crusaders will desperately need to find a way to slow down Pierre Garcon, the wideout who torched Capital for two touchdown receptions of longer than 60 yards. His big plays in the first meeting not only gave Mount Union the lead but put the game out of reach.

The casual observer would bet the farm on Mount Union this week, and who could blame him? After all, Capital hasn't beaten Mount Union since the 70s. If there was ever a Capital team in history that could pull off the upset, though, this is the group. This is a team that thrives on the improbable and the heartstopping. They have turned small-college football into a drama-style television show that picks up again every Saturday. This week, the drama features David and Goliath again. Only this time, David might be a little smarter, a little more prepared, and perhaps a little more in tune with his own destiny.

Best of luck to the Crusaders this week.

'THE GAME' LOOMS

This has been my favorite week of the fall since I was six years old. It's Michigan week.

I don't care what anyone says. With the exception of a National Championship game (applicable only in 2002), this is the biggest game on the Bucks' schedule every year. Say what you want about Texas, but given the choice to beat "the Blue" or "the Horns," I'd take the bragging rights over that state to the north. Perhaps my season-long craving for the OSU/UM matchup stems from the fact that in my lifetime as a Buckeye fan, I have seen four Buckeye victories, eight losses and a tie. Of course, many of the games I witnessed were doing the Cooper era. If Cooper only could have beaten Michigan, he would probably have two national championships, still be the head coach, and Jim Tressel would be somewhere far away from Columbus. 4-8-1 isn't exactly anything to relish, so it makes you wonder if I am a glutton for punishment. Coming into this week there should be a presumption on behalf of a Wolverine victory right? After all, they do hold the all-time lead in the rivalry. Before everyone lynches me for heresy, let's remember that no two matchups are the same. Here I will closely examine the 2005 edition:

1. Home-field advantage: The Buckeyes under Tressel are 1-1 in Ann Arbor, but before the 2001 win, you have to clear back to 1987 to find the Buckeyes last win in "The Big House." The fact remains: OSU has struggled up north, no matter how well they have meshed during the season (ca. 1995.)
   
2. Who has more to lose?: Traditionally, the team with the worse record or who is out of the Big Ten race has had success. Why? These teams played carefree football and used "The Game" as a chance to make their season. Such was the case with OSU last year. Michigan was still an outsider in the National Title hunt. OSU has choked against Michigan in 1993, 1995 and 1996. In the games where each team had the potential to win the conference or acquire a BCS (or major bowl) bid, the edge again goes to Michigan. See 1997, 2000, and 2003 as examples. Perhaps Ohio State's only clutch win over the Blue was that 13-9 outlasting in 2002 when both teams were fighting for a Big Ten title. This year, I put the game in the "mutually important" category. An OSU loss and a Penn State loss would give Michigan a share of the Big Ten, also, and a bid to, more than likely, the Fiesta Bowl. OSU, of course, will get at least a share of the crown with a win and probably a trip to the Orange Bowl.
   
3. Who is the more talented team?: The fans of both schools would claim it's them. I give a slight edge to Ohio State this year because of how well they are gelling right now. However, Michigan's younger players have developed over the course of the season, also like the Buckeyes of last year. Remember, the most talented team often walks away a loser in this game.

I know it sounds like I am being overly pessimistic, and you're right. I am. But in this matchup I have learned not to expect Ohio State victory. I've seen the contrary too many times. My biggest concern is turnovers. OSU will move the ball, at least in the second half after they have softened up the Michigan defense. I don't see the A.J. Hawk-led defense to get hurt by the big play. But can Ohio State win the battle of special teams? Can they win the turnover war? In other words, can they achieve the epitome Tressel ball? If they don't, the Wolverines will snatch the win.

Prediction: Michigan 24, Ohio State 17. Just call me the eternal pessimist. At home, I would like the Bucks' chances better, but that just isn't the case. Expect Columbus to be a ghost town Saturday evening and all day Sunday; it always happens after a loss. Believe me, I hope I'm wrong. In fact, I would like to be so wrong that the Scarlet and Grey are up by four touchdowns after the first quarter. I will be watching the game earnestly and hoping, praying, that you all will get the chance to make "told you so" comments.

As a parting shot, best of luck to Capital tomorrow in our biggest game in twenty years. Because I know so little about the opponent, I will not venture a prediction. I, unfortunately cannot make the trip, so I will be streaming the game over the Interent while watching the Buckeyes. If you would like to do the same, you can do so by clicking here around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

CRUSADERS MAKE PLAYOFFS, BUCKEYES WISH FOR THEM

Two football games in Columbus Saturday resulted in two blowouts for the home team. I'm sure you all know about OSU's 48-7 drubbing of Northwestern, but the Capital Crusaders cruised to a 48-10 victory over Wilmington College. The win lifted Capital to 8-2 (7-2 OAC) and tied a school-record eight wins set in 2003. They were hoping for a chance to set a new record (9), but they knew the only way to do that would be to get an at-large playoff bid.

At 1 p.m. today, we found out they will get that chance. The Crusaders will play in the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since 1987 at noon Saturday at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. North Central, like Capital, got an at-large bid, also, and finished 9-1 (If Capital hadn't blown their fourth-quarter lead against Otterbein, the Crusaders would probably be hosting this game, but that's another story.) I had orignally said that Cap would have to go 9-1--with its one loss being to Mount Union--to have a shot for an at-large bid. However, this year the NCAA expanded the playoffs to 32 teams. Under the old system, the Crusaders might be on the outside looking in. Nonetheless, this is a great opportunity for the team and the school.

North Central finished the season ranked No. 15 and Capital finished No. 21. Since Capital was able to beat ranked teams in Ohio Northern and John Carroll and hang with Mount Union, I would say this is a very winnable game. The atmosphere will probably be great at the game, so depending on the decisions of the illustrious Chimes staff, I may be covering it.

This Ohio State Buckeyes elated me in their domination of Northwestern Saturday. Though I will concede Northwestern has a weak defense, I haven't seen the OSU offense click that well since last year's Alamo Bowl. 350+ rushing yards as a team is something we all could get used to. Of course, I could shamelessly rub in the victory to a loyal reader who happens to pull for the Wildcats, but I won't because I recognize that NW legitimately beat a struggling OSU last year, and I remember how rotten it felt. I expected a much closer game, but the Buckeyes' performance exceeded all of my expectations. To be honest, the losses to Penn State and Texas hurt even more now. This team, in a system where there are still no playoffs, is out of the National Championship loop, yet they are playing so well I believe they could beat anyone in the nation. They could definitely beat USC. I hope the Buckeyes win out if for no reason than the athletic department with all of its clout would hop on the pro-playoffs bandwagon.

Oh, and in my "winning out" scenario, the Bucks would get a win this week that's just a little important. If you ask a lot of Buckeye fans, "The Game" is the National Championship.

CAP FOOTBALL THROTTLES JOHN CARROLL, OSU HOLDS SERVE AT HOME, CAP VOLLEYBALL TO SERVE MANY MORE

The past two days have been more than eventful in the realm of sports--at least the realm of sports that interests most of my readers. Let's start with a brief rundown, and then I will insert some of that insightful commentary you all crave.

FRIDAY'S OAC VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS

CAPITAL d. Ohio Northern (ranked No. 11 in the country and the No. 1 seed)
30-23, 30-13, 30-28. They advanced to the finals to play Baldwin-Wallace.

SATURDAY'S OAC VOLLEYBALL FINALS
CAPITAL d. Baldwin-Wallace
32-30, 18-30, 30-25, 30-21. They earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, the first Capital team to ever do that.

SATURDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OHIO STATE 40
ILLINOIS 2
CAPITAL 19
JOHN CARROLL 7

I covered the Crusaders' volleyball win over Ohio Northern in Ada Friday night. Ashamedly, it was the first time I had seen the team play all year, and I realized what I had been missing. I really wanted to stay for Saturday afternoon's championship game, but football back in Columbus. To put it simply, the ladies are terrific. Their size up front--Jordan Centers, Jenn Lilly, Jesse Hampson--is unstoppable. Anytime they get a kill opportunity, it's over for the other team. I would be shocked if anybody can matchup with this team's brute power. As I implied above, the team won the tournament, so they are A.) Capital's first OAC champions in volleyball and B.) Capital's first team to ever earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. Though the polls have underrated them all year, I have no doubt that if the volleyball can keep their momentum, they will earn more than their share of national attention.

I was fortunate enough to sit in C deck for the Buckeyes' slaughter of Illinois. I expected a massacre, but I didn't really get one until Ginn and Holmes starting breaking off the big play. It was one of the few times that I felt sympathy for the opposition. When Illinois's quarterback was pinned against his own goal line in the closed end of the Horseshoe, the crowd was in hysteria, and A.J. Hawk was licking his chops like a starved neanderthal, I thought to myself, "These guys have no chance." The media keeps talking about how strong of a game Smith had, and looking at the statistics it's hard to disagree, but I have to say he did not look sharp early. He hooked up for big plays with Holmes and Ginn, but it was against Illinois. On his eight incompletions, he missed badly. Some of you are reading this now thinking, "How big of a pessimist is this guy?" I am just saying the statistics--13-21, 299 yards, and 2 TDs--are somewhat misleading. He will need to be even sharper next week against Northwestern, whose spread offense WILL reach the end zone at least twice against the Buckeye defense.

The Capital Crusaders used their nationally fifth-ranked defense to slow down the John Carroll passing attack and win 19-7. John Carroll came into the game tied for first in the conference, and the Crusaders were looking to bump them into second. Kyle Hausler's three interceptions led the charge, while Collin O'Reilly added another 100-yards+ performance. Now 7-2, (6-2 OAC), the Crusaders are in a good position to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Assuming they hold serve at home against meager Wilmington, the Crusaders should not be ignored by the coaches.

Coming soon: an early-season analysis of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They're not just LeBron's team now. How much better are they?

ANOTHER SPORTS-FILLED SATURDAY

God told us to honor to the sabbath and keep it holy (for some this means watching the NFL.) As a result, Saturdays, especially in September when college football is heating up and the wildcard race is coming down to the wire, have to be the most eventful day of the sports week. One week after the OSU/Texas hoopla, the 17th proved to be another day full of bliss and disappointment; here's my take on it.

First of all, I was able to take in my second Indians game in a week, and once again, it was a huge win. After taking an early 5-0 lead, the woeful KC Royals added four runs off Cliff Lee, who was again solid, making it 5-4. Though the Indians offense couldn't push across another run, the bullpen held on for the Tribe's 5-4 victory; Wickman recorded his 43rd save. 30,000+ made it out to the game, and for my second game in a row, the crowd was loud and into the game. The atmosphere is back, the talent is back and I have a feeling that October magic will be back, as well. The White Sox loss earlier in the day makes the Tribe, who were once 15 games behind Chicago, now only 3.5 back. After the Indians finish off Kansas City today, they head to Chi-town for an enormous series with the Sox. If you would've asked me in July if the two series with Chicago in September would have division implications, I would've said, "No way."

People saying "no way" is what has fueled this team's drive for the playoffs.

The way this team has responded so far to the pressure of a playoff push has been astounding. Thanks to my generous roommate, I was able to take in the ballgame from directly beyond home plate, five rows from the protective screen--by far the best seats I have ever had at the Jake. I have some terrific photos that I will post as soon as I get them developed.

At the request of a loyal reader, I will also share my thoughts about the NL wildcard race. My pick all along--the fashionable pick among the experts--has been the Florida Marlins because of their three-headed starting pitching monster of Willis, Beckett and Burnett. However, it's the Astros tribunal of Clemens, Oswalt and Pettite that now has a .5 game lead over the Phillies, and the Marlins have slid back to 2.5 games back. Yesterday, with the Marlins leading 2-0 in the 9th at home, closer Todd Jones blew the save and the rest of the bullpen allowed the Phillies to score ten runs in ninth. The result was a 10-2 loss for the Marlins and a ruined brilliant start by Willis. Today is a must-win for Florida. After blowing the game in a demoralizing fashion like Florida did, they need to bounce back today, or, I feel, the NL will become a two-horse race of Houston and Philly.

...Now for the really bad news for my Capital readers. What do five fumbles and some bad luck get you in a rivalry game on the road? It gets you beat. The Crusaders, who led 14-2 (strange score, I know) at the end of the three quarters in what was a sloppy and bizarre game to that point, blew that 12-point lead to Otterbein and ended up losing 17-14. Paul Stetzler, Ricardo Lenhart and the Otterbein offense took a page out of the Capital playbook. They threw efficient short passes and lulled the Capital defense, who was playing "not to lose," to sleep. With about three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Otterbein made the score 14-9. Capital STILL should've had the game in control at this point, but receiver Kive Kraft fumbled on the Cap 43-yard line on the Capital possession, which put incredible pressure on the Cap defense to hold up again. They couldn't. After Otterbein scored the go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion, Capital didn't have enough time to set up a field goal. Instead, they settled for an unsuccessful hail mary. Then the Otterbein fans commenced their upset ruccous and "over-rated" cheers.

I hope the Crusaders regroup and refocus before their home opener this week, but I have to reiterate what I have been saying from August. Capital is probably not going to beat Mount Union on the road, so for them to make the playoffs as an at-large team, they would need to go 9-1, winning every other game. Unfortunately, that is not possible now. It will be interesting to see how they react.

One team that bounced back was the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning 27-6 yesterday over San Diego State. What was missing from this win was an exclamation point. OSU played sloppy, espcially early. They turned the ball over, were penalized a lot and looked like a team who is still trying to find itself. They have another week to find themselves before another huge game at home: Iowa. Troy Smith's mentally weak performance yesterday results has made me realize one thing: No one can be critical of Tressel's choices regarding his quarterbacks because neither has stood out. They both have been mediocre at best in the past two games. Who will start this Saturday? Who knows. A win against the Hawkeyes might require a blocked punt, a kick return for a touchdown and a defense holding Iowa under ten points. If OSU does all of that, they might have a chance to win.

In the meantime, enjoy the nice weather while we still have it. Cleveland fans, head up to the Jake if you get the chance. Trust me, these guys are special. You won't be disappointed.

THE INAUGURAL POST


In a nation and world where people are dealing with war and natural disaster, I use a combination of my two favorite pastimes as a therapeutic diversion: writing and sports. Here, as well as in my weekly sports column in Capital University’s student paper, The Chimes, you will see them fuse together. I plan on posting every day, if only a few sentences, but every column or story I publish will also appear here. Though many see only a mere entertainment value in sport, I believe the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and dedication all help participants achieve in lives outside of sports. For spectators, sports provide unparalled catharsis, something everyone needs whether they realize it or not. Events like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, approaching its fourth anniversary, make us realize that the aspects of life that bring us the most joy are the ones we most cherish.

Now, moving beyond the introduction, let’s delve into hot topics of the Labor Day sports weekend, beginning first with what’s most dear to us here in Ohio: OSU football. For those of you who actually realized Earth was still spinning between noon and about 4 p.m. yesterday and didn’t watch or attend the game, the Buckeyes defeated the Miami University Red Hawks 34-14. OSU led at one point 34-0 before Miami added two late touchdowns. Quite honestly, I believed it would be a much closer game as three years of “Tressel ball” have jaded me into thinking Ohio State’s offense just isn’t that good. I highly underestimated them as they took the kickoff and scored a touchdown, Zwick to Holmes, to cap a long opening drive. The spread offense with between three and five wide receivers kept the defense off balance. Zwick threw short slants and out patterns, the defensive middle was soft for Antonio Pittman—who ended up with 100 yards rushing for the game—and, basically, the offense ran like a well-oiled machine. It reminded me of the Purdue offense led by Drew Brees a few years ago that carved up the Buckeyes among many other Big Ten teams.

As good as the offense was—Ginn was…well, Ginn, Holmes had a great game and Zwick limited his mistakes to one interception on a busted play—the defense was even better. The Buckeyes limited Miami to 48 yards rushing, most of which was gained on the second team defense. Carpenter, Hawk and Schlegel all look Texas-ready, as does Donte Whitmer, who returned an interception for a touchdown.

It was a tremendous performance all around, and I am now very confident in the Buckeyes ability to best Texas next weekend, especially because it’s at home in primetime. The question which will have call-in shows and newspaper columnists in Columbus buzzing all week is: Zwick or Smith? It’s a question that has lingered since the beginning of the 2004 season and is now more important than ever. Troy Smith, having served his one-game suspension for accepting funds from an athletic booster, is eligible to play, and more than likely will. I, however, differ from most of the Buckeye fans I’ve asked about this. Everyone overwhelmingly chooses Smith. I like Zwick. The offense was in command this week under him. It was tremendous in the Alamo Bowl, also. I think he has earned the right to start, especially with his commitment to the program and his stay-out-of-trouble, businesslike approach. I think Smith should get some snaps, perhaps in the second quarter, but Zwick has proved he belongs under center just as much, if not more than, Smith does. Post a comment on this if you’d like, leaving me with your vote for starter. Then we’ll see what Tressel does.

In Division III, the Capital Crusaders went on the road and throttled Wittenberg, a team ranked higher than them in the national rankings, 54-0. This is completely staggering. You just don’t go into Witt, a school with a lot of tradition and a few national championships in Division III, and embarrass them in their home opener. The Cap passing attack was unstoppable, the Cap defense forced turnovers and the rout was on. After the first quarter, the Crusaders had their opponents completely demoralized. They had a mental edge, and they never gave it up. It’s almost sad they have a bye week coming this Saturday because after you cream a great team like Wittenberg, you probably have a fair amount of momentum. The next game is at 1 p.m., Saturday, September 17, at Otterbein. They will be christening their new stadium that day, also. I hope that have the light bulbs working in their scoreboard; they’ll need them under the word “visitor."

In other college football news, Notre Dame, under new coach Charlie Weis, destroyed Pitt on the road. The Irish will deservedly be ranked next week, and they get to go to Michigan. Seventh-ranked Oklahoma was beaten at home by TCU.

The major league baseball wildcard chase has become so exciting that it’s almost overshadowed Rafael Palmeiro and the steroid scandal. As I write this, the AL has a three-way tie for the wildcard with my beloved Cleveland Indians only one game behind. They go for a series win today in Minnesota. The Philadelphia Phillies lead the NL race by a half game over the Marlins and Astros. Still in striking distance are the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. September baseball will make it particularly hard for me to get homework done in the evening.

I could keep going, but I want to give you a reason to read tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the remainder of the weekend.