FB: Empire 8

[Frank Rossi]

Also whether or not we get the AQ i still think with 1 loss we have a very strong chance of a pool C bid as a back-up

One loss, yes.  Two losses, at present, no.

[SotoC803]

absolutely but with the schedule we have left i'm not worried

[Frank Rossi]

Chris -

As someone close to a number of SIDs and ADs in the East Region, I know that they generally would be very concerned if one of their players started posting to these message boards.  In order to avoid any problems, I'd urge you to stop posting until you clear with your team whether you're operating outside your program's policies regarding student-athletes reaching out to media and/or posting on message boards.

I'd love to see players' posts on here, but I understand the issues that it can lead to at these schools.  I offer this simply as disinterested advice, since I don't want to see you get in trouble or accidentally cause any controversies on here.  It's great to lurk around the boards to read them if you enjoy that, but posting raises a whole line of problems.

That being said, I wish you a lot of luck and success this season.  I'm a Manhattan resident that's in school down in Coral Gables, FL right now until May -- so Staten Island is near and dear to me .  Congrats on the success so far, and keep proving the nay-sayers wrong (of which, I was one -- but I'm giving credit week by week where it's due). 

- Frank

[fisheralum91]

chris that was a polite way of saying get the hell off the board or u may lose any pt that you didnt have

[Frank Rossi]

chris that was a polite way of saying get the hell off the board or u may lose any pt that you didnt have

Oh, THAT was necessary. 

[SJFF82]

3) Alfred pulls off the stunner, drops both Fisher and IC, Wick gets in thanks to the H2H. Ithaca is left with the upset Cortland to try and sneak in to the playoff, but probably misses out due to an identical record with Alfred and a H2H loss.

Thoughts?

So, AU gets Pool C in this scenario?  This may be the year that AU finally pulls the duo of beating SJF and IC...as every other year in recent past AU was kinda on everyone's radar and now they dont seem to be.  BTW, in scenario 1 I think if AU beats one out two with SJF and IC, it would more likely be SJF at Merrill.

[SJFF82]

and I was rather turned off by the chant of over rated at the end of that game...

Ha, last time I heard an "OVER-RATED" chant was the Hail Katherine game vs Brockport.  That chant ended pretty quickly though....

It ended right around the time I was hopping the fence onto Special Olympics field to run around celebrating like the lunatic that I am...

[Frank Rossi]

Alrighty, let's try a new topic to get something going here:

There's a four way-log jam at the top of the E8. Who's coming out on top? Will it be won outright or will we go to a convoluted tiebreak? My scenarios---in personal order of likelyhood.

1) Alfred splits their two game gauntlet by beating IC and losing to SJF. The Wick runs the table, gets in over SJF thanks to the H2H. Ithaca is left trying to salvage a Pool C bid by upsetting Cortland--who may be 9-0 and ranked 5th by Cortaca. IC squeaks in with a win, Fisher barely misses out. If IC loses, dare I say, only one team from the E8 makes it?

Coming into this weekend, we have 48 undefeated or one-loss teams.  So, presently, you look to be right -- two regional losses across the board could be an issue.  However, Ithaca might be at the top of the regional two-loss teams because of its "quality of losses" component that gets reviewed (i.e., losses to SJF and Alfred are not awful when looking at wins against Cortland and Lycoming in the same resume).  Fisher's biggest problem at two losses would be secondary criteria since there might be a logjam when trying to select teams for Pool C when Fisher is involved -- it's at this point that the out-of-region losses get considered and potentially drown Fisher.

2) Ithaca, Wick and Fisher all run the table. Ithaca gets the AQ based on SOS. Wick gets in at 8-1. Fisher's a longshot, but may sneak in.

Hartwick would likely have a better winning percentage and SoS than Fisher -- and more important, they beat them head-to-head, so I agree that they would get in before Fisher.  Then, Fisher's sole loss is to a Pool C team and it beat a Pool A team.  This would be interesting, but for one problem:

The lack of Pool C slots this year is going to make it tough for Fisher, even at one regional loss.  Let's say that WPI and Fisher are to be lined up next to each other.  WPI is 9-1 with its only loss to a Pool A team.  Fisher is 7-1 with its only loss to a Pool A team.  WPI ends up with an equal or slightly better SoS than Fisher.  I think the Committee is forced to open up the secondary criteria at that point and grant WPI the advantage in the East.

Next problem is Husson, which could end up at 7-0.  It's not clear how the Committee would deal with that team, although I doubt it gets in unless the next comparison is to regional two-loss teams.  I bring it up, though, because the problem could exist.

My point is this:  there are just six Pool C slots and 48 teams that could have SJF's winning % or better vying for 32 overall slots.  I highly doubt the East gets more than two of these slots, and right now, SJF's likelihood to be that second team is not exceptionally high.

3) Alfred pulls off the stunner, drops both Fisher and IC, Wick gets in thanks to the H2H. Ithaca is left with the upset Cortland to try and sneak in to the playoff, but probably misses out due to an identical record with Alfred and a H2H loss.

Head-to-head results aren't the only criteria in Pool C, so you have to be careful here.  If Ithaca knocks off an undefeated Cortland squad and has an SoS that is far superior to that of Alfred, then it is not a simple scenario.  Alfred's SoS suffers from having Rochester, St. Lawrence, Ursinus (.500 or worse) and FDU-Florham (.500 or worse) right now.  So in this one, you have to be a little careful about picking out just that single criterion when there could be more at play.

[AUKaz00]

3) Alfred pulls off the stunner, drops both Fisher and IC, Wick gets in thanks to the H2H. Ithaca is left with the upset Cortland to try and sneak in to the playoff, but probably misses out due to an identical record with Alfred and a H2H loss.

Thoughts?

So, AU gets Pool C in this scenario?  This may be the year that AU finally pulls the duo of beating SJF and IC...as every other year in recent past AU was kinda on everyone's radar and now they dont seem to be.  BTW, in scenario 1 I think if AU beats one out two with SJF and IC, it would more likely be SJF at Merrill.

That would be my thought as well.  When looking at the three-way, it's natural to ask yourself "which one of these results was the fluke?"  Not that any of them has to be a fluke, but we're more comfortable thinking linearly so in our minds one of them must become the fluke.  When Wick beat Fisher again, I initially accepted that result to be the fluke, but as more games have been played I've come to see the Ithaca-Fisher result as the fluke.  Yes, the final result was a blow out, but the game was 9-6 late in the 3rd with an injured Dan Juvan leading the Bombers.  Would the score have been the same if he were healthy?  None of us knows.  But the final score now seems more like a function of the IC defense pressing and trying to make some plays to keep their team in it than domination by SJF.  Score comparison of common opponents between Alfred and Fisher shows little to distinguish the two teams apart and so home field advantage could be the decisive factor in this year's meeting (and the 7 point that the pep band delivers).

And when I started reading Chris' posts, noticing how kind he was toward the Saxons, all I could think to myself was, "Please don't be an Alfred football player!"

[fishfan]

As far as Fisher rebuilding, 8 seniors start on D, depending on the O package 6 seniors will be on the field, also both kickers and return guys are seniors. Both backup QB'S are seniors. I have never herd a coach from Fisher call this a "REBUILDING" year. This was a year to go deep into the playoffs, but turnovers, from the QB position have been the problem all year. Last year Fisher was a +16 in turnovers, this year they have no advantage after 8 games. The spread offense is a gimmick, it's is the problem, you need to have a speed advantage, last I looked all the 4.2/4.3 guys are playing D1. Also, the weather is a factor, case in point, Saturday its pouring and breezy, Fisher starts with the spread and fumbles on its first series. The weather is not going to get better, how is the spread going to work in the cold and snow. Fisher needs to embrace the pro set offense, the o line is set for a power running game, not east and west sweeps.

[fishfan]

Do you think Cortland would like to see Fisher in a first round play-off game?

[fisheralum91]

Frank i thought it was rather appropriate ------funny too   

[labart96]

EAST REGION NCAA Rankings
1. Cortland State 7-0 7-0
2. RPI 5-0 6-0
3. Ithaca 5-1 6-1
4. Montclair State 6-1 6-1
5. Rowan 6-1 6-1
6. Hartwick 5-1 5-1
7. Worcester Polytech 6-1 6-1
8. Hobart 5-1 5-1
9. Plymouth State 5-1 7-1
10. Husson 6-0 6-2

Very surprised SJFC is not on this list

[Knightstalker]

EAST REGION NCAA Rankings
1. Cortland State 7-0 7-0
2. RPI 5-0 6-0
3. Ithaca 5-1 6-1
4. Montclair State 6-1 6-1
5. Rowan 6-1 6-1
6. Hartwick 5-1 5-1
7. Worcester Polytech 6-1 6-1
8. Hobart 5-1 5-1
9. Plymouth State 5-1 7-1
10. Husson 6-0 6-2

Very surprised SJFC is not on this list

Right now it appears that only the MAC AQ gets in, of course this will change, but can't believe that Mopar State and Husson are ranked ahead of the MAC teams.

[fisheralum91]

wow no fisher in the top ten- that is a little dose of reality.
i guess the losses to muc and salisbury really did do a number on the overall perception of voters.
too bad.
this team is a top ten in the east team - no doubt