FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[faunch]

Are the Gusties legit or is the belief that they will start 6-0 and end up 6-4 just like last year? How would the conference teams be ranked today? St Thomas, C-M or St Johns, Bethel, GA.

The GAC season winds up like this
Oct. 17 at SJU
Oct. 24 - BYE Week
Oct. 31 at Bethel
Nov. 7 hosting Cobbers
Nov. 14 hosting St. Thomas

As you mentioned,their scheduled is front loaded with weaker opponents in the conference and all their tough games are at the end of the season. You can look at it two ways,if they are for real this battle tests them for the play-offs. If they are a paper tiger,they will be 6-4 or perhaps 7-3 which is a sign they are on the right path (7-3 final record) of being considered a top tier team in the MIAC.
Wonka, you know as well as anyone that there are 2 or 3 teams in the MIAC who are consistently at or near the top over the past 25 years. Then there are teams that make a splash for a 2-4 year period with the right set of players at the right time,then fade back after those players graduate. Time will tell where GAC stacks up for the long term.

The schedule makes didn't do the Gusties any favors other than giving them a bye week in the middle of their last four games and not having to travel up to Concordia in November.

[DuffMan]

After today I'm not feeling confident that this SJU team is strong enough to run the table and win out the rest of the season.

I'd consider myself a pessimist, but it Faunch never fails to out-pessimist me. 

[USTBench]

I know I'm looking at the Top 25 through purple tinted glasses but I think UST could be in front of or at least the middle of the pack with the 4 teams that start with W directly in front of them.

Wesley's D is suspect. Wartburg is obviously still good but I don't think they're nearly the team they were in 2014. Wheaton might be comparable, but I if you're not beating North Park by 50 I don't trust you. Really hard to get a read on Wabash so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

[AO]

I know I'm looking at the Top 25 through purple tinted glasses but I think UST could be in front of or at least the middle of the pack with the 4 teams that start with W directly in front of them.

Wesley's D is suspect. Wartburg is obviously still good but I don't think they're nearly the team they were in 2014. Wheaton might be comparable, but I if you're not beating North Park by 50 I don't trust you. Really hard to get a read on Wabash so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm more annoyed by the seemingly artificial limit of 3 MIAC teams in the top 25 (though Gustavus is obviously knocking on the door).  I'd think Gustavus, Bethel and Augsburg would all be favored over Hobart or Chicago on a neutral field.  It'd be nice if all corners of the D3 map had elite teams, but I'm not sure that's the case.

[USTBench]

I know I'm looking at the Top 25 through purple tinted glasses but I think UST could be in front of or at least the middle of the pack with the 4 teams that start with W directly in front of them.

Wesley's D is suspect. Wartburg is obviously still good but I don't think they're nearly the team they were in 2014. Wheaton might be comparable, but I if you're not beating North Park by 50 I don't trust you. Really hard to get a read on Wabash so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm more annoyed by the seemingly artificial limit of 3 MIAC teams in the top 25 (though Gustavus is obviously knocking on the door).  I'd think Gustavus, Bethel and Augsburg would all be favored over Hobart or Chicago on a neutral field.  It'd be nice if all corners of the D3 map had elite teams, but I'm not sure that's the case.

Agreed. A legit Top 25 would look a lot different I suspect.

[Pat Coleman]

I know I'm looking at the Top 25 through purple tinted glasses but I think UST could be in front of or at least the middle of the pack with the 4 teams that start with W directly in front of them.

Wesley's D is suspect. Wartburg is obviously still good but I don't think they're nearly the team they were in 2014. Wheaton might be comparable, but I if you're not beating North Park by 50 I don't trust you. Really hard to get a read on Wabash so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

North Park isn't as bad as they used to be. They've won five conference games combined in the past two seasons.

I agree about Wartburg. I have Wesley ahead of UST but not Wartburg. Good thing is that UST will play Augie and Bethel and we'll get a good look at common opponents with Wartburg there.

[SaintsFAN]

I know I'm looking at the Top 25 through purple tinted glasses but I think UST could be in front of or at least the middle of the pack with the 4 teams that start with W directly in front of them.

Wesley's D is suspect. Wartburg is obviously still good but I don't think they're nearly the team they were in 2014. Wheaton might be comparable, but I if you're not beating North Park by 50 I don't trust you. Really hard to get a read on Wabash so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm more annoyed by the seemingly artificial limit of 3 MIAC teams in the top 25 (though Gustavus is obviously knocking on the door).  I'd think Gustavus, Bethel and Augsburg would all be favored over Hobart or Chicago on a neutral field.  It'd be nice if all corners of the D3 map had elite teams, but I'm not sure that's the case.

I know when I think of the Top 25, I ask myself who would beat who on a neutral field.  But I can say this in defense of the voters:  it's a lot harder than it looks and I feel a responsibility to D3 fans to get it as right as I can.  I thought there wouldn't be much to it but it keeps me up really late most Saturday nights.

[USTBench]

I know I'm looking at the Top 25 through purple tinted glasses but I think UST could be in front of or at least the middle of the pack with the 4 teams that start with W directly in front of them.

Wesley's D is suspect. Wartburg is obviously still good but I don't think they're nearly the team they were in 2014. Wheaton might be comparable, but I if you're not beating North Park by 50 I don't trust you. Really hard to get a read on Wabash so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

North Park isn't as bad as they used to be. They've won five conference games combined in the past two seasons.

I agree about Wartburg. I have Wesley ahead of UST but not Wartburg. Good thing is that UST will play Augie and Bethel and we'll get a good look at common opponents with Wartburg there.

I just don't know about Wesley. It seems that UWW, MUC, Linfield and UMHB will always be firmly entrenched in the top 4, but for some reason Wesley always seems to be considered in that top tier and I'm just not buying it. It seems they have the ability to put major points on the board but are willing to sacrifice defensively when they go up against those types of teams. 62 to 59 comes to mind. 70 to 21 comes to mind. 50 to 49 this year comes to mind. I'm just not confident that a team whose MO against top tier competition is trying to win the track meet belongs in the 5 spot.

I know I am bias but I think UST's defense and run game will keep them in the game against that top 4 competition (not as confident in our pass game which I think could be problematic come playoff time). I think if Wesley was to try to go toe-to-toe with any of the top 4 by throwing 50 times, they'd get destroyed.

[jknezek]

The thing about Wesley is we all know they got hammered last year, but the year before they came within a hair of taking down Mount in Mount. Yeah it was a high scoring game against a Mount team that got tagged in the Stagg, but it was a winnable game in the end, even if the beginning was... interesting. 2012 they played two games with UMHB, including being their sacrificial lamb to open the new stadium, and a somewhat competitive playoff game in Texas. UMHB came within a heartbeat of tagging UMU that year. 2011 Wesley beat both Linfield and UMHB before dropping a one score game to Mount. 2010 Wesley beat UMHB before taking it on the chin with UWW.

Basically Wesley gets talked about because they are one of the teams that gives Mount a challenge and Wesley has a history (although growing more distant) of beating Linfield and UMHB. So if you are putting up that tier, leaving Wesley out because they got pasted last year or lost twice in one year to UMHB is really not looking at the picture. They are one of the only teams that year in and out competes at that level, even if, like everyone else, they aren't getting over the UMU/UWW hump.

Big Four, Big Five? Both are B.S. classifications. It's the Big 2 and the Next 4, with the next four being UMHB, Linfield, Wesley, and the MIAC champ. After that you can start picking and choosing between the MIAC and WIAC runner ups, NCC, Wheaton, the NCAC champ, an E8 team and others that might make a run but still get stoned by the top tiers.

But when thinking about tiers Wesley belongs in that second group, while no one belongs with UMU and UWW...

[AO]

But when thinking about tiers Wesley belongs in that second group, while no one belongs with UMU and UWW...

Mount belonged in the 2nd group the last 2 years.  Wartburg, Linfield, Oshkosh and MHB gave the Warhawks much better games.

[jknezek]

But when thinking about tiers Wesley belongs in that second group, while no one belongs with UMU and UWW...

Mount belonged in the 2nd group the last 2 years.  Wartburg, Linfield, Oshkosh and MHB gave the Warhawks much better games.

One year, two years, whatever. Mount has a title in the last few years and 10 straight trips to the Stagg. If you want to put them in a different tier feel free. I don't argue with that kind of success...

[faunch]

But when thinking about tiers Wesley belongs in that second group, while no one belongs with UMU and UWW...

Mount belonged in the 2nd group the last 2 years.  Wartburg, Linfield, Oshkosh and MHB gave the Warhawks much better games.

One year, two years, whatever. Mount has a title in the last few years and 10 straight trips to the Stagg. If you want to put them in a different tier feel free. I don't argue with that kind of success...

I think think the NCAA take the top 4 or even 8 teams and do a random draw for home field advantage.  Make Whitewater or Mount Union go on the road during the playoffs.

[MasterJedi]

But when thinking about tiers Wesley belongs in that second group, while no one belongs with UMU and UWW...

Mount belonged in the 2nd group the last 2 years.  Wartburg, Linfield, Oshkosh and MHB gave the Warhawks much better games.

One year, two years, whatever. Mount has a title in the last few years and 10 straight trips to the Stagg. If you want to put them in a different tier feel free. I don't argue with that kind of success...

I think think the NCAA take the top 4 or even 8 teams and do a random draw for home field advantage.  Make Whitewater or Mount Union go on the road during the playoffs.

UWW already has, in 2008 to Oregon and Texas, in 2010 to Illinois and Delaware and in 2013 to Texas. UWW has won at home and on the road.

[USTBench]

But when thinking about tiers Wesley belongs in that second group, while no one belongs with UMU and UWW...

Mount belonged in the 2nd group the last 2 years.  Wartburg, Linfield, Oshkosh and MHB gave the Warhawks much better games.

One year, two years, whatever. Mount has a title in the last few years and 10 straight trips to the Stagg. If you want to put them in a different tier feel free. I don't argue with that kind of success...

I think think the NCAA take the top 4 or even 8 teams and do a random draw for home field advantage.  Make Whitewater or Mount Union go on the road during the playoffs.

Hard not to justify giving UWW and MUC homefield advantage, but, if Linfield, UMHB or the MIAC champ gets to host a semifinal game occasionally it certainly seems like the monotony can be interrupted.  It does seem MUC is often given a primrose path to the semifinals and sometimes even the Stagg Bowl, and it would be nice to see them have to play a Linfield, MIAC champ, UMHB, Wartburg, CCIW champ a bit earlier in the playoffs as well, or perhaps even get on a plane or bus. I suppose it all goes with being the best program in the history of D3, but yeah, it would certainly seem that there are some years when there are other teams every bit as strong as MUC, but they have a veritable murderers row go through to even sniff the semifinals.

[OzJohnnie]

For those Hawthorn fans, here's the Grand Final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrD9zNWvUE4