Playoffs -- 2015

[Pat Coleman]

They could have also seen St. Thomas as better because they had a win against a team with a better regional ranking, and on the road instead of at home. They also could have seen St. Thomas as better because they were 10-0 instead of 9-0 -- don't know how legit that is but it's something I've heard tossed out there. Time to start tapping that alumni base to fund some tenth-game travel.

[retagent]

This was before the time of d3football.com, but I wonder  (and I'm sure someone out there knows) the venues for some of Mt's Playoff games back in the early and mid 90's, prior to the time the Kehres dynasty was in full flower.

[Pat Coleman]

This was before the time of d3football.com, but I wonder  (and I'm sure someone out there knows) the venues for some of Mt's Playoff games back in the early and mid 90's, prior to the time the Kehres dynasty was in full flower.

Until 1999 there was a forced rotation of hosting sites for the semifinals -- saved the committee from having to make a call on one region vs. another.

[Toby Taff]

DIII football is not really interested, nor should it be interested, in making it affordable for fans. What it is interesting in doing is creating the fairest possible tournament given the money bequeathed by the DI basketball tournament. So while that skews the first round for island teams, and sometimes influences second round match ups, the rest of the tournament is relatively dollar blind.

Why is Linfield travelling to Minnesota? Because the Regional Committee, made up of a representative member of every West conference, ranked St Thomas ahead of Linfield and the national committee, made up of two members of each of the regional committees, chose not to over rule that ranking.

As for your favoritism argument, Whitworth's coach sat on the Regional Committee for the NWC and was also one of two West Region reps on the national committee. He will remain on the national committee through the 2017 season I believe. So if anything, the NWC had a greater voice at the table than any West Region conference except the WIAC, which also had a National Committee member. The MIAC did not have its own voice at the national committee this year.

Of some interest, the OAC also did not its own voice at the national committee this year, with north region reps coming from the IIAC and NCAC. So of the four remaining teams, the schools on the road had the extra voice (WIAC and NWC), not the home teams (MIAC and OAC). That should put paid to at least some of your bias concerns.

This.

I should also point out that Whitworth's coach (he of national committee fame) was a coach at Wheaton for almost 20 years before taking over at Whitworth. He knows the level of competition between midwest and west. Though he is just one vote.

I will point out that Caruso was on the West committee as well....so there's that.

However....I think there are many at Linfield that want to be able to get it done on the road in the Midwest.  The 'Cats obviously could very well come up short but part of the program knows that's a December hurdle we have to clear.

If Linfield wins it all this year and goes undefeated next year it's likely they would finally have home field throughout. Problem until then is probably SOS.

they get an early bump in sos when they travel to Belton, tx in September. Early season CATS V CRU, that'll start things off with a bang.

(before people start explaining sos, I mean huge metaphorically not literally)

[cover2]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

[Westside]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

[Mr. Ypsi]

K-Mack, I love that D3 map, but it is in some serious need of updating.  Being a wiki open-source file, is that something someone at d3sports.com would be able to do?  (During some sort of a lull - I certainly wouldn't expect it during the playoffs! )

[Schwami]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

Alas, Wabash was the #1 seed in the North Region that year and would have hosted Mount Union in the quarterfinals, but lost to Capital in the second round 14-11.  So, Mount got to host Capital and won 34-31 in the quarterfinals.

Mount then got to host Rowan in the semifinals, since Rowan knocked out the East #1 Delaware Valley, and Mount was a higher seed than Rowan.

[Ralph Turner]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

Actually, the 2005 North Region was the Wabash bracket.

http://d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2005/picking-playoff-surprises-disappointments

Wabash lost the Pool C Capital 14-11 in the 3rd round.
Apparently, MUC was the #2 seed in the Region, and hosted Capital and beat the Crusaders, 34-31 the next week in Alliance.


Schwami beat me to it.

[ExTartanPlayer]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

Actually, the 2005 North Region was the Wabash bracket.

http://d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2005/picking-playoff-surprises-disappointments

Wabash lost the Pool C Capital 14-11 in the 3rd round.
Apparently, MUC was the #2 seed in the Region, and hosted Capital and beat the Crusaders, 34-31 the next week in Alliance.


Schwami beat me to it.

Hey, don't go bringing facts into this again.  It's much more fun to pretend that the committee has been scheming for a decade now to make sure Mount Union never goes on the road in the playoffs.

[Ralph Turner]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

Actually, the 2005 North Region was the Wabash bracket.

http://d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2005/picking-playoff-surprises-disappointments

Wabash lost the Pool C Capital 14-11 in the 3rd round.
Apparently, MUC was the #2 seed in the Region, and hosted Capital and beat the Crusaders, 34-31 the next week in Alliance.


Schwami beat me to it.

Hey, don't go bringing facts into this again.  It's much more fun to pretend that the committee has been scheming for a decade now to make sure Mount Union never goes on the road in the playoffs.

LOL!  +1!

(Don't you just love the archives feature on this web site!)   

[Schwami]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

Actually, the 2005 North Region was the Wabash bracket.

http://d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2005/picking-playoff-surprises-disappointments

Wabash lost the Pool C Capital 14-11 in the 3rd round.
Apparently, MUC was the #2 seed in the Region, and hosted Capital and beat the Crusaders, 34-31 the next week in Alliance.


Schwami beat me to it.

Hey, don't go bringing facts into this again.  It's much more fun to pretend that the committee has been scheming for a decade now to make sure Mount Union never goes on the road in the playoffs.

LOL!  +1!

(Don't you just love the archives feature on this web site!)   

Yeah, 2005 coulda/shoulda/woulda been the year --- that was the last time Mount lost a game in the regular season (on top of the semifinal loss to UMHB the year before).  Nothing has happened since then that would plausibly keep Mount from hosting all the way to Salem.

[skunks_sidekick]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Sigh...as addressed in other posts.  Mount would have had to go on the road potentially TWICE that year, but the higher seeds each time LOST.  How ABOUT those Brownies!  Best NFL team that has just been screwed with bad owners, staff, coaches, players, and obviously a conspiracy against allowing them to ever be good because Mount already gets all the "conspiracy karma"!

[pg04]

Never Really understood all the conspiracies about the committee. I seriously doubt they are going out of their way to "make things easier" in some way that doesn't follow the usual selection criteria for Mount. In the end, I doubt they, as a unit, care very much who wins the tournament when they select the teams.

[Pat Coleman]

I don't think Mount is going on the road in the semifinal until they lose one.

Did they have to go on the road after UMHB beat them at home in 2004?

Here you go: http://d3football.com/teams/Mount_Union/2005/index

It looks like all of their 2005 playoff games were at home.

Two things: Criteria different in 2005, secondly Mount Union was the 3 seed in 2005 and the only reason they got all the games at home was because other teams lost.