Is this the coolest, most revered college football helmet in America?
The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats jumped out to an early lead in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Tuesday as polls opened for Week 1 of Helmet Bowl I.
This was a battle, folks. Once fans of the Central Missouri State Mules learned of Helmet Bowl the race was on! When the Mules pushed for votes on Wednesday, they garnered possibly the most one-day votes in the week! The Bearcats responded Thursday with twice as many votes as the Mules, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome! Mules win it. These two teams meet Sept. 30 on the field at Arrowhead Stadium. We'll be watching.
Look, Equipment Managers for both teams sent updated helmet images for the polls. Thanks to Pat Swoboda, Equipment Manager at the University of Central Missouri and Tucker Peve, Equipment Manager, Northwest Missouri State.
When we set up Helmet Bowl I this summer, we scoured for 2017 helmet images for all 777 college football teams. Then we contacted Equipment Managers and asked them to check out what we found.
Here’s who we heard from this week:
- Harley Warren, University of Southern Mississippi
- Tim Lowe, Equipment Manager, Drake University
- Quinlan Patterson, Equipment Manager, Trinity University
- Ben Mackey, Equipment Manager, Ferris State University
- Joseph Tolbert, Equipment Manager, Northwestern State University
- Jimmy Couto, Equipment Manager, Central Michigan University
- Justin Behr, Assistant Director of Marketing, East Carolina University
- Jeff Broadwell, Equipment Manager, United State Merchant Marine Academy
- Phillip Chartier, Equipment Manager, Valdosta State University
- Darren Damewood, Equipment Manager, Howard University
- Rasheda Spratley, Equipment Manager, Bowie State University
Thank you.
Ok. So we had FIVE two-way ties and TWO three-way ties. Remember, the team who receives the most votes during each week receives one point. If there is a tie, all teams who tie get a half-point. The team with the most points at the end of the 10-week Conference Championships get an automatic bid into the 128-team final bracket for the Helmet Bowl National Championship.
One 3-way tie was in the American Southwest Conference: East Texas Baptist Tigers, Southwestern Pirates, Mary Hardin Baylor Crusaders
The other 3-way tie was in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Alma Scots, Finlandia Lions, Hope Flying Dutchmen
The 2-way ties included:
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference: Aurora Spartans, Benedictine Eagles
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference: Bemidji State Beavers, St. Cloud State Huskies
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference: Aurora Spartans, Benedictine Eagles
Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference: Cheyney Wolves, IUP Crimson Hawks
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Northwestern Eagles, Westminster Blue Jays
USA South Athletic Conference: Averett Cougars, Greensboro Pride
Oh, and check this: In the Big 10, the Ohio State Buckeyes edged out the Michigan Wolverines by ONE VOTE!
In other news, Oregon, the pre-Helmet Bowl favorite to win the National Championship based on the amount of coverage their helmet designs receive, wins the Pac-12, but just a smidge behind them trailed Arizona State and USC.
And finally, a tip of the cap to the Redlands Bulldogs who did something to get out the vote–but then again so did the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags in the California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs won Week 1, but our eyes are on this contest in Week 2.