FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[57Johnnie]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

.....and same to the entire D3 family

[faunch]

Ravi was amazing....could catch almost every ball thrown near him...it's just that Blake did so much more. How many little swing passes did he take the distance. He had that little stutter step...just needed one block and Woolf make a guy miss and he was gone. Best SJU football player I ever had the pleasure if watching!
https://youtu.be/Iw86Exo81oA

[Johns Knees]

I'm surprised people think this is even close. The Johnnie passing game back then was a lot of short stuff and then Elliott using his athleticism to make something happen. Ravi is great, but I never saw him dominate in the way Elliott did game in and game out.

The Johnnie offense is also way different. Today they're more spread and frankly more dominant on the line, and have better QBs. As a result, Ravi can run deeper routes and find more open space than Elliott ever did.

It's why even moving Blake to RB worked. His burst, deep speed and vision translated to that position, too. He was just on another tier athletically, to me. Especially in comparison to the guys he was playing then. Ravi just isn't on that tier, to me. Great player, no doubt, but Elliott was all-time great.

[DuffMan]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned that Erdmann just inked a contract with the Vikings...the Vienna Vikings of the European League of Football.  Congrats to Jackson!

[AO]

Beyond scheduling conflicts, I'm assuming the budget is the biggest hurdle when in comes to sourcing non-conference opponent? Seems SJU traditionally has plucked from the WIAC and UMAC, a smattering of other one offs with midwestern neighbors, and recently upped the ante with some top 25 / top 10 (2022 perhaps) matchups.

Take away the barriers, what would be the "Christmas wish list" for non-conference opponents? I think a battle of the conferences with MIAC vs ASC / CCIW / OAC would be an interesting one. Getting a top 25 matchup with a team east of Ohio would be different as it doesn't seem a meetup likely to happen outside of a deep playoff run.

I liked what we did this year. CCIW + WIAC. UWP was way better than their record (should have beaten UWL).

Seeing now how the divisions will work, I'd be good with some combo of upper Tier ARC (Wart, Central, UD), non-UWW WIAC, or mid-tier CCIW. I think it's too much to go say UWL + Wheaton/NCC. IMO you want non-con games that you have at least a 50/50 shot at winning, and against teams that will be above .500 from better conferences, without having every non-con opponent be playoff caliber.

The trick is obviously that you can't predict when UWRF will be resurgent or when a IWU will fall off a cliff.

With UST gone, we'll need to up our game a bit. But if Concordia, GAC, STO/Aug can improve in the UST void, that will also go a long way to shoring up the diluted MIAC slate. I don't love the champ game per se, but I do love the fact they are preserving a second non-con game and making it so the bottom of the MIAC doesn't kill the playoff resume of the teams that want to compete nationally.

Please save the 2nd non-con game so we can finally get Bethel to Reynolds field.

I just don't see this being in the cards. The UMAC's OOWP, even if UNW was the top dog, would be brutal for Bethel's SOS. But especially as things currently stand, part of Wheaton's precarious situation as a Pool C candidate this year was the effect of playing Northwestern.

It's also just not a great football matchup, IMO. CSS had some of the best teams to come out of the UMAC a few years back, and they were crushed in Rd 1 by Bethel and UST. So even if UNW was at that level, I still don't think it's a compelling game. And given current trends, the risk of a SOS anchor is too great.

I'd say we're a better SoS bet than North Park, and if you're so confident about beating us maybe you can schedule someone likely to be highly ranked for your other game.

I'd actually argue you're worse than North Park in terms of SOS. Your team is worse, and you play in the worst conference in D3. CCIW in a normal year will help with OOWP. We also scheduled UWP, a typically strong WIAC team. There's literally nothing for Bethel to gain by scheduling UNW. If we'd played you any season from 2017-2021 you'd have been the SOS kiss of death. Play you and win (NB we destroyed the team you couldn't get past in CSS), and it hurts us. If you have a .500 or below season, it kills us. Your game against Wheaton is the perfect example of why it's a bad move. It didn't make Wheaton better, except for the chance to get reps for their 2nd and 3rd string guys in the second half. 

I'd worry about getting competitive again in the UMAC before I was doing any saber rattling about scheduling Bethel. 

You were lucky North Park even had 2 wins, they had to pull an upset to beat Carthage.  Even with both non-conference games against under .500 teams you still got a pool C bid. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

[bennie]

Happy Holidays!! Have a wonderful day and safe travels!

[stanbob]

Merry Christmas my friend and to your lovely bride

[OzJohnnie]

Merry Christmas my friend and to your lovely bride

Thanks, Bob, I'll pass on your words.  And Merry Christmas to you and your better half as well.

[SagatagSam]

Merry Christmas to all (even those Tommies that have moved on to "greener pastures" but still linger here)!

[retagent]

Just wanted to start a conversation now that the season is over.

BTW, there was discussion about a second Non Con game. Was the home and home with Aurora wiped out because of the no season 2020 COVID crap?

[Ice Bear]

Ice just wants to wish all the mother****ers here on the MIAC board a Merry Christmas/Happy ****ing Holidays/Happy New Year. Ice is looking forward to watching more MIAC football next season. His ass will be rooting hard for Bethal and any MIAC team that reaches the post-season (that is unless they face a team from his beloved LL).

Happy ****ing New Year

[SJU13]

Just wanted to start a conversation now that the season is over.

BTW, there was discussion about a second Non Con game. Was the home and home with Aurora wiped out because of the no season 2020 COVID crap?

It appears so as AU has a full 10 game slate with 2 NC for 2022. Seems we like to snag a first round playoff opponent for a NC game every once in a while. Maybe Lake Forest will want to party.

[faunch]

Ice just wants to wish all the mother****ers here on the MIAC board a Merry Christmas/Happy ****ing Holidays/Happy New Year. Ice is looking forward to watching more MIAC football next season. His ass will be rooting hard for Bethal and any MIAC team that reaches the post-season (that is unless they face a team from his beloved LL).

Happy ****ing New Year

Is this the Ice Bear?
https://twitter.com/rexchapman/status/1474772911865090054?s=21

[DuffMan]

His ass will be rooting hard for Bethel...

Ice Bear just lost all of Duff's respect.

[hazzben]

His ass will be rooting hard for Bethel...

Ice Bear just lost all of Duff's respect.