Playoffs 2013

[smedindy]

Ralph,

I wasn't commenting on your rant, just the notion that TLU pulled out solely because they wanted to avoid UMHB in football.

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph,

I wasn't commenting on your rant, just the notion that TLU pulled out solely because they wanted to avoid UMHB in football.

Yes, and thank you for correctly parsing my post.     +1!

[jknezek]

I feel worse for Rhodes than I do TLU. The only reason the SAA winner didn't get a playoff invite is because they are a year away. Rhodes had quality wins, Millsaps, Centre, and Chicago, and lost two games by 4 points total, including a game to a playoff team. Granted the loss to BSC is a little ugly, but a road OT loss to a .500 team by a failed 2pt conversion is a heck of a lot more sympathetic than a 30+ pt loss to an under .500 team. 1-1 against RR teams is playoff worthy as well.

Oh well, the SAA knew the drill when they gave up the A for a few years. Still, if any team deserves sympathy, it's probably Rhodes who was the only 7 or more team conference champion not to go to the playoffs.

[HScoach]

I know I'm probably being way too impatient but do we have an ETA on the playoff capsules yet?

ETA?

[retagent]

Don't you ever fly? Estimated Time of Arrival.

[ADL70]

I'm sure he knows what it means.  Three days later he's asking for an update.

[art76]

They're on the site now.

[ITH radio]

What do you think are the best Rd 1 match ups by bracket?

Here's an initial pass:

UWW bracket
PLU @ Linfield

UMHB bracket
Fisher @ JCU

Bethel bracket
Concordia @ UWP

UMU bracket
Wesley @ JHU

[Craft_Beermeister]

The number of combined National Championships per bracket this year are

UMHB bracket              0
Bethel bracket             1
Whitewater bracket     6
Mount Union bracket   16

[hazzben]

What do you think are the best Rd 1 match ups by bracket?

Here's an initial pass:

UWW bracket
PLU @ Linfield

UMHB bracket
Fisher @ JCU

Bethel bracket
Concordia @ UWP

UMU bracket
Wesley @ JHU

One of these things is not like the other...can you spot it?

I just don't see Concordia giving UWP any sort of challenge. The other 3 are all intriguing. But I think Wesley v. JHU would be my pick.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

What do you think are the best Rd 1 match ups by bracket?

Here's an initial pass:

UWW bracket
PLU @ Linfield

UMHB bracket
Fisher @ JCU

Bethel bracket
Concordia @ UWP

UMU bracket
Wesley @ JHU

Assuming by best you mean closest/exciting I'd have to go with
UWW bracket: Maryville @ Hampden-Sydney (with WashU-Franklin a close 2nd)
UMHB bracket: Endicott @ Rowan (with SJF-JCU 2nd)
Bethel bracket: Wartburg @ IWU (none of the others will be close)
UMU bracket: Wesley @ JHU (Framingham-Ithaca a close 2nd)

[HScoach]

The number of combined National Championships per bracket this year are

UMHB bracket              0
Bethel bracket             1
Whitewater bracket     6
Mount Union bracket   16

Interesting way of looking at it.   And it isn't just Mount and UWW carrying all the numbers.   Remove both of their titles from the count and their brackets have the most, albeit by a much smaller margin, but still the most:

UMHB bracket                               0
Bethel bracket                              1
Whitewater bracket  (w/o UWW)    2
Mount Union bracket  (w/o MTU)    5

[K-Mack]

All the posts this week are interesting. I back ExTartan's thesis statement that TLU had no margin for error with the schedule it assembled. The SAA, as j said, knew what it was giving up.

I feel bad for the players who don't get to experience it, but not the schools who made their own playoff beds. It's good though, for the excitement of the playoffs, that supply is greater than demand. Weird as this sounds, teams not getting in make the desire to and reward of getting in even sweeter.

Definitely IWU-Wartburg. I think the second round in that bracket has the potential to be outstanding.

Off topic, I wonder what Midwestern ECACish games would look like.

[smedindy]

I don't think the SAA would think of it as 'giving up' though - by forming a league that's more suited to their academic footprint and without the trips to Texas.

[smedindy]

Off topic, I wonder what Midwestern ECACish games would look like.

I posted a potential D3 NIT tourney a few days ago in the NCAC board. It would be a stout tournament and I even think I missed a team or two.