Pool B

[Ralph Turner]

Johnnie, on the West Region Playoff Board, I posted a review of the Whitworth chances late last night.

I agree that Whitworth looks stronger, espeically if they can get some high QOWI scores from Redlans, LaVerne and UPS.

[K-Mack]

KMack, Bob Gregg:

If the runner-up from the Midwest Conference gets in as a Pool C, then the playoffs are too big at 32  . . .

Yeah, I don't know who suggested that. Definitely won't be this year, as any runner-up would have 2 losses, including St. Norbert's smashing vs. UW-W.

But I'd like to think the Pool system opens the door for teams from any conference to get in, and in the rare cases that there's a 10-0/9-0 AQ winner and a runner-up that lost to them by a field goal or last second TD ... well if they've proven they're just as good as said team, shouldn't they be about as playoff worthy? Now we have space for them.

And the teams from the so-called bum leagues sometimes represent in the playoffs (think 6-4 Aurora last year, 6-3 Redlands a couple years ago before the SCIAC really gained its respect)

That said, any conference whose teams are getting smoked in just about every non-conference game is never going to be a two-team league in any of my projections, so I do agree to a large extent.

[K-Mack]

Them both over some 9-1 runner-up like St. Norbert or (can't believe I'm saying this) Washington & Lee, I guess.

Should be really interesting.

Guess you mean that.

Would you buy that I was just looking for some random placeholders and not really suggesting those particular schools?

[Bob.Gregg]

Pool B watch with two weeks to play (I would have "tabled" this if I had any clue how to do that):



Linfield   7-0   @ Willamette (4-3)
Thiel   8-0   Buffalo State (3-4)   @ Carnegie-Mellon (4-4)
Wesley   8-1   @ Chowan (D-II)   
W&J   8-1   @ Thomas More (5-3)   
Whitworth 4-2   Willamette (4-3)   @ Pacific Lutheran (2-5)
Salisbury   6-2   Widener (6-2)   @ Frostburg State (5-3)
Huntingdon 6-1   @ Westminster, MO (5-4)   Maryville (1-7)
Willamette 4-3   @ Whitworth (4-2)   Linfield (7-0)
         
Games outside D-III, not considered by NCAA

1 Whitworth loss (Eastern Oregon)
2 Willamette losses (Western Oregon, Azusa Pacific)
1 Willamette win (Southern Oregon)
Wesley's game 11/5 (Chowan)
1 Wesley win (Seton Hill)
2 Linfield wins (Western Oregon, Southern Oregon)
1 Salisbury win (St. Peter's)
1 Huntingdon win (SW Assemblies of God)

[Ralph Turner]

Willamette 40 Whitworth 34.  Willamette is 4-0 in the West Region and plays Linfield next Saturday!  Does even a 4-1 record earn a Pool B bid?

[religion_major]

I think Willamette will get punished for not playing enough d3 games this year.  That is not entirely their fault, but they must bear Linfield to even be considered this year.  You could make a case at 7-2 with a 4-1 regional record, but not at 4-2 with a 4-1 regional record.  Just my two cents...

[Bob.Gregg]

Pool B UPDATE with ONE Week Remaining  (I would have "tabled" this if I had any clue how to do that):



Linfield   7-0   @ Willamette (5-3)
Thiel   9-0    @ Carnegie-Mellon (5-4)
Wesley   9-1
Wash&Jeff   9-1   
Huntingdon 7-1   Maryville (2-7)
Willamette 5-3   Linfield (7-0)
Whitworth 4-3   @ Pacific Lutheran (3-5)
Salisbury   6-3   @ Frostburg State (6-3)
         
Games outside D-III, not considered by NCAA

1 Whitworth loss (Eastern Oregon)
2 Willamette losses (Western Oregon, Azusa Pacific)
1 Willamette win (Southern Oregon)
2 Wesley wins (Seton Hill, Chowan)
2 Linfield wins (Western Oregon, Southern Oregon)
1 Salisbury win (St. Peter's)
1 Huntingdon win (SW Assemblies of God)

[Foss]

Willamette would be 4-2 in D3 if they lose to Linfield (4-1 in region), w/ losses to the #1 and soon to be #4 (UMHB) team in the country. They would be 1-2 against D2/NAIA schools. I'm not saying if Willamette should or should not get in, but I will say one of the most important criteria is supposed to be in region D3 games, and the fact is their only loss would be against the defending national champs and #1 team in the country. I won't get into why they haven't played more D3 games, I'll just say it hasn't been by their own chosing. This could be a blatant example of a team not getting into the playoffs because many of the teams around them would not play them, and therefore they never had an opportunity to play more in region D3 games. That would be pretty sad, and I'm not even a Willamette fan.

[Ralph Turner]

Bob, thanks for updating Pool B!

IN-region record in parentheses and In-region games designated with *

Linfield   7-0 (5-0)   @ Willamette* (5-3)
Thiel   9-0  (9-0)  @ Carnegie-Mellon* (5-4)
Wesley   9-1 (5-0)
Wash&Jeff   9-1 (7-1)  
Huntingdon 7-1 (4-1)  Maryville* (2-7)
Willamette 5-3 (4-0)  Linfield* (7-0)

------------------------------------------------------------
Whitworth 4-3  (4-2) at Pacific Lutheran* (3-5)
Salisbury   6-3  (2-2)  @ Frostburg State* (6-3)

I think that 2-loss teams will not get even a Pool C bid.

And Foss, the Willamette loss to UMHB does not count in the primary criteria.  IMHO, if Willamette wins, they get a bid.  If they don't, then they have to wait deep in Pool C.

[Foss]

Ralph, that's what I'm saying. It's the in region games that are supposed to count the most, and they would be 4-1 there. Hard to shut out a team like that. At the same time, has a 4 total loss team (regardless of how many were out of region/non-D3) ever made it into the postseason? Anyone?

[Ralph Turner]

Foss, I remember that CNU was 5-3 in their first year, 2001, and lost to Widener in the first round and then 6-4 in 2002 with losses to playoff teams, Salisbury, Rowan and Bridgewater VA, before getting the Dixie IAC Pool A bid at 5-1 in conference, 6-3 in-region.

[Foss]

Ralph, interesting. So a 4 loss team has gotten in. Maybe Willamette still has a shot at the worst overall record, thanks in part, to Lewis and Clark dropping them (5-4)?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Foss,

Perhaps more to the point: has a team with only 4 WINS in region ever been selected?

[Foss]

Ralph, get to work my man! Mr. Ypsi asks an intriguing question. 

[smedindy]

I think Willamette MUST win. Then they'd knock out W & J.