FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[DuffMan]

If CSS or Ole are close, I'll become a Bethel fan.

Not saying the Johnnies played their best game of the year, but 2 uncharacteristic fumbles in the 1st half made it seem closer than it was.  And pissing and moaning about a 31-13 loss?  Like John used to say, "They are just pulling guys out of the hallway." Even the '03 Natty Champs squeaked out wins against some mediocre teams. 

Sure, there are some things to clean up (penalties!), but GAC is way better than Hamline, Auggie Tech, etc.

[hazzben]

If CSS or Ole are close, I'll become a Bethel fan.

I've never been tempted to see either of those teams succeed before. Suddenly very interested in outcomes of likely boring SJU games   

[CHUBBS PETERSON]

Gustavus certainly got more pressure on Feeney. I thought the line looked frustrated when they came to the sideline on more than one occasion.

I don't think we'll be tested by St Scholastica or St Olaf

Observing from afar, seems like the Gusties have been a "bogey side" (to use an English idiom) for SJU in recent years. Out of ignorance, not going to take a stab at reasons why that would be; just a fuzzy pattern observed.

Having seen Olaf in person at Arden Hills, don't think SJU has much to lose sleep over with them. Their TE looked a very good player, but they're pretty woeful elsewhere particularly in the defensive backfield. Not very athletic, and make up for it by not tackling very well. Losing by 3 scores to Mac smells like a team that's mentally put up their pads already.

In their defense there's no harder, less fun game than this when the results are so discouraging.

Fresh back from the 4.5 hour drive to JAX for girls' high school regional golf tournament. Tough day for my 13 year old, but her second year advancing past districts to regionals and still has 4 more years to play. Old man is proud of how good her good stuff is and how she fights through the tough stuff.

[CHUBBS PETERSON]

Even the '03 Natty Champs squeaked out wins against some mediocre teams. 

Amen to this. My senior season in 2000, Hamline beats us 27-24 if not for their TE dropping a perfectly thrown ball that he would've walked in for TD up the seam VERY late in the game. But the result was 24-20 for Bethel, and the first 10-0 season went on. Can still see that play as vividly as the day it happened; funny the things we remember so clearly.

[Retired Old Rat]

I don't think we'll be tested by St Scholastica or St Olaf

If either of those is close I'd be shocked.
Honestly I wonder if St. Olaf is getting close to pulling the plug on Killian. CSS gave literally fumbled the game away with their backfield miscue on the 5 yd line. Chip shot FG that would have beaten Olaf. Normally it'd seem like a lock for Olaf to beat Hamline and finish 4-6, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that's a good game.
I've never understood why the administration seems to care so little about football at St. Olaf. But what they do care about is Carleton looking down on them in the standings consistently.

I thought that when Killian came over from St. Thomas it would be a good thing for Olaf.  Based on the Mac game he's lost his team.

[WashedUp]

I wasn't sure what the MIAC tiebreakers were in the unlikely event that Carleton beats Bethel and we end up in a 3-way tie:

• Head to Head winner among tied teams
• Results against teams not tied in descending order
• Point differential between tied teams
• Team not in the NCAA Playoffs most recently
• NPI Ranking [as listed one hour before NCAA AQ deadline]
• Coin flip.

Given the results so far and assuming no upsets other than this game the rest of the year, Carleton needs to beat Bethel by 71 or more this weekend to win the MIAC.

[hazzben]

I've always heard nothing but good things about Killian as a coach and person. A little befuddling he hasn't been able to do better at Olaf. The last 5 years were the perfect scenario for an Olaf, GAC, or Cobbers to step into the upper tier or at least lock down control of the clear 3rd program. Looks like Carelton might be making a run at that, we'll see what the post-Curtis era looks like. 

Given the results so far and assuming no upsets other than this game the rest of the year, Carleton needs to beat Bethel by 71 or more this weekend to win the MIAC.

Wow, is that all?!

[CHUBBS PETERSON]

Weather forecast for Saturday's games looks...lovely.

[Mister36]

BUNDLE UP BOYS

(I will be watching from my warm house)

[DuffMan]

It looks unpleasant.  For the amount of $ I have spent on tix, I feel like I should go, but combined the weather with the likelihood of a Double Monkey Stompout, and I am just not sure...

[GoldandBlueBU]

It looks unpleasant.  For the amount of $ I have spent on tix, I feel like I should go, but combined the weather with the likelihood of a Double Monkey Stompout, and I am just not sure...

The good ol' Sunk Cost Fallacy in action.

Despite this weekend vs Carleton being the one I had in mind to attend, as it was the one that worked out between sports seasons, I will be watching from home...

[faunch]

It looks unpleasant.  For the amount of $ I have spent on tix, I feel like I should go, but combined the weather with the likelihood of a Double Monkey Stompout, and I am just not sure...

The MIAC (in their infinite stupidity) has created future SJU home conference schedules that literally suck every other year. WTH hell can't they build it so that at least one of BU, Concordia or GAC play at SJU each season? It looks like things change a bit after 2028. Maybe Macalester will drop football or exit the conference completely by that point and teams like SJU and BU can get another decent non-conference home game.

https://miac_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/schedules/MIAC%20Football%20Schedules%202025-2034.pdf

[art76]

The MIAC (in their infinite stupidity) has created future SJU home conference schedules that literally suck every other year. WTH hell can't they build it so that at least one of BU, Concordia or GAC play at SJU each season? It looks like things change a bit after 2028. Maybe Macalester will drop football or exit the conference completely by that point and teams like SJU and BU can get another decent non-conference home game.

https://miac_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/schedules/MIAC%20Football%20Schedules%202025-2034.pdf

My wish is that they would annually change the order of who plays who when, so that the number 1 and number 2 team from the season before have the opportunity to play in the final week of the regular season. Who is home and who is away doesn't need to change in the least. Let's make the end of the season count for something so teams don't pack it in with three or more weeks left in the season.

[art76]

Weather forecast for Saturday's games looks...lovely.

Looks like the weather favors BU, a team that has shown earlier in the season that it can run the ball. Carleton is pass happy, and a cold, hard ball may make it a long afternoon.

[DuffMan]

Watching what SJU did to the Hot Carls, I would be very surprised (pleasantly) if Bethel's MOV is < 30.