Pool C -- 2009

[Gray Fox]

Plus Salisbury cared about the Wesley game as it was a rivalry, whereas the Hampden-Sydney game was just another game.  Proof would be the 8 turnovers.

Ralph, I agree with you, moving Linfield and Cal/Redlans winner south would leave the west a little short.

Algernon, I like the bracket if you switch Wesley and Hampden-Sydney.  The proximity would work well.  I also would like to see new teams, so if they ship Umhb elsewhere, great.  I have seen them the last 2 years and they are good, despite the lose, they will be tough to deal with for anyone.

If Redlands beats CLU they both might get in.  Assuming Wesley is a number one, then sending one of them to Wesley would likely keep them from further flights and allow you to see a new team.

[PA_wesleyfan]

  This week has some interesting match-ups that cold change a few teams regional rankings..

[HSCTiger74]

My suggested bracket, with Hampden-Sydney moving upto #1 ahead of Wesley, since the Tigers (9-0) beat a common opponent (Salisbury) by 45 points that Wesley (9-0) beat by only 18 points:

1 Hampden-Sydney vs. 8 Johns Hopkins
4 Huntingdon vs. 5 Mississippi College
3 Thomas More  vs. 6 DePauw
2 Wesley vs 7 North Carolina Wesleyan

UMHB flies somewhere else.

I hate to disagree with my compatriot, but Wesley deserves to get a #1 seed and it should be in the South. They've been on top most of the year and they haven't done anything to justify bumping them.

[altor]

If Redlands beats CLU they both might get in.  Assuming Wesley is a number one, then sending one of them to Wesley would likely keep them from further flights and allow you to see a new team.

If CLU loses, they're done.  They would be the 2nd two loss team in the west, behind Willamette (who beat them back in September).  The deck is already stacked against 2-loss teams as it is.

Ralph, I agree with you, moving Linfield and Cal/Redlans winner south would leave the west a little short

Even if Linfield goes "South" and UWW moves to the "North," that still leaves the "West" with three undefeated teams.

Doesn't look too bad, except I think (not surprisingly) that if H-SC takes care of business next week they will have earned the right to at least a #2 seed and maybe a #1 if Wesley actually does move elsewhere. Plus I agree with Ralph that UMHB will be a nightmare for somebody and (selfishly) I'd rather it be somebody else for at least one round. 

I said seeds were negotiable.    Unfortunately, UMHB will be underseeded, period.  Some high seed is going to have their hands full.  Luckily, it should at least be at home.

[Ralph Turner]

If UWW is moved out, then every undefeated team in the West Region can host a first round game.

[Gray Fox]

altor,
I should have explained my reasoning for CLU.  The SCIAC uses the conference wins as the only factor in determining  the champion so even if Redlands wins they are tied in the conference.  They use the "Rose Bowl Rule",  to determine who gets the playoff bid.  The RBR means the team who has been out of the playoffs the longest gets the bid. So it is possible both would get a bid.  Playing each other two weeks in a row is always possible in the season of Scrooge.

[altor]

I knew that and I posted anyways...bad Altor.

[usee]

Here is my North Bracket if things stay the way they are now:

1. UWW
2. Witt
3. Mt St Joes
4 CWRU
5 IWU
6. Wabash
7. Trine
8. Concordia IL

Makes for some easy 1st round matchups. If MtSt Joe's loses to Thomas More and/or Wabash loses to DePauw things change as far as seeding and we may see a St Norberts or Coe move in as #8 seed as well as a possible IWU home game

[Ralph Turner]

Here is my North Bracket if things stay the way they are now:

1. UWW
2. Witt
3. Mt St Joes
4 CWRU
5 IWU
6. Wabash
7. Trine
8. Concordia IL

Makes for some easy 1st round matchups. If MtSt Joe's loses to Thomas More and/or Wabash loses to DePauw things change as far as seeding and we may see a St Norberts or Coe move in as #8 seed as well as a possible IWU home game

Respectfully, I think that Wabash must beat DePauw to get the Pool C bid.

[usee]

Thus my intro "...if things stay the way they are now".

[Mr. Ypsi]

Just ran the numbers on the Pool C teams from the North.

(Since SOS is 2/3 OWP and 1/3 OOWP, I took the OWP, doubled it, added the OOWP, then divided by 3 - not exact, since number of games may vary, but should be accurate to within .005.)

IF Wabash beats DePauw, they are probably first at the table due to only 1-loss (and DePauw would raise their SOS above .500), but with a second loss they are dead - lowest SOS of the five contenders in the North (except possibly Ott).  Current SOS = .497; regionally-ranked results = lost to Witt, will play DePauw (but if the LGs win, will DePauw remain regionally ranked?)

NCC currently has the highest SOS (.585), and has a win over Wheaton (but will they remain regionally ranked?), and losses to ONU and IWU.

Wheaton has the second highest SOS (.5833), but lost to both NCC and IWU).

ONU is third in SOS (.5707), beat NCC, and has losses to Ott and MUC.

Ott trails all 2-loss teams in SOS (.502), but beat ONU (and lost to MUC).

Not sure what this all means, but some data for others' consideration.  My guess would be that Wabash is at the table first if they win (and would probably go no later than 3rd or 4th), but is hopeless if they lose.  Assuming everyone else wins, I'll predict the line-up behind (or in front of) them to be ONU, NCC, Wheaton, Ott.

[Ryan Tipps]

My suggested bracket, with Hampden-Sydney moving upto #1 ahead of Wesley, since the Tigers (9-0) beat a common opponent (Salisbury) by 45 points that Wesley (9-0) beat by only 18 points:

1 Hampden-Sydney vs. 8 Johns Hopkins
4 Huntingdon vs. 5 Mississippi College
3 Thomas More  vs. 6 DePauw
2 Wesley vs 7 North Carolina Wesleyan

UMHB flies somewhere else.

I haven't crunched any numbers, but could there be concern of Thomas More leapfrogging Hampden-Sydney if both teams win out?

I ask only becuase Thomas More still has the opportunity to get a win over currently-undefeated MSJ, which also happens to be a regionally ranked team. That would look better than a win over Randolph-Macon (6-3), which is what H-SC is going for.

I guess I'm more wondering about H-SC possibly losing a spot in the final rankings rather than the outside chance of becoming a No. 1 seed.

[Ron Boerger]

Interesting ... the NCAA, for the first time, released the final regional rankings used to make playoff selections in soccer.  Wonder if they will do the same for football or other sports?

[hickory_cornhusker]

Possibly a move to more transparency in the selection process.

[BlueRebel94]

My suggested bracket, with Hampden-Sydney moving upto #1 ahead of Wesley, since the Tigers (9-0) beat a common opponent (Salisbury) by 45 points that Wesley (9-0) beat by only 18 points:

1 Hampden-Sydney vs. 8 Johns Hopkins
4 Huntingdon vs. 5 Mississippi College
3 Thomas More  vs. 6 DePauw
2 Wesley vs 7 North Carolina Wesleyan

UMHB flies somewhere else.

I haven't crunched any numbers, but could there be concern of Thomas More leapfrogging Hampden-Sydney if both teams win out?

I ask only becuase Thomas More still has the opportunity to get a win over currently-undefeated MSJ, which also happens to be a regionally ranked team. That would look better than a win over Randolph-Macon (6-3), which is what H-SC is going for.

I guess I'm more wondering about H-SC possibly losing a spot in the final rankings rather than the outside chance of becoming a No. 1 seed.

I would have to think Thomas More would leap over H-SC due to current strenght of schedule TMC 157, H-SC 213 as well as the upcoming competion MSJ 193 and R-M 221.  From TMC standpoint the question is whether they will be moved to the North because of travel being right outside of Cincinnati, OH.