Around the Nation board

[HScoach]

.......I thought someone might have a chance at MUC in Salem. We can do the any given Saturday thing, but Mount usually has the depth and flexibility to withstand injury, so I'd have to be really convinced by a team's playoff run to think MUC will lose a game.

But shhh! Let's have fun not knowing who will win the first four weeks of the playoffs!

That's what everyone (myself included) thought in 2003 as well.  

[altor]

Keith,
For what it's worth, I don't think too many would ridicule you for giving a little cheer for your Yellow Jackets occasionally.

One of the things that torques off some of us Ohioans is watching Kirk Herbstreit constantly talk down about the Buckeyes.  It's almost like he purposely tries not to be a homer and goes too far in the other direction.  Just once, I'd like him to say, "The Buckeyes are darn good this year.  Yeah, I'm a Buckeye and I'm proud."

So, give credit where credit is due and don't be afraid to talk up your alma mater if they truly deserve it.

[downtown48]

Maybe if Ohio State didn't play non-conference cream puffs Herbie and the rest of the country would give them a little love.  I know they don't usually play a marshmellow soft schedule (I see they have USC and Miami in the next couple of years and Texas in the past) but this year, it is what it is...fool the BCS once shame on you, fool the BCS twice shame on them...

[Ron Boerger]

ATN readers who want to have everything playoff-related at a grasp may want to take advantage of some nice work from Bob Gregg:

I've put all the conference races, key games, head-to-head tiebreakers, AQ berths, Pool B & C eligibles all in one place:

http://www.wjpa.com/All-in-One-Races.htm

Hope someone else finds this useful today...

[downtown48]

Maybe if Ohio State didn't play non-conference cream puffs Herbie and the rest of the country would give them a little love.

Show me a slower, fatter, more overrated slug of a team than Ohio State. OK, besides Notre Dame. Just like Florida, LSU or Oregon will destroy OSU. Yet another humiliating BCS bowl defeat for the Big 10.

OxyBob

Gameday was piling on this morning with the graphic they showed.  LSU has beaten 3 top 20 teams, Oregon has beaten 2, Ohio St. ----------wait for it--------none.   LSU and Oregon have the 12 and 13th SOS...Ohio St. ------- 63.

[downtown48]

LSU and Oregon have the 12 and 13th SOS...Ohio St. ------- 63.

Sadly, I can relate to that.

OxyBob

You crack me up...

[K-Mack]

.......I thought someone might have a chance at MUC in Salem. We can do the any given Saturday thing, but Mount usually has the depth and flexibility to withstand injury, so I'd have to be really convinced by a team's playoff run to think MUC will lose a game.

But shhh! Let's have fun not knowing who will win the first four weeks of the playoffs!

That's what everyone (myself included) thought in 2003 as well.  

Yeah, I know that's the stock reminder whenever anyone thinks that ... but whereas the past two years I saw a Whitewater team that had the talent to match, I don't know who that would be this year. MUC, as you know, is much more loaded this year than the '03 team was.

However, I will always agree the beauty of D3 is that you have to finish the deal with five more wins over teams that get increasingly better (usually). And Ithaca could be tougher than some of the teams we projected you to have in the first round.

And if not, at least it'll further the debate about the strength of the East, etc.

I definitely thought the committee got creative this year.

[DutchFan2004]

K-Mack,

Maybe not the board to ask but it is a national question.  How are the regions seeded and then paired for the semi final games?

[K-Mack]

K-Mack,

Maybe not the board to ask but it is a national question.  How are the regions seeded and then paired for the semi final games?

Yeah, we have answered this elsewhere before, but I can't remember exactly where.

Short answer, they are seeded by the strongest seed so that if all four number 1 seeds advanced, the fourth-best 1 seed would play the best one seed, "best" as determined by the committee.

Try pages 56-60 of Top 25 rankings if you want more detail. I think we discussed this a lot midseason as it related to certain teams.

[DutchFan2004]

Ok I thought that was the way.  Now answer this.  Not having my red shades on but if Central was worthy of a number 1 seed and its own region how did they fall to a 4 seed to get Mount Union?  They are ranked #3 in the country just curious on this part of the bracket as well as some other things.  Not complaining but if that is the way it is set up how did Central or Mount Union fall from 3-4 or 1-2 so that 1 plays 4 or 2 plays 3.  Just curious on your take. 

[HScoach]

Only reason Central gets a top regional seed is because SJU lost to Bethel.  Otherwise the regions would have likely been:

1 Mount Union
2 Whitewater
3 St John's
4 W&J

[DutchFan2004]

I don't dispute that at all.  But that still does not explain the regional seedings. Both SJU and Central were ranked higher than W&J was my question and point.  So I think the question still stands does it not?

[Ralph Turner]

I don't dispute that at all.  But that still does not explain the regional seedings. Both SJU and Central were ranked higher than W&J was my question and point.  So I think the question still stands does it not?

The Rankings of any Poll, e.g., D3football.com or AFCA, do not now nor have they ever had any bearing on the seedings or Regional Rankings by Competition Committee.

[Knightstalker]

And after the committee finishes with the final rankings they have to eat the copies so no one finds out their secrets.

[DutchFan2004]

Ralph,

If not the rankings what do they use?  Rock paper scissors?   I am just wondering how W&J went up or MUC or Central went down.