FB: Northwest Conference

[bluenote]

d-train....I went to the Pool B thread and read a few pages. I didn't see any definative list of Pool B  hopefuls. My questions are how many actual Pool B bids are there in the expanded playoff field and who are all the front runners and bubble teams at this time?

I was looking at the NWC schedules.....several of the teams have moved up to 10 game schedules. Most teams are playing all DIII schools. Only a couple are playing maybe 1 game vs. NAIA or DII. Nobody is playing 2 out of division games. Why do we?

[Foss]

Hey Tuxguy and Foss....have you gone back east and checked out where the hope lies?
W&J is 8-1.
Our best new friends at Bethany have the game at home but are coming off a 6-44 away loss.
Week before that they triumphed 21-17 away, lost 13-49 and 15-41 away. Hmmm, only 4 home games.

I do not care to see their injury report.

You are correct, DOC. If W&J loses, they (along with the 'Cats) appear to be the only teams with 2 in-region losses that are on the bubble. And the two teams will be competing for the final Pool B spot. W&J has already lost one game by 18 to a 4-5 team. I really can't see how W&J can lose to Bethany. It shouldn't even be that close. A loss to Bethany would be a horrible second loss. Bethany is 4-5 this year and was 1-9 each of the last three seasons. Not sure if there will be a webcast to this game, but if so being that it is played in West Virginia I would assume we should know the outcome by around the start of the 'Cats game.

[MonroviaCat]

Chapman is an independent still and would be a potential addition to the Cats schedule.  The problem is, even if the Cats add them to this years schedule that brings us up to 10 games 2 of which are non-D3 games which probably still puts the Cats at a disadvantage.  Ideally, we'd add a team like Chapman and Replace the WOU and SOU (ideal from a D3 and playoffs standpoint rivalries not withstanding) games with D3 teams----Man it would be nice if the SCIAC would agree to a deal.  Maybe if they can send somebody deep into the play-offs they'd be more willing to take on the NWC in all its glory! 

[criswyly]

The Cats probably won't make the playoffs....but I bet there is more than a few teams in the west region who will be very relieved they won't have to host us....Whitewater included.

[Foss]

Bluenote,

Of all the pages and posts on the Pool B thread, this quote is probably the best update and summary of things right now. There are 4 Pool B bids given. You can see why we would be pulling for a W&J loss, since they are the only one of the 4 likely teams that already has an in-region loss:

"Updated after 11/4 games:

Here's what's left:  (In-Region Games Listed Second)

1)  Wesley (9-0/5-0) vs. Morrisville State (1-7)

2)  Whitworth (9-0/8-0)  vs. Puget Sound (7-2)

3)  Carnegie-Mellon (9-0/8-0) @ Thiel (5-4)

4)  Washington & Jefferson (8-1/7-1) @ Bethany (4-5)


On the bubble:

Linfield (5-3, 4-2)  @ Lewis & Clark (0-8)

And What IF:  Puget Sound beats Whitworth?

Puget Sound (7-2, 7-2) @ Whitworth (9-0)"

[criswyly]

I bet there will be plenty of fans who will check the playoff selections with high hopes that Linfield is no where to be seen.  Is there a Linfield fan out there who is so confident that the Cats won't make it that they'll just forget about checking the selection results

[Foss]

No, criswyly - Everyone wants to see that Pat Coleman guy do his thing on ESPN, regardless. 

Hey, for those interested, I discovered you can listen to the W&J/Bethany game on Saturday. Remember it will start at 10:00AM Pacific Time. This will be your link:

Washington & Jefferson/Bethany gamelink

(Look for the game in the right column)

[D O.C.]

a few teams in the west region who will be very relieved they won't have to host us....Whitewater included.

I doubt that UWW or johns would wince one iota. Any of 'em with one exception: Whitworth.


Massey ratings this week:

·   These ratings are based on win-loss outcomes relative to schedule difficulty.
·   Margin of victory is not used, and ratings don't reflect point differentials.
·   Early season ratings will fluctuate significantly until a sufficient number of games have been played.
·   Teams that are not connected via the schedule graph are rated as isolated groups.
·   These are the rankings used by the BCS.
·   Data courtesy of Peter Wolfe.

32     Wartburg            8   1   0.109   -0.86 (102)   20 IIAC
34     Occidental          8   0   0.100   -1.23 (163)   37 SCIAC
36    LINFIELD            5   3   0.082   -0.18 ( 37)   33 NWC
39     Bethel MN           8   1   0.038   -0.83 ( 98)   19 MIAC
54     Wash & Jeff         8   1  -0.138   -1.12 (152)   53 PAC
61     St Norbert         10   0  -0.204   -1.75 (205)   41 Midwest

and just for the heck of it

11     Central IA          9   0   0.485   -0.65 ( 78)   10 IIAC
12     Whitworth           9   0   0.481   -0.75 ( 88)   14 NWC
13     St John's MN        9   0   0.469   -0.70 ( 83)    8 MIAC

Gotta feel sorry for these guys but then they know what's up going in.

10     Trinity CT          6   1   0.534    0.10 ( 13)    5 NESCAC

What you soaked WILDCATS are looking for is an exemption ala The Masters.

This is all produced by my freedom of creative writing.

[Pat Coleman]

That second set of numbers, the one near the end, is the margin of victory ranking, which is more accurate. It's just the one that freaks the BCS out so they don't use it.

Linfield 33rd, up three spots.

[D O.C.]

Interesting but more than the common fan can sort out.

Thanks to you guys for trying to monitor the ebbs and flows.

[MonroviaCat]

LOL Bob---I must have read your posts about Redlands and misinterpreted you as the official 'dis' master in the SCIAC   My apologies!


MC

[BoBo]

Anyone have info on Menlo's budget and how and the heck they can travel all over with no DIII school within 400 miles of them?

No wonder they've been having 'trouble on the road' so far. They have 'so far' to go.
How does Colorado College pay? Come to think of it, those Texas institutions, while in the same state, go 400 easy.

Yeah, how do these teams afford it??? Get this, during the last two seasons alone Colorado College has travelled to California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Alabama. Do some of these schools have fewer male sports so that more money can be allocated to the football travel budget?

CC has a big time hockey program with many influencial financial donors to the athletic program, I believe.

[BoBo]

I was just outwardly speculating in my comments. Figured they must have a little financial suppport in their athletic budget to trickle down their D3 sports.  But, I have no specific knowledge of the CC situation. I imagine that since CC plays their home games at the Colorado Springs World Arena, capacity 7,343 spectators for hockey, their hockey program probably doesn't produce the large revenue as some of the bigger schools like Wisconsin or Minnesota with large arenas and would probably need donors/sponsors/alums to pay some expenses for their football team and other sports. You seem to be well versed on the subject. I accept your explanation - sounds plausible to me.  Now I'm more curious how they do it, too.

[hatchetman75]

Bluenote,

On the bubble:

Linfield (5-3, 4-2)  @ Lewis & Clark (0-8)

And What IF:  Puget Sound beats Whitworth?

Puget Sound (7-2, 7-2) @ Whitworth (9-0)"

Can we actually get some breakdowns of if this happens then this? I'd like to see some, just to sate my own curiousity.

[MonroviaCat]

Maybe Colorado College is a secret subsidiary of Halliburton...that would explain some things.