FB: Northwest Conference

[BearcatChatter]

Monrovia, I swear on my good name that when I posted that, it definitely didn't contain the score. Glad to see they fixed it!

[MonroviaCat]

Monrovia, I swear on my good name that when I posted that, it definitely didn't contain the score. Glad to see they fixed it!

  I have no choice but to accept your word.  Though you Bearcat fans have been mistaken in the past.....

[wildcat11]

Sidenote:  Coach Speckman was at the game yesterday doing his NCAA duty (coaches not in the playoffs sometimes get selected by the NCAA to observe game ops/mgt and Speck drew the short straw).  I'm sure being at the 'Catdome watching a playoff game was the last place on earth he wanted to be but I went over and said hello. 

Again, I am NOT a fan of Willamette but I think very highly of Speckman as a coach and person.  Good dude.

[BearcatChatter]

Haha, all bias aside, I'm just in the pursuit of good journalism.

Take it to the Tommies Linfield! While I'm a South Dakota native, my father was an Olaf grad so I never really took a liking to St. Thomas (although it could have been much worse if he was a Johnnie...)

Get some respect for the West Coast, I laughed when I saw the SUNY-Maritime/Alfred score, thinking to myself "they should be having competitive teams in the playoffs, what happened?

What happened, according to Pat and Keith was that "according to our Kickoff rankings, the best team they've played was Merchant Marine, ranked No. 147."

And SOS played against PLU? Ummmm, what?

Ok, it's over and done with.

11, I appreciate your respect for Speck

[George Thompson]

Monrovia Cat,

You are right in the term I used.   My beef is the selection criteria.    PLU and Redlands would have beaten several of the weaker teams!

Below are my thoughts for a major revision of the selection criteria  I am sending this to the NCAA tomorrow.   Fan comments will be appreciated to improve this system:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAA
700 W. Washington Street
P.O. Box 6222
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222

Division III
Football Playoff Selection Committee,


With all due respect, this playoff format needs major change.   The best 32 teams should be in, not just any champion from any conference.   Look at yesterday: four teams did NOT belong, with season records of 3, 4 and 5 losses each.    They lost by scores of 53-14, 57-7, 59-7 and 49-0.

Please allow me to make some recommendations of how future playoff teams should be selected.    The current system clearly does not select the best 32 teams in Division III.

•   This year four conference champions received bids with overall win ratios of only 70%, 60% and 50%.
   
•   At the same time, three teams with only one loss were not invited to the playoffs.     They would have been more competitive in the playoffs.

Foundation and Goals:  In my opinion, here should be the goals of the playoff selection:

1.   32 best teams selected.

2.   All conferences are NOT equal.

   3.   Pool B teams have an unfair advantage over Pool C teams.      Why should a champion from a weak Pool B conference be selected over a Pool C team with a better record in a tough conference?

   4.   Some conferences have historically shown strength against non-conference teams and in the playoffs.    The American Southwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Northwest Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference consistently produce extremely strong teams.    Their 2nd and 3rd best teams can beat conference champions from many weaker conferences.

Recommendations:

1.   Scrap the Pool B and Pool C concept entirely.

2.   Automatic invitations:
   A.   Conference champions from a conference with at least 7 teams, and,

   B.   Champion must achieve at least an 80% total win ratio during the entire season.

3.   At large invitations:
   A.   All other teams are eligible if they have at least a 70% win ratio in their total schedule.    Geographical location will have no consideration at all.

   B.   Selection is based on this criteria:
      (1)   Undefeated teams get first selections.
      (2)   One loss teams get second selections.
      (3)   Two loss teams get next selections.
      (4)   If needed, three loss teams are eligible for final spots.
      (5)   SOS can be used to for selections in groups (3) and (4) only         above.

      C.   Once all the teams are selected, teams will be placed in their own region for playoff games, if possible.

      D.   Each team selected will have at least one home game, as early as possible, in rounds two, three and four, unless they lose first.    Seedings of the 32 teams decides all other home games, including round one.   

These rules do not apply if a team can not meet the hosting standards of the NCAA.     

I am just a great fan of Division III football.    I hope the committee will take a serious look at the current  playoff format.

Thank you.

George Thompson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the meantime, GO CATS! GO!

[Bubs1856]

Great effort by the Cats yesterday.  Looking at the bracket this morning...I realized that my second favorite team in all of D3 this off season is Bethel.  Cats get it done in St. Paul and Bethel pulls off another "upset" and we are headed back to the Catdome boys...that's as long as our place is "suitable" to host.

[stanbob]

All I ask is one favor from you, kick some tommie butt come Saturday, wish I could make it up to St Paul to watch but it's a workday for me.  Go Cats

[wildcat11]

ADvantage Catdome:  'Cats Win!!!!  Linfield powers past CLU in the opening round 42-26

[D O.C.]

George Thompson....I will earmark your endeavor to read after the season.

I have a fervor that completely shuts down all technical writing and deals in quips, whisps, and banter at this time.

I have not taken time to laud the LINFIELD coaching staff, athletic directors, Sports Information staff, President Hellie, and support staff for their fine participation this year.

Than-you all!

(check is in the mail)

[Mr. Ypsi]

George Thompson, if your goal is the 32 'best' teams, you still need to tweak your proposal a bit.  Your system would have still included the most egregiously bad team in the field!  SUNY-Maritime trailed 50-0 at the half to a good but by no means great Alfred team - SUNY-Maritime went 10-0.

[CrashDavisD3]

Monrovia Cat,

You are right in the term I used.   My beef is the selection criteria.    PLU and Redlands would have beaten several of the weaker teams!

Below are my thoughts for a major revision of the selection criteria  I am sending this to the NCAA tomorrow.   Fan comments will be appreciated to improve this system:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAA
700 W. Washington Street
P.O. Box 6222
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222

Division III
Football Playoff Selection Committee,


With all due respect, this playoff format needs major change.   The best 32 teams should be in, not just any champion from any conference.   Look at yesterday: four teams did NOT belong, with season records of 3, 4 and 5 losses each.    They lost by scores of 53-14, 57-7, 59-7 and 49-0.

Please allow me to make some recommendations of how future playoff teams should be selected.    The current system clearly does not select the best 32 teams in Division III.

•   This year four conference champions received bids with overall win ratios of only 70%, 60% and 50%.
   
•   At the same time, three teams with only one loss were not invited to the playoffs.     They would have been more competitive in the playoffs.

Foundation and Goals:  In my opinion, here should be the goals of the playoff selection:

1.   32 best teams selected.

2.   All conferences are NOT equal.

   3.   Pool B teams have an unfair advantage over Pool C teams.      Why should a champion from a weak Pool B conference be selected over a Pool C team with a better record in a tough conference?

   4.   Some conferences have historically shown strength against non-conference teams and in the playoffs.    The American Southwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Northwest Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference consistently produce extremely strong teams.    Their 2nd and 3rd best teams can beat conference champions from many weaker conferences.

Recommendations:

1.   Scrap the Pool B and Pool C concept entirely.

2.   Automatic invitations:
   A.   Conference champions from a conference with at least 7 teams, and,

   B.   Champion must achieve at least an 80% total win ratio during the entire season.

3.   At large invitations:
   A.   All other teams are eligible if they have at least a 70% win ratio in their total schedule.    Geographical location will have no consideration at all.

   B.   Selection is based on this criteria:
      (1)   Undefeated teams get first selections.
      (2)   One loss teams get second selections.
      (3)   Two loss teams get next selections.
      (4)   If needed, three loss teams are eligible for final spots.
      (5)   SOS can be used to for selections in groups (3) and (4) only         above.

      C.   Once all the teams are selected, teams will be placed in their own region for playoff games, if possible.

      D.   Each team selected will have at least one home game, as early as possible, in rounds two, three and four, unless they lose first.    Seedings of the 32 teams decides all other home games, including round one.    

These rules do not apply if a team can not meet the hosting standards of the NCAA.    

I am just a great fan of Division III football.    I hope the committee will take a serious look at the current  playoff format.

Thank you.

George Thompson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the meantime, GO CATS! GO!

Good luck with your letter with great suggestions but I am sure you know if may hit the round file. Fans, parents, supporters, media  opinions have no value to the NCAA and their views will not be considered. There are responsive to the members(College Presidents, Athletic Directors, Coaches). You are dealing with the NCAA....Travel costs, access for all teams to the playoffs and keeping the status quo are more important to them than the BEST TEAMS concept.

Football is not the only place where the current Pool A, B, C does not work. Soccer, Baseball, Basketball and other sports all have their problems every year. The current process rewards weak Pool A, B teams and hurts strong Pool C teams. .500 teams and even teams with losing records have gotten bids in other sports.

The whole process reminds of little league baseball or youth soccer where we make sure everyone must play every game and everyone gets a trophy at the end of the season. DIII sports is not youth sports and access and participation are important values at the DIII level but well deserving playoff teams are staying home while less deserving teams get their playoff bid and are 1 game and out and not competitive in the playoff process.

IMO I have seen a bias against POOL C bid teams in the West Coast in several years in several sports that  ending staying home over weaker Pool A/B teams in other parts of the country. Remember the DIII process
is really region focused and not the Best 32 or the Best xx teams for other sports in the country

[RedandPurple]

As the Linfield Wildcats football team travels to Minnesota, the players, coaches, and support staff have to ask themselves one important question......pat down or x-ray screen?  

[DuffMan]

PLU and Redlands would have beaten several of the weaker teams!

The same can certainly be said for many teams.  While not their best season, Saint John's would likely have beaten many of the weaker teams in the bracket, too.  It'd be nice to pick the best 32 teams regardless of conference affiliation, but I don't see that happening.

[DuffMan]

WC11, PM me when you get your plans nailed down.

Go Wildcats!

[CrashDavisD3]

PLU and Redlands would have beaten several of the weaker teams!

The same can certainly be said for many teams.  While not their best season, Saint John's would likely have beaten many of the weaker teams in the bracket, too.  It'd be nice to pick the best 32 teams regardless of conference affiliation, but I don't see that happening.

#1 Reason for no changes to the current system TRAVEL COSTS. Having the best teams cause increased travel costs for 1st round games.

#2 Reason for no changes weaker Pool A/B teams and Conferences would lose their access to the playoffs. Not just in football but other sports also....The strong dominant teams and conferences would fill the playoff spots and the weaker teams/conferences could be forever shut out with the BEST TEAMS concept.