FB: Southern Athletic Association

[Pat Coleman]

So, after much prodding from Dave McHugh, the folks in Indy finally determined today that neither the SAA nor the MASCAC have an AQ in 2014. The reason why the SAA clock didn't start in 2012 when they had five teams, the NCAA said, was because the five is only relevant for a conference that had an automatic bid and lost it because of membership changes. So the SAA needs to have two years with seven teams first, and then will get an AQ in 2015.

Not how I thought it would go down after I rethought it the past few weeks, but it is what I was thinking in July and August so ... yeah, there's that. So I have 24 AQs, 2 B's and 6 C's.

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks. Now we can have a Pool B watch that is accurate.

[Just A Guy]

Regional Rankings:

1 Mary Hardin-Baylor 8-0 8-0
2 Wesley 5-0 9-0
3 Johns Hopkins 8-0 8-0
4 Washington & Jefferson 8-0 8-0
T5 Texas Lutheran 6-1 7-1
T5 Centre 8-0 8-0
7 Muhlenberg 7-1 7-1
8 Thomas More 7-2 7-2
9 Hampden-Sydney 6-2 6-2
10 Hardin-Simmons 3-2 5-2

Centre has a fairly low strength of schedule that won't get much better the final two weeks, so they may be locked in behind TLU, if both teams win out. ... Muhlenberg being so far down leaves it unlikely the Centennial will get two teams in.

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

[umhb2001]

Regional Rankings:

1 Mary Hardin-Baylor 8-0 8-0
2 Wesley 5-0 9-0
3 Johns Hopkins 8-0 8-0
4 Washington & Jefferson 8-0 8-0
T5 Texas Lutheran 6-1 7-1
T5 Centre 8-0 8-0
7 Muhlenberg 7-1 7-1
8 Thomas More 7-2 7-2
9 Hampden-Sydney 6-2 6-2
10 Hardin-Simmons 3-2 5-2

Centre has a fairly low strength of schedule that won't get much better the final two weeks, so they may be locked in behind TLU, if both teams win out. ... Muhlenberg being so far down leaves it unlikely the Centennial will get two teams in.

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

Seems plausible. I was very surprised to see TLU's position. But, they have a respectable SOS.

[Pat Coleman]

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

In my opinion, no. No unbeaten team has been left home in the expanded playoffs era, regardless of strength of schedule.

(Obvious NESCAC caveat.)

[Just A Guy]

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

In my opinion, no. No unbeaten team has been left home in the expanded playoffs era, regardless of strength of schedule.

(Obvious NESCAC caveat.)

Thank you Pat.....

[awadelewis]

Article today on deadspin.com about Sewanee's football program:
http://deadspin.com/the-future-of-college-football-is-the-university-of-1651204084

[GillCJ1]

Article today on deadspin.com about Sewanee's football program:
http://deadspin.com/the-future-of-college-football-is-the-university-of-1651204084

Great article.  It reminds me why I'm a fan of DIII football.

[SaintsFAN]

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

In my opinion, no. No unbeaten team has been left home in the expanded playoffs era, regardless of strength of schedule.

(Obvious NESCAC caveat.)

Now what do you think, Pat??  I can't fathom a 10-0 team staying home but looks like this year may shake out to be that way.  ALOT can change between now and Sunday afternoon but if things hold true to what Greg is projecting on the front page..

[jknezek]

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

In my opinion, no. No unbeaten team has been left home in the expanded playoffs era, regardless of strength of schedule.

(Obvious NESCAC caveat.)

Now what do you think, Pat??  I can't fathom a 10-0 team staying home but looks like this year may shake out to be that way.  ALOT can change between now and Sunday afternoon but if things hold true to what Greg is projecting on the front page..

I just posted on this in the Pool C area. It is really irritating me.

[SaintsFAN]

Is it possible that Centre doesn't make the Playoffs if they win out?

In my opinion, no. No unbeaten team has been left home in the expanded playoffs era, regardless of strength of schedule.

(Obvious NESCAC caveat.)

Now what do you think, Pat??  I can't fathom a 10-0 team staying home but looks like this year may shake out to be that way.  ALOT can change between now and Sunday afternoon but if things hold true to what Greg is projecting on the front page..

I just posted on this in the Pool C area. It is really irritating me.

Yeah, seems like the RAC in the South has gone out of their way to move Centre behind the Mules this week, I guess to prove a point about TLU being the 2nd Pool B team?  I got nothing logical on this front.  I thought they were a lock for the 2nd Pool B slot at 10-0.

[jknezek]

I would have assumed so too. I don't get it. Fine, TLU has probably played a better schedule excluding UMHB and you want to reward them for scheduling UMHB. I somewhat see the point, even if I don't agree. But the CC is not the ASC (which TLU essentially played). JHU is not UMHB. And Muhlenberg didn't volunteer to play JHU, they are conference games. Short of blowing up their whole athletic affiliation they HAD to play JHU. Why reward them over an undefeated team?

Plus I just feel bad for Centre. It's not like they purposely scheduled garbage teams, they just got shafted in the non-conf games they did schedule didn't pan out. Ridiculous. Let's punish Centre because they didn't have a good crystal ball and they are a year away from having an AQ.

The more I think about it I've moved beyond irritated. Surprising since I have no affiliation with Centre other than they are a W&L rival (and W&L failed them miserably this year).

[Ron Boerger]

I'd be more inclined to rank TLU over Centre if their result against UMHB wasn't a 56-point loss.   Yes, I do know how hard it is to play in Belton and get a decent result, having see my alma mater lose by 42 there last year ... but said alma mater was a .500 team, not one in the playoff mix.

[jknezek]

I'd be more inclined to rank TLU over Centre if their result against UMHB wasn't a 56-point loss.   Yes, I do know how hard it is to play in Belton and get a decent result, having see my alma mater lose by 42 there last year ... but said alma mater was a .500 team, not one in the playoff mix.

Oh I agree. I think TLU ahead of Centre is also stupid. Plus the game wasn't in Belton. It was at TLU. But at least you can make a case for TLU, especially with HSU sneaking into the rankings. But I can't come up with a legitimate case for rewarding Muhlenberg over Centre.

[SaintsFAN]

I'd be more inclined to rank TLU over Centre if their result against UMHB wasn't a 56-point loss.   Yes, I do know how hard it is to play in Belton and get a decent result, having see my alma mater lose by 42 there last year ... but said alma mater was a .500 team, not one in the playoff mix.

THIS.  This is my point about TLU -- a team that loses by 56 to ANYONE should not be considered over a team that (presumably) goes undefeated.  Centre should be ranked above them.  Period.  And to split the tie from last week by moving Muhlenberg up into the tie makes absolutely no sense with nothing significantly changing from last week. 

Undefeated against any schedule is not as easy as teams like Mount Union makes it look to be. 

I'm not a Centre College supporter, either.  Though I would love to see them replace Hanover on Thomas More's schedule in the future.