Comments on: Playoff Selection Show Live Updates/Reactions

By: Touchdown Tommy

Touchdown Tommy — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:10:57 +0000

I am speechless. The brackets could NOT have setup better for the Johnnies considering what happened yesterday in Arden Hills…

Great matchup for Bethel to get their 1st playoff win in school history. Now or never, I’d say.

By: TC

TC — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:36:55 +0000

Whoops, didn’t get the memo that we were wrapping things up! Here are my parting thoughts on how each bracket unfolds:

East (Mount Union): Mount Union romps through this bracket. St. John Fisher, who challenged the Purple Raiders in last year’s semifinals, won’t provide nearly as much of a test this time around.

South (Washington & Jefferson): Mary Hardin-Baylor, though only the #4 seed, is the team to beat in this bracket. Their blowout loss at UW-Whitewater a couple weeks ago cost them their top seed, making their road more difficult. Washington & Jefferson and #2 seed Wesley will also challenge.

North (UW-Whitewater): The Warhawks can’t like their First Round draw, hosting #7 seed Capital. If they get past the Crusaders, UW-Whitewater should have little trouble with the rest of the field

West (Central): We’ll obviously have a lot on this region later this week (and, hopefully, for weeks to come). I think St. John’s can play with every team in the region, which is all we can hope for. I would also not be surprised by Central, Bethel or UW-Eau Claire taking the West title.

By: TC

TC — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:25:30 +0000

Some random bracket thoughts:
–While it was assumed all along that the Johnnies were stuck behind UW-Whitewater in the West, St. John’s was presumably playing for the #1 seed yesterday at Bethel. With the West bracket matched up with the East (Mount Union) in the National Semifinals, the NCAA committee ranked Central as the #4 top seed.

–Johnnie fans who are tired of the season ending against Whitewater–as it has the last two seasons–can take some solace in knowing that if it happens again, at least it will be at the Stagg Bowl. Of course, for that to happen, it would mean that the Johnnies, or some other team, would have to climb the Mount and beat the Purple Raiders in Alliance.

–The typical Texas Travesty (the NCAA pairing two Texas teams in the first round, regardless of seeding, to save a flight) has been somewhat mitigated this year because the matchup is a #4 seed (Mary Hardin-Baylor) hosting a #6 seed (Trinity). The NCAA also dodged a pairings bullet when only one West Coast team, Redlands, made the field, meaning there would have to be a flight regardless of who they were paired with.

By: JohnnieEsq

JohnnieEsq — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:16:14 +0000

Well, that about wraps it up for us today. Thanks for joining us, and check back over the week for more content, and previews of this week’s matchup.

It’s a great day for Johnnie football!

By: DustySJU

DustySJU — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:13:57 +0000

This is one of the craziest matchups I’ve ever seen with all the shifting around. Mount Union goes to the East bracket, UWW goes to the North bracket and an 8-2 Eau Clarie team makes it in as a #6 seed.

Had SJU won yesterday the Johnnies would have been the #1 seed in what could have been “The St. John’s Bracket”!

Pick your poison….UWW in what could have been a West Region final or MUC in a NCAA semifinal.

Johnnies live to play…now lets play to live!

By: JohnnieEsq

JohnnieEsq — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:10:49 +0000

That UWEC team has to be ecstatic about making the playoffs– their two losses, both in conference (UWW and UWRF), and is still dancing, and getting a winnable draw in the first round.

It shows a lot of respect for the WIAC and MIAC as a whole, as both conferences got favorable draws and into the playoffs.

By: JohnnieEsq

JohnnieEsq — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:06:50 +0000

Bethel hosts Concordia (WI), the autobid from a conference that often times gets Mount Union in the first round– so this is a very winnable game for them.

UWEC has a date with St. Norbert’s who will love to have a home date. The winner of that game gets BU, most likely, who has an excellent chance of breaking their streak.

By: sjusection105

sjusection105 — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:04:50 +0000

Bethel has to feel great about this bracket. All Bethel has to do is keep winning and they could potenially host the region final at Royal Stadium.

By: JohnnieEsq

JohnnieEsq — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:04:01 +0000

Redlands is, as we know from a few years ago, a solid team and a formidable program. They didn’t seem to be concerned by the cold when they visited Collegeville in the first round then, and I doubt they will be this time around.

Their one loss was to Occidental, a 28-21 setback in early October. But they otherwise have run the table, racking up five straight wins.

By: DustySJU

DustySJU — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:04:00 +0000

Concordia of WI has lost to Simpson, Greenville and North Central College of IL…

Bethel has some very winnable games.

Look out however for the BluGolds.