FB: Southern Athletic Association

[jknezek]

BerryCollegeFan

Waste no time, at least right now trying to figure a first round game. Way too much football to be played and lots can happen to change things around.
In 2013 HSC won the ODAC, had 8-2 record. Everyone was thinking we were on our way to UMU for first round. Many upsets last week of season, HSC ended up hosting first round vs. Maryville and flew to Linfield for second round. My memory is like 11 8-1 teams got beat last week of regular season and that just completed changed everything.

Good luck to you guys going forward. Hope things fall your way, finish 10-0, host 1st round and fingers crossed for second round opponent/venue.

Being an off week for Berry, the conversation is more passing time than anything.  I understand the goals of the NCAA when they set-up the playoffs.  I also know that if more fans attended the playoff games regularly each year, the NCAA would have more flexibility in their travel constraints.  Fans can make a difference.

When the first two rounds are the weekend before and the weekend after Thanksgiving, traditional off times for colleges, there just isn't much to be done about that for colleges that draw from more than a local area.

[tigerFanAlso2]

you are right, but when second round is played during Thanksgiving break with no students on campus, getting a large attendance is hard regardless of venue.

[Pat Coleman]

BerryCollegeFan

Waste no time, at least right now trying to figure a first round game. Way too much football to be played and lots can happen to change things around.
In 2013 HSC won the ODAC, had 8-2 record. Everyone was thinking we were on our way to UMU for first round. Many upsets last week of season, HSC ended up hosting first round vs. Maryville and flew to Linfield for second round. My memory is like 11 8-1 teams got beat last week of regular season and that just completed changed everything.

Good luck to you guys going forward. Hope things fall your way, finish 10-0, host 1st round and fingers crossed for second round opponent/venue.

Being an off week for Berry, the conversation is more passing time than anything.  I understand the goals of the NCAA when they set-up the playoffs.  I also know that if more fans attended the playoff games regularly each year, the NCAA would have more flexibility in their travel constraints.  Fans can make a difference.

I applaud any attempt to get more fans to games. However, higher attendance is not a factor in seeding or awarding home games in the playoffs.

[cover2]

Regional rankings are out:  http://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2018/first-regional-ranking

Regional Rankings:
East Region   SOS   Notes
1 Brockport 8-0
2 Frostburg State 7-0
3 RPI 7-0
4 Delaware Valley 7-1
5 Cortland 7-1
6 Salisbury 8-0
7 Western Connecticut 7-0 +
8 Merchant Marine 6-1
9 Ithaca 6-2
10 Western New England 7-1
       
North Region   SOS    Notes
1 Mount Union 8-0
2 Illinois Wesleyan 7-1
3 John Carroll 7-1
4 Trine 8-0
5 North Central (Ill.) 7-1
6 Baldwin Wallace 7-1
7 Wabash 7-1
8 Wittenberg 7-1
9 Franklin 7-1
10 Eureka 8-0   
     
South Region   SOS   Notes
1 Mary Hardin-Baylor 8-0
2 Berry 9-0
3 Johns Hopkins 7-1
4 Centre 7-1
5 Hardin-Simmons 7-1
6 Muhlenberg 7-1
7 Randolph-Macon 7-1
8 Washington and Jefferson 7-1
9 Case Western Reserve 7-1
10 Thomas More 6-2     
   
West Region   SOS   Notes
1 UW-Whitewater 7-0
2 St. John's  8-0
3 Whitworth 7-0
4 Bethel  7-1
5 Linfield 5-1 -
6 St. Thomas  6-1
7 Monmouth  7-1
8 UW-Oshkosh 4-2 +-
9 Simpson 6-2
10 UW-La Crosse 5-2 -

[cover2]

Curious how folks think Berry would match up with UMHB.  Any thoughts?

[jamtod]

Curious how folks think Berry would match up with UMHB.  Any thoughts?

St Thomas beat Berry 29-13 last year, and then lost to UMHB 24-10 so I guess you could extrapolate something from that. Although the transitive property has its limits and this year's teams are not the same as last year's.

[BerryViking92]

Curious how folks think Berry would match up with UMHB.  Any thoughts?

We are good and getting better.  But is only year six. I prefer to avoid UMHB for a few more years.....

[jknezek]

My thoughts, from having watched a lot of DIII football over the years, is that Berry is not in that rarefied air that can compete with UMHB. No shame in that, there aren't more than 2 or 3 teams in DIII that probably can. So if I was setting the line, I'd say Berry +21.5 ...

[HSUCowboy2015]

Curious how folks think Berry would match up with UMHB.  Any thoughts?

I posted this in the ASC board, but thought you'd see it easier here..

I don't know much about Berry, but what to expect with UMHB is a very talented group. The defense is salty, defensive line is strong and controls the line of scrimmage. A weakness would be their LB group, but I say weakness hesitantly because it is still a strong group. The DB's are also a strength, tall, lanky, and fast. It is very hard to let alone move the ball on them much less putting points on the board. Offensively, very different than years past as they are a dual threat. You can't just stack up the box and stop Miller. If you do that they have receivers that are quick and get open consistently. As we've all been reading, they have a QB "controversy", but any of their guys can perform at a high level. If you don't have much familiarity with them, I don't see any team having a shot to beat them.

[MUC57]

HSUAlum255

Even Mount Union?

[Ron Boerger]

UMHB is consistently one of the top 2-4 teams in the country.   The talent level they have for D3 is obscene.   Berry is a very good Division III football team but not at that level.  One way to compare:  Berry had to go to OT to beat Centre (a good team with a good chance for a Pool C bid) and Millsaps (a decent but not outstanding team).   Compare that to what UMHB did in a deeper conference to their Top 10 Pool C-possible opponent, Hardin-Simmons (26-0) and third-place team, TLU (47-14).

[HSUCowboy2015]

HSUAlum255

Even Mount Union?

I put Mount in the category with having familiarity with UMHB. I mean y'all have faced them a numerous number of times now. The players may changes, but schemes hardly do at UMHB. That goes as a compliment to them, because they are so dominate, yes even to my Cowboys. UMHB and Mount are my picks to go to the Stagg this year, I have Mount winning it again, but not by double digits.

[SaintsFAN]

UMHB is consistently one of the top 2-4 teams in the country.   The talent level they have for D3 is obscene.   Berry is a very good Division III football team but not at that level.  One way to compare:  Berry had to go to OT to beat Centre (a good team with a good chance for a Pool C bid) and Millsaps (a decent but not outstanding team).   Compare that to what UMHB did in a deeper conference to their Top 10 Pool C-possible opponent, Hardin-Simmons (26-0) and third-place team, TLU (47-14).

In 2010, we alums thought Thomas More ready to "break through" having lost on a last second 50 yard FG to JHU in Round 2 in 2009 -  and having been to the playoffs in both 2008 and 2009. 

So the 2010 TMU team went undefeated through the first 11 games including a 49-14 blowout of ODAC Champion, Washington and Lee.

Then came a second round game AT Mary-Hardin Baylor, before they built the altar de los D3Football.   UMHB fumbled on their first offensive play of the game but still found a way to lead 38-0 at halftime on their way to a 69-7 monkeystomping. 

Their level of athlete was and is pretty incredible.  It forced Thomas More to recruit better... and the program got much better... but still nowhere close to a breakthrough against a UMHB, Mount Union, Whitewater, Saint Johns/St Thomas, Linfield. 

You beat one of those schools and you've officially arrived.  UMHB has earned their lofty #1 or #2 ranking (they are interchangeable with Mount Union, QB issues notwithstanding). 

I remember saying to Pat during the 2016 Stagg Bowl that UMHB seems like they have 13 players on the field on defense.  Speed kills.  Yeah.. they won't wish they had different LBs, unless they play Mount Union.. (MAYBE).

[BerryCollegeFan]

Regional rankings are out:  http://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2018/first-regional-ranking

Regional Rankings:
     
South Region   SOS   Notes
1 Mary Hardin-Baylor 8-0
2 Berry 9-0
3 Johns Hopkins 7-1
4 Centre 7-1
5 Hardin-Simmons 7-1
6 Muhlenberg 7-1
7 Randolph-Macon 7-1
8 Washington and Jefferson 7-1
9 Case Western Reserve 7-1
10 Thomas More 6-2     
   

There is much respect for SAA in these rankings.  Centre being at 4 is a few points higher than I thought they might be.  I guess if Berry can maintain the #2 rank they would have a good possibility of a 2nd round host?  Just keep winning.

[BerryCollegeFan]

BerryCollegeFan

Waste no time, at least right now trying to figure a first round game. Way too much football to be played and lots can happen to change things around.
In 2013 HSC won the ODAC, had 8-2 record. Everyone was thinking we were on our way to UMU for first round. Many upsets last week of season, HSC ended up hosting first round vs. Maryville and flew to Linfield for second round. My memory is like 11 8-1 teams got beat last week of regular season and that just completed changed everything.

Good luck to you guys going forward. Hope things fall your way, finish 10-0, host 1st round and fingers crossed for second round opponent/venue.

Being an off week for Berry, the conversation is more passing time than anything.  I understand the goals of the NCAA when they set-up the playoffs.  I also know that if more fans attended the playoff games regularly each year, the NCAA would have more flexibility in their travel constraints.  Fans can make a difference.

I applaud any attempt to get more fans to games. However, higher attendance is not a factor in seeding or awarding home games in the playoffs.

I was thinking of higher playoff gate revenues = more money to travel teams.