D3 Playoffs

[MRMIKESMITH]

Now that we know (most likely) who the field is, can anyone do the calculations to see what would it have looked like had the refs not made the controversial call in OT of the Hope-Alma game back in week 4?

Currently Hope is Pool C at 9-1 and seeded #17 while Alma is Pool A at 8-2 and seeded #24. Had the call gone the other way Hope would be 10-0 and certainly hosting round 2 but could they have reached a top 8 seed? Alma would be 7-3 and would they drop out and let fellow Region 4 team Ohio Northern in?

Hope may still host because of regionality. I believe had Hope been 10-0, they'd been a Top 8 seed or no less than 3 seed. Alma most likely would be out, probably drops UW-RF to #7 seed. Definitely getting Ohio Northern into the field.

[Captainred81]

I like this years bracket more than I thought I would.  There is a lot of geography but it's not all geography. 

I love the LaGrange and Framingham matchup... Hope and LaCrosse, Endicott-Salisbury, UWW-DePauw, Susqu - W&J. 

I think we all got so used to the Mount Union v Whitewater Stagg Bowls.  I think it was necessary to keep them on opposite sides of the bracket.  While these teams are ranked 1 and 2, there are cases to be made for some other teams to be ranked at #2. 

I appreciate how NPI takes creates the field of 40 so instantly.  I think we have the most fair, and best possible field we could, without eliminating AQ.  I think we have a ton of h 2 h matchups to compare.  I wonder how many matchups are the first time ever.  I assume LaGrange has not Framingham, and Eastern has not played F&M, W&J v CNU?  Those are the things about D3 that I love. 

I think Berry has a shot to make it to the quarterfinals this year. potentially getting a shot at Mount.  I think Hardin Simmons could do the same.  I'm sure they have ever played Mount. 

I'm still filling out my bracket, so no predictions yet. 

[ziggy]

Now that we know (most likely) who the field is, can anyone do the calculations to see what would it have looked like had the refs not made the controversial call in OT of the Hope-Alma game back in week 4?

Currently Hope is Pool C at 9-1 and seeded #17 while Alma is Pool A at 8-2 and seeded #24. Had the call gone the other way Hope would be 10-0 and certainly hosting round 2 but could they have reached a top 8 seed? Alma would be 7-3 and would they drop out and let fellow Region 4 team Ohio Northern in?

I ran the numbers and at 10-0 Hope would have easily been a Top 8 seed. Switching just the Hope-Alma result, the top four seeds would have been the same but Hope would be the fifth-overall seed, Bethel sixth, Johns Hopkins seventh and UW-River Falls eighth.

UWRF stays in the Top 8 but gets jumped by Hopkins because they don't get as much out of their Alma win in this scenario. Berry falls out of the Top 8 with Hope moving in and Ohio Northern gets the last at-large bid with Hope in as an AQ instead of at-large.

Have to feel for Ohio Northern. Certainly you leave certain things out of your hands when you lose two games but they are in as long as EITHER:
1. The Hope-Alma game ended as it should have instead of an especially egregious officiating call extending the game that turned into an Alma win.
OR
2. Weather doesn't force an early end to the game and Rowan is able to finish off a week one win against CWRU.

[Hawks88]

Not good video from Framingham so far.

[Hawks88]

The little bit of video that has come through is of about 10-15 yds of the other side of the field, visiting sideline and visitor stands.

[UfanBill]

ZERO video from the Union/Muhlenberg game. Stream never came on, reads Technical Difficulties. I'm pissed...14-14 halftime

[D3Navy]

Complete video failure by ESPN today.  Ridiculous.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Complete video failure by ESPN today.  Ridiculous.

Yes, it was ESPN requirements, but the schools signed up indicating that they had the capabilities. No way you wait until Saturday to run test runs. It is unacceptable my the host schools and yes, I'm still upset that ESPN asked for schools to have multiple cameras and views that weren't AI, etc.

[Pat Coleman]

Complete video failure by ESPN today.  Ridiculous.

Yes, it was ESPN requirements, but the schools signed up indicating that they had the capabilities. No way you wait until Saturday to run test runs. It is unacceptable my the host schools and yes, I'm still upset that ESPN asked for schools to have multiple cameras and views that weren't AI, etc.

I heard from one school which tested yesterday and passed, then had issue today because ESPN used the wrong settings.

[BergAlum2]

Looks like we may get some snow games this weekend 

[Hawks88]

Maybe ESPN got it right this week. Good video and audio from Berry. A good bit of not great camera work so far.

[cubs]

I ran the numbers and at 10-0 Hope would have easily been a Top 8 seed.

And yet they lost at home to what was essentially the the 4th Place WIAC team, as La Crosse was the only WIAC team not to earn a home game.... I don't doubt the weather was a factor, but the Eagles defense held Hope to just over two yards per carry on 30+ carries.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Down to 16 teams and a lot of them come from the same conferences.
WIAC has 3 while the CCIW, MIAC, NCAC, and SAA have 2.
The others are CC, Land, MAC, NJAC, and OAC and four of them comprise the bottom right quadrant.

I believe (if there's no hosting issues) that two teams that were on the road in the 2nd round will be hosting in round 3. DePauw should be hosting Wheaton while Eastern should be at home against Susquehanna.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

• We are guaranteed to have 3 semifinalists with a loss and at least one in the Stagg Bowl who has lost. The only remaining unbeatens are Bethel and North Central who meet in the quarterfinals.
• Two quarterfinalists (Wheaton and Susquehanna) played in the first round
• 7 conferences represented in the quarterfinals, only the CCIW has two teams
• Regions 2, 5, and 6 have two teams left, regions 3 and 4 have one team, only region 1 has no one left

[Ralph Turner]

• We are guaranteed to have 3 semifinalists with a loss and at least one in the Stagg Bowl who has lost. The only remaining unbeatens are Bethel and North Central who meet in the quarterfinals.
• Two quarterfinalists (Wheaton and Susquehanna) played in the first round
• 7 conferences represented in the quarterfinals, only the CCIW has two teams
• Regions 2, 5, and 6 have two teams left, regions 3 and 4 have one team, only region 1 has no one left

Lots of Cinderellas in this year's playoffs. The committee gave us some interesting matchups and/or the 40 team field has broken up the previous conventional wisdom.

Very few monkey stomps this year.