FB: Middle Atlantic Conference

[Saxon73]

Does anyone know the MAC tiebreaking rules? What happens if Delaware Valley and Misericordia both go 8-0?

Amazing conundrum seeing as Misericordia plays neither Del Valley or Stevenson.  Lovin' how this might work out.   

[jmcozenlaw]

Does anyone know the MAC tiebreaking rules? What happens if Delaware Valley and Misericordia both go 8-0?

Amazing conundrum seeing as Misericordia plays neither Del Valley or Stevenson.  Lovin' how this might work out.   

I'm not quite sure.......................but the genuises at the MAC should have never had any team not play both DelVal and Stevenson in the same two seasons. It would be like the Tampa Rays not having to play the Yankees or Red Sox. Last year, it sorted itself out when Misericordia spit the bit and lost it's last game of the season. This year, Misericordia has beaten any decent team (not named DelVal or Stevenson) in the MAC and only have the lesser lights remaining. I'm hoping that Gordon Mann sees this post and can help us out.....................as this board has become dead over the past season or two.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Does anyone know the MAC tiebreaking rules? What happens if Delaware Valley and Misericordia both go 8-0?

Amazing conundrum seeing as Misericordia plays neither Del Valley or Stevenson.  Lovin' how this might work out.   

I'm not quite sure.......................but the genuises at the MAC should have never had any team not play both DelVal and Stevenson in the same two seasons. It would be like the Tampa Rays not having to play the Yankees or Red Sox. Last year, it sorted itself out when Misericordia spit the bit and lost it's last game of the season. This year, Misericordia has beaten any decent team (not named DelVal or Stevenson) in the MAC and only have the lesser lights remaining. I'm hoping that Gordon Mann sees this post and can help us out.....................as this board has become dead over the past season or two.

This not only has MAC implications, but both East Regional and National Implications. If Misericordia wins the Pool A, thus throwing Del Val into Pool C, that would slot them behind Wesley and Ithaca/Union loser. Del Val could be left out if Union beats Ithaca, resulting in them being slotted behind both Ithaca and Wesley.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Does anyone know the MAC tiebreaking rules? What happens if Delaware Valley and Misericordia both go 8-0?

Amazing conundrum seeing as Misericordia plays neither Del Valley or Stevenson.  Lovin' how this might work out.   

I'm not quite sure.......................but the genuises at the MAC should have never had any team not play both DelVal and Stevenson in the same two seasons. It would be like the Tampa Rays not having to play the Yankees or Red Sox. Last year, it sorted itself out when Misericordia spit the bit and lost it's last game of the season. This year, Misericordia has beaten any decent team (not named DelVal or Stevenson) in the MAC and only have the lesser lights remaining. I'm hoping that Gordon Mann sees this post and can help us out.....................as this board has become dead over the past season or two.

This not only has MAC implications, but both East Regional and National Implications. If Misericordia wins the Pool A, thus throwing Del Val into Pool C, that would slot them behind Wesley and Ithaca/Union loser. Del Val could be left out if Union beats Ithaca, resulting in them being slotted behind both Ithaca and Wesley.

Just check the fact book (Section III) https://gomacsports.com/sports/2008/8/19/Fact%20Book.aspx:

The conference champion is determined by the best record in the eight conference
games and is awarded the AQ. In case of a tie, the tied teams are co-champions and
the MAC tie-breaking criteria apply (Executive Regulations, Article V, Part D, page
6).

[Inkblot]

Does anyone know the MAC tiebreaking rules? What happens if Delaware Valley and Misericordia both go 8-0?

Amazing conundrum seeing as Misericordia plays neither Del Valley or Stevenson.  Lovin' how this might work out.   

I'm not quite sure.......................but the genuises at the MAC should have never had any team not play both DelVal and Stevenson in the same two seasons. It would be like the Tampa Rays not having to play the Yankees or Red Sox. Last year, it sorted itself out when Misericordia spit the bit and lost it's last game of the season. This year, Misericordia has beaten any decent team (not named DelVal or Stevenson) in the MAC and only have the lesser lights remaining. I'm hoping that Gordon Mann sees this post and can help us out.....................as this board has become dead over the past season or two.

This not only has MAC implications, but both East Regional and National Implications. If Misericordia wins the Pool A, thus throwing Del Val into Pool C, that would slot them behind Wesley and Ithaca/Union loser. Del Val could be left out if Union beats Ithaca, resulting in them being slotted behind both Ithaca and Wesley.

Just check the fact book (Section III) https://gomacsports.com/sports/2008/8/19/Fact%20Book.aspx:

The conference champion is determined by the best record in the eight conference
games and is awarded the AQ. In case of a tie, the tied teams are co-champions and
the MAC tie-breaking criteria apply (Executive Regulations, Article V, Part D, page
6).

Thanks for finding this. It looks like (per https://static.gomacsports.com/custompages/FactBooks/FB%20Tie-Breaking%20Procedure.pdf) Delaware Valley would have the tiebreaker based on Stevenson almost certainly having a better conference record than FDU Florham.

[ITH radio]

Put another way, if StevensonFball wins once & @FDUDevils loses once, DelVal wins potential tie.

[jmcozenlaw]

Put another way, if StevensonFball wins once & @FDUDevils loses once, DelVal wins potential tie.

.......................as it should be. Anybody who has seen the two teams (and the scores against common MAC opponents) on the field realizes that DelVal would beat them handily. A coach (not head coach) who has played both teams (and has ties to DelVal from his playing days.........enough of a hint) said that the Aggies would "blow their doors off". It will be nice next year when Miser has to play BOTH Stevenson and DelVal. These faux co-champions would not be in the position they were last year and are this year.

[G-manWU]

A big concern for my Mustangs has been the 20 sacks allowed through three games. I can pinpoint a portion of the issue to the new QB sometimes holding the ball too long, but I suspect as the season progresses and he settles into the offense that number will improve.

I see Del Val's biggest issue being their DBs struggling to hold their own against good passing teams. If they get knocked off, it will be due to struggles against a pass heavy team. As of today I only see them losing one game sometime during a tough October stretch or Widener in November.

Wilkes is a team I'm watching to make some noise in the MAC race heading into November. I look forward to following their progress as I'm impressed with the progression they've made since the start of last season.

I had them on my ERFP ballot last week, but removed them as their win against Lycoming doesn't look all to great after Lycoming's loss to King's. Nevertheless, I can see them get to 5-0 with a big matchup mid October against Delaware Valley. Not sure how they will fair after that matchup as their schedule is back loaded.

I'm also looking into this Widener vs. Stevenson game as well. Widener loss to Lycoming looks like one of those  type games and Stevenson's losses look better and better as both Delaware Valley and Bridgewater continue to win.

Great to see the Colonels getting some good recognition for a strong start. I've only seen one game in person (at Lycoming), but I am planning to be at the homecoming game vs. Alvernia this weekend.

I think one of the keys to the team playing better this season is improved line play on both sides of the ball, particularly on offense with the running game. It adds a dimension of balance that has also helps fine-tune the passing game.

Still a long way to go, but the Colonels get both Del Val and Stevenson at home, and play one one more game (at Albright) outside of the Wyoming Valley for the rest of the regular season. The team has grown and improved; I am eager to see how they stack up against some of the traditional powers coming up.

I did NOT expect THAT game from Wilkes, at home nonetheless. Four first downs for the entire game. Under 100 total yards of offense (when backing out the meaningless end of game yardage). If DelVal hadn't shot themselves in the foot on three or four possessions, they could have put up 70.

Drach is quite pissed as a few of the players provided DelVal with some prime bulletin board material leading up to this game. I'd say that the extra motivation wasn't necessary........but you could see it in some of the hits. Tabora played like an inexperienced freshman vs. a four year starter at QB. He was shockingly bad. Even the Wilkes fans around us had never seen him play this poorly. He looked tentative and was in self protection mode way too early in the game. They literally had no running game whatsoever.

G-ManWU, you've got to tell me what you hear from your inside sources as this had to be a stunner to anybody involved with the program.

I wish I knew you would be in the house jmcozenlaw; I would have looked for you!!! I was not hard to spot; you just needed to look for the guy sitting near the press box door rocking the 2005 Wilkes Football team pullover, with increasing amounts of gray showing in his hair 

On the inside information, I have nothing to offer, as my time as an insider ended long ago. In terms of motivation, I would think the close call at home against King's would have served as much more of a factor for DVU than any trash talking done by players in the run up to the contest.

As for the game itself, I think pretty much every player on the Aggies roster was 2-3 times quicker than any player the Colonels have seen so far this season. They say speed kills; I think that was the biggest factor on both sides of the ball. The entire team was just...really fast.

Still lots for the Colonels to play for this season; to see the team secure a winning record and (hopefully) a postseason berth would be another great step forward. Not to mention the chance to go up against the two other local programs that have bedeviled Wilkes in recent years.

Last but not least, I admired the spirit of the DVU cheering section in the middle of the bleachers, but I would think that chanting "the best defense in the whole country" would get a bit tiring after four quarters. I admired the team spirit, but some of it was a bit...excessive, if I may say so 

GMan - I wish that we could have met in person. My bad! The DelVal fans do travel nicely, I'd say better than any of the other MAC schools. I was leading our "Whose House? Our House" chant as we tend to do at opposing stadiums. I agree with the speed thing BUT I've seen Tabora tear apart better Aggies defenses (particularly the quarterfinal team from 2017)..................he honestly looked like a shell of his former self. The Wilkes folks told me that he was 100% healthy.

I want to see the Aggies defense when they are 100% healthy (missing three impact starters), including #7's twin brother, another terror at the defensive end position. They have missed him since he injured his shoulder early in the season.

Wilkes has much to be proud of given the record to date. I do think they are light years behind the Stevenson's and DelVal's of the MAC though. It is funny to see the look on the other teams faces in the postgame huddle. DelVal does 50 pushup's as a team after the game........the opponents look over as if to say, "Jesus, aren't they spent yet?".

I still don't think that DelVal does much in the playoffs as two key injuries on the offensive line and an average running game will sink them.

I am blown away that next Saturday, if they win, they will break the all time MAC winning streak, at 26 in a row. They lost 9 defensive starters and 7 offensive starters from the 2017 championship team............and somehow, miraculously, it didn't hurt them in 2018, nor so far in 2019. Those coaches squeeze everything possible out of those players. Not the biggest. Not the strongest. Not the fastest (Stevenson and Widener are). But they play as a team and for each other.

Good luck to Wilkes the rest of the season. I hear that they are expecting huge things from the Men's Hoops team this year as well. Should be fun to watch.

Thanks for the feedback; if you were the dude with the green sleeveless t-shirt, I absolutely noticed you leading the chant. As much as it was to my chagrin under the circumstances, it was the right chant to maximize on that day.

I still have no answers as to how the Colonels played the way they did; it was my first time seeing them play the Aggies since the win in 2015. I suppose the Del Val gameplan was just that effective, not unlike the King's game last year.

If Del Val breaks the conference win record, it will be well-deserved. Plenty of talent on that roster dude, event with the injuries and graduation. It's incredible that they have been consistently good since my freshman year in 2004.

I appreciate the heads-up on the basketball team; I also worked for that program in my student days, but have not attended as many games in recent years due to my work schedule. Hoping to make it to more this season.

[tweisman5]

Below are my week 8 predictions and rankings. The spread (-#) is provided by Massey Ratings and the top 25 rankings are from the Hansen Ratings composite. Good luck to everyone this week!

Week 8 Predictions

FDU @ Lycoming (-3.5): Lycoming wins by 7

Leb Val @ Del Val (-26.5): Del Val wins by 27

Widener (-9.5) @ Albright: Widener wins by 3

Wilkes @ Misericordia (-2.5): Misericordia wins by 3

King's @ Stevenson (-20.5): Stevenson wins by 24

Week 8 Rankings
1. Del Val (6-1, 5-0)
2. Stevenson (4-2, 3-1)
3. Misericordia (4-1, 4-0)
4. Wilkes (5-1, 3-1)
5. King's (4-2, 2-2)
6. Leb Val (3-3, 3-1) 
7. Widener (3-4, 2-3) 
8. Lycoming (1-5, 0-4)
9. FDU (2-5, 1-4) 
10. Alvernia (2-5, 1-4)
11. Albright (0-6, 0-4)

Prediction Record
Last Week: 4-1 (.800)
Season: 28-15 (.651)
Career: 121-51 (.703)

[kate]

Again, after annihilating their last two opponents, why did you drop Del Val down a notch?

[MRMIKESMITH]

Below are my week 8 predictions and rankings. The spread (-#) is provided by Massey Ratings and the top 25 rankings are from the Hansen Ratings composite. Good luck to everyone this week!

Week 8 Predictions

FDU @ Lycoming (-3.5): Lycoming wins by 7

Leb Val @ Del Val (-26.5): Del Val wins by 27

Widener (-9.5) @ Albright: Widener wins by 3

Wilkes @ Misericordia (-2.5): Misericordia wins by 3

King's @ Stevenson (-20.5): Stevenson wins by 24

Week 8 Rankings
1. Del Val (6-1, 5-0)
2. Stevenson (4-2, 3-1)
3. Misericordia (4-1, 4-0)
4. Wilkes (5-1, 3-1)
5. King's (4-2, 2-2)
6. Leb Val (3-3, 3-1) 
7. Widener (3-4, 2-3) 
8. Lycoming (1-5, 0-4)
9. FDU (2-5, 1-4) 
10. Alvernia (2-5, 1-4)
11. Albright (0-6, 0-4)

Prediction Record
Last Week: 4-1 (.800)
Season: 28-15 (.651)
Career: 121-51 (.703)

Althought Wilkes is won the head to head against Misericordia, you have them ranked higher. Sometimes the statistical formula does not always hold true. I think there should be some adjustment.

[G-manWU]

Looks like the Colonels provided some clarity to the potential tiebreaker scenarios this weekend 

Hats off to Wilkes for handing tough for four quarters plus, yet again this season! I was not in attendance for the game, but it was great to see a strong bounce back after such a bad loss last week. Saturday's win secures a winning record for the season, which is quite a step forward from an 0-10 season two years ago.

The rest of the schedule is demanding, but I am excited to see what this squad can do down the stretch, including the possibility of earning a postseason berth.

[Pat Coleman]

Again, after annihilating their last two opponents, why did you drop Del Val down a notch?

Hi there -- just like the last time you asked, I'm going to remind you to look at where Wesley is and perhaps investigate why Wesley might have moved down.

[kate]

Good morning Pat - yes, i see that Wesley just got by Montclair State.   I think i'm just a little t'd off cause Del Val gets no newspaper coverage in our area, except for a line score every week, and our local tv station, Channel 69, no longer covers Del Val unless they play Albright or Alvernia.    We're here in Easton and as far as i know, the only newspaper covering the Aggies is the Doylestown Intelligencer.   I just like to see them get credit, but your poll is fair.   Hope they can win out and get two or three games into the play-offs, but i do have to stop looking ahead here!

[Ice Bear]

Good morning Pat - yes, i see that Wesley just got by Montclair State.   I think i'm just a little t'd off cause Del Val gets no newspaper coverage in our area, except for a line score every week, and our local tv station, Channel 69, no longer covers Del Val unless they play Albright or Alvernia.    We're here in Easton and as far as i know, the only newspaper covering the Aggies is the Doylestown Intelligencer.   I just like to see them get credit, but your poll is fair.   Hope they can win out and get two or three games into the play-offs, but i do have to stop looking ahead here!

IB says Del Val is certainly rolling and as always it's great to see. IIBHO the Aggies lost a lot from last year so Ice has been and still is not all that high on them in his ERFP.

Ice says aside from a week #1 hiccup against what is not turning out to be a traditional Wesley team the Aggies have done everything they have needed to. While the MAC strength compared to the three other top ER conferences (E8, LL, and NJAC) may be down, if the Aggies just keep going about there business kicking ass right into the playoffs they will certainly earn the respect they deserve in the poll (again, IIBHO).

Ice Bear believes Del Val is just a top notch program where even during a year they were/are thought to be suspect, aside from one small mistake, they are just rolling on all cylinders as usual. The Aggies are a very impressive program every year.