FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[retagent]

I think the poster was calling out those who don't PRACTICE what they preach, not the preaching itself.

[miac952]

Perhaps someone in Wisconsin knows more about the back story in this news story: https://www.weau.com/2021/11/02/undefeated-edgewood-high-football-forfeit-all-games-out-playoffs/?fbclid=IwAR2lF4DtyOB018D1_1xq9hHDIGo8mtp0RO9T8dkHohwETYZaRBqg80C5G2E

I'd like to believe the WIAA did it's due diligence before making such a difficult decision like this, especially so in football where one player doesn't carry a team as much as you would see in other sports like basketball.

BUT..then I think about the MSHSL. Whatever the wrong decision is, they find a way to make it. Whatever decision most negatively impacts the student athletes, they find a way!

[hazzben]

My swing at how they likely ranked the teams. Likely Pool A teams in Bold.

1. UWW - 8-0 .604 RRO: 2-0 W Salisbury, W UW-Oshkosh, vs UW-La Crosse (becomes 3-0 with visibility to Salisbury being ranked)
2. SJU - 8-0 .611 RRO: 2-0 W Aurora, W Bethel
3. Linfield - 7-0 .596 RRO: 2-0 W Redlands, W Whitworth
4. UWL - 7-0 .564 RRO: 1-0 W UW-Oshkosh (technically Loss to D2 GVSU doesn't matter, but it's not a bad look for UWL either)
5. Redlands - 6-1 .574 RRO: 0-1 L Linfield (SOS about to take a hit with upcoming game against winless Whittier)
6. Bethel - 7-1 .544 RRO: 0-1 L St John's
7. Whitworth - 7-1 .531 RRO: 0-1 L Linfield
8. UWO - 5-2 .658 RRO: 0-2 L UW-La Crosse, L UW-Whitewater

Key Games:
- UWW v. UWL
- Bethel v. SJU (assuming Bethel beats Augsburg Sat)
- UWRF v. UWO (assuming UWRF beats UWS first)

A few thoughts:
- UWL losing to UWW (my prediction) doesn't really move them down IMO, since they still have the only RRO W of the 1 loss teams.
- You could convince me to switch Redlands and Bethel, given Redlands blowout loss to Linfield, and Bethel's close loss to SJU.
- Last slot seems destined to be the last standing 2 loss WIAC team, UWRF or UWO.
- Bethel beating SJU would seem to make SJU a Pool C lock and maybe the first team off the board. As they'd be 2-1 RRO, and have a W against their one RRO L.
- Bethel losing to SJU (especially close) creates a unique scenario when comparing them to the 2 loss WIAC team at the bottom of the region.

[02 Warhawk]

Nice, Hazz

Looks like the folks at D3football agree that UWW will get the top spot over SJU. With the 2019 semifinal outcome being the "tiebreaker". Which is interesting...I didn't think previous season results mattered.

Regional Ranks

[DuffMan]

Yeah, if both UWW and SJU end at 10-0, I can't fathom ranking SJU above UWW.

[SJUrube]

Nice, Hazz

Looks like the folks at D3football agree that UWW will get the top spot over SJU. With the 2019 semifinal outcome being the "tiebreaker". Which is interesting...I didn't think previous season results mattered.

Regional Ranks

I would recommend one of the recent D3Football podcasts for anyone who has questions around the alphabetical listing, how "ties" are broken between similar teams, etc. Pat and Dave McHugh from D3Hoops did a nice break down of the process and recent changes in a podcast a couple of weeks ago and I found it helpful in understanding these first set of rankings and what to look for in the weeks ahead.

https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2021/10/22/bonus-podcast-youll-see-a-change-in-regional-rankings/

[DuffMan]

My new gameday gear finally arrived.  Too soft, Oz? 

[hazzben]

My new gameday gear finally arrived.  Too soft, Oz? 

Charmin 

[DuffMan]

No one asked you.

[wally_wabash]

Nice, Hazz

Looks like the folks at D3football agree that UWW will get the top spot over SJU. With the 2019 semifinal outcome being the "tiebreaker". Which is interesting...I didn't think previous season results mattered.

Regional Ranks

This rule specifically exists because UWW got jammed out of home games as an undefeated defending champion in 2010. 

When all criteria are equal among teams with undefeated records in the primary criteria, the NCAA Division III Football Committee can use a team's performance in the previous championship season as a criterion.

[Retired Old Rat]

My new gameday gear finally arrived.  Too soft, Oz? 

Was surprised I liked them.  Now I'm a big fan, although I would only like to see them 1 or 2 times per year.  And not in the playoffs.

I'm surprised you got your name on the back.  I thought you were more old school than that.

[DuffMan]

I'm surprised you got your name on the back.  I thought you were more old school than that.

It was included, so I would have had to explicitly order it without the name. 

[USee]

If I recall, the Whit coach came across a bit cocky before that matchup.

Yeah, he's the typical football coach that preaches "family" and "faith" and all the good guy stuff but it feels like just a pitch/show.

Rod Sandberg is a Wheaton graduate and pretty much any Wheaton-forged coach that I've heard over the years in D3 (Mike Swider, Pedro Arruza, Neal Neathery who was Wabash's DC for a number of very successful years in the early 2000s) have very strong faith and family foundations in their programs.  Everybody's mileage varies with that stuff, and there may be some people or places where it's showy, but from the Wheaton tree, it's pretty genuine.

Rod is one of the nicest guys anyone would ever meet. I doubt there is anyone on here of any (or no) belief system that wouldn't get along with him. He remains close friends with Chris Creighton, Neatherly and Aruzza. If you met him and spent any time with him, he is a hard guy not to like. That said, he is passionate and people, from the outside, can understandably get the wrong impression.

[SagatagSam]

My new gameday gear finally arrived.  Too soft, Oz? 

Was surprised I liked them.  Now I'm a big fan, although I would only like to see them 1 or 2 times per year.  And not in the playoffs.

I'm surprised you got your name on the back.  I thought you were more old school than that.

That's a legitimate ready-for-gameday jersey! It even has the elastic in the sleeves and at the bottom of the jersey.
Duff's going to put that on and start telling Uncle Rico stories.

[faunch]

My new gameday gear finally arrived.  Too soft, Oz? 

I am filled with envy.