Bracketology Projection

[Cowboy2]

Would love to see a mini wildcard round bracket to settle all..
R3 Pool C: HSU/BSC
Vs
R6 Pool C: STJ/Bethel loser vs WIAC #2

Winner gets shipped to R4 for round 1 

[wally_wabash]

Happens way too often for the teams from Texas and the Island teams. They could always let them fly somewhere and if both teams win it would be a bus ride second round and not a flight. Same matchups every year but imagination with matchups isn't their strong suit. Sad as it is, in the end you have to beat the team they put in front of ya. Anyone ever researched which team had the easiest path to the Walnut and Bronze? Which team played the least ranked or lowest ranked teams before the championship?

The selection committee can be very creative with matchups.  NCAA's rules prevent the kind of unrestricted travel that would make everybody happy. 

For the umpteenth time- Division III only gets teeny fraction of the NCAA's money to play with and Division III football only gets a small part of that small part. 

[BSCpanthers]

Would love to see a mini wildcard round bracket to settle all..
R3 Pool C: HSU/BSC
Vs
R6 Pool C: STJ/Bethel loser vs WIAC #2

Winner gets shipped to R4 for round 1 

I think both BSC and HSU would prefer that has a tenth game over Rhodes and Texas Lutheran.  That would be an awesome game. 

[SW1]

Happens way too often for the teams from Texas and the Island teams. They could always let them fly somewhere and if both teams win it would be a bus ride second round and not a flight. Same matchups every year but imagination with matchups isn't their strong suit. Sad as it is, in the end you have to beat the team they put in front of ya. Anyone ever researched which team had the easiest path to the Walnut and Bronze? Which team played the least ranked or lowest ranked teams before the championship?

The selection committee can be very creative with matchups.  NCAA's rules prevent the kind of unrestricted travel that would make everybody happy. 

For the umpteenth time- Division III only gets teeny fraction of the NCAA's money to play with and Division III football only gets a small part of that small part.

I know this is the explanation given every time. But this still makes it a playoff based on lack of funds and not merit. I see in one breath you guys mention that if Mt. and NCC are considered the 2 best teams they will be placed on opposite sides. If MHB and Trinity were the best 2 would they be afforded that same option? Of course not. What if the best 4 were from the south? Would they all have to beat each other in the first rounds? That's a tournament based on funds and not merit. So if we feel slighted sometimes, then maybe we have a small reason. We know and understand the money the NCAA limits us to will dictate the matchups.

[Ralph Turner]

My 1st four Pool C bids, in no particular order, are JHU, Wheaton, SJU and UW-L.

HSU's SOS (which is #71 at .530 with a 6-1 record) will take a hit versus

-- 1-win Austin College (who also plays HPU in the last week).
-- 2-win Texas Lutheran (who plays 3-win Southwestern this week.)

HSU only has 9 D-3 games this season. The UW-P loss today took away the signature win.

How much love will King's get from the Selection Committee? Last week, their SOS is #75 at .528 and a 7-1 record. They have a quality win over Stevenson.

King's will play 2-win Misericordia and then 6-win Wilkes.
King's is likely to have a better record against regionally ranked teams, a comparable/slightly better SOS in 2 weeks, and more wins against D-3 teams.

...and I just made the case for the NCAA to leave HSU at home and send UMHB to Trinity for a 1st round game.

I will update/re-assess this prediction Saturday night, November 14.

[wally_wabash]

Happens way too often for the teams from Texas and the Island teams. They could always let them fly somewhere and if both teams win it would be a bus ride second round and not a flight. Same matchups every year but imagination with matchups isn't their strong suit. Sad as it is, in the end you have to beat the team they put in front of ya. Anyone ever researched which team had the easiest path to the Walnut and Bronze? Which team played the least ranked or lowest ranked teams before the championship?

The selection committee can be very creative with matchups.  NCAA's rules prevent the kind of unrestricted travel that would make everybody happy. 

For the umpteenth time- Division III only gets teeny fraction of the NCAA's money to play with and Division III football only gets a small part of that small part.

I know this is the explanation given every time. But this still makes it a playoff based on lack of funds and not merit. I see in one breath you guys mention that if Mt. and NCC are considered the 2 best teams they will be placed on opposite sides. If MHB and Trinity were the best 2 would they be afforded that same option? Of course not. What if the best 4 were from the south? Would they all have to beat each other in the first rounds? That's a tournament based on funds and not merit. So if we feel slighted sometimes, then maybe we have a small reason. We know and understand the money the NCAA limits us to will dictate the matchups.

Strong, strong disagree.  Access to the tournament is based on merit.  You have to win to qualify for the tournament.  If you want a tournament where the teams are perfectly selected, seeded, and paired on a 1-32 basis, you're ALWAYS going to be disappointed because they'll never ever be able to do that accurately. 

[smedindy]

Still gotta win the games to be champ, whether you play the toughest team in Round 1 or in the Stagg Bowl.

Win the games.

[Bmo]

I'm curious what people think would happen in a hypothetical year where the Pool C teams with the best analytic resumes come from the NWC, SCIAC, and teams over 500 miles apart in R3?   

[SW1]

Happens way too often for the teams from Texas and the Island teams. They could always let them fly somewhere and if both teams win it would be a bus ride second round and not a flight. Same matchups every year but imagination with matchups isn't their strong suit. Sad as it is, in the end you have to beat the team they put in front of ya. Anyone ever researched which team had the easiest path to the Walnut and Bronze? Which team played the least ranked or lowest ranked teams before the championship?

The selection committee can be very creative with matchups.  NCAA's rules prevent the kind of unrestricted travel that would make everybody happy. 

For the umpteenth time- Division III only gets teeny fraction of the NCAA's money to play with and Division III football only gets a small part of that small part.

I know this is the explanation given every time. But this still makes it a playoff based on lack of funds and not merit. I see in one breath you guys mention that if Mt. and NCC are considered the 2 best teams they will be placed on opposite sides. If MHB and Trinity were the best 2 would they be afforded that same option? Of course not. What if the best 4 were from the south? Would they all have to beat each other in the first rounds? That's a tournament based on funds and not merit. So if we feel slighted sometimes, then maybe we have a small reason. We know and understand the money the NCAA limits us to will dictate the matchups.

Strong, strong disagree.  Access to the tournament is based on merit.  You have to win to qualify for the tournament.  If you want a tournament where the teams are perfectly selected, seeded, and paired on a 1-32 basis, you're ALWAYS going to be disappointed because they'll never ever be able to do that accurately.

I never mentioned merit for access to the playoffs. I was talking matchups all based off money and location. Win lose or draw is really not the matter I was addressing here because I know you have to win them all to be champions. I just know as a Crusader fan if we beat HPU this week then our playoff journey will be in some order either Trinity, Huntingdon, St John's, HSU, Linfield, WW, Mt U. All really fine schools and programs that can beat us on any giving day. . Would be great to play some teams we have never faced or rarely faced before facing the Usual suspects in the Stagg Bowl if we are so lucky to make it that far. It's great to here about some of these programs you guys talk about but we never get to see or play them.

[Toby Taff]

Happens way too often for the teams from Texas and the Island teams. They could always let them fly somewhere and if both teams win it would be a bus ride second round and not a flight. Same matchups every year but imagination with matchups isn't their strong suit. Sad as it is, in the end you have to beat the team they put in front of ya. Anyone ever researched which team had the easiest path to the Walnut and Bronze? Which team played the least ranked or lowest ranked teams before the championship?

The selection committee can be very creative with matchups.  NCAA's rules prevent the kind of unrestricted travel that would make everybody happy. 

For the umpteenth time- Division III only gets teeny fraction of the NCAA's money to play with and Division III football only gets a small part of that small part.

I know this is the explanation given every time. But this still makes it a playoff based on lack of funds and not merit. I see in one breath you guys mention that if Mt. and NCC are considered the 2 best teams they will be placed on opposite sides. If MHB and Trinity were the best 2 would they be afforded that same option? Of course not. What if the best 4 were from the south? Would they all have to beat each other in the first rounds? That's a tournament based on funds and not merit. So if we feel slighted sometimes, then maybe we have a small reason. We know and understand the money the NCAA limits us to will dictate the matchups.

Strong, strong disagree.  Access to the tournament is based on merit.  You have to win to qualify for the tournament.  If you want a tournament where the teams are perfectly selected, seeded, and paired on a 1-32 basis, you're ALWAYS going to be disappointed because they'll never ever be able to do that accurately.

I never mentioned merit for access to the playoffs. I was talking matchups all based off money and location. Win lose or draw is really not the matter I was addressing here because I know you have to win them all to be champions. I just know as a Crusader fan if we beat HPU this week then our playoff journey will be in some order either Trinity, Huntingdon, St John's, HSU, Linfield, WW, Mt U. All really fine schools and programs that can beat us on any giving day. . Would be great to play some teams we have never faced or rarely faced before facing the Usual suspects in the Stagg Bowl if we are so lucky to make it that far. It's great to here about some of these programs you guys talk about but we never get to see or play them.

I'm going to disagree with you here. I like not having cupcake wins in the playoffs. I see enough blow outs regular season. I look forward to good football that makes me nervous. I would rather it all be in Crusader Stadium, but i want the good games

[wally_wabash]

I'm curious what people think would happen in a hypothetical year where the Pool C teams with the best analytic resumes come from the NWC, SCIAC, and teams over 500 miles apart in R3?

Those teams would be selected in Pool C if they had the best profiles per the selection criteria. 

[wally_wabash]

Happens way too often for the teams from Texas and the Island teams. They could always let them fly somewhere and if both teams win it would be a bus ride second round and not a flight. Same matchups every year but imagination with matchups isn't their strong suit. Sad as it is, in the end you have to beat the team they put in front of ya. Anyone ever researched which team had the easiest path to the Walnut and Bronze? Which team played the least ranked or lowest ranked teams before the championship?

The selection committee can be very creative with matchups.  NCAA's rules prevent the kind of unrestricted travel that would make everybody happy. 

For the umpteenth time- Division III only gets teeny fraction of the NCAA's money to play with and Division III football only gets a small part of that small part.

I know this is the explanation given every time. But this still makes it a playoff based on lack of funds and not merit. I see in one breath you guys mention that if Mt. and NCC are considered the 2 best teams they will be placed on opposite sides. If MHB and Trinity were the best 2 would they be afforded that same option? Of course not. What if the best 4 were from the south? Would they all have to beat each other in the first rounds? That's a tournament based on funds and not merit. So if we feel slighted sometimes, then maybe we have a small reason. We know and understand the money the NCAA limits us to will dictate the matchups.

Strong, strong disagree.  Access to the tournament is based on merit.  You have to win to qualify for the tournament.  If you want a tournament where the teams are perfectly selected, seeded, and paired on a 1-32 basis, you're ALWAYS going to be disappointed because they'll never ever be able to do that accurately.

I never mentioned merit for access to the playoffs. I was talking matchups all based off money and location. Win lose or draw is really not the matter I was addressing here because I know you have to win them all to be champions. I just know as a Crusader fan if we beat HPU this week then our playoff journey will be in some order either Trinity, Huntingdon, St John's, HSU, Linfield, WW, Mt U. All really fine schools and programs that can beat us on any giving day. . Would be great to play some teams we have never faced or rarely faced before facing the Usual suspects in the Stagg Bowl if we are so lucky to make it that far. It's great to here about some of these programs you guys talk about but we never get to see or play them.

Here we very much agree.  UMHB-Muhlenberg was a good matchup, even if the game didn't end up delivering.  I would love to see more exposure to Regions 2, 4, and 5 for teams from Texas.  In the regular season, you've got to find partners willing to pay to travel, which isn't a necessary expense for most teams in those regions and we know the NCAA isn't paying for those games until the 3rd round or so of the tournament.  It's an unfortunate byproduct of budgets that we don't get more cross pollination across the division.   

[Bmo]

I'm curious what people think would happen in a hypothetical year where the Pool C teams with the best analytic resumes come from the NWC, SCIAC, and teams over 500 miles apart in R3?

Those teams would be selected in Pool C if they had the best profiles per the selection criteria.

How would the NCAA find the money to support the unbudgeted travel?  Take from other years or other sports?  Or would they bend the first-round conference match-up or 500-mile flight guidance? 

The current SAA footprint actually appears to make it impossible to have a 10-team flight scenario (otherwise known as the NCAA D3 Black Swan)

[wally_wabash]

I'm curious what people think would happen in a hypothetical year where the Pool C teams with the best analytic resumes come from the NWC, SCIAC, and teams over 500 miles apart in R3?

Those teams would be selected in Pool C if they had the best profiles per the selection criteria.

How would the NCAA find the money to support the unbudgeted travel?  Take from other years or other sports?  Or would they bend the first-round conference match-up or 500-mile flight guidance? 

The current SAA footprint actually appears to make it impossible to have a 10-team flight scenario (otherwise known as the NCAA D3 Black Swan)

For the 19 zillionth time: the budget does not impact selections.  Pairings, yes.  Selections, no. 

[Bmo]

I'm curious what people think would happen in a hypothetical year where the Pool C teams with the best analytic resumes come from the NWC, SCIAC, and teams over 500 miles apart in R3?

Those teams would be selected in Pool C if they had the best profiles per the selection criteria.

How would the NCAA find the money to support the unbudgeted travel?  Take from other years or other sports?  Or would they bend the first-round conference match-up or 500-mile flight guidance? 

The current SAA footprint actually appears to make it impossible to have a 10-team flight scenario (otherwise known as the NCAA D3 Black Swan)

For the 19 zillionth time: the budget does not impact selections.  Pairings, yes.  Selections, no.

The hypothetical is more related to how the NCAA would handle an unforeseeable budgetary overage related to circumstance and policy.  Honest question, but I struck a nerve.  I'll return to my posting dormancy.