Pool C -- 2013

[wally_wabash]

So they pick Wash U. over Millsaps due to common opponents, and SJF over Wabash due to SOS. Hmmm...

And RRO wins. Alfred ought not be ranked, but they probably will be. That move was beautifully hedged last week.

Rank Wooster. It's the right thing to do.

[Pat Coleman]

I looked at the East rankings quite a bit and I couldn't find another team I would want to rank. Frankly, I have Alfred No. 8 in the East, even.

[wally_wabash]

Del Val is an option.  That win over what I'm assuming is East #2 Rowan is mighty nice. 

It's an impossible mishmash of 3 loss teams to try and sort out.  It's just unfortunate that the top 9-10 in the North region did separate itself so much from the rest to not bring three loss teams into play for RROs. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm still HOPEing for IWU to be a 4-seed with a home game, but Hope missing OT (and possibly a win) by inches on the FG was devastating.  The drop from 2-1 against RROs to 1-1 was probably the straw that broke the camel's back.  But did you have to project the only two North C's facing each other in the first round??!!

I'll hold out Hope that the committee will go with Wabash, and we can host them!  (Of course, even better would be hosting someone I'm sure we can beat!  Though I also thought that a couple of years ago before we met Mr. Tanney! )

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I ended up using the teams Wally had in trying to project a bracket... I'm not perfectly satisfied with it, but it's something that everyone can contemplate... I could have done it in just 1 flight, but I didn't really like what that forced so I went with 2 flights in the first round which I think is a reasonable decision.

I haven't ranked the #1 seeds or anything, just tried to put some 4 team pods together and keep teams reasonably close to where I think they should be seeded


1) Mount Union                    1) UW-Whitewater
8) Albion                         8) Concordia (WI)
4) Ithaca                         4) Illinois Wesleyan
5) Framingham St                  5) Wabash

3) Rowan                          3) Wittenberg
6) Lebanon Valley                 6) Maryville
2) Hobart                         2) North Central
7) Endicott                       7) Franklin


1) Bethel                         1) Mary Hardin-Baylor
8) St. Scholastica                5) Millsaps
4) UW-Plattsburg                  4) Wesley
5) Wartburg                       6) Hampden-Sydney

3) Pacific Lutheran               3) John Carroll
6) Redlands                       7) Wash & Jeff
2) Linfield                       2) Johns Hopkins
7) St Norbert                     8) Gallaudet


Maryville ends up at Witt because that's the only team worthy of hosting within 500 miles. By sending Redlands to Pac Lutheran you can bring one of the weaker teams out west to Linfield and avoid a first round rematch.

[bashgiant]

So they pick Wash U. over Millsaps due to common opponents, and SJF over Wabash due to SOS. Hmmm...

And RRO wins. Alfred ought not be ranked, but they probably will be. That move was beautifully hedged last week.

Rank Wooster. It's the right thing to do.

I agree with ranking Wooster I think they would surprise quite a few teams with their explosive offense. Barnes is a player!

[smedindy]

Albion is 8-2 and won the MIAA, though, so they'll probably get the last spot.

[USee]

Albion is 8-2 and won the MIAA, though, so they'll probably get the last spot.

True, but Wally has pointed out that the East RAC has been very intentional last year(STJ made it as only 2 loss team) and this year, to position their pool C candidates for success. If the North RAC were to take that kind of action they would absolutely consider ranking Wooster to help Wabash as ranking Albion, who gets in via AQ, does nothing for anyone except Wheaton, who is decidedly behind Wabash in the North regionals.

You have to fight fire with fire boys and its time for the North Region to come together and kick some D3 butt.

[wally_wabash]

Rank Denison, too.

[USee]

Totally. rank em all. Hanover, Kenyon, even Depauw.

[desertcat1]

I ended up using the teams Wally had in trying to project a bracket... I'm not perfectly satisfied with it, but it's something that everyone can contemplate... I could have done it in just 1 flight, but I didn't really like what that forced so I went with 2 flights in the first round which I think is a reasonable decision.I haven't ranked the #1 seeds or anything, just tried to put some 4 team pods together and keep teams reasonably close to where I think they should be seeded


1) Mount Union                    1) UW-Whitewater
8) Albion                         8) Concordia (WI)
4) Ithaca                         4) Illinois Wesleyan
5) Framingham St                  5) Wabash

3) Rowan                          3) Wittenberg
6) Lebanon Valley                 6) Maryville
2) Hobart                         2) North Central
7) Endicott                       7) Franklin


1) Bethel                         1) Mary Hardin-Baylor
8) St. Scholastica                5) Millsaps
4) UW-Plattsburg                  4) Wesley
5) Wartburg                       6) Hampden-Sydney

3) Pacific Lutheran                3) John Carroll
6) Redlands                       7) Wash & Jeff
2) Linfield                       2) Johns Hopkins
7) St Norbert                     8) Gallaudet


Maryville ends up at Witt because that's the only team worthy of hosting within 500 miles. By sending Redlands to Pac Lutheran you can bring one of the weaker teams out west to Linfield and avoid a first round rematch.

Wished you had a VOTE  today?

[Upstate]

Albion is 8-2 and won the MIAA, though, so they'll probably get the last spot.

True, but Wally has pointed out that the East RAC has been very intentional last year(STJ made it as only 2 loss team) and this year, to position their pool C candidates for success. If the North RAC were to take that kind of action they would absolutely consider ranking Wooster to help Wabash as ranking Albion, who gets in via AQ, does nothing for anyone except Wheaton, who is decidedly behind Wabash in the North regionals.

You have to fight fire with fire boys and its time for the North Region to come together and kick some D3 butt.

So you're saying Fisher didn't belong in the NCAA's when they made it as a 2 loss team?

Even though they went on the road and knocked off the 10-0 and 13th ranked Johns Hopkins and 11-0, 11th ranked Delaware Valley you're still bitching about their inclusion?

[USee]

Nope. Not saying that at all.  Simply stating the fact that if the east RAC had not ranked them where they did they wouldn't have been in the field.  Don't read any more into it that that.

[ITH radio]

Pls tweet us any questions you have for tonight's interview with Duey Naatz.  He joins us live around 7:55 pm et. 

[wally_wabash]

Albion is 8-2 and won the MIAA, though, so they'll probably get the last spot.

True, but Wally has pointed out that the East RAC has been very intentional last year(STJ made it as only 2 loss team) and this year, to position their pool C candidates for success. If the North RAC were to take that kind of action they would absolutely consider ranking Wooster to help Wabash as ranking Albion, who gets in via AQ, does nothing for anyone except Wheaton, who is decidedly behind Wabash in the North regionals.

You have to fight fire with fire boys and its time for the North Region to come together and kick some D3 butt.

So you're saying Fisher didn't belong in the NCAA's when they made it as a 2 loss team?

Even though they went on the road and knocked off the 10-0 and 13th ranked Johns Hopkins and 11-0, 11th ranked Delaware Valley you're still bitching about their inclusion?

Here's a thing that I think gets too much traction...that a team's performance in the tournament somehow validates (or invalidates) their selection.  It doesn't.  Last year Bridgewater State got in and got blasted.  I didn't like BSU's selection because their movement in the RRs after week 11 didn't make sense.  It ought to have been Lycoming on the board and not BSU.  The only thing Lycoming did in week 11 is win a game 38-0.  BSU was idle.  No reason to shuffle the order of those two teams at that point, but it was done. 

In 2011, SJF had a big SOS advantage, RRO advantages, and (this is the biggie) a favorable common opponent result with CWRU.  SJF's inclusion in 2011 was the right call because of all of those things.  It wasn't right because SJF wound up winning a couple of games.  That's a separate thing completely.  What if SJF had been paired up with Wesley in the first round and lost by three touchdowns?  Does that mean they didn't deserve to be invited?  Of course it doesn't.