Official 2010 PLAYOFFS reaction thread

[Ralph Turner]

How about this concept of non-conference in-region games...

You must not count on Pool C.  Pool C gives 6 lucky teams a "do-over".

You win your conference.

If you have a strong in-conference in-region record, then you are competing for a playoff home game, or two or three.

We have seen it March Madness.  The last at-large team in the field of 65 was usually a #12 seed.  The Big Dance has 16-18 conference Pool A's that are first round fodder.  How many of you have had your bracket totally messed up by a #13 or #14 seed?

Let's leave that aspect in our D-III football playoffs.

(Remember in the 2007 North Carolina Wesleyan team, a #8 seed that beat #1 W&J?)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph, not to mention just two years ago when a #7(?) Wheaton team won  the "north".

True, they were a pool C, but if my memory is correct, they beat a #6 pool A Franklin team in the regional finals!   [They beat Trine, Wabash, and Franklin all in Indiana (I've joked about getting Mt. Union transferred to Indiana for the next game ), in that order, but I can't recall the seeds.]

[Toby Taff]

How about this concept of non-conference in-region games...

You must not count on Pool C.  Pool C gives 6 lucky teams a "do-over".

You win your conference.

If you have a strong in-conference in-region record, then you are competing for a playoff home game, or two or three.

We have seen it March Madness.  The last at-large team in the field of 65 was usually a #12 seed.  The Big Dance has 16-18 conference Pool A's that are first round fodder.  How many of you have had your bracket totally messed up by a #13 or #14 seed?

Let's leave that aspect in our D-III football playoffs.

(Remember in the 2007 North Carolina Wesleyan team, a #8 seed that beat #1 W&J?)

And then promptly got treated like a #8 in Belton in one seriously miserable day.  not only did they get beat 64-0, but it was pouring and sleeting with a strong north wind and in the mid 30's and they had no cold weather gear.  I felt horrible for them.  I wish people would realize that in November and December in Texas it does get cold and it is a different kind of cold.

[HScoach]

^Taking nothing away from NCW, but the real problem was the NCAA selection of W&J as #1 seed.  The Presidents should be the poster child for strength of schedule being a big factor in the selection and seeding. 

[Ralph Turner]

I shared this with another poster about Pool B.


I think that we have 6 Pool C bids for the near future.

Let's look at the composition of Pool B in 2010.

Midwest independents have consolidated into the UMAC.  That takes 9 schools out of the Pool B in 2011.

The ECFC has consolidated a bunch of a east region independents.  That removes 8 schools from Pool B, and looks like a home for any other East region school who wants to add football.

To stay out of Pool B, the Empire 8 has accepted two state schools from Maryland, Salisbury and Frostburg State as affiliate members in 2011.

Stevenson has accepted an affiliation with the MAC.

I think that the GSAC men will affiliate with the USA South when Shenandoah moves to the ODAC.  The USA South only has, at most, 6 members in all sports.  An affiliation agreement by the USA South with the GSAC will move Huntingdon and LaGrange out of Pool B into a Pool A conference.

Pool B is left with 7 or 8 teams.  That is below the access ratio, which is truncated.  Will there even be a Pool B bid, if the access ratio is greater than 8 at sometime in the future.  There will need to be 17 teams for there to be 2 Pool B bids.

East Region -- none

South Region -- (3) Wesley;  Carnegie Mellon, Wash U StLouis (UAA)

North Region -- (2 or 3) Chicago, Case Western Reserve (UAA), (Finlandia in 2012).

West Region -- (2) Macalester, Chapman

There just aren't any conferences out there to get another Pool A bid, unless the UAA wants to restructure its arrangement with the NCAC.  Seven schools could stay in the NCAC and preserve a bid and allow three NCAC schools to affiliate with the UAA. (In fact, the agreement might involve a rotating affiliation so a different group of schools from the NCAC compete in the UAA.)

The Capital AC will have these football playing members in 2011.

Wesley -- independent
Salisbury, Frostburg St -- Empire 8 affiliates
Stevenson -- MAC affiliate

(CNU might move to the Capital AC in all sports except football, until there are 7 football playing schools that can come under the Capital AC auspices for an AQ.)

[Ralph Turner]

...And then promptly got treated like a #8 in Belton in one seriously miserable day.  not only did they get beat 64-0, but it was pouring and sleeting with a strong north wind and in the mid 30's and they had no cold weather gear.  I felt horrible for them.  I wish people would realize that in November and December in Texas it does get cold and it is a different kind of cold.

I agree.  IMHO, 35 degrees, windy and wet, is much worse and 10 degrees and dry!

[skunks_sidekick]

Ralph...I marvel at your concise consideration of the relevent facts, and your passion for D-III football.

So has Coach Mumme shown a "bad side" yet, or has he embraced the D-III culture?

Thanks for your contributions....

[Toby Taff]

Ralph...I marvel at your concise consideration of the relevent facts, and your passion for D-III football.

So has Coach Mumme shown a "bad side" yet, or has he embraced the D-III culture?

Thanks for your contributions....

according to the HSU fans he has been a little salty on the sidelines. 
I can say that what I have observed listening to his weekly radio show , watching McM sports and the tv show they put out, he seems to have embraced the D3 mindset.  he's visible in the community.  he stumps for the school not just the program.  he emphasizes the "student athlete" theme when talking publicly.  I've been pretty impressed.  to hear him tell it on the radio, he also seems to like the pace of d3 life.

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph...I marvel at your concise consideration of the relevent facts, and your passion for D-III football.

So has Coach Mumme shown a "bad side" yet, or has he embraced the D-III culture?

Thanks for your contributions....

Thanks, skunks.  +1! 

We are privileged to have two of the finest coaches in the American football.

Joe Lee Dunn is the Defensive Coordinator at McMurry.  McMurry led the ASC in team defense and permitted the fewest TD's (22) in the conference this season.  This is a tremendous turnaround in 2 seasons.

Dunn is the creator of his version of the 3-3-5 which he created at Memphis State in 1991 in preparation for a game against Southern Cal.  Memphis State upset USC 24-10.  You can google his name to find the background of that defense.

Joe Lee Dunn link  and here.

[K-Mack]

I like the pool A.  It rewards teams that win their conference.  IF you're going to have conferences then you need the pool A bids. If you want to subjectively say "these are the best 32 in the land" then do it and call it something other than a national championship, because "national championship" suggests that all teams at least start with an equal shot.  That's why I hate the BCS.  It's why I love March madness.  You win the conference you get in, you don't you might get left out regardless of your merit.  CNU got crushed yesterday but they earned the right to be there.  The day D3 just "chooses the top 32" is the day I walk away from D3 football.

I'm pretty close to where you are Toby, although I'd be willing to consider replacing 5-5 Pool A teams with 9-1 Pool C teams. But I think the conference gives every team something truly acheivable to play for and to aim for, and by extension, it's a true national championship.

I come from the 90s in D3 where they thought the SCIAC and HCAC and ODAC were inferior and without the AQ we would never have had Bridgewater '01 or Oxy '04 or Franklin '08. There are upsets and intrigue, especially in Rounds 2 and 3 where I think the best (most competitive) games tend to be ...

But even if the same teams keep winning, they do it on the field in a field that was open to everyone in D3 and there are no doubts about who earned it and how.

Even if they do switch the system people will just whine about that. I'm more convinced than ever that nothing will satisfy everyone, and wherever the bubble is, the teams on the wrong side of it will believe they got shafted rather than point at what they failed to do to earn access.

[CrashDavisD3]

How about this concept of non-conference in-region games...

You must not count on Pool C.  Pool C gives 6 lucky teams a "do-over".

You win your conference.

If you have a strong in-conference in-region record, then you are competing for a playoff home game, or two or three.

We have seen it March Madness.  The last at-large team in the field of 65 was usually a #12 seed.  The Big Dance has 16-18 conference Pool A's that are first round fodder.  How many of you have had your bracket totally messed up by a #13 or #14 seed?

Let's leave that aspect in our D-III football playoffs.

(Remember in the 2007 North Carolina Wesleyan team, a #8 seed that beat #1 W&J?)

+K

[CrashDavisD3]

Who is left from Top 25 11/23/2010
1   UW-Whitewater
2   Mount Union
3   Wesley   
4   St. Thomas   
5   North Central (Ill.)   
6   Mary Hardin-Baylor   
7   Ohio Northern   
8   Linfield   
9   Wittenberg   
10   Thomas More   
11   Wartburg   
12   Trine   
13   Coe   
14   Bethel   
15   Wheaton (Ill.)   
16   Cal Lutheran   
17   Pacific Lutheran   
18   Delaware Valley   
19   Hardin-Simmons   
20   Cortland State   
21   Montclair State   
22   Rowan   
23   Hampden-Sydney      
24   Franklin   
25   Wabash   

[Ralph Turner]

Who is left from Top 25 11/23/2010
1   UW-Whitewater
2   Mount Union
3   Wesley   
4   St. Thomas   
5   North Central (Ill.)   
6   Mary Hardin-Baylor   
7   Ohio Northern   
8   Linfield   
9   Wittenberg   
10   Thomas More   
11   Wartburg   
12   Trine   
13   Coe   
14   Bethel   
15   Wheaton (Ill.)   
16   Cal Lutheran   
17   Pacific Lutheran   
18   Delaware Valley   
19   Hardin-Simmons   
20   Cortland State   
21   Montclair State   
22   Rowan   
23   Hampden-Sydney      
24   Franklin   
25   Wabash   

There are 15 left in the Top 25.
The only unranked team left is Alfred, which plays Cortland State.

[AUKaz00]

There are 15 left in the Top 25.
The only unranked team left is Alfred, which plays Cortland State.

We love our Rodney Dangerfield label here in Mayberry.  Why spoil that with a Top 25 ranking?

[retagent]

Let's hope that all the MIAC doubters are enjoying their crow. Shall we again bring up the topic of St John's being over rated? Since two of their losses came to final Eight teams by 3, and in OT, maybe not.