FB: Liberty League

[ICGrad]

This seems like much ado about next to nothing.

Sure, there's a chance the NESCAC gets 3 bids this year, but this year seems like a significant outlier. Looking back 10 years, this is the only season I see with the potential (hasn't happened yet) of 3 1-loss teams.

Of the two one-loss teams, one sits in the 11th (and last) at-large spot; the other sits @ #14, below 2 two-loss teams.

Worst case scenario, they get 3 teams in. It certainly shouldn't be an annual occurrence, and there's still a decent chance they end up with one bid.

I'm intrigued to see how the NESCAC does in the playoffs. Not too long ago, NESCAC teams didn't participate in any postseason tourneys; on balance, they seem to have acquitted themselves pretty well in most sports, and I see no reason to think they won't in football as well.

[Machiavelli]

6 teams in the top 40 in the Massey Ratings doesn't jump off the page at you?

5. Trinity(8-0)
13. Wesleyan(7-1)
16. Amherst(7-1)
31. Williams(5-3)
34. Tufts(5-3)
39. Middlebury(4-4)

In comparison, the LL has 1(Ithaca(40)), the E8 has 2(Cortland(7) and Utica(22)), the NJAC has 1(CNU(18)), the MASCAC has 1(Springfield(37)) and the CNE has 1(Endicott(22)).

My issue isn't that they can't compete, but their closed conference pumps up the algorithm for their teams, and that is 100% an issue.