Pool B

[Bob.Gregg]

Final assessment--Bob almost had it!

Thanks, Ralph!

[Bob.Gregg]

Actually, I think it was a 'grassy-knoll" type conspiracy.

The committee just couldn't give a Pool C bid to a Pool B-eligible team...

Now we know how Eau Claire got in...

[Pirat]

Oh, Bob I don't believe in any the "grassy knoll" stuff that has been floating around these boards in the last couple of weeks. In the RATS case, the plain and simple truth is we (The RATS) didn't do well enough in all of the criteria set forth by the NCAA and since we didn't do well enough it left the door open for others to come in. I believe the NCAA said prior to this playoff season, they were going to reward teams that played strong schedules. I know what I am going to say is akin to blasphemy on the NWC board but our conference as a whole based on conference winning percentage for this year is weak. We are tied for the worst winning percentage in the Western Region, and the 6th worst in the country.  As long as the NCAA continues down the path it started this year, this conference will have a very difficult time getting more than one entry into the playoffs.

I would like to see our conference compete for Pool C bids on a yearly basis. So the question is how do we do that.  Someone posted something all the lines of "play good teams" to increase your chances. I agree with that but how do we up here in the Great Northwest do that given the constraints of our location.  Maybe there is nothing feasible we can do and we should just take our AQ and be happy.  Most of us up here don't have a rich Uncle Phil so I'd like to hear suggestions. 

[Bob.Gregg]

And a Happy Holidays greeting to my ol' friends in Pool B!!!

I'd say "Ho Ho Ho!" but the last radio guy that did that got fired!

[Pirat]

H H to you also Bob.Gregg.  Although now I guess I should be posting this on the AQ board at least until 2009 anyway.   

[@d3jason]

Just wanted to check the list of Pool B's for the 2008 season.

How many bids this year? Two

Frostburg
Salisbury
Wesley
Gallaudet
Carnegie Mellon
Washington
Becker
Husson
Mount Ida
SUNY-Maritime
Chicago
Case Western
Rockford
Chapman
Macalester
Maranatha Baptist
Martin Luther

Northwestern (Minn)
Minnesota-Morris
Crown

[hickory_cornhusker]

Maranatha Baptist isn't on the list any more. They are in the Northern Athletics Conference who has a Pool A bid this year.

I think St. Scholastica should be on the list. They are a new program this year in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference with Martin Luther, Minnesota-Morris, and Northwestern (MN).

[Hawks88]

SLIAC is Pool B until 2010 when the AQ kicks in.

Blackburn
Eureka
Greenville
Huntingdon
LaGrange
MacMurray
Principia
Westminster(Mo.)

[Ralph Turner]

Just wanted to check the list of Pool B's for the 2008 season.

How many bids this year? Two

Frostburg
Salisbury
Wesley
Gallaudet
Carnegie Mellon
Washington
Becker
Husson
Mount Ida
SUNY-Maritime
Chicago
Case Western
Rockford
Chapman
Macalester
Maranatha Baptist
Martin Luther

Northwestern (Minn)
Minnesota-Morris
Crown

SLIAC is Pool B until 2010 when the AQ kicks in.

Blackburn
Eureka
Greenville
Huntingdon
LaGrange
MacMurray
Principia
Westminster(Mo.)

I count 27 Pool B teams.  I think that the Access Ratio is about 8.17 (196 Pool A teams in 23 conferences).  That gives us three...

Frostburg
Salisbury
Wesley   ACFC -- a non-conference Pool A conference

Carnegie Mellon
Washington
Chicago
Case Western   UAA

Gallaudet
Becker
Husson
Mount Ida
SUNY-Maritime   North Athletic Conference -- a non-Pool A conference

Rockford
Maranatha Baptist  NAthCon Pool A

Chapman
Macalester  Independents

Martin Luther
Northwestern (Minn)
Minnesota-Morris
Crown
St Scholastica                              UMAC

[Mr. Ypsi]

Today's SI predicted the full line-up of d1 bowl match-ups, so I'm inspired to do some ridiculously early forecasting as well!

The three Bs will be Wesley, Salisbury, and CWRU (or the UAA winner if someone knocks them off).  Unless Wesley or Salisbury totally lays an egg, I don't see anyone else competing strongly for a spot (and don't see any viable C candidates).

Thoughts?

[Ralph Turner]

Today's SI predicted the full line-up of d1 bowl match-ups, so I'm inspired to do some ridiculously early forecasting as well!

The three Bs will be Wesley, Salisbury, and CWRU (or the UAA winner if someone knocks them off).  Unless Wesley or Salisbury totally lays an egg, I don't see anyone else competing strongly for a spot (and don't see any viable C candidates).

Thoughts?

I agree.

My dark horse (if they can go 9-0 in-region and CWRU has one loss) is Huntingdon.

[K-Mack]

My dark horse (if they can go 9-0 in-region and CWRU has one loss) is Huntingdon.

I like the off-the-grid predictions. Those take gall.

[@d3jason]

Speaking of which, I have one for you. Check out Husson's slate and tell me if you like their chances.

[AO]

Northwestern has a more impressive schedule this year with games against Simpson, at River Falls and at St. Thomas on the schedule compared to the trinity bibles and principia's of the past few years.  Winning 2 out of those 3 games combined with blowing everybody else out, I would think might be enough to take a spot, or maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[hickory_cornhusker]

I think Northwestern would have to go undefeated. It is a nice nonconference schedule but I think the lack of strength in the UMAC would drag them down. I think if they go undefeated they should have a chance at a Pool B. There won't be a concrete reason to keep them out of the playoffs.