FB: Northwest Conference

[D O.C.]

I think the NCAA showed some imagination this year. U Mount U is who they are hence the path of least resistance until they get as good as their baseball team.   

[wetcat93]

Very strange looking bracket matchups....does this mean the winner of the the Cat/Lute game has to travel East for the second round?  If so, you gotta be kidding.

no I think they travel to us if we win if PLU wins I guess it depends on who wins the other game....

Gonna party like its 1999!

How about 2004 instead!

[criswyly]

Is it true that cowbells are illegal during playoffs

[Hemingway13]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

[speedybigboy]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

Well, we are the only conference guaranteed to have a team in the Sweet 16. 

[desertcat1]

Is it true that cowbells are illegal during playoffs

YES , it is and they will be collected at the gate by the BLUE JUG PATROL...




Go CATS
GO BIG D

[Hemingway13]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

Well, we are the only conference guaranteed to have a team in the Sweet 16. 

speedybigboy,

Can you answer two "ignoramus" questions for me? If Linfield keeps winning, do they retain home field advantage all through the western bracket? And what's the story with the cowbells?

[MonroviaCat]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

Well, we are the only conference guaranteed to have a team in the Sweet 16. 

speedybigboy,

Can you answer two "ignoramus" questions for me? If Linfield keeps winning, do they retain home field advantage all through the western bracket? And what's the story with the cowbells?

I can tell you that it would appear that they'd be home for rounds 1 and 2 but then would head to Whitewater (assuming they win their games) for round 3. 

[desertcat1]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

Well, we are the only conference guaranteed to have a team in the Sweet 16. 

speedybigboy,

Can you answer two "ignoramus" questions for me? If Linfield keeps winning, do they retain home field advantage all through the western bracket? And what's the story with the cowbells?

I can tell you that it would appear that they'd be home for rounds 1 and 2 but then would head to Whitewater (assuming they win their games) for round 3.

I'm sure you have it right MC>>

[Hemingway13]

Thanks MC,


It's curious that #2 team in D3.com rankings would have to travel to the #5 team.

[speedybigboy]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

Well, we are the only conference guaranteed to have a team in the Sweet 16. 

speedybigboy,
Can you answer two "ignoramus" questions for me? If Linfield keeps winning, do they retain home field advantage all through the western bracket? And what's the story with the cowbells?

I can tell you that it would appear that they'd be home for rounds 1 and 2 but then would head to Whitewater (assuming they win their games) for round 3.

I think MC and DC1 have it right for Linfield.  I have NO idea about the cowbells.  Apparently, at some point after I graduated from PLU in '84, they became a popular item at Lute games.  Luckily for me I'm 2000 miles away, so I can't hear them, as they would probably irritate me as much as they seem to irritate the Wildcat fans.

[speedybigboy]

Thanks MC,


It's curious that #2 team in D3.com rankings would have to travel to the #5 team.

Two completely different selection groups.  An NCAA committee selects and seeds the playoffs.  D3.com poll is a group of pollsters brought together by the leaders of this website.  They do a pretty good job in my opinion.

[MasterJedi]

As our chances of playing you NWC guys in this years' playoffs are not very propitious, this Bulldog just wanted to wish NWC all the best to show the rest of D3 that West Coasters still have "The Right Stuff". 

Well, we are the only conference guaranteed to have a team in the Sweet 16. 

speedybigboy,
Can you answer two "ignoramus" questions for me? If Linfield keeps winning, do they retain home field advantage all through the western bracket? And what's the story with the cowbells?

I can tell you that it would appear that they'd be home for rounds 1 and 2 but then would head to Whitewater (assuming they win their games) for round 3.

I think MC and DC1 have it right for Linfield.  I have NO idea about the cowbells.  Apparently, at some point after I graduated from PLU in '84, they became a popular item at Lute games.  Luckily for me I'm 2000 miles away, so I can't hear them, as they would probably irritate me as much as they seem to irritate the Wildcat fans.

They don't like chants either. Start a Pac Lu chant! 

[Hemingway13]

speedybigboy,Appreciate your answering, and I concur with the lack of enthusiasm for what Edgar Allen Poe called "the clamor and the clangor of the bells" in his famous poem.

[dawgcat]

I enjoy statistics, however insignificant they might once the ball is the ball is kicked off. For an interesting and just for fun statistical and objective view of the each bracket, let us take a look at the difficulty rating of each playoff bracket based on 1) the average regional ranking (most recent) of each team in each bracket and 2) the average national ranking (most recent) of each team in each bracket. So, based on this objective (and fun) take on the brackets, who has the toughest bracket? Note: I think SOS would be a fun assessment as well but I did not pursue this statistic.

Based on the average regional ranking (non-ranked teams received a 12 score), the most difficult bracket is (in descending order with the least challenging at the bottom):

1)   Mt. Union (average regional ranking of teams in the bracket = 3.75) Toughest
2)   MHB (average regional ranking of  teams in the bracket = 5.60)
3)   WW/Linfield (average regional ranking of  teams in the bracket = 6.75)
4)   Bethel (average regional ranking of  teams in the bracket = 7.25) Easiest

Based on the average national ranking (non-ranked teams received a 30 score), the most difficult bracket is (in descending order with the least challenging at the bottom:

1)   Bethel (average national ranking of teams in the bracket = 19) Toughest
2)   WW/Linfield (average national ranking of teams in the bracket = 20)
Tie:
3)   MHB ((average national ranking of teams in the bracket = 20)
4)   Mt. Union (average national ranking of teams in the bracket = 21) Easiest

Bottom-line: The brackets are pretty even. So, let's have fun and Go Cats all the way to Salem in 13.