FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

ARV: Gustavus

What, is Veldman back again? 

[SagatagSam]

We knew the Johnnies' first three games were going to be a gauntlet, but now we have some numbers to put next to the opponents:

Week 1: #4 UW-Whitewater
Week 2: #18 UW-River Falls
Week 3: at #13 Bethel

[sjusection105]

We knew the Johnnies' first three games were going to be a gauntlet, but now we have some numbers to put next to the opponents:

Week 1: #4 UW-Whitewater
Week 2: #18 UW-River Falls
Week 3: at #13 Bethel

Like they say, "If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best"
This is going to be much more fun than playing a couple of non-conference games against NAIA schools you've never heard of with 26 year old Freshmen. 

[OzJohnnie]

We knew the Johnnies' first three games were going to be a gauntlet, but now we have some numbers to put next to the opponents:

Week 1: #4 UW-Whitewater
Week 2: #18 UW-River Falls
Week 3: at #13 Bethel

Wowzers.  What a gauntlet.  I wonder if any club has played the first three games against an average ranking of 11.7 (or thereabouts) before.  If the boys make it through that unscathed then they are looking at quite the season.  Talk about setting your mark early.

This board has complained for decades about cream puff starts to the season.  Well, not this year.



EDIT: Speaking of entertainment, I see that UWW plays UHMB and SJU in the first two weeks.  I guess the Western/Southern part of the top end of the ladder has decided there's no need to wait for November, this stuff can be sorted out now.

EDIT II:  UHMB play #4, #11 and #6 in the first four weeks.  I won't point fingers at Linfield being caught way out west.   East of Wisconsin has decided to play safe, I guess.  NCC and MUC should have squared off to open the year.

[OzJohnnie]

Big conference games for SJU @ BU:

SJU @ BU
BU @ GAC
STO @ BU
CON @ BU

BU does alright in getting three of the top four rivals at home.

SJU @ BU
CON @ SJU
SJU @ STO
GAC @ SJU

[sjujohnnie]

How many of the first three games must we win to have a shot at postseason play? Obviously losing to Bethel would put us behind the 8-ball to win the conference & earn the automatic berth. If we drop the first two games, we'd need to defeat Bethel & run the table through conference play as our only hope would be the automatic berth given the conference title, correct? If we could somehow open the season 3-0, it would be a great accomplishment!

[SagatagSam]

How many of the first three games must we win to have a shot at postseason play? Obviously losing to Bethel would put us behind the 8-ball to win the conference & earn the automatic berth. If we drop the first two games, we'd need to defeat Bethel & run the table through conference play as our only hope would be the automatic berth given the conference title, correct? If we could somehow open the season 3-0, it would be a great accomplishment!

The Johnnies could go 0-3 in the first three games and still have a shot. However, starting that way would require the Johnnies run the table all the way through the MIAC Championship Game. I don't think there is any path to an at-large berth if the Johnnies start by losing their first three, win the next six, and lose in the MIAC Championship Game to finish as conference runner-up with a 6-4 record.

UW-Whitewater will most likely be favored to win in week 1, and it will be the most difficult game of the first three weeks. As for UW-River Falls and Bethel, I would think SJU wins at least one of those games, if not both. Two wins makes SJU a leading candidate for an at-large if they don't win the conference championship. Things get more dicey if they drop two of the first three,  but it would not be impossible to get in at 7-3 with the kind of strength of schedule they will likely have.

[carletonknights]

At least their bye comes at a decent time, in between UW-River Falls and Bethel. In a vacuum I always favored later byes but in the context of their schedule that might be the second-best option (first preference being the weekend before the championship round).

On the flip side, Carleton's bye appears to be week 1...

[OzJohnnie]

On the flip side, Carleton's bye appears to be week 1...

Heh.  Gotta rest those bruised bodies.

[Retired Old Rat]

On the flip side, Carleton's bye appears to be week 1...

Is it really a bye if you have yet to play a game?

[repete]

Keep Slackin!

[faunch]

Any idea when teams, specifically SJU, report to camp?

[BiggieSmalls]

Aug 10th

[carletonknights]

Aug 10th

Welcome to the board

[OzJohnnie]

Aug 10th

Welcome to the board

+k for the new guy.