South Region playoffs

[Bill McCabe]

crudbdad,  that is too logical.  Expect something weird when the pairings are announced.   

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph-
If the NCAA is going to stick to the 500 mile rule then what is the importance of seeds. In a normal 1-8 where 1 vs 8; 2 vs 7 etc.. the seedings take on more relevance. Right now UMHB is no.3 but could face the possibility of playing Millsaps in the 1st round due to that rule. Muhlenberg is 289 from W&J so does that mean if all holds true they play as 2 vs 7? Thomas More is 550 from Huntingdon so that would be a 5 vs 6. I wish the evil empire would put more credence in ranking the teams and letting them play the games as ranked not by the mileage. I am sure Trinity and Hardin-Simmons would prefer new opponents as well.

I think that UMHB gets one playoff game, as a #3.

Muhlenberg or Millsaps will get two games, and the #1 seed can have a 3rd.

The crux of the matter is cash for travel and missed school time.

Geographic proximity is hard-wired into the Handbook!

Please remember that there are only 3 Pool B bids (and I think that the Huntingdon LaGrange winner gets one.)

Huntingdon/LaGrange goes to Millsaps, (90% chance on that call, IMHO.)

Pat Coleman and K-Mack postulated HSU getting shipped out of region.

I'll bet that the Cowboy faithful wouldn't mind that.

[old ends]

Somthing to think about is the fact of where Muhlenberg is located. From or to Allentown 200 miles covers all of NJ, DE, two thirds of PA, CT, NY with a high arc close to Albany swinging to about Elmira then out through Long Island, parts of Ma and MD. I think it is about 200-240 to Albany. To Boston is close to 300 miles. This could cause them to go East.

But again the next two weeks could change a lot of options.

[Toby Taff]

i would be happy if HSU got shipped out.  not because i don't want them to play the cru again, but i don't want it to be a first round game and that is what i fear.

[Ralph Turner]

Something to think about is the fact of where Muhlenberg is located. From or to Allentown 200 miles covers all of NJ, DE, two thirds of PA, CT, NY with a high arc close to Albany swinging to about Elmira then out through Long Island, parts of Ma and MD. I think it is about 200-240 to Albany. To Boston is close to 300 miles. This could cause them to go East.

But again the next two weeks could change a lot of options.

Muhlenberg may get moved to the East, if they lose to Moravian.

On the other hand, these are solid top seeds at 10-0...

MUC, NCC, Millsaps, Willamette.

Cortland State at 10-0 will be a solid #1.

[Ralph Turner]

i would be happy if HSU got shipped out.  not because i don't want them to play the cru again, but i don't want it to be a first round game and that is what i fear.

I would like our chances!

Send us (the proverbial ASC "us") to the West Region.

[Bill McCabe]

I think that would be great if HSU went West.  I hope it is not to Willamette.     It would be great to have 2 ASC teams with a chance to advance to the later rounds.  I assume that would send Trinity to UMHB.  Oh no, could Trinity go West and HSU come to UMHB. 

[Toby Taff]

I think that would be great if HSU went West.  I hope it is not to Willamette.     It would be great to have 2 ASC teams with a chance to advance to the later rounds.  I assume that would send Trinity to UMHB.  Oh no, could Trinity go West and HSU come to UMHB. 

Bite your tongue,

[Ralph Turner]

Great Around the Region this week!

One other thing for Trinity and Millsaps would be for DePauw to beat Wabash!

That is an in-region game, against a regionally ranked opponent, for all concerned, especially if 8-2/8-2 DePauw "ekes" into the Final South Region Rankings (the one we never see) with that win over #4 Wabash!  DePauw will get an OWP of 9-0 to add to their value.  The SCAC teams would get an OOWP of 9-0.

DePauw would have losses to Millsaps and Trinity and a win over Wabash!  That is 1-2 as a result over Regionally Ranked Opponents.* 

Conjecture...would a DePauw win over Wabash be enough to vault Trinity into a Pool C bid?


*Regionally Ranked Opponents -- RRO   I saw K-Mack use this abbreviation.  Let's propogate it.   

[Bill McCabe]

Toby Taff, I will always assume the worst case when it comes to the playoff pairings.  Too much history.

[Toby Taff]

I know bill, but we should not speak of the evil

[crudbdad]

I would like to see HSU go west so the ASC can have an opportunity for 1 or 2 teams to advance as far as possible. Depending on the brackets a HSU/UMHB rematch in the semi-finals would bring a whole new level of intensity to the rival.

[Josh Bowerman]

IF HSU gets shipped out of region, then I certainly hope they get a good enough seed to host a game.  In the south (even if they're on the road), I can get to Belton or Jackson.  Not so much to some of the west teams...

[K-Mack]

Josh and Ralph, re: your predictions of HSU at UMHB in the first round: Conference rematches in the first round are to be avoided. 2006 was the exception, not the rule.

You guys also remember the random Hardin-Simmons at Wittenberg matchup?

[Ralph Turner]

Josh and Ralph, re: your predictions of HSU at UMHB in the first round: Conference rematches in the first round are to be avoided. 2006 was the exception, not the rule.

You guys also remember the random Hardin-Simmons at Wittenberg matchup?

I remember a banged-up HSU lost to Wittenberg, which coasted past a "#2" seed Thomas More in Round 2, before running into MUC.  As an ASC fan, I saw that as a wasted opportunity to prove to the D3-nation what Texas football was really like, before Trinity and UMHB made the Stagg Bowl.  ("Everybody" loses in Alliance, except UMHB.    )    2001 Playoff Brackets

I just cannot figure out how to do the bracket of eight teams if 6 of them are:

Huntingdon/LaGrange
Millsaps
UMHB
HSU
Oxy
Willamette.

Your podcast suggesting a link to the West Coast was interesting.  I wondered if the at-larges might fallout this way.

#1) Millsaps (SCAC Pool A) vs #8 Huntingdon/LaGrange (Pool B) a bus ride

#4 UMHB (ASC Pool A) vs #6 Trinity (SCAC Pool C) a bus ride

#2 Willamette  (NWC Pool A)  vs #7 Redlands (SCIAC Pool C)  Highly seeded  Willamette needs 1-2 plane flights regardless.

#3 Oxy (SCIAC Pool A) vs #5 HSU (ASC Pool C)  A chance to avoid first round conference matchups (Oxy/Redlands and UMHB/HSU).  Oxy-Redlands in the second round would be a bus ride.

Yes it is a very strong bracket, but it gives some new match-ups and tries to minimize plane flights.

We get more pieces in the puzzle today.