2012 Playoffs: Bracket Reactions & more

[redlands94]

University of Redlands Class of 2002 here just want to wish Cal Lu good luck in the playoffs.  Home playoff game to boot that is awesome!! Do the SCIAC proud I know you will!!  We are Rivals but in the playoffs its all about the SCIAC!!

[K-Mack]

University of Redlands Class of 2002 here just want to wish Cal Lu good luck in the playoffs.  Home playoff game to boot that is awesome!! Do the SCIAC proud I know you will!!  We are Rivals but in the playoffs its all about the SCIAC!!

+1 K

sorry about the score, ExTartan.

[ExTartanPlayer]

On a serious note, Keith, it raises a good point that we should all keep in mind: we can wring our hands all we want about whether it's fair that Team X got a home game, or that Team Y and Team Z have to play in the round of 16...but the truth is that NOBODY can hide for long in the playoffs. There is a national elite class that probably includes 6-8 teams in any given year, plus a second echelon of 6-8 more teams that MIGHT be able to step up in class and beat one of the elites on the right day...and if you're not one of them, your day of reckoning is coming, and soon!

[Ron Boerger]

... but give thanks for playing, no matter the result, because there are 200 other teams who would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

[Pat Coleman]

A note for this group -- the annual bracket challenge is open:
http://www.d3photography.com/bracket_challenge/

[jmw73]

I guess my alma mater, Cortland State, got the short end of the stick! Should they survive Framingham State, they get Wesley, Mary Hardin-Baylor, then Mount Union all in a row just to make to Virginia!

BTW, if Cortland and Wesley advance, who's home?

You'd rather go through UW-Oshkosh and Linfield and St. Thomas?

Not trying to belittle your statements, but your first-round game is about as favorable as you can ask for, and the playoffs are about great teams beating other great teams. Nobody wins a Stagg Bowl by beating only cupcakes.

But what about my question at the end? No one answered it. If Cortland and Wesley both win, who would hose who on the Saturday after Thanksgiving?

[pg04]

I guess my alma mater, Cortland State, got the short end of the stick! Should they survive Framingham State, they get Wesley, Mary Hardin-Baylor, then Mount Union all in a row just to make to Virginia!

BTW, if Cortland and Wesley advance, who's home?

You'd rather go through UW-Oshkosh and Linfield and St. Thomas?

Not trying to belittle your statements, but your first-round game is about as favorable as you can ask for, and the playoffs are about great teams beating other great teams. Nobody wins a Stagg Bowl by beating only cupcakes.

But what about my question at the end? No one answered it. If Cortland and Wesley both win, who would hose who on the Saturday after Thanksgiving?

Read more carefully:

It would be Wesley, barring something unusual happening this weekend.

[K-Mack]

On a serious note, Keith, it raises a good point that we should all keep in mind: we can wring our hands all we want about whether it's fair that Team X got a home game, or that Team Y and Team Z have to play in the round of 16...but the truth is that NOBODY can hide for long in the playoffs. There is a national elite class that probably includes 6-8 teams in any given year, plus a second echelon of 6-8 more teams that MIGHT be able to step up in class and beat one of the elites on the right day...and if you're not one of them, your day of reckoning is coming, and soon!

Gordon Mann once, perhaps somewhere on these boards, wrote it up eloquently in terms of tiers ... that occasionally, as you note, a team jumps tiers, but only slowly over time does a team permanently move more than one tier, and even then almost never. Maybe the MIAC champ changes, and whoever wins it is elite, but very few teams can break through from what it takes to win in late November to what it takes to win in December.

[bluenote]

+K K-Mack....was nice to meet you at the CatDome in 2005.   

[K-Mack]

+K K-Mack....was nice to meet you at the CatDome in 2005.   

I've seen a couple names on these boards today that I haven't in years (mostly because I stay too busy to log on much anymore), and yours is one. Sakman1111 is another.

[bluenote]

Ya K-Mack....I talked to you at the Linfield Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers game! at the CatDome....Pat was there too.       we squeaked it out! LOL!

....actually the Cobbers had a gosh darn good team that year. They had an All- League QB and Running Back plus 2 very good receivers! We were actually lucky to win that game!!!

[Pat Coleman]

Ya K-Mack....I talked to you at the Linfield Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers game! at the CatDome....Pat was there too.       we squeaked it out! LOL!

....actually the Cobbers had a gosh darn good team that year. They had an All- League QB and Running Back plus 2 very good receivers! We were actually lucky to win that game!!!

We were there for Hardin-Simmons in September 2007.

[K-Mack]

Capsules up:

http://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2012/bracket-umhb

[wally_wabash]

Love the capsules.  I love them better when Wabash gets profiled.   

I know the super juicy games come next weekend, but there are some really good games this weekend.  The few that have more of my interest than others are..

North Central @ CLU - This may be a pretty unpopular opinion, but I kind of think North Central has way more benefit of the doubt capital than they've really earned.  I know they aren't thrilled about being the team that got singled out to fly in round 1, but I think they should really embrace the opportunity.  This right here is the road that North Central can go through to finally validate all of the "next big thing" talk that has circled that team for the last few years. 

Witt @ Heidelberg - Here's the best non-Mount Union game for Heidelberg this year.  Probably the best team Witt has seen as well.  A little bit of NCAC/OAC pride going on here as well.  My sense is that Heidelberg is the better side, but when Wittenberg gets that offense clicking they can beat some good teams. 

W&J @ Hopkins - If you don't have another horse amongst the 32 teams, hard not to be pulling for the Presidents to make a run. 

Also would have loved to see Louisiana College separated from UMHB, but I think we knew better. 

[smedindy]

I'd love to see how PLU matches with Linfield in the rematch. I have Linfield going all the way (yes, picking a perceived upset) but rematches can be topsy-turvy.