FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Hey, let's be honest -- St. Olaf has two benchmark games on its schedule and has not played either one of them yet. They have not played a team with a winning record.

No. 31 St. Olaf (7-0):
Sep 10   AWAY   Luther (4-4)   W   13-37
Sep 17   HOME   Bethel (3-4)   W   27-25
Sep 24   HOME   Macalester (0-7)   W   71-10
Oct 01   HOME   St. Thomas (2-4)   W   53-27
Oct 08   AWAY   Carleton (3-4)   W   14-44
Oct 15   HOME   Gustavus Adolphus (1-6)   W   34-17
Oct 22   AWAY   Hamline (2-5)   W   14-49
Oct 29   AWAY   3 St. John's (8-0)      -

[Willy Wonka]

Cmon guys, all this talk of Whitewater as WW has me confused

I would have Olaf in my top 20 if I was a voter. Being undefeated this late into the season, they deserve that much no matter the competition. However, talking of running up the score will surely draw the ire of Wahoo. What is that, the fifth time from five different posters that it's been said this season? Hmmmm...

Has the Bus Driver crashed his short bus? Sunday's are usually his top posting days 

Mongo - Rumor says you got out of work for this coming Saturday and can attend the game. Truth?

[onearmedscot]

Olaf has been in my top 25 ballot for the past three weeks.  I think they should be in the top 25. 

I think UW- La Crosse is done.

OneArmedScot

[Freebird]

OAS, if Olaf plays SJU tough but loses do you think they make the top 25?

[johnniebread]

The MIAC has the two top dogs representing the conference nicely in the polls. Olaf will have to earn their way in. If they lose they will never see the top 25 no matter the score.

[onearmedscot]

If St. Olaf loses by three points or less, I will continue to vote them in the top 25.  That doesn't mean enough other voters will to actually get them in the top 25.

KR--
I think you HAVE TO consider the opponents played whern comparing teams in your Lax vs Sto debate.  Lax is a better team than Sto and they deserve to be top 25 even with 2 DIII losses.

OneArmedScot

[johnniebread]

I should clarify my thought - I meant no matter how close they play SJU if they lose they will not crack the top 25. However if they beat the Cobbs they probably would.

[swazzletax]

St. Olaf has proved they are an elite team.  They should be ranked. Heres why, Coe is ranked and has played two teams the Oles have.  Coe struggled to beat St. Thomas (24-21), where as the Oles beat the Tommies 53-27.  Second Coe pulled out a close victory against Luther (14-10) and the Oles beat that same Luther team 37-13.

We all know the MIAC is a top conference and the Oles are perfect this far, that should be respected

[onearmedscot]

Swazzle,

Good evidence for your case but the term "elite" is a bit strong for St. Olaf.  Elite teams are ranked in the top 10.  The Oles are a very strong team and the next two weeks will be a very good stage to show how good they really are. 

I think overall the IIAC is down this year.

While it's good to have a solid senior leading the way at QB when entering Clemens, I wonder how "awe struck" some of the younger players will be...Gant, Schmeising, St. John, etc.

OneArmedScot

[Pat Coleman]

Comparative scores are fun but aren't science at all. If that were true, what would you do with this string?

Mount Union 70, John Carroll 0
John Carroll 50, Ohio Northern 25
Therefore, what does Ohio Northern do at Mount Union?

[Kilted Rat]

Wins 21-14!


I'm good at this game!

[swazzletax]

onearmedscot- good point on the "awe" possibility

Although St. Olaf hasn't played in such a meaningfull game this late in the season in a long time, once the kickoff is air born and the pads pop, the Oles will get over any feelings of awe.  The senior leaders will make sure that the young contributors will be ready from the get go, because St. John's will be.  Especially after last years loss at St. Olaf.

Another piont. St. John's has great teams of upperclassmen on the field every year, but players don't usually see the field until they are juniors or seniors.  The likes of Gant, Schmiesing, Higgins, and St. John have played from the day they got to St. Olaf.  Considering that, the amount of game experience (minus blow out mins.) is similar.

[WAHOO3]

One thing that Johnnies seem to be forgetting is that the Oles have won 2 out of the last 4 against the Johnnies. There is no more mystique about it. The Oles have won both in Northfield (last year) and @ Clemens in 2001. You can bring out the all-time series record as you have before but the Oles who have come through that program in the past 4 years know how to play SJU and (using recent history) they have no doubt they can beat SJU, and we love to see the Big dog fall. The scarriest thing to me is that this Olaf team is 10 times better than the other 2 who defeated SJU. Granted the one thing going for SJU is that the Oles cannot sneak up on them this year. The one thing that we all know we can count on is that if the Oles win, some way, somehow, all the SJU fans will find a way to call it a "fluke." Maybe this year it will be a fake punt or an on-side kick.

[onearmedscot]

I hope Preston scores the game winner...

St. John Drops St. John's

would make a great headline...if you're a Ole fan.

OneArmedScot

[johnnie_esq]

Here's the difference with the "awe" factor: how many Oles this year were on the team in 2001?  While there will be confidence in the Oles that they "can" do it, when they walk out of the locker room in Collegeville there will be a few more than the 652 in the stands that were there last year in Northfield.  It's not SJU's uniforms, not Gagliardi, not their jumping jack that is intimidating-- it's looking at the sea of red 8500 strong in Collegeville.