Pool C

[Pat Coleman]

Haven't they done that before, though, Dan?

[DanPadavona]

Yes but wasn't the last time a rather "special" circumstance, where it came down to a 1-loss St John's team vs a 1-loss Cortland team?  As much as I hated the decision, I didn't think it was the wrong one.  I don't see a traditional 1-loss power with a recent NCAA championship sitting on the bubble competing with the NJAC in 2010.

[rams1102]

It won't be politics Rams.  It is what it is.  Only 32 teams get in and if you don't run the table, you are behind the 8-ball and we all know this. 

I'm starting to think the NJAC may get all 3 in.  The H-S loss was important to the Pool C contestants.  And if you look at the Eastern Pool C possibilities...

NEFC - best 2nd place team has 2 losses
E8 - Two teams with 2 losses
LL - RPI has 3 losses
MAC - Three teams with 4 losses

None of those conferences are getting a Pool C consideration unless by some shock Springfield or Fisher slips in with 2 losses.  Which leaves only the NJAC with Eastern Pool C considerations.  And yes Pool C is a national pool, but I don't think the NCAA is going to send only 5 or 6 Eastern teams to the dance and say forget the rest.

Two things, Montclair should be the Pool C because of H2H. If not, yes it is politics and with the H-S loss anything is possible.

[hazzben]

Will the fact GAC and Carleton postponed have any significant effect on Bethel's SOS?
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East getting two wouldn't be crazy, but 1 conference getting 3 would be tougher. Especially when they'll be up against 1 loss teams who lost to unbeaten and highly ranked opponents. It could happen, but if it does, it would seem more like the committee didn't want to make the tough choice between the two. Not saying they aren't deserving, there will be several very good teams left at home next week.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A question that occurred to me with two games in Minnesota having to be re-scheduled for tomorrow due to near-blizzard conditions.  Fortunately, none of the teams were relevant for playoff consideration.  But what does the committee do if one or more IS in the mix for pool B or C consideration?

[smedindy]

Shall we play the game. Let's look at the last regional rankings:

1. Delaware Valley
2. Rowan
3. Montclair State
4. Cortland State
5. SUNY-Maritime
6. Maine Maritime
7. Alfred
8. Springfield
9. St. John Fisher
10. Endicott


North Region
1. Mount Union
2. North Central (Ill.)
3. Wheaton (Ill.)
4. Ohio Northern
5. Wittenberg
6. Trine
7. Franklin
8. Illinois Wesleyan
9. Baldwin-Wallace
10. Wabash


South Region
1. Wesley
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor
3. DePauw
4. Thomas More
5. Hardin-Simmons
6. Washington and Lee
7. Hampden-Sydney
8. Salisbury
9. Muhlenberg
10. Ursinus

West Region
1. St. Thomas
2. UW-Whitewater
3. Wartburg
4. Cal Lutheran
5. Coe
6. Bethel
7. Linfield
8. Pacific Lutheran
9. Redlands
10. Central

So the "C" candidates from this list are:

Rowan
Montclair
Maine Maritime
Springfield
St. John Fisher (SUNY Maritime is a B)

Wheaton
Ohio Northern
Illinois Wesleyan
Baldwin Wallace
Wabash

Hardin-Simmons
Hampden - Sydney
Ursinus (Wesley and Salisbury would be B's)

Coe
Bethel
PLU
Redlands
Central

The teams in SOS ranking are:

Illinois Wesleyan (7-3) - 12
Wabash (8-1) - 15
Wheaton (9-1) - 16
St. John Fisher (7-2) - 23
Hampden Sydney (9-1) - 34
Springfield (8-2) - 59
Hardin - Simmons (8-2) - 66
Redlands (8-1) - 69
Baldwin Wallace (7-3) - 82
Ohio Northern (8-1) - 91
Bethel (9-1) - 107
Central (8-2) - 111
Rowan (9-1) - 115
Ursinus (8-2) - 116
Coe (7-1) - 135
Montclair (9-1) - 136
PLU (7-1) - 144
Maine Maritime (8-2) - 171

IWU and B-W are out as three loss teams. Maine Maritime, Ursinus, Central out as two loss teams with low SOS.

So that leaves 13 teams for six spots:

One loss teams:

Wabash
Wheaton
Hampden Sydney
Redlands
Ohio Northern
Montclair State
Bethel
Rowan
Coe
PLU

Two loss high SOS teams:

St. John Fisher
Springfield
Hardin Simmons

If going by the Top 25 and regional rankings all season and not the SOS, it may be a no brainer:

Ohio Northern, Bethel, Wheaton, Hampden Sydney, Hardin Simmons, and either Montclair State or Rowan.

But Wabash's SOS snuck up there with Wooster, Allegheny, Wittenberg, Chicago and DPU's successes.

Wabash has a legitimate chance. I know there will be someone crying tomorrow. Well, a few, because there is a big ol' C logjam.

[Pat Coleman]

A question that occurred to me with two games in Minnesota having to be re-scheduled for tomorrow due to near-blizzard conditions.  Fortunately, none of the teams were relevant for playoff consideration.  But what does the committee do if one or more IS in the mix for pool B or C consideration?

There's a cutoff for results to be considered for playoffs. I would hope those schools would have tried harder to play if it came up.

[hazzben]

I don't see Wabash. SOS is just 1 criteria.

There are at least 2 pool C teams in the North that have to come off the board before them, and that's assuming they jump a few teams in the final ranking.

They'll still be ranked very low in their region and they have no wins over a ranked regional opponent and 1 bad loss.

Very good team, but IMHO, several with better criteria get the final spots.

[Pat Coleman]

hazzben: Wabash has a win against DePauw at the very least, and with the way the North went today, Chicago could be a regionally ranked team as well.

New poll on the front: If these were the last Pool C teams on the board, who'd you pick?

[MasterJedi]

1. Coe
2. Wabash

I didn't consider the other two at all.

[labart96]

For the second year in a row, we'll have Dr. Joy Solomen, Chair of the tournament selection committee on ITH tomorrow night - shows starts at 7:30 PM ET. 

Please post your questions here once the selections have been made so we can work them into our interview accordingly (we'll have plenty of our own, but always open to input).

You can tune into ITH - www.inthehuddLLe.com - to hear the interview with Dr. Solomen.

[Pat Coleman]

Our projections: http://d3blogs.com/d3football/2010/11/14/our-final-playoff-projection/

[Mr. Ypsi]

Love the heading/disclaimer for the projected bracket:

"This is only a projection.  If it were an actual NCAA bracket, it would make less sense."

Absolutely perfect!

[LC_Cat-Backer]

So there is just no way Louisiana College gets in guys?? How does the committee view LC, as a 7-3 team with loss to a NAIA school or a 6-2 team with losses to UMHB and Huntington?

[Pat Coleman]

Backer, honestly, it's probably a little bit of both. But they're not going up against any teams with two in-region losses in our final analysis.

http://d3blogs.com/d3football/2010/11/14/our-final-playoff-projection/