FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WashedUp]

Silent K- Carleton will never be superior to Olaf, even if they win every sporting even for a decade straight.  I don't expect you to understand this, just go with me on it. 

Better watch what you say, with about 4 seniors on the Carleton football team this year and Ramler recruiting this looks like a possibility.

[OleHog74]

Silent K- Carleton will never be superior to Olaf, even if they win every sporting even for a decade straight.  I don't expect you to understand this, just go with me on it. 

Better watch what you say, with about 4 seniors on the Carleton football team this year and Ramler recruiting this looks like a possibility.

Nahhhh, the Eagle will turn again soon

[stanbob]

Silent K- Carleton will never be superior to Olaf, even if they win every sporting even for a decade straight.  I don't expect you to understand this, just go with me on it. 

Better watch what you say, with about 4 seniors on the Carleton football team this year and Ramler recruiting this looks like a possibility.

Nahhhh, the Eagle will turn again soon

Your predictions haven't exactly been spot on this week Hog.

[sju56321]

I guess time will tell if SJU is a top team. Perhaps the NCAA will shed some light when the regional rankings come out. But remember, defense wins championships.

[sju#57]

I agree defense wins championships but the offense needs to 1) Put up more that 10 pts and 2) be able to control the ball long enough to keep the defense from getting tired.   This team may be good enough to win an MIAC championship with defense but come playoffs the O had better get something going.

From what I have seen, the two major problems on the Johnnie O are the quarterback and the playcalling. I'll prob get chastised for this, but the Johnnies haven't had a great qb since keating or tommy L. In the whole 4 yrs he played I was never confident in Kofoed. Yea he won, but I think that had more to do with the players around him than his talent. Secondly, and more importantly is Jimmy and his stellar offensive mind....nuf said on that.

Hopefully in this bye week the D can heal up a little and get some rest and the O can maybe get something working cuz 10-14 pts maybe enough to beat Aug and Car, but it sure the heck won't hold up against a Linfield or WW...

Just my humble opinion.....Go Johnnies!!!

[Willy Wonka]

I'm just throwing this out there, and it's just an opinion, and don't crucify me but...

There was all this talk last year about the MIAC being down, but I see that more this year than any other.  CCM is down big time.  Carleton and Auggie Tech had great offenses last year, and this year there is a significant lack of offense anywhere in the MIAC.  SJU seems to me to be overrated.  After watching them and listening to them, I just don't think they are worthy of a top 5 ranking.  Good defense, yes, but that O is very ungood, and is the D any better than last year?  Bethel is about the same as last year, Olaf about the same, and UST is better.

And maybe it's not that they're down this year, but they're just not better than last year.

I think SJU will win out and get a good seed which will lend them to winning a playoff game or two.  But to be ranked #5 or whatever they are, I'd expect them to have a shot to go deep, and I just don't see it.  Maybe they will and I'll be proved wrong, and this whole pound out a game, score 14 points and win will work, but I would be surprised if it does.

As much as I'd like to agree with the main point of this post — that SJU isn't as good as advertised — I don't think I can. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more battle-tested team anywhere in the land. The Johnnies have routinely made plays when it counts, even if they've struggled to do so earlier in the game. Plus, they've had a ton of injuries this year. It's hard to quantify those experiences, but I'd take that over weekly blowouts any day of the week.

While I hate how VOJ tries to spin anything and everything negative into a positive, I think it's far too early to write off SJU as a national threat. The Johnnies have time to get better (and healthy) and they remain in contention for home field advantage.

[bennie]

As much as I'd like to agree with the main point of this post — that SJU isn't as good as advertised — I don't think I can. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more battle-tested team anywhere in the land. The Johnnies have routinely made plays when it counts, even if they've struggled to do so earlier in the game. Plus, they've had a ton of injuries this year. It's hard to quantify those experiences, but I'd take that over weekly blowouts any day of the week.

While I hate how VOJ tries to spin anything and everything negative into a positive, I think it's far too early to write off SJU as a national threat. The Johnnies have time to get better (and healthy) and they remain in contention for home field advantage.

Wow!!

[Touchdown Tommy]

That was me Bennie.  I hijacked Wonka's account...

[VOJ]

I agree defense wins championships but the offense needs to 1) Put up more that 10 pts and 2) be able to control the ball long enough to keep the defense from getting tired.   This team may be good enough to win an MIAC championship with defense but come playoffs the O had better get something going.

From what I have seen, the two major problems on the Johnnie O are the quarterback and the playcalling. I'll prob get chastised for this, but the Johnnies haven't had a great qb since keating or tommy L. In the whole 4 yrs he played I was never confident in Kofoed. Yea he won, but I think that had more to do with the players around him than his talent. Secondly, and more importantly is Jimmy and his stellar offensive mind....nuf said on that.

Hopefully in this bye week the D can heal up a little and get some rest and the O can maybe get something working cuz 10-14 pts maybe enough to beat Aug and Car, but it sure the heck won't hold up against a Linfield or WW...

Just my humble opinion.....Go Johnnies!!!

Anyone remember KEATING?  Say what you want about him or it was because of BE...but he has a National Championship ring and he managed games and called plays and did rather well

Now AK07 had some great moments, and if not for WW a couple of missed FG and a poorly thrown pass into the end zone he would have had his shot at Mount Union in a title game, because SJU would have had the same success against overrated Wesley as well.

Boyle is rounding into form, prior to Saturday I think I saw a stat where he was 11-1 with 6 come from behind victories, not bad when you look at it.  He will be back, if not this year then next year.  This is a team which will grind it out with their offensive line, they had a 10 minute advantage in posession time against the Oles. 

Wonka thanks...never thought I would write that

[VOJ]

That was me Bennie.  I hijacked Wonka's account...

I knew it was too good to be true...

[retagent]

I'm glad we have had some input already about a couple things I was going to ask. I had been thinking about the relative strength of the MIAC in general and SJU in particular, and come up with much of what has already been discussed. It's hard to tell, in the end. The CC victory over Wilamette, BU's close losses to Wheaton (now diminished) and the Johnnies wins over mediochre, at best, WIAC teams have to be looked at, but are not definitive.

The other is the state of the "O." Some have already weighed in regarding the prospects if Boyle is unable to return. Has anyone contemplated "Wildcat?" The problem, as I, a humble fan, see it, is lack of a passing game, and I don't see the "cat" as the solution. Many yesterday, I among them, thought that they should go with high percentage, short passes, shovel and screen passes.  Is Jimmy G really that bad? The running game is more than adequate, but if you don't even have the threat of the pass, it gets extermely tough to be effective with that only.

[sfury]

If the defense is dominant, they can have success deep into the playoffs. Look at 1999 (I think Dusty's featured in a book about that season...).

Beat Concordia 7-3. Beat Hamline 20-3. Beat St. Olaf 21-14.

In the playoffs, two defensive touchdowns in a 23-10 win over Stevens-Point. Then a 10-9 win over Central, when the offense did almost nothing. Then against PLU, leading and going in for a potential game-sealing touchdown when a crucial fumble changed everything. To that point they'd held Pacific to 6 points, I think. The same offense that obliterated their next two opponents to win the title.

The offense that year after Linnemann got hurt was very weak, but they still had a legitimate shot at a title. If Boyle's healthy, I think the offense will be good enough, but even if he's not, they've got a chance to win some games.

[sjusection105]

The other is the state of the "O." Some have already weighed in regarding the prospects if Boyle is unable to return. Has anyone contemplated "Wildcat?" The problem, as I, a humble fan, see it, is lack of a passing game, and I don't see the "cat" as the solution. Many yesterday, I among them, thought that they should go with high percentage, short passes, shovel and screen passes.  Is Jimmy G really that bad? The running game is more than adequate, but if you don't even have the threat of the pass, it gets extermely tough to be effective with that only.

There will be a wide range of high percentage passes that the QB, Ries or someone else yet to be named, will have 2 weeks to work with the first unit.

The situation yesterday was uncomfortable to say the least. The only time any back up QB was in on game action all year was in the last couple of series vs. Hamline with a 5TD lead.

This does make us fans crazy that Boyle was in at the end of the GAC game with the outcome decided. This isn't the NFL, but it also isn't high school ball. Practice and film study will make a lot of difference against Augsburg.

[USTBench]

SJU has a quality D...but a team like UWW would put up 28 at least on them. They had better figure out how to score, and they'd better do it before the playoffs.

[sju56321]

Without a doubt, you have to be at full strength to even have a shot at UWW or Mount. A Freshman QB, no matter how much potential, not sure that is the ticket.
The 1999 defense was one of the best ever at SJU and this D is not in that league. They only gave up about 7 points per game. Novak and LaBore, were unreal, when SJU needed a turnover, those guys came up big. This team can make a good run in the playoffs, win a couple of games, but they need their #1 QB to have a shot at the region final and beyond. Didn't Denne QB after Linnemann (sp?) got hurt?