Big Sky to have 5 playoff teams?

[SuperHornet]

Lehigh blew the autobid in a classic one-bid conference. They're toast. Albany is in the same boat. They have nobody of note on their schedules to overcome that.

Whereas a certain 7-4 team has wins against B(C)$ and then-FCS #11, plus VERY close calls against then-FCS #1 and then-FCS #3. There is NO way Lehigh and Albany beat that with THEIR schedules.

[93henfan]

Lehigh blew the autobid in a classic one-bid conference. They're toast. Albany is in the same boat. They have nobody of note on their schedules to overcome that.

Whereas a certain 7-4 team has wins against B(C)$ and then-FCS #11, plus VERY close calls against then-FCS #1 and then-FCS #3. There is NO way Lehigh and Albany beat that with THEIR schedules.

A 1-loss Lehigh gets in over Sac St. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying it.

[JayJ79]

Seriously, WTF happened this year?
Not even 5 years ago it was normal to consider 7-4 teams with d2 wins in a 16-team field.
Did all the power conferences just blow up their OOC schedules this year against nobodies?
I thought 2009 had more FBS wins, too.

I wonder if the expanded conferences, with not everyone playing everyone else in their conference also helps increase the number of teams from those conferences in the playoff discussion.

In other words, the CAA method.

[93henfan]

Seriously, WTF happened this year?
Not even 5 years ago it was normal to consider 7-4 teams with d2 wins in a 16-team field.
Did all the power conferences just blow up their OOC schedules this year against nobodies?
I thought 2009 had more FBS wins, too.

I wonder if the expanded conferences, with not everyone playing everyone else in their conference also helps increase the number of teams from those conferences in the playoff discussion.

In other words, the CAA method.

How would it? Everyone still plays 8 conference games, regardless of conference.

[SuperHornet]

Yeah, 93. There's a BIG difference between a statement of what is likely to happen and what you think SHOULD happen. I think I have a pretty good argument, but the fact of the matter is that my argument will likely fail to sway the committee. Given that CP once got snubbed at 10-0 over SOS concerns makes the committee's reasoning bogus, but they'll probably go that way anyway....

[JayJ79]

How would it? Everyone still plays 8 conference games, regardless of conference.

Because the top teams don't necessarily play all of the other top teams in their conference. that slightly reduces the amount of "conference teams beating each other up" (record-wise) and allows one or two more teams from that conference to hit the 7-win threshhold to get into the playoff discussion.

[JayJ79]

Yeah, 93. There's a BIG difference between a statement of what is likely to happen and what you think SHOULD happen. I think I have a pretty good argument, but the fact of the matter is that my argument will likely fail to sway the committee. Given that CP once got snubbed at 10-0 over SOS concerns makes the committee's reasoning bogus, but they'll probably go that way anyway....

Does CP = Cal Poly or someone else?
I don't see any years where Poly went 10-0

[93henfan]

How would it? Everyone still plays 8 conference games, regardless of conference.

Because the top teams don't necessarily play all of the other top teams in their conference. that slightly reduces the amount of "conference teams beating each other up" (record-wise) and allows one or two more teams from that conference to hit the 7-win threshhold to get into the playoff discussion.

The top teams don't necessarily play all of the bottom feeders either. I've heard your argument before and I'm not buying it.

The CAA frequently got five teams in because it was that good and often had a sixth or seventh team that didn't make it that would curb stomp the second or third team in from other conferences.

[SDHornet]

Yeah, 93. There's a BIG difference between a statement of what is likely to happen and what you think SHOULD happen. I think I have a pretty good argument, but the fact of the matter is that my argument will likely fail to sway the committee. Given that CP once got snubbed at 10-0 over SOS concerns makes the committee's reasoning bogus, but they'll probably go that way anyway....

Does CP = Cal Poly or someone else?
I don't see any years where Poly went 10-0

Since it's a SH reference, it can be any team from 1954-today, and possibly be a now defunct NFL team.

[BisoNation]

Montana State- 9-1
Cal Poly- 8-2
Eastern Washington- 8-2
Northern Arizona- 8-2
Sacramento State- 6-4


If Sacramento State can beat UC Davis this weekend, they will have 7 D1 wins, one against FBS Pac 12 Colorado.

Can a 7-4 Sac State make the playoffs giving the Big Sky 5 teams in?

An NAU loss puts them at 7-3 (D2 win removed) making their most impressive wins being over a middle of the road Montana, middle of the road UND team and a terrible bottom tier FBS team (UNLV).

Compare that against a potentially 7-4 Sac State team whose best wins are against a terrible BCS team (Colorado), a ranked CP team, and a middle of the road SUU team.

If by some miracle the selection committee were considering those 2 for the last spot, who would get the nod?

An NAU loss should put them out of the playoffs in my mind, but it shouldn't put Sac State in...

The fact of the matter is there are going to be 8-3 CAA teams and an 8-3 Indiana State teams who will get in over a 7-4 Sac State and a 8-3 Northern Arizona.

[BisoNation]

Damn double post...

[SloStang]

Yeah, 93. There's a BIG difference between a statement of what is likely to happen and what you think SHOULD happen. I think I have a pretty good argument, but the fact of the matter is that my argument will likely fail to sway the committee. Given that CP once got snubbed at 10-0 over SOS concerns makes the committee's reasoning bogus, but they'll probably go that way anyway....

Does CP = Cal Poly or someone else?
I don't see any years where Poly went 10-0

Cal Poly went 10-1 with a win over FBS New Mexico State back in the 1997 and were left out of the playoffs because they played played four DII teams (UC Davis, Montana Western, Western New Mexico and Simon Fraser). They had IAA wins over Northern Iowa, Montana State, St. Mary's, Dayton and Sac State giving them only 6 DI wins. Their only loss that year was to Liberty. I was p!ssed in1997, but understand and agree with the reason why they were left out now. I imagine that is what SH is talking about.

[SuperHornet]

Does CP = Cal Poly or someone else?
I don't see any years where Poly went 10-0

Cal Poly went 10-1 with a win over FBS New Mexico State back in the 1997 and were left out of the playoffs because they played played four DII teams (UC Davis, Montana Western, Western New Mexico and Simon Fraser). They had IAA wins over Northern Iowa, Montana State, St. Mary's, Dayton and Sac State giving them only 6 DI wins. Their only loss that year was to Liberty. I was p!ssed in1997, but understand and agree with the reason why they were left out now. I imagine that is what SH is talking about.

That would be it. I still remember getting our @$$es kicked in CP's stadium (the only road game I went on that year), listening to the "Playoffs! Playoffs!" chants for what seemed like the entire freaking fourth quarter. I'll bet every soul in the stadium was shocked when they found out.

So I missed the loss to Liberty. (Some of you East Coast types must be laughing your heads off about that.) The point remains that they were snubbed with near-perfect record. I see the same thing happening to Lehigh and Albany. Not quite as bad as CP with 4 D-IIs (or maybe 3 D-IIs and one that wasn't quite in the NCAA yet, I'm not sure about Simon Fraser), but then again, neither of them bothered to play a FBS game. For me, the failure to play (and win) and FBS game and their failure to play and beat a ranked team are pretty damning for them. (Well, maybe YSU was ranked at the time for Albany, but they're certainly not ranked now....)

EDIT: I was right. Simon Fraser didn't join the NCAA until 2009. They were NAIA before that for games played in the US.

[uofmman1122]

Leaving out a 10-1 Lehigh or 9-2 Albany would not even sniff the top ten worst snubs in FCS playoff history.

Seriously. Neither of those conferences deserve an at-large this year.

[89Hen]

The point remains that they were snubbed with near-perfect record.

They were 6-1 (including St Mary's and Dayton). That's not enough to make the playoffs in any year. NOT snubbed.

[clenz]

The point remains that they were snubbed with near-perfect record.

They were 6-1 (including St Mary's and Dayton). That's not enough to make the playoffs in any year. NOT snubbed.

Don't try to argue logic with SH......

[89Hen]

They were 6-1 (including St Mary's and Dayton). That's not enough to make the playoffs in any year. NOT snubbed.

Don't try to argue logic with SH......

I remember the discussion back in 1997. I think we were still on the AOL message boards. Back then, it was expected that CPSLO fans would complain because they were new to the discussion, but 15 years later, you'd think they'd understand that a 6-1 team doesn't get a sniff.

[skinny_uncle]

Montana State- 9-1
Cal Poly- 8-2
Eastern Washington- 8-2
Northern Arizona- 8-2
Sacramento State- 6-4


If Sacramento State can beat UC Davis this weekend, they will have 7 D1 wins, one against FBS Pac 12 Colorado.

Can a 7-4 Sac State make the playoffs giving the Big Sky 5 teams in?

An NAU loss puts them at 7-3 (D2 win removed) making their most impressive wins being over a middle of the road Montana, middle of the road UND team and a terrible bottom tier FBS team (UNLV).

Compare that against a potentially 7-4 Sac State team whose best wins are against a terrible BCS team (Colorado), a ranked CP team, and a middle of the road SUU team.

If by some miracle the selection committee were considering those 2 for the last spot, who would get the nod?

Indy State at 7-3 with a win over the Bison would trump either of those.

[89Hen]

BTW, here's the field...

Autos
Bethune-Cookman
Eastern Illinois
Central Arkansas
Colgate
New Hampshire
Eastern Washington
North Dakota State
Coastal Carolina
Wagner
Georgia Southern

At-large
Old Dominion
Richmond
Villanova
Sam Houston State
Montana State
Northern Arizona/Cal Poly (winner)
Wofford
Appalachian State
Illinois State
South Dakota State

Woofed: Lehigh , Indiana St, Northern Arizona /Cal Poly (loser)

[SuperHornet]

The point remains that they were snubbed with near-perfect record.

They were 6-1 (including St Mary's and Dayton). That's not enough to make the playoffs in any year. NOT snubbed.

That's the point, 89. It set a precedent. If you don't have SOS, you don't get in. While they're not quite as blatant as CP was about it in '97, the same should apply to Lehigh and Albany. They don't have good SOS AND they blew the AQ. Therefore, they should be done based on the precedent of what happened to CP.

[89Hen]

They were 6-1 (including St Mary's and Dayton). That's not enough to make the playoffs in any year. NOT snubbed.

That's the point, 89. It set a precedent. If you don't have SOS, you don't get in. While they're not quite as blatant as CP was about it in '97, the same should apply to Lehigh and Albany. They don't have good SOS AND they blew the AQ. Therefore, they should be done based on the precedent of what happened to CP.

SOS? They didn't have 7 wins. /story

[SloStang]

Don't try to argue logic with SH......

I remember the discussion back in 1997. I think we were still on the AOL message boards. Back then, it was expected that CPSLO fans would complain because they were new to the discussion, but 15 years later, you'd think they'd understand that a 6-1 team doesn't get a sniff.

SH is a Sac State fan. The only Poly poster commenting on this was me and I said that I was p!ssed in 1997, but understand and agree with it now.

[89Hen]

I remember the discussion back in 1997. I think we were still on the AOL message boards. Back then, it was expected that CPSLO fans would complain because they were new to the discussion, but 15 years later, you'd think they'd understand that a 6-1 team doesn't get a sniff.

SH is a Sac State fan. The only Poly poster commenting on this was me and I said that I was p!ssed in 1997, but understand and agree with it now.

I misspoke then. I guess a SacSt fan is new to the discussion, so we can't expect much.

[SDHornet]

I remember the discussion back in 1997. I think we were still on the AOL message boards. Back then, it was expected that CPSLO fans would complain because they were new to the discussion, but 15 years later, you'd think they'd understand that a 6-1 team doesn't get a sniff.

SH is a Sac State fan. The only Poly poster commenting on this was me and I said that I was p!ssed in 1997, but understand and agree with it now.

SH is a Montana fan. Don't try and tie his association to us.

[dbackjon]

Montana State- 9-1
Cal Poly- 8-2
Eastern Washington- 8-2
Northern Arizona- 8-2
Sacramento State- 6-4


If Sacramento State can beat UC Davis this weekend, they will have 7 D1 wins, one against FBS Pac 12 Colorado.

Can a 7-4 Sac State make the playoffs giving the Big Sky 5 teams in?

An NAU loss puts them at 7-3 (D2 win removed) making their most impressive wins being over a middle of the road Montana, middle of the road UND team and a terrible bottom tier FBS team (UNLV).

Compare that against a potentially 7-4 Sac State team whose best wins are against a terrible BCS team (Colorado), a ranked CP team, and a middle of the road SUU team.

If by some miracle the selection committee were considering those 2 for the last spot, who would get the nod?

7-3 >> 7-4

NAU's Losses would be to Arizona State, playoff bound Cal Poly, and rival 5-6 SUU in triple OT.
Sac State's losses would be to playoff bound EWU and MSU, blowout loss to 5-6 or 6-5 UND, and a blowout loss to the worst team in FBS, New Mexico State, whose only win is against Sac