FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[chewey]

The Cobbers have a good defense and I do not think Linfield has seen a real defense all year...at least not one that can pressure the QB.  I still think that Linfield wins the game by 20 points or so.  Too little experience on the Cobbers and their run-defense is the strength of the defense.  They are weaker on the pass.  Elliot will probably pick them apart eventually.   I just hope that SJU beats UWW.  It would be fun to go out to Oregon again.  I do not think that this year's SJU defense is as good as the 2002 or the 2003 defenses.  Perhaps they can make it 4-0 against Linfield but I am not so sure this year.  The Cobbers had some trouble with the IIAC school -- Coe -- and the IIAC has been a pretty weak conference since 2000 or 2001.  The Central team of 2000 was the last really good squad from that conference as I recall.  

[BumFighter]

"I do not think that this year's SJU defense is as good as the 2002 or the 2003 defenses."

Apparently my computer doesn't want to retrive the quote...

Interesting topic.  We were discussing at the Tailgate, how this years defense stacks up against the '03 defense.  I say it is really close.  Zaubar and Dump were starters then.  Danno and McNamera played a lot.  How much different would it be if we still had Jamie healthy?  Thoughts?

[D O.C.]

Perusing the Con-Mo website/football photos...is that really a bunch of shirtless guys with paint on their bodies?

[BumFighter]

So, I just went back and read my post.  I apologize to Dumo for calling him dump.  The only Dump he is is of the truck variety.

[OzJohnnie]

Oh, you burned me!  I should have typed emoticon rather than smiley.

I was wrong.  It wasn't a lame-o-rama response.

[wildcat11]

The Cobbers have a good defense and I do not think Linfield has seen a real defense all year...at least not one that can pressure the QB.  I still think that Linfield wins the game by 20 points or so.  Too little experience on the Cobbers and their run-defense is the strength of the defense.  They are weaker on the pass.  Elliot will probably pick them apart eventually.

In terms of pressure on Elliott....the only team that has had any success is UMHB but that has been one half in 22 games Elliott has been under center.  This is the problem with defenses that play Linfield have....you bring extra bodies at Elliott and that's leaving a leathal WR corp with one-on-one coverage and they will burn you.   If you drop 7 or 8 and  he'll pick you apart.  Unless your defensive line can get to Elliott all game long...they'll put up their points.  It's a pick your posion deal.

The biggest thing is that I think the Cobbers offensive style plays right into Linfield's strenght.....stopping the run.  They've played option teams this year in Willamette and UPS and just shut down the run game (granted that the Cobbers are better than Willamette and UPS).

I have no idea what a final score is but I just think that Linfield has too many weapons on offense and a defense with great team speed that can really shut down the run.

[OzJohnnie]

They've played option teams this year in Willamette and UPS and just shut down the run game (granted that the Cobbers are better than Willamette and UPS).

I have no idea what a final score is but I just think that Linfield has too many weapons on offense and a defense with great team speed that can really shut down the run.

And that is a good response.  Had I karma, it would be dished out.

[repete]

From what I can tell, the Cobbers will just have so very little room for error. They'll need to sustain and finish long drives and they don't seem to have the type of offense that can recover if ithey get into too deep of a hole.

An interesting sidelight is that if this game is close enough to be settled by a kick (insert collective guffaw from the purple side) that both teams are in pretty shape.

For the teams that survive this weekend, the de facto Stagg Bowl is Dec. 3.

[coco]

Welcome, Cobbers, to the Catdome!

[Pat Coleman]

For the teams that survive this weekend, the de facto Stagg Bowl is Dec. 3.

Really? Mount Union and Mary Hardin-Baylor might have something to say about that. Let's not get crazy -- just because the West has three serious national title contenders does not mean it has ALL of them.

[repete]

A bit of NCAA-stingyness-inspired hype, I'll  admit,  but it will  be a matchup of unbeatens (unless Concordia beats LC) in what is clearly the strongest region.

And while it's impossible to ever discount MUC, UMHB did lose to Howard Payne which was routed by a team that had three losses in the WIAC. Perhaps those dots are a bit much to connect.

Bottom line: It's not hard to imagine the West final as the best football of these playoffs.

[Kilted Rat]

Really? Mount Union and Mary Hardin-Baylor might have something to say about that.

They thought they had something to say about it in 2003 and 2004 also

[Kilted Rat]

Updated playoff bracket with scores of all 1st round games and sites of 2nd round games still in single page printable version.


Corrected bracket

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[Senor RedTackle]

Good luck Johnnies this week...RT would love to see a SJU/Union matchup to keep the LL at the forefront.

...please check out the LL board for RT's big personal announcement on his new endeavor this week.

[DuffMan]

RT, sounds like fun!