FB: American Southwest Conference

[Pat Coleman]

The Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists are out.
https://www.d3football.com/notables/2018/11/gagliardi-semifinalists-announced

I was disappointed that UMHB chose not to nominate anyone this year. And I shared that opinion with appropriate people there, so I am not just venting here on the board, but posting about it to try to avoid the question of why there's no, say, Markeith Miller.

[crufootball]

The Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists are out.
https://www.d3football.com/notables/2018/11/gagliardi-semifinalists-announced

I was disappointed that UMHB chose not to nominate anyone this year. And I shared that opinion with appropriate people there, so I am not just venting here on the board, but posting about it to try to avoid the question of why there's no, say, Markeith Miller.

Thanks for the info Pat, I did wonder when I saw the list.

[Pat Coleman]

I figured people would.

[umhb2001]

I believe that there will be a day when a UMHB player is nominated and will win.

[HScoach]

Saintsfan, that was my point. Alot are saying who did HSU play. I just wanted to point out the same point can be made about others. I seen all the above teams play three times for the exception of St. John(didn't watch them any) Wally, I know it's based on regional rankings. That worked when teams use to stay in it's region in playoffs many many moons ago(very few teams even made the playoffs) However, when you cross regions in playoffs you can't do that. If the NCAA did that John Hopkins would have been a two seed and John Carroll wouldn't. Because they did that means you can make a argument of HSU and Whitworth being a two seed. Expense can't be used because it would of made more sense in expense if St. John stayed in the west, moved centre to south and Hanover to north.  Again wouldn't have stopped hsu/ UMHB first round match up, but made the brackets even. The south is always a loaded bracket, but this year is beyond belief. Let's compare South: (N2,SR 1)vs (N7,SR3) (N20,SR 4) vs (N-,SR 10) (N10, WR3) vs (N-,R-) (N3,WR2) vs(N-,R-).  Equals Top ten National: 4 (2,3,7,10) Top five regional ranking: 5(1,2,3,3,4,). West: (N5,WR1) vs (N-,R--) (N12-NR 4) vs (N-,WR8) (N9, NR 2) vs (N-,R-) (N11, WR4) vs (N-,WR10). Equals Top ten National: 2 (5&9) top five regional: 4(1,2,4,4) North: (N1,NR1) vs (N-,R-)  (N24, SR5) vs (N17,SR7)(N8,NR3)  vs ( N-,SR8) (N13, ER4) vs (N23,SR6) Equals: Top Ten National 2(1&8) Top 5 regional 4 (1,3,4,5) East (N4,ER1) vs (N-,ER8) (N-,ER3) vs (N-,R-)  (N6,ER2) vs (N-,ER8) (N14,SR2) vs (N-,ER6) Equals: Top ten National 2(4,6) Top 5 regional 4 (1,2,2,3). What does this say?  South would have a top ten match up and top five regional in every round! West doesn't have a top ten match till quarterfinals  and first top five regional is second Rd. Mt Union wouldn't have face top ten until quarterfinals (now it's semi) and regional top 5 not until second round. East top ten match up....guess what not until quarter finals and  top five regional not till second round.  Now tell me again how NCAA couldn't make a balance bracket? The expense and regional ranks is not a argument as listed above.

Good Lord!  Do my old eyes a favor and try using a few hard returns next time.   That's a painful paragraph attempt to read.   And yes, I mean attempt.

[DFWCrufan]

You can't just have St. John's in the "west" and Centre in the "south" and call it good.  Centre can't drive to anybody else in your "South" region, except Berry and they're not going to pair those two together if they don't have to (they don't). 

Go ahead and bracket the 32 for me in a way that:
- creates your perfect balance
- is informed by the NCAA's regional rankings
- maintains 1 first round flight
- doesn't guarantee more than 5 flights before the semifinals

I'll hang up and listen.

Hey Wally I have a question, I've heard rumblings that a certain SCIAC program might hang up their program, and if (theoretically) two were to do that would that possibly remove a AQ from SCIAC? Would that throw a wrench into things? Since everyone is still dragging the dead horse pinata out I thought I'd switch it up.

[Pat Coleman]

I know I'm not Wally, but the SCIAC has eight football-playing members and can sustain the loss of one before it would be in danger of losing its automatic bid.

If it slipped below seven football-playing members, it would have a two-year grace period before losing its AQ, like the ASC did in 2014 and 2015 before moving to Pool B in 2016.

[trickytroy32]

No problem Wally,
EAST
1)BROCKPORT VS 7) WESTERN NEW ENGLAND
4)DEL VAL VS 5) MIT
3)RPI VS 8) HUSSON
2) FROSTBURG ST VS 6) FRAMINGHAM ST.
No flights till semifinals, 2 top ten rank team, only one non regional rank.
NORTH
1)MT UNION vs 8) HANOVER
4) TRINE vs 6) WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON
3) JOHN CARROLL vs 5) MULENBURG
2) NORTH CENTRAL vs 7) EUREKA
no flights till semifinals, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams
SOUTH
1)UMHB vs 3) HSU
5) CENTRE vs 8) DENISON
4) BERRY vs 7) MARYVILLE
2) JOHN HOPKINS vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
3 flights, 2 top ten, 1 non regional rank
WEST
1) UW-WW vs 8) MARTIN LUTHER
4) BETHEL vs 5) ST NORBERT
3) WHITWORTH vs 7) CLAREMONT MUDD SCRIPPS
2) ST JOHN vs 6) WARTBURG
2 flights, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams.
You could switch FROSTBURG and JOHN HOPKINS and  separate HSU and UMHB and still have only five flights, but two in first round. That bracket would look like this
1) UMHB vs 8) DENISON
3) HSU vs 7) MARYVILLE
4) BERRY vs 5) CENTRE
2) FROSTBURG ST vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
However that makes the east really weak with just one top ten team, but puts south slightly harder than rest.
I'll wait for your saying this isn't balanced or not meeting of criteria............lol

[trickytroy32]

Sorry ment 3 in first round five only until semifinals

[wally_wabash]

That's pretty good stuff, troy.  I actually like your bracket there a lot.  That bracket, I think, would have a good chance at getting approved.  There are two places I see where they might kick it back.  First  is that you've separated the west coast islands from the Republic islands.  The beancounters have been fond of throwing all of the island teams into the same quadrant, if not the same pod.  The second is that you've got Muhlenberg in a position to fly in round 2 which might not be a chance they would take.  But really I think what you've put together there would be doable.

Hey Wally I have a question, I've heard rumblings that a certain SCIAC program might hang up their program, and if (theoretically) two were to do that would that possibly remove a AQ from SCIAC? Would that throw a wrench into things? Since everyone is still dragging the dead horse pinata out I thought I'd switch it up.

Basically what Pat said.  But if for whatever reason the SCIAC slipped to 6 teams and never got a 7th back in the conference, they wouldn't be Pool A eligible and we wouldn't have enough Pool B teams to have a Pool B bid.  The SCIACs would be perpetually in Pool C.  Where would they get enough D3 games for a full schedule?  They've only got 5 conference games at this point.  Getting to 9 games (forget 10) is going to be an expensive proposition.  Given the treatment of SCIAC teams in the regional rankings (not good), I don't know how they'd ever put a team in the tournament.  That makes the NWC champion without an obvious Round 1 dance partner, which would actually give the committee a lot of creative leeway because you could do just about anything with that team...except in years when only one ASC team is in, then you know what's happening.  It's an interesting hypothetical, but I don't think the SCIAC is dropping two teams anytime soon.   

[Ralph Turner]

No problem Wally,
EAST
1)BROCKPORT VS 7) WESTERN NEW ENGLAND
4)DEL VAL VS 5) MIT
3)RPI VS 8) HUSSON
2) FROSTBURG ST VS 6) FRAMINGHAM ST.
No flights till semifinals, 2 top ten rank team, only one non regional rank.
NORTH
1)MT UNION vs 8) HANOVER
4) TRINE vs 6) WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON
3) JOHN CARROLL vs 5) MULENBURG
2) NORTH CENTRAL vs 7) EUREKA
no flights till semifinals, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams
SOUTH
1)UMHB vs 3) HSU
5) CENTRE vs 8) DENISON
4) BERRY vs 7) MARYVILLE
2) JOHN HOPKINS vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
3 flights, 2 top ten, 1 non regional rank
WEST
1) UW-WW vs 8) MARTIN LUTHER
4) BETHEL vs 5) ST NORBERT
3) WHITWORTH vs 7) CLAREMONT MUDD SCRIPPS
2) ST JOHN vs 6) WARTBURG
2 flights, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams.
You could switch FROSTBURG and JOHN HOPKINS and  separate HSU and UMHB and still have only five flights, but two in first round. That bracket would look like this
1) UMHB vs 8) DENISON
3) HSU vs 7) MARYVILLE
4) BERRY vs 5) CENTRE  which is the same as HSU UMHB...
2) FROSTBURG ST vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
However that makes the east really weak with just one top ten team, but puts south slightly harder than rest.
I'll wait for your saying this isn't balanced or not meeting of criteria............lol

[trickytroy32]

My alternate world brackets if there are no auto ins and expense to consider lol. What y'all think
Brockport Bracket
8) St Norbert at 1) Brockport
5) Ithica at 4) Bethel
6) Wittenberg at 3) HSU
7) Washington & Jefferson at 2) North Central
Mt. Union Bracket
8) Framingham St at 1) Mt. Union
5) Wabash at 4) Del Val
6) Muhlenburg at 3) Whitworth
7) St. Thomas at 2) John Hopkins
UMHB Bracket
8) Washington University at 1) UMHB
5) Centre at 4) Trine
6) UW-Lacrosse at 3) RPI
7) Stevenson at 2) St. John
UW-WW Bracket
8) Randolph Macon at 1)UW-WW
5) Linfield at 4) Berry
6) MIT at 3) John Carroll
7) Illinois Wesleyan at 2) Frostburg St.
Man the match up all away through

[Craft_Beermeister]

No problem Wally,
EAST
1)BROCKPORT VS 7) WESTERN NEW ENGLAND
4)DEL VAL VS 5) MIT
3)RPI VS 8) HUSSON
2) FROSTBURG ST VS 6) FRAMINGHAM ST.
No flights till semifinals, 2 top ten rank team, only one non regional rank.
NORTH
1)MT UNION vs 8) HANOVER
4) TRINE vs 6) WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON
3) JOHN CARROLL vs 5) MULENBURG
2) NORTH CENTRAL vs 7) EUREKA
no flights till semifinals, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams
SOUTH
1)UMHB vs 3) HSU
5) CENTRE vs 8) DENISON
4) BERRY vs 7) MARYVILLE
2) JOHN HOPKINS vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
3 flights, 2 top ten, 1 non regional rank
WEST
1) UW-WW vs 8) MARTIN LUTHER
4) BETHEL vs 5) ST NORBERT
3) WHITWORTH vs 7) CLAREMONT MUDD SCRIPPS
2) ST JOHN vs 6) WARTBURG
2 flights, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams.
You could switch FROSTBURG and JOHN HOPKINS and  separate HSU and UMHB and still have only five flights, but two in first round. That bracket would look like this
1) UMHB vs 8) DENISON
3) HSU vs 7) MARYVILLE
4) BERRY vs 5) CENTRE
2) FROSTBURG ST vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
However that makes the east really weak with just one top ten team, but puts south slightly harder than rest.
I'll wait for your saying this isn't balanced or not meeting of criteria............lol

Tricktroy32
Nice alternative bracket and better yet great to see you using hard returns to make HScoach happy.

[DFWCrufan]

I know I'm not Wally, but the SCIAC has eight football-playing members and can sustain the loss of one before it would be in danger of losing its automatic bid.

If it slipped below seven football-playing members, it would have a two-year grace period before losing its AQ, like the ASC did in 2014 and 2015 before moving to Pool B in 2016.

Thanks for the Pat, with all the mumbling and grumbling about the pools I thought I'd ask.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

No problem Wally,
EAST
1)BROCKPORT VS 7) WESTERN NEW ENGLAND
4)DEL VAL VS 5) MIT
3)RPI VS 8) HUSSON
2) FROSTBURG ST VS 6) FRAMINGHAM ST.
No flights till semifinals, 2 top ten rank team, only one non regional rank.
NORTH
1)MT UNION vs 8) HANOVER
4) TRINE vs 6) WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON
3) JOHN CARROLL vs 5) MULENBURG
2) NORTH CENTRAL vs 7) EUREKA
no flights till semifinals, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams
SOUTH
1)UMHB vs 3) HSU
5) CENTRE vs 8) DENISON
4) BERRY vs 7) MARYVILLE
2) JOHN HOPKINS vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
3 flights, 2 top ten, 1 non regional rank
WEST
1) UW-WW vs 8) MARTIN LUTHER
4) BETHEL vs 5) ST NORBERT
3) WHITWORTH vs 7) CLAREMONT MUDD SCRIPPS
2) ST JOHN vs 6) WARTBURG
2 flights, 3 top ten teams, 2 non regional rank teams.
You could switch FROSTBURG and JOHN HOPKINS and  separate HSU and UMHB and still have only five flights, but two in first round. That bracket would look like this
1) UMHB vs 8) DENISON
3) HSU vs 7) MARYVILLE
4) BERRY vs 5) CENTRE
2) FROSTBURG ST vs 6) RANDOLPH MACON
However that makes the east really weak with just one top ten team, but puts south slightly harder than rest.
I'll wait for your saying this isn't balanced or not meeting of criteria............lol

Tricktroy32
Nice alternative bracket and better yet great to see you using hard returns to make HScoach happy.

A Double Space between each bracket would be nice...