FB: Region 3 fan poll

[Wild Horse Rider]

I'm not sure anyone knows where to rank Case is this year.  It's likely they will keep moving up the ranking due to others in front of them losing.  They have done what you are supposed to do and beat the teams on the schedule and three of the teams have a combined 1 victory among them.  Only 2 games have been within one score and in the Westminister game they had to come back from down 6 in the 4th quarter.  The next 3 games look manageable (Bethany did beat Carnegie though) and all those teams have a losing record.  Their strength of schedule is currently at 137th in the country and I think it will move up slightly by the end of the season but not a ton.  The last game against Carnegie Mellon will likely not matter as far as claiming the AQ and conference title but if they want a chance at a home game in the first round I would advise they win it.  This illustrates in my opinion one of the problems with a 9 game conference schedule.  The W&J win in week one against Whittenberg was the best thing that occurred in the OOC schedule.  St. Vincent did play a now 8th ranked Ithica but the score wasn't close.  Geneva played a still undefeated Mt. St. Joseph team and lost by 2 TDs.  Overall the conference went 5-5 in OOC play. 

[Bob.Gregg]

If PAC adds two teams, they can play a 7-game schedule, a conference title game, and 3 OOC games.

Just for the giggles, Wild Horse Rider, what do you think the overall OOC record for the League would be?

Oh, and who do you think the League members would be able to schedule for THREE OOC games?

[Ralph Turner]

If PAC adds two teams, they can play a 7-game schedule, a conference title game, and 3 OOC games.

Just for the giggles, Wild Horse Rider, what do you think the overall OOC record for the League would be?

Oh, and who do you think the League members would be able to schedule for THREE OOC games?

Bob is right.

The conferences are loading up on members, so most conferences have 9 or 10 teams.

ASC - 10 teams
Centennial - 10 teams
ODAC - 9 teams
Pres AC - 10 teams
SAA - 9 teams (7 full members plus affiliates, Austin College and Trinity TX)
USA South (8 teams)  The members had to schedule non-D3 opponents such as Apprentice (3 games), Non-scholarship FCS Stetson, and NAIA Allen U. Huntingdon played UW-Oshkosh.

It is hard finding that 3 OOC games

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

If PAC adds two teams, they can play a 7-game schedule, a conference title game, and 3 OOC games.

Just for the giggles, Wild Horse Rider, what do you think the overall OOC record for the League would be?

Oh, and who do you think the League members would be able to schedule for THREE OOC games?

The only example we have is the MWC where they play 5 divisional games, 2 games against the other division which count as non-conference, 2 OOC games, and a championship week to finish where there's not just a conference title game but everyone plays whoever is in the same position. Teams still only play 10 games not 11.

LL and E8 both have just 7 teams and are mostly in the 300-400 mile range. Depending on whether Earlham decides comes back, the HCAC could need a 3rd opponent (it was a bit messy this year as 6 of the 8 teams had to play each other a 2nd time).

[ADL70]

I'm not suggesting that CWRU is in the same class as UMHB, but UMHB's SoS is 219th and they had a close game (23-13) with 1-6 Belhaven.  That game did lose them 6 first place votes in the d3 poll. And they lost another after last Saturday. I'm only suggesting that CWRU's close win over St. Vincent doesn't seem to have hurt them in the polls. In our poll they went from   5,6,7,9,10  to 4,4,5,9,10.

[Wild Horse Rider]

It was never easy for us to find three quality non-conference opponents in NC but I always thought in the states that had more D3 teams and different conferences represented that would not be the same case.  PA alone has 26 schools from 4 different conferences and Ohio has 22 represented by 4 conferences as well.  I didn't look but maybe all of those states with multiple teams and conferences all are represented by 9 or 10 team leagues.  I can understand when you are one of the teams out west where you don't really have any other options and would likely rather have a 10 team league and try and scramble to find a 10th game.  But maybe everyone deals with the same issues regardless of where your team is located.

And Bob to your question to the OOC record of the conference I would still think it finds the level where it's at now.  The top half of the league would likely go 3-0 to 2-1 and the bottom half 1-2 to 0-3.  I believe the top of the league has been Case, W&J, Westminster, & Carnegie for the last few years and they would likely carry the OOC weight.

[Wild Horse Rider]

Well I believe last weekend helped provide some clarity to the region.
ASC is down to UMHB and TLU who face off on 11/9 to likely determine the conference champ and AQ.  If TLU wins it I'm sure UMHB will be a strong pool C candidate but their strength of schedule is currently at 197.
CC can still get two in if the Mules and the River Hawks win out.  Susquehanna has the 19th best strength of schedule.  There would still be a chance even if Muhlenberg lost to get both teams in but it hurts Susquehanna's case.
ODAC is down to RMC, Bridewater, & E&H.  RMC already beat E&H by 3 earlier this year.  Bridgewater plays E&H this weekend and RMC in 2 weeks.  I still think there is a very small chance if Bridgewater's only loss on the season is to RMC they will have a shot but it will likely need Stevenson to win out as well as JHU to win out to have any chance of moving their strength of schedule higher than the 149 it is currently at.
SAA still has Berry, Trinity, and BSU with a chance to win or tie for the conference title.  The conference AQ will come down to who wins the Trinity VS BSU game on 11/9.  Berry could still land a pool C bid if BSU wins the AQ bid but their OOC teams did not fare very well this year.
The only conference I believe is decided at this point is the USAC.  Huntingdon is undefeated in conference and would need to lose 2 out of its remaining 3 games against Greensboro, NCWC, and LaGrange for anyone else to win the AQ bid.  I don't see that happening.

[ADL70]

PAC pretty settled as well. CWRU is in same situation as Huntingdon, although they have struggled to win the last two weeks. CMU in week 11 has played them tough all but one of the last several seasons. And they can't afford for CMU to be their second loss, unless Westminster beats CMU.

[hasanova]

If PAC adds two teams, they can play a 7-game schedule, a conference title game, and 3 OOC games.

Just for the giggles, Wild Horse Rider, what do you think the overall OOC record for the League would be?

Oh, and who do you think the League members would be able to schedule for THREE OOC games?

Bob is right.

The conferences are loading up on members, so most conferences have 9 or 10 teams.

ASC - 10 teams
Centennial - 10 teams
ODAC - 9 teams
Pres AC - 10 teams
SAA - 9 teams (7 full members plus affiliates, Austin College and Trinity TX)
USA South (8 teams)  The members had to schedule non-D3 opponents such as Apprentice (3 games), Non-scholarship FCS Stetson, and NAIA Allen U. Huntingdon played UW-Oshkosh.

It is hard finding that 3 OOC games

I strongly suspect Southern Virginia will forgo its football only status in the ODAC and apply for full membership in the USASAC ... probably within 2-3 years.  With that, the ODAC will either be looking for a new football member or three OOC games each season in a geographic region already plagued with a dearth of DIII opportunities.

[Ralph Turner]

Southern Virginia to the USA South makes great sense. They will be competitive quickly.

[hasanova]

Southern Virginia to the USA South makes great sense. They will be competitive quickly.

I have reason to suspect this is their plan.

[Ralph Turner]

South Region Fan Poll  Week #8

1)  UMHB	50	1,1,1,1,1	.	.
2)  Muhlenberg	44	2,2,2,2,3	.	.
3)  Susq	37	3,3,4,4,4	.	.
4)  HSU	36	2,3,3,5,6	.	.
5)  TLU	28	4,5,5,6,7	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
6)  CWRU	24	4,5,5,8,9	.	.
7)  Berry	23	6,6,6,7,7	.	.
8)  Bridgewater	13	8,8,8,9,9	.	.
9T)  Trinity TX	8	7,7,x,x,x	.	.
9T) JHU	8	8,9,9,10,x	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
RV Randy Mac	4	10,10,10,10,x	.	.
.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.

Corrections are always appreciated. 

Thanks to ADL70, hasanova, Scots13 and FCGrizzlies.

[Ralph Turner]

Key South Region games left

11/02  JHU at Muhl

11/09  RMC at B'water
          TLU at UMHB

[E.115]

Key South Region games left

11/02  JHU at Muhl

11/09  RMC at B'water
          TLU at UMHB

11/16 CWRU @ CMU

As much it pains me to say it, don't forget about Case Western Reserve (7-0) @ Carnegie Mellon (6-2).  The DIII Cleveland-Pittsburgh rivalry game, dubbed the "Academic Bowl," has been insanely close each of the last four seasons.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Bowl_(college_football)

[Ron Boerger]

Key South Region games left

11/02  JHU at Muhl

11/09  RMC at B'water
          TLU at UMHB

11/09 Birmingham-Southern (5-2/4-1 SAA) at Trinity (5-2/4-1 SAA)

A Trinity win knocks B-SC out of the SAA Pool A picture and puts Berry (7-1/5-1) back in the drivers' seat for the conference's auto bid.   A B-SC win puts Berry, very unlikely to lose to their remaining opponents, in the Pool C picture, though their SOS is low enough that they may never get on the table.