FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

As an aside, I don't know how they will structure a post season with six regions instead of something factorable by four, but assuming they still want to balance the playoffs with travel and intra-region play for the first round or two, region 6 is now obviously going to be a slaughter house before getting to the other regions.  Something really looks broken.

The structure of the bracket isn't dependent on region, but on geography and the 500-mile rule. It isn't likely to change just because some teams have labels.

[Retired Old Rat]

The Top 25 is out. (https://d3football.prestosports.com/top25/2021/week1)

The Johnnies remain at #6.
BU drops to #17 (Wartburg moved ahead of them).

Aurora moves up two spots to #21, a fitting position.  I think they will finish in the teens.

No other MIAC team received votes.

Notables from around District 9.  Sorry, region 6.

MHB at #1
UWW at #3
HSU at #7
UWO at #11
Linfield at #12 (yes, the newly reformed and rebalanced region structure has put 50% of the top 12 into 1/6th of the field)
Chapman at #18
Whitworth at #24


As an aside, I don't know how they will structure a post season with six regions instead of something factorable by four, but assuming they still want to balance the playoffs with travel and intra-region play for the first round or two, region 6 is now obviously going to be a slaughter house before getting to the other regions.  Something really looks broken.

I think the Johnnies are over rated.  Hoping I am proven wrong.  Will gladly eat crow.

[OzJohnnie]

As an aside, I don't know how they will structure a post season with six regions instead of something factorable by four, but assuming they still want to balance the playoffs with travel and intra-region play for the first round or two, region 6 is now obviously going to be a slaughter house before getting to the other regions.  Something really looks broken.

The structure of the bracket isn't dependent on region, but on geography and the 500-mile rule. It isn't likely to change just because some teams have labels.

Hmm... so it seems as if, particularly adding the ASC to the West and removing the ARC, that it was to make regional rankings even harder for the already most challenging West.

I guess that will force region six teams to take on at least one regionally ranked opponent from another region if a six team wants a solid chance of being considered with one loss.  You have to take some big chances as a six team to get in the regional rankings if you're not an AQ.  I think it will be very rare that a two-loss region six team will make it out anymore.  Maybe that was the intent.

Maybe that's what we'll see develop.  Region six teams looking to play almost certain AQ opponents who can afford a loss.  I imagine we'll start seeing strong teams in weak conferences getting a lot of phone calls as the teams with playoff aspirations are looking for SOS and RR boosts.  The value of pumping up the record against cream puffs seems to have significantly decreased.  In fact, it appears to have reversed.  I guess we'll see how it plays out at the end of the year.

[OzJohnnie]

I think the Johnnies are over rated.  Hoping I am proven wrong.  Will gladly eat crow.

I'm a bit worried about that myself.  I think the defense could be very challenged against top teams with sophisticated passing games.  GAC, perhaps, could be a good test in that regard.  Maybe even STO and BU (BU, of course, will be a test as they are just very good).

Anyways, we'll see.

[USee]

I was impressed with the Johnnie defense. That's one of the best offenses they will face this year and I thought they did well.

I don't think you can take too much from St Johns offensive performance as I don't think Aurora is very good on defense. Doesn't mean they won't be good on offense, but I wouldn't predict it just based on Saturday. I might be wrong.

[OzJohnnie]

I was impressed with the Johnnie defense. That's one of the best offenses they will face this year and I thought they did well.

I don't think you can take too much from St Johns offensive performance as I don't think Aurora is very good on defense. Doesn't mean they won't be good on offense, but I wouldn't predict it just based on Saturday. I might be wrong.

I think you're right about taking too much from the Johnnie offensive performance against Aurora but there were a lot of easily correctable mistakes (5 dropped passes plus an interception off the hands of a catchable throw) which can be fixed up.  A little more experience in the line.  I think (hope) the offense has a lot of upside and if the offense had been sharper then the game would have had a very different shape.

[RussellT22]

Is it just me or does Concordia and Horan have an unusual amount of weird and heartbreaking losses over the years? I can think of several against BU and SJU alone.

SJU has had the most headflippers with Concordia by far! I felt for Aurora yesterday, because that ending was so reminiscent of a few Johnnie victories clutched from the hands of defeat versus the Cobbers over the years. The only Bethel trainwreck I recall was the lost interception and TD due to CON players going on the field (penalty) to watch the end of the pick-six run, only to have Bethel score for the victory in the following closing seconds. Were there others versus Bethel I am not remembering?

In 2007 Concordia lost heartbreakers to both Bethel and St Olaf. Bethel game was a 45-48 3 OT heartbreaker in Moorhead. In 1st OT Bethel had a 4th and 9 where QB scrambles right and just before he is brought down he heaves it across the field for a first down. Game against St Olaf they lost 48-49. QB Jesse Nelson got stopped on the 1 inch line for the 2 point conversion with 30 seconds left. I am still convinced to this day he got in. That was a really good Concordia team that if they just make 2 plays they are 9-1 and a likely playoff team. 

[Texas Ole]

You must have a large stash of dove and quail loads or target loads. Very hard to find right now!!

I was thinking the same.  I just spent way too much ordering 2 cases of target load online because I want to shoot a few rounds of sporting clays.  Thankfully, I have a few boxes of pheasant loads hanging around from past seasons.

We've been able to get dove/target loads for about 2 months now.  Prices are higher this year.  Unless I am at a range I generally shoot steel (6-7) which has been slightly easier to find.  This was the worst dove season I've seen in several years where I was hunting.  There were 35 people in our group, and I don't think anyone got a limit.  About half the group generally gets a limit, but this year it was about 3-4 birds a person for the weekend.  I shot less than 3 boxes all weekend.  We did have a guy take a small hog with 2 shots of 9 lead followed by a 5 year old rattlesnake.  Waterfowl loads are still sparse.  I've got maybe 2 boxes remaining with about 4 trips already planned including one on airboat in the Gulf.

As for the football I think the Oles showed a little more this year.  I was pleasantly surprised.  This rebuild is going to take some time.  This week they play Luther which is usually a very good game. 

[OzJohnnie]

duffman, in the cold like of reflection: is Syverson good?

it sure looked to me like he had a strong arm, good judgement and plenty of courage.  There were only a couple bad decisions (like throwing into triple coverage for the int) and I can't recall an obvious moment of outright panic.  You would expect a new QB to be showing a bit of panic.

By my glasses are very rose coloured.


You know the worst part of this season?  I'm just coming to realise how much I'll miss having the Tommies to kick around.  BU's not the same.  I almost like those guys.  GAC I could learn to love to hate a little more. STO had promise with the coaching staff they hired but they are far less nowhere near as hatefully dirty as in years past.  Sucks a bit.

[BDB]

I don't think that the UST void can be replaced with a MIAC team Oz. So, you can replace them with one from the WIAC instead.

May I suggest Whitewater?       (and they wear purple too)

[SagatagSam]

I don't think that the UST void can be replaced with a MIAC team Oz. So, you can replace them with one from the WIAC instead.

May I suggest Whitewater?       (and they wear purple too)

Speaking of things that can be replaced, that blue bar at the top of the streaming Johnnie Sports Network webcast can be replaced right now. It seems like any time there was a play along the far sideline it got blocked by the blue bar.

Just my two cents.

[OzJohnnie]

I don't think that the UST void can be replaced with a MIAC team Oz. So, you can replace them with one from the WIAC instead.

May I suggest Whitewater?       (and they wear purple too)

Speaking of things that can be replaced, that blue bar at the top of the streaming Johnnie Sports Network webcast can be replaced right now. It seems like any time there was a play along the far sideline it got blocked by the blue bar.

Just my two cents.

It's not like football hasn't been a staple of television broadcast for 60 years and there are no examples of great practices in graphic placement.

[BDB]

I don't think that the UST void can be replaced with a MIAC team Oz. So, you can replace them with one from the WIAC instead.

May I suggest Whitewater?       (and they wear purple too)

Speaking of things that can be replaced, that blue bar at the top of the streaming Johnnie Sports Network webcast can be replaced right now. It seems like any time there was a play along the far sideline it got blocked by the blue bar.

Just my two cents.

The bar at the bottom with the corporate sponsors could easily be added with the score bar and placed at the screen bottom. As a corporate/scoreboard sponsor myself for the local D3 athletic program I'm saying I would prefer that as an advertising tool. Typically, when you lay down the bucks for being a corporate sponsor there is a variety of exposures the company gets. On the scoreboards (all venues) , website, programs etc. and the right to use the school logo and to advertise being a corporate sponsor.

If any of those companies requested the change it just might happen.

[OldAuggie]

I don't think that the UST void can be replaced with a MIAC team Oz. So, you can replace them with one from the WIAC instead.

May I suggest Whitewater?       (and they wear purple too)

Since becoming a UW Stout fan due to our daughter becoming a Blue Devil, I have looked very closely at the teams in the WIAC. I cringe at the damage that would be done on the football field by any WIAC football team to any MIAC team not named SJU, Bethel, Concordia, and Gustavus.

Look closely gentlemen, the WIAC teams are huge, from the top of the conference to the bottom.

[BDB]

Since becoming a UW Stout fan due to our daughter becoming a Blue Devil, I have looked very closely at the teams in the WIAC. I cringe at the damage that would be done on the football field by any WIAC football team to any MIAC team not named SJU, Bethel, Concordia, and Gustavus.

Look closely gentlemen, the WIAC teams are huge, from the top of the conference to the bottom.

Well, the biggest, strongest UW-Stout team I think of was the 2000 WIAC champion group. Went 10-0 going into the playoffs and then got beat by the visiting Johnnies. A game which is visited in "The Sweet Season." So size isn't everything. Helps for sure.

Rumors remain in Blue Devil land that QB Lindemann for the Johnnies had figured out the defensive signals coming in from the sidelines. I'll say one thing about Lindemann that day, dude could take a hit.