FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[ron doney]

Hats off to Bethel, great run this year!  Johnson is quite the coach. 

If there is a team in the country that was anticipating a 'correnation' more than UST, it was those boys out west.  And once again......ouch 

Here is hoping NC knocks off Mount and blows the thing wide open.  Looking forward to a new crew on top.  In that spirit, I'd like to see at least one of our fine MIAC squads at the Stagg bowl two of the next four years.  Bethel, Aug, SJ1, UST, Concordia....whomever, let's take advantage of the forthcoming, and never before seen, parity. 

[faunch]

Just for fun I did a search of Glenn Caruso on Twitter....holy crap a lot of people want him to get the NDSU job.

[Johnnie Red]

SJUsection105, I move to add the 35th Annual Eelpout Festival to your list. It is Feb. 20-23 in beautiful Walker on Leech Lake. As always, the bikini ice fishing team will be there.
Congrats to the Royals on a great season.

[AO]

Just for fun I did a search of Glenn Caruso on Twitter....holy crap a lot of people want him to get the NDSU job.

I give it a 0% chance of happening, but I see on their forum that they definitely appreciate his efforts in recruiting Steve Walker, the great QB who flourished during their D-1 transition years. 

As I look back to December 2002; I was sitting in class as a senior in high school. Admittedly, I think I had a case of senioritis and when recruiters came in and got me out of class I couldn't be happier. One day, the school's secretary came and asked me to come down and talk with Coach Glenn Caruso from NDSU. My first reaction was, "they have colleges in North Dakota?" After a number of visits with Coach Caruso and my first visit to Fargo, I realized that this was where I wanted to go to school and play football.

[RoyalsFan]

Hats off to Bethel, great run this year!  Johnson is quite the coach. 

If there is a team in the country that was anticipating a 'correnation' more than UST, it was those boys out west.  And once again......ouch 

Here is hoping NC knocks off Mount and blows the thing wide open.  Looking forward to a new crew on top.  In that spirit, I'd like to see at least one of our fine MIAC squads at the Stagg bowl two of the next four years.  Bethel, Aug, SJ1, UST, Concordia....whomever, let's take advantage of the forthcoming, and never before seen, parity.

It's great to have parity, especially if all the teams perform at a high level, but unfortunately that parity this year kept at least St. Thomas and Concordia out of the playoffs this year as well as teams in other conferences. I know this has been hashed out here before, but I wish they would include more pool C spots in the playoffs in the future but sounds like they are going to add a couple more pool A spots, which means they have to take away from pool B or C. Or there should be more requirements for pool A teams to qualify for the playoffs then just winning their conference, proven by the many lopsided 1st and 2nd round games this year. There were many teams that were left out of the playoffs that were much better teams than several pool A teams IMO.

[jknezek]

It's great to have parity, especially if all the teams perform at a high level, but unfortunately that parity this year kept at least St. Thomas and Concordia out of the playoffs this year as well as teams in other conferences. I know this has been hashed out here before, but I wish they would include more pool C spots in the playoffs in the future but sounds like they are going to add a couple more pool A spots, which means they have to take away from pool B or C. Or there should be more requirements for pool A teams to qualify for the playoffs then just winning their conference, proven by the many lopsided 1st and 2nd round games this year. There were many teams that were left out of the playoffs that were much better teams than several pool A teams IMO.

No one disputes this. But open access to the playoffs, for every team in a qualifying conference, is a worthy goal to start the year. If you remember or were around in the pre-AQ days, you would know just how bad it was. You think worthy teams get left out now? Go back to those days. What we have now is much more preferable. Winning your conference is simply part of the elimination. Think about winning your conference as the first round of the playoffs. If you don't do it, and you aren't eliminated (get a Pool C), then you got very lucky. If you think about it that way, instead of thinking about a team finishing second being unlucky, you will be more understanding of the results every year.

[retagent]

This year, all 8 teams left in the Quarterfinals were "Ranked" in the Top 25 by d3.com. Only one of those was below #16. Right now, the teams in the final 4 are all rated in the Top 5.  Getting into the Playoffs is an accomplishment, but can anyone remember when anyone outside the Top 8 won the Stagg? Can anyone remember when the last winner was a total surprise?

If we look at who has a legitimate chance to win the Championship, I doubt if any of those teams are ever left out. Are teams that could win one, or even two, playoff games not in the field? Probably. Let's have a glass half full attitude about this system. Every system has flaws. The ones we see are minor in the whole scheme of things.

[Retired Old Rat]

PLU, 1999.  Played all their games on the road.

[DuffMan]

PLU, 1999.  Played all their games on the road.

Yep.  #7 seed in the west region.  SJU almost did it in similar fashion in 2000 (#7 seed @ UW-Stout, @ PLU, @ Central, @ Hardin-Simmons, @ Stagg Bowl) .

[jknezek]

PLU, 1999.  Played all their games on the road.

Yep.  #7 seed in the west region.  SJU almost did it in similar fashion in 2000 (#7 seed @ UW-Stout, @ PLU, @ Central, @ Hardin-Simmons, @ Stagg Bowl) .

Similar with UMHB in 2004. At Trinity, at Hardin-Simmons, at W&J, at UMU, vs Linfield in the Stagg. Not sure the seed, but they went the road warrior route.

[Retired Old Rat]

PLU, 1999.  Played all their games on the road.

Yep.  #7 seed in the west region.  SJU almost did it in similar fashion in 2000 (#7 seed @ UW-Stout, @ PLU, @ Central, @ Hardin-Simmons, @ Stagg Bowl) .

I made 3 of 5.  First year following the Johnnies around the country.  What a blast.  Hoping for opportunities to so in the not too distant future.

[Boys of Fall]

The MIAC is probably as deep as it's ever been.  It's real early, but that's what makes it fun, what does everyone think for next year?  Is Bethel now the team to beat, is UST still on top after a one year drop, will Concordia get that extra needed win, or will Augsburg finally live up to the hype?

[OzJohnnie]

This year, all 8 teams left in the Quarterfinals were "Ranked" in the Top 25 by d3.com. Only one of those was below #16. Right now, the teams in the final 4 are all rated in the Top 5.  Getting into the Playoffs is an accomplishment, but can anyone remember when anyone outside the Top 8 won the Stagg? Can anyone remember when the last winner was a total surprise?

If we look at who has a legitimate chance to win the Championship, I doubt if any of those teams are ever left out. Are teams that could win one, or even two, playoff games not in the field? Probably. Let's have a glass half full attitude about this system. Every system has flaws. The ones we see are minor in the whole scheme of things.

DING, DING, DING!  And the ref stops the fight, folks. Alternative arguments are left bloody on the floor. +k

[wildcat11]

If there is a team in the country that was anticipating a 'correnation' more than UST, it was those boys out west. 

Yeah, we had high expectations, fell short, and it's a sucky feeling.  We'll dust ourselves off and try again next season.  Maybe we look stupid for always putting those National Championship expectations out so publicly but I love Linfield is always trying to reach for the top.

As far as the MIAC is concerned. ..Go Johnnies.

[WarhawkDad]

If there is a team in the country that was anticipating a 'correnation' more than UST, it was those boys out west. 

Yeah, we had high expectations, fell short, and it's a sucky feeling.  We'll dust ourselves off and try again next season.  Maybe we look stupid for always putting those National Championship expectations out so publicly but I love Linfield is always trying to reach for the top.

As far as the MIAC is concerned. ..Go Johnnies.

And you should love that fact!   Any team who does not say that they want to be Conference Champ, make the playoffs and at some point be National Champions is not a legitimate contender in my opinion.  Linfield is a top flight program, 58 years of winning, and should put the National Championship as their goal.   

WarhawkDad