FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Retired Old Rat]

Can someone "in the know" explain what this Happy Dance was that ROR was doing after the 27 second TD drive??  Inquiring minds want to know and pictorial evidence would be liquid gold...

56321: Can we park the Limo Bus in your driveway? 

Are you referring to my chest bump with Alex Kofoed?

[corn horn]

That was a hell of a football game.  I can't even imagine what Carleton's players, coaches, and fans are going through after the rollercoaster last minue of the game.

Having seen what SJU did to the Cobbers in 2005 and 2006 (and what I was quite convinced they were going to do this year) I know very well what all the aforementioned were going through in the last minute!

Anyhow, congrats to the Johnnies--do the conference proud in the playoffs. I'll favor offering quiet support rather than hopping on your bandwagon. Bandwagons have been run into ditches when overloaded with well-intentioned outside support this year!! I've been very impressed by the SJU defense all season. It will be fun to see if the just-enough-and-just-in-time offense can carry them a few miles on the playoff road.

As for my Cobbers, the inside lane produced a couple late race spinouts. Still, a solid season. Thanks to the solid batch of seniors for a fun year. As for the rest...chins high and crank it next season.

[D O.C.]

If the NCAAsh put the playoff game in Clemens, would it not be SRO? Would it be the same at WW? Ka - ching!

[OzJohnnie]

There are many "what-if's" like this, but lets say the Johnnies don't block the Oles kick right at the end of regulation and the Oles go onto win that game.

If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas.

To answer your question: St Olaf.  St Olaf win that game and they are in the playoffs.  It was a monumental mistake on their part.  Who knows when they will get that close again.

[BudSJU84]

If the Johnnies get a home game next weekend, 12, 000 fans?  Not gonna happen.  The Johnnies generally draw in the neighborhood of 2500-3000 fans for home playoff games.   Everyone has to pay admission; probably around $5-7 for students, $8-10 for everyone else.  And weather isn't much of a factor.  I remember it was unseasonably warm for the 2001 game against St. Norberts and there was barely 3000 fans.  There are probably other factors that affect playoff attendance as well.

Like I said...

[D O.C.]

                                       O              K

[TC]

I might have looked through the old results too quickly, but it looks like St. John's has won 15 straight first-round playoff games, the last opening-round loss coming to Occidental in 1985.

You are correct:

I know that the past is the past, etc., etc., etc., but here's how St. John's has fared in the first round of the NCAA playoffs since the field expanded to 16 teams in the early 1980s:

2006: @Central, W-21-13
2005:  Monmouth, W-62-3
2003:  St. Norbert, W-38-13
2002:  Redlands, W-31-24
2001:  St. Norbert, W-27-20
2000:  @UW-Stout, W-26-19
1999:  UW-Stevens Point, W-23-10
1998:  Pacific Lutheran, W-33-20
1996:  Simpson, W-21-18
1994:  La Verne, W-51-12
1993:  Coe, W-32-14
1991:  Coe, W-75-2
1989:  Simpson, W-42-35
1987:  @Gustavus, W-7-3
1985:  @Occidental, L-28-10

So that's 14-1, including 14 in a row and all 10 home games.  I understand that what the Johnnies did 2 decades ago isn't going to have any effect on this weekend's game, but it does illustrate how difficult it is to beat the Johnnies in the first round.

You can add last year's 41-13 home win over Redlands and the Johnnies are undefeated in their last 15 opening round playoff games and 15-1 since the NCAA went to at least 4 rounds of playoffs.  

Of course, 12 of the last 14 of those games have been at home, implying that the Johnnies were the higher seed (and better team) and therefore expected to win.  This year should be interested--especially if the Johnnies hit the road, they will likely playing an equal or better team.  This could be the first time in decades the Johnnies aren't favored in the first round.

Still, any reasonably possible first round matchup has to be considered winnable except for a trip to Whitewater.  I'd love to see the Johnnies get a home game, but that's obviously a very long shot at this point.  A trip to Monmouth would be a fine consolation prize.  Warm up the Roush!

[Johnnie Red]

Ha ha ha, Bluenote. Anyone remember the Carleton fan from last year that was so obnoxious to us? Heavier set fellow who sat in the first row. He was present yesterday but did not say a word.

Definitely different listening to that hip hop/rap music at the Carleton stadium yesterday before the game. Unfortunately, there was no Paris Hilton played.

How about those Badgers yesterday? Great day for the red and white in Madison and Northfield.

Tmerton, your son was pictured in the Star Tribune this morning in the sports section. He is becoming a Johnnie celeb.

[Redtooth]

Looks like North-East  South-West brackets

Rev up the bus for Whitewater.

[Johnnie]

that Pat Coleman is articulate and impressive!  Is that really his picture?

[Johnnie]

Johnnies play Whitewater

[OzJohnnie]

Thanks, TC, for manning the selection thread over at johnniefootball.com.  It's how I stayed up with the section.

(My previous gratuitous slam on WW that was withdrawn with apologies and transferred to SP has now been withdrawn from SP with apologies and re-applied to WW.  WW sucks as do the suckie uniforms they suck in.  I mean, black on black?  What is this a Johnny Cash revival or a football game?)

[sjusection105]

Thanks, TC, for manning the selection thread over at johnniefootball.com.  It's how I stayed up with the section.

(My previous gratuitous slam on WW that was withdrawn with apologies and transferred to SP has now been withdrawn from SP with apologies and re-applied to WW.  WW sucks as do the suckie uniforms they suck in.  I mean, black on black?  What is this a Johnny Cash revival or a football game?)

What are TDT & I, chopped liver?

[sju56321]

The St. John's Johnnies from St. Paul.

[Johnnie]

The St. John's Johnnies from St. Paul.

I heard that too.  Ouch!