Ice Bear says while on a bus returning upstate from NYC and pulling his tiny polar bear tail out of his ass, great ****ing W today Bethel! Ice admittedly couldn’t watch a second of it (although his ass followed it while hanging in Hell’s Kitchen eating some macaroni) and hopes to catch a replay. Ice says that’s a huge W over a very storied top notch program in Linfield. Ice says to win up there in the playoffs is something very few D3 schools could do, very few. Ice sends his congrats and makes the claim that come hell or melting polar ice caps, he’ll be tuned in next week as his polar balls hopefully grow back throughout the week.
Ice,
We were pretty damn close today! As you were following Bethel in Hell's Kitchen I was agonizing at 59th Street as the Johnnies fell short.
Popping back to say congrats to the Johnnies at the end of another fun and fantastic season, even if it ended in frustration. Again. And congrats to Bethel. UMHB seems quite beatable as well.
Saw this stat in Frank's writeup: "SJU is 45-6 since 2018. All six losses were decided by four points or less."
Reusse had in his column that Larson's coming back but Wozniak isn't.
There was no response, but after five falls here, and a finance degree, and good job lined up with what he called the "Johnnie alumni network," Wozniak later reiterated what he said on Friday:
"I love this place, I love my teammates, but I'm done.''
Incredible career.
Was thinking of the Johnnie playoff losses since I became a fan. There are levels:
MOST PAINFUL
2000 title game loss. Coming within 3 points of national title.
EXCRUCIATING
1991--10 turnovers and still only lose 19-7 in semis. Probably win national title if they could have limited turnovers to, well, 5 like today.
1994. Again in the semis, this time at home, controversial possible bounce pass by Albion leads to winning score. Also again, probably win the title if they'd advanced.
2002 (Fall way behind -- sounds familiar -- against Trinity but battle back only to lose in the end. This isn't quite as bad as 91 and 94 because while I think they could have given Mount a game, Mount would have been pretty heavily favored.)
2018 and 2019--Both games end with the ball in hands of best QB in school history, absolutely could not have asked for more and then...
1999: An extremely limited offense after Linnemann injury but dominant defense. Probably should have beaten Pacific Lutheran, who then went on to dominate on their way to the title so this loss then hurt even more.
COULD HAVE WON, DIDN'T WIN
1996: 30-8 lead at Lacrosse vanishes in the mud. Don't think it was national title caliber team though.
1998: Maybe best defense in SJU history, offense good, lose 10-7 to Eau Claire at home. Feel like they could have gone long way but Mount was so dominant, not sure they could win a title.
2022: 5 turnovers and a stop on the 1-yard line and only lose by 3. Almost impressive in a way. But also very frustrating. Felt like they could beat anyone in the country, but also lose to any good team in the country.
NEAR UPSET, CLOSER THAN WE REMEMBER
2006 against Whitewater. Had chances against the budding dynasty.
EH, GOT BEAT BY BETTER TEAM.
2001 Mount Union
2005 Whitewater (was sort of crushing at the time but we didn't know what Whitewater was becoming).
2008 Whitewater
2015 St. Thomas
2016 Oshkosh
INEXPLICABLE BUT ALSO, EXPLICABLE?
1993 Mount Union. Highest scoring team in history. Destined to win the Stagg. And then...lose by 50? To some team who's never won a title? At the time it was bizarre, in the mud, totally destroyed. As time went on this loss started to make more sense, though I still think they could have given them a better game in better conditions.
DISAPPOINTING BUT NOT HORRIBLE
2007 Tough end to Kofoed era at Central
2009 Unbeaten but Boyle banged up, fall to Coe.
2014 A fun Johnnie team as they get back to playoffs but limited, lose to good Wartburg team.
2017 Struggle against North Central
2021 Team wasn't going to win title after Syverson injury but still wish they could have won a game or two.
