FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sjusection105]

Thank you Art- +K for the effort

AO, is Grinnell THAT bad?? +K for the effort

[AO]

Thank you Art- +K for the effort

AO, is Grinnell THAT bad?? +K for the effort

55 was the margin last year at Grinnell and I don't see much reason to think they've gotten much better or St. Olaf has gotten much worse.  They've got 39 players on the roster including 5 seniors and 8 juniors. 

[HansenRatings]

Thank you Art- +K for the effort

AO, is Grinnell THAT bad?? +K for the effort

55 was the margin last year at Grinnell and I don't see much reason to think they've gotten much better or St. Olaf has gotten much worse.  They've got 39 players on the roster including 5 seniors and 8 juniors.

I have Grinnell as the second-worst team in the country, ahead of only Martin Luther.

[OzJohnnie]

Thanks, AO.  Another stellar effort.  I had forgotten about pick'ems somehow.  I'm glad you picked it up again.

I found myself in an odd position in that I tipped against almost all the MIAC teams.  I felt they were all rated as a little too good.  It's not like I'm a threat to take out the pick'ems championship, but I think I may be out of the running after only one week this year.

[sjusection105]

Thank you Art- +K for the effort

AO, is Grinnell THAT bad?? +K for the effort

55 was the margin last year at Grinnell and I don't see much reason to think they've gotten much better or St. Olaf has gotten much worse.  They've got 39 players on the roster including 5 seniors and 8 juniors.

I have Grinnell as the second-worst team in the country, ahead of only Martin Luther.

That's saying a lot 

[Pat Coleman]

Wow, Finlandia. That's really high for them.

[HansenRatings]

Wow, Finlandia. That's really high for them.

That's a quirk thanks to previous startups all having near-perfect retention the first few years and them playing too few DIII opponents to lower their rating much. They're about fifth from last, and maybe the most overrated team in the country.

[Robert Zimmerman]

http://www.startribune.com/gustavus-best-back-is-a-product-of-the-school-s-surprising-connection-with-cancun/442030963/

Here comes the flurry of recruiting trips to Cancun from the rest of the MIAC.

[OldAuggie]

So, after the dust settles, the MIAC record after week one should look close to 6 and 1, with Augsburg taking care of business and Bethel on the bubble.

Fixed it for you Art. Thanks for the thoughtful review of all the games.

[GoldandBlueBU]

So, after the dust settles, the MIAC record after week one should look close to 6 and 1, with Augsburg taking care of business and Bethel on the bubble.

Fixed it for you Art. Thanks for the thoughtful review of all the games.

I'm interested to see what Augsburg can do as they continue to try and find an identity post Aryton Scott.  I hope you're right, but in going with my head rather than heart, I picked against both your Auggies and my Royals in pick 'em.

[OldAuggie]

So, after the dust settles, the MIAC record after week one should look close to 6 and 1, with Augsburg taking care of business and Bethel on the bubble.

Fixed it for you Art. Thanks for the thoughtful review of all the games.

I'm interested to see what Augsburg can do as they continue to try and find an identity post Aryton Scott.  I hope you're right, but in going with my head rather than heart, I picked against both your Auggies and my Royals in pick 'em.

Hopefully this new QB is the answer. I know for sure that we will have a better record than last year. Northwestern was a playoff team and they looked good last year but I thought the loss to NW was more about the Auggies being unprepared at QB than anything else. I don't mind NW scoring 14 points, they had a good QB and receivers so I can live with that. The AU (get that Augsburg Univeristy) defense held a playoff UMAC team to 14 pts, fine.  With some added skill players on both sides of the ball, an older O line and a new QB who is better than any on the roster last year, we can win plenty of games this year if we stay injury free.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Bethel hosts Dubuque, in the second game of a home-and-home series where last year down in Dubuque, there was an aerial shoot out, with Bethel losing the game. It's not any secret here on this board that Bethel has changed its defensive coaching in the off-season, and so what teams saw in last year's film will look a lot different from what is on the field this year. Dubuque has the harder preparation week, because they don't know what they will face. But Bethel is more likely to have the harder day on the playing field as the squad works to learn the new defensive schema. As much as I would like to see Bethel win this game, I suspect that it will slip out of their fingers. If Bethel does win this game, I think it will start to set up, potentially, another wild year in the MIAC.

I also think that this will present with a few early hiccups, though it shouldn't be a huge change, as most kids come through high school playing a 4-3.

Overall, I'm glad to see them make the change.  When they've had some stars on defense, they can make the 3-4 work, but IMO, it seemed like when the defense has been in the "good, not great" category, without some guys who can really play, they struggle to pressure the QB with the 3 man front.  Overall, agree with the 4th place projection, though would not be surprised to see them sneak into 3rd.  I think they're setting up for a strong 2018.

[OldAuggie]

Bethel lost one Mississippi 8 running back (Gunnar Bloom) and replaced him with another (Sam Gibas). Well done.

[carletonknights]

Carleton hosts Macalester for the annual Book of Knowledge contest. The Scots pulled off the win last year and on paper, they look like the better team this pre-season. Hopefully, by playing in Northfield, the Knights can pull a minor upset off and take back the trophy for the year, but I don't expect that to happen.

Slight bias here, but I am confident the Knights will win this one.  They had some talented freshman last year on both sides of the ball who will have hopefully taken a step forward in their first college offseason and their starting offensive line returns.  I'm not sure how the QB will be this fall, they played all three last year and two of them were seniors.  But whoever is back there, it sure helps to have two 6'4" receivers you can just chuck it up to.  I think the Knights will win this game thanks an improved defense and those big bodies at receiver. I'll throw out 21-13.  And let's not forget who's side history is on here: aside from last year and 2014, this series has been dominated by Carleton.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Bethel lost one Mississippi 8 running back (Gunnar Bloom) and replaced him with another (Sam Gibas). Well done.

Huh.  News to me.  Hazzbeen hasn't posted in quite awhile, but I'm curious whether he knows the story here...Bloom was a very promising Sophomore last year.