FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[faunch]

I don't know if this has already been discussed, (I'm too lazy to read back after being out of town yesterday) but it appears that ray grant has taken down his twitter feed.  There goes some good entertainment....

Gee...I wonder if the coaching staff told him to shut the tweet up.  

On a related note....the Pipers held an intersquad scrimmage on Saturday and posted pictures to their flickr account.  I searched high and low for pictures of Ray making circus catches that will undoubtedly force D3football.com to open a D3 Football Hall of Fame.  The only one I could find might be this one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamlineathletics/4957354195/in/set-72157624753648969/

[Pat Coleman]

D3Football.com:
It's a big win for the Northwest Conference's consensus No. 2 team against the No. 2 from the WIAC, and gives us our first big game with playoff implications right out of the gate. Willamette did well for itself if it needs to compete for an at-large bid, while UW-Stevens Point would be in trouble.

Am I the only one who thinks it's a little early to name team x or team y the number 2, 3, 4 or whatever in any conference one game into the season?

Hazz: Two things -- 1) That's why we used the term "consensus" and 2) Both finished in that position last year.

[OzJohnnie]

I love the Monday morning anticipation for the release of the Top 25.  It's as good as waiting for a Heinz Ketchup.

The Johnnies remain in 9th and the Tommies remain in 5th.  Collision course unchanged.

Bethel is up to seven votes.  Sly dark horse?

[hazzben]

D3Football.com:
It's a big win for the Northwest Conference's consensus No. 2 team against the No. 2 from the WIAC, and gives us our first big game with playoff implications right out of the gate. Willamette did well for itself if it needs to compete for an at-large bid, while UW-Stevens Point would be in trouble.

Am I the only one who thinks it's a little early to name team x or team y the number 2, 3, 4 or whatever in any conference one game into the season?

Hazz: Two things -- 1) That's why we used the term "consensus" and 2) Both finished in that position last year.

I guess if 'consensus' is referring to a pre-season conference coaches/SID vote I could understand. Otherwise, it just feels like a whole lot of conjecture at this point. Especially considering how unpredictable the WIAC tends to be.

Pat, has D3fb ever considered refraining from doing a preseason ranking and publishing its 1st Top 25 say after week 3? I love the tease of seeing where people project your team to stack up in July and August, but to quote Boise State's Chris Peterson "Preseason rankings are really just beauty contests."

Seems like this can be especially true at the DIII level. With 238 teams to cover, outside of the top 2 or 3 teams, do we really have a good idea of where those other teams should land? On a similar note, always impressed by the breadth of knowledge you and Keith bring to the table in the podcast covering all these teams and conferences. Couldn't keep it nearly as straight without your big picture help!

Finally, for Pat or anyone else, is the WIAC really pronounced Wee - Ack like Pat was saying on the podcast or have I been right to assume all these years that it was Why - Ack like MIAC is My - Ack. Honest question, no sarcasm or snarkyness intended.

[hazzben]

Johnnie Posters:

Talked with a NWC coach today. He was very impressed with play of your Will LB, TE and Boyle. Which LB is your Will this year?

[57Johnnie]

Johnnie Posters:

Talked with a NWC coach today. He was very impressed with play of your Will LB, TE and Boyle. Which LB is your Will this year?

He had to mean:
13 Stanton  or
41 Lawrence

[BDB]

Finally, for Pat or anyone else, is the WIAC really pronounced Wee - Ack like Pat was saying on the podcast or have I been right to assume all these years that it was Why - Ack like MIAC is My - Ack. Honest question, no sarcasm or snarkyness intended.

It's Why-ac, just like My-ac.

Wee-ak would be the teachers union. (WEAC)

[Pat Coleman]

Finally, for Pat or anyone else, is the WIAC really pronounced Wee - Ack like Pat was saying on the podcast or have I been right to assume all these years that it was Why - Ack like MIAC is My - Ack. Honest question, no sarcasm or snarkyness intended.

It's Why-ac, just like My-ac.

Wee-ak would be the teachers union. (WEAC)

You guys need to get together and come up with a consensus among Wisconsinites, then, because I hear WEE-ack all the time. I do hear both, however.

[WithasilentK]

Disappointing loss today for the Knights.  I took a look at the box score and it confirmed what my thoughts were during the audio broadcast.

Aside from the turnovers, the offense played pretty well.  They put up 381 yards in only 18:24 of possession time.  Unfortunately, that means that the defense let Crown have the ball for 41:36.  The biggest issue for the Knights was finishing, on both sides of the ball.  Offensively, the Knights failed to score from inside the 10 three times.  Defensively, Crown converted 10-17 third downs and 4-4 fourth downs.

Luckily, for the Knights, they now have two weeks to make adjustments before the next game.  Not so lucky, things won't get any either as they face a Bethel team that rolled up 503 yards and 34 second half points today.  Time to see how the Knights respond. 

Very glad I was golfing instead of listening to this game. That TOP stat says a lot about both the offense and defense. Four TDs in that short of a time is a lot for an offense, but at times, you need to sustain long drives to give your defense a rest. Allowing that much possession time by a defense is just plain terrible.

I'm not surprised by issues with scoring inside the 10 as the Knights try to figure out who and what works best in the red zone, but I'm just in shock about the defensive play. This wasn't a MIAC team, not even close (I guess there's a chance I'm wrong, but I doubt it).

I don't know what to expect at Bethel. Can the offense put up numbers against a MIAC D (you better score when you get inside the 10 in the MIAC)? Was this defensive game a sign of things to come, or some dense early season cobwebs?

As for the other games, nothing surprising nor cause for a perception change of any team.

[Pat Coleman]

D3Football.com:
It's a big win for the Northwest Conference's consensus No. 2 team against the No. 2 from the WIAC, and gives us our first big game with playoff implications right out of the gate. Willamette did well for itself if it needs to compete for an at-large bid, while UW-Stevens Point would be in trouble.

Am I the only one who thinks it's a little early to name team x or team y the number 2, 3, 4 or whatever in any conference one game into the season?

Hazz: Two things -- 1) That's why we used the term "consensus" and 2) Both finished in that position last year.

I guess if 'consensus' is referring to a pre-season conference coaches/SID vote I could understand. Otherwise, it just feels like a whole lot of conjecture at this point. Especially considering how unpredictable the WIAC tends to be.

Pat, has D3fb ever considered refraining from doing a preseason ranking and publishing its 1st Top 25 say after week 3? I love the tease of seeing where people project your team to stack up in July and August, but to quote Boise State's Chris Peterson "Preseason rankings are really just beauty contests."

Seems like this can be especially true at the DIII level. With 238 teams to cover, outside of the top 2 or 3 teams, do we really have a good idea of where those other teams should land? On a similar note, always impressed by the breadth of knowledge you and Keith bring to the table in the podcast covering all these teams and conferences. Couldn't keep it nearly as straight without your big picture help!

Finally, for Pat or anyone else, is the WIAC really pronounced Wee - Ack like Pat was saying on the podcast or have I been right to assume all these years that it was Why - Ack like MIAC is My - Ack. Honest question, no sarcasm or snarkyness intended.

It is -- it refers to our picks in Kickoff and conference preseason rankings as well as how they finished last year. In this case they all agreed.

We certainly could refrain from doing a poll, and if our poll actually determined anything, like, who plays for the national championship, that would be a responsible thing to do. But our poll is for entertainment purposes only, right?

I would like to say that I think our voters are savvy enough not to get sucked into the concept that a team must be ranked in the same relative position until they lose, and that teams must automatically be promoted every single time someone in front of them loses. I feel like our poll is pretty darn good at that, actually, and certainly better than the AFCA Top 25, which ends up with teams moved into the Top 10 despite playing nobody.

Now, I know full well our poll is not perfect. But I think we try harder.

[mac77]

I haven't posted in some time as I mostly enjoy just reading (sometimes!).
HOWEVER........
I wish to set the record straight....

It doesn't matter to me if it's "WY-ak" or "WEE-ak" becuase it's still the WSUC or the "WE SUCK" to me!!!!

AND the correct pronounciation is "EM-EYE-AY-SEE" ...... "M-I-A-C".

I am really tired of the "ESPN-erizing" (do we refer to that as "ESS-Pen"?) of conference acronyms.....

Yes, we have always had the "WAC" and the "MAC"...... but us "oldtimers" (but I am younger than "Judge Johnnie Red") prefer the "EM-EYE-AY-SEE" and you will always know you are talking to an "old fart" when you here us say it!!!!

Nice win by the boys in Collegeville on Saturday.... the team from "that purple place" also had a nice win.

October 2nd..... it could be magical!!!  Dr. Dirk WILL make an appearance!  Get there early to get his autograph!!!

[OzJohnnie]

AND the correct pronounciation is "EM-EYE-AY-SEE" ...... "M-I-A-C".

I am really tired of the "ESPN-erizing" (do we refer to that as "ESS-Pen"?) of conference acronyms.....

Yes, we have always had the "WAC" and the "MAC"...... but us "oldtimers" (but I am younger than "Judge Johnnie Red") prefer the "EM-EYE-AY-SEE" and you will always know you are talking to an "old fart" when you here us say it!!!!

Hear, hear!

[Pat Coleman]

I haven't posted in some time as I mostly enjoy just reading (sometimes!).
HOWEVER........
I wish to set the record straight....

It doesn't matter to me if it's "WY-ak" or "WEE-ak" becuase it's still the WSUC or the "WE SUCK" to me!!!!

AND the correct pronounciation is "EM-EYE-AY-SEE" ...... "M-I-A-C".

I am really tired of the "ESPN-erizing" (do we refer to that as "ESS-Pen"?) of conference acronyms.....

Yes, we have always had the "WAC" and the "MAC"...... but us "oldtimers" (but I am younger than "Judge Johnnie Red") prefer the "EM-EYE-AY-SEE" and you will always know you are talking to an "old fart" when you here us say it!!!!

Nice win by the boys in Collegeville on Saturday.... the team from "that purple place" also had a nice win.

October 2nd..... it could be magical!!!  Dr. Dirk WILL make an appearance!  Get there early to get his autograph!!!

Not sure that pronouncing out names of conferences that end in "AC" is "ESPN-izing" them. As you say, those two have long been pronounced out and there's just a bunch more D-III conferences like than than D-I conferences that fit the mold.

[bulk19]

Finally, for Pat or anyone else, is the WIAC really pronounced Wee - Ack like Pat was saying on the podcast or have I been right to assume all these years that it was Why - Ack like MIAC is My - Ack. Honest question, no sarcasm or snarkyness intended.

It's Why-ac, just like My-ac.

Wee-ak would be the teachers union. (WEAC)

You guys need to get together and come up with a consensus among Wisconsinites, then, because I hear WEE-ack all the time. I do hear both, however.

BlueDevilBob is correct...

It's a consensus amongst the highly intelligent, sophisticated WIACers, such as BDB, that it is Why-ac; those who pronounce the conference as Wee-ak are the unlearned ones, who attended the schools in the conference that have the lower academic standards...  

[tmerton]

Johnnie Posters:

Talked with a NWC coach today. He was very impressed with play of your Will LB, TE and Boyle. Which LB is your Will this year?

He had to mean:
13 Stanton  or
41 Lawrence

Billy Lawrence would be the "Mike" linebacker in that terminology.  He had an excellent game though; led the J's in tackles and stuffed the run, which is what he needs to do.