East Region Playoff Discussion

[Jonny Utah]

Pretty soon, RPIs 2003 season is going to sound like Ithacas 1991 season (or 1994 season I could even say)

[MSUBIRDGANG]

they do a damn good job of blitzing off of the edge as well as up the middle....Don't know why that one guy was so sarcastic

[Jonny Utah]

they do a damn good job of blitzing off of the edge as well as up the middle....Don't know why that one guy was so sarcastic

Well you did say this.....

"RPI's spread will not work against TCNJ's defense"

I mean, just because TCNJ did a good job with their 3-5-3 against other spread teams doesnt mean they will totally stop RPIs.

[phil]

Jonny,
I wholeheartedly agree with you. In fact, I think RPI should prepare by tossing out the film they have of TCNJ and prepare by watching a Mt. Ida highlight real.

The last two times TCNJ went to the playoffs they beat Rowan during the season and lost to them in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Now a second round playoff game would likely mean a day of reckoning against MUCsville. There is no justice...

[DanPadavona]

WUDLINE, the schools know the criteria when they make their schedules, the 200 mile rule has not changed in several years.

Yes, but I see his point.  It does not make sense that we choose playoff teams on a national basis, but use regional records as the base criteria.  If we chose a certain number of teams per region to compete each season, I could understand it.  But since we compare teams on a national basis, it makes zero sense to throw out national scores.

[Jonny Utah]

Jonny,
I wholeheartedly agree with you. In fact, I think RPI should prepare by tossing out the film they have of TCNJ and prepare by watching a Mt. Ida highlight real.

The last two times TCNJ went to the playoffs they beat Rowan during the season and lost to them in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Now a second round playoff game would likely mean a day of reckoning against MUCsville. There is no justice...

I dont get your point.

[phil]

...I'm just kidding. In TCNJ's brief playoff history they've never made it past round 2. Twice they lost to Rowan and another time to Hofstra (who one week later got sacked by the NCAA for a handful of positive drug tests). Now MUC... should they be so lucky to get that far against a good RPI team.

[DanPadavona]

It's a shame we cannot throw out the bracket concept and do this WWE style.

Let's make Mt Union run the gauntlet, and send out 7 teams one-by-one to try to take them down.  And if they make it through all 7, Cortland State will send out famous graduate Mick Foley with a barbed wire bat and thumb tacks.

[John McGraw]

It's a shame we cannot throw out the bracket concept and do this WWE style.

Let's make Mt Union run the gauntlet, and send out 7 teams one-by-one to try to take them down.  And if they make it through all 7, Cortland State will send out famous graduate Mick Foley with a barbed wire bat and thumb tacks.

Springfield would counter with John Cena and Ithaca with the late Gorilla Monsoon.

[dewcrew88]

It's a shame we cannot throw out the bracket concept and do this WWE style.

Let's make Mt Union run the gauntlet, and send out 7 teams one-by-one to try to take them down.  And if they make it through all 7, Cortland State will send out famous graduate Mick Foley with a barbed wire bat and thumb tacks.

Springfield would counter with John Cena and Ithaca with the late Gorilla Monsoon.

"Pride is all up in this house, bitch!"

[dewcrew88]

It's a shame we cannot throw out the bracket concept and do this WWE style.

Let's make Mt Union run the gauntlet, and send out 7 teams one-by-one to try to take them down.  And if they make it through all 7, Cortland State will send out famous graduate Mick Foley with a barbed wire bat and thumb tacks.

Springfield would counter with John Cena and Ithaca with the late Gorilla Monsoon.

Monsoon was an Ithaca alum? I never knew that. +K.

[DanPadavona]

I did not know that either.  I wonder if ICDubbz or someone taught him the line, "He wouldn't know a wrist lock from a wrist watch."

[boobyhasgameyo]

Bobby
I never said tha WU would have done better against Mt. Union. I am glad we were moved out of the east.

Hey, it's not Bobby.  It's Booby.  Get it right, man.  The dude has game!

Ha nice catch, I didn't feel like correcting him.  +k

[boobyhasgameyo]

Taking a look at the opening bracket it looks to me like there are 3 very intriguing games where I am hard pressed to pick a winner.  Hopefully I'll be kept up to date with game scores during the ECAC's.


Ithaca at Mount Union

The Mount Union shut out streak dating back to September(!!!) comes to an end this Saturday.  Look for Ithaca to push Mount Union in the first half, before the Mount takes control in the second half.  MUC by 24 points.


Hartwick at Curry

Very interesting game.  Hartwick seemingly played its best football mid-season and lately has looked very vulnerable against mediocre competition.  Could Hartwick defeat Ithaca or Fisher at this point of the season on a neutral field?  I doubt it.  On the other side of the field is a hungry Curry squad which has a lot more playoff experience than does Hartwick.  That same Curry team is probably sick and tired of hearing that they are an automatic out in the NCAA's.  WNEC over Hartwick may be a huge upset in retrospect, but it tells us how vulnerable the Hawks' defense is.  The NEFC streak ends.  Curry by 3 points.


Hobart at St. John Fisher

Two teams which overcame rocky starts to re-establish themselves as eastern powers.  Both can put up a lot of points and win a shoot out.  While Fisher is not quite as dominant as they were in 2006, as Denny Greene would say:  "They are who we thought they were!"  I like Fisher's ability to explode on the ground and through the air, and based on their recent scores they are playing their best football down the stretch. This one is going down to the fourth quarter.  Fisher by 8 points.


TCNJ at RPI

Two very well matched football teams in the closest match-up of round 1.  This one is so close, I really think it comes down to home field advantage.  And that is where TCNJ has only itself to blame.  Had they taken care of Kean in Week 11, they would be undisputed NJAC Champions, rather than co-champions, and likely hold the #2 or #3 seed.  As it is, their brilliant defense broke down and now they must travel to face the Liberty League Champion.

RPI's spread offense worked very well against a strong Cortland defense in 2006.  From what I have seen, TCNJ's defense is a little quicker in the front 7/8 than Cortland was.  The question I have had all season is, what happens if TCNJ falls behind in the playoffs?  Do they have the offensive fire power to rally from behind?  Look for this to be their achilles heel.  RPI by 1 point.

Also you completely totally 100% correctly prognosticated the Ithaca-Mount Union game including the point differential.  I will give you karma dap for that tomorrow as well if I can remember it. 

[DanPadavona]

Well you know Booby, a stopped clock is right twice a day after all!  Actually I'm most happy to have predicted Curry's first victory in the NCAA playoffs, although I in no way saw that point differential coming.  Fisher better not take them lightly.