Does the OVC deserve an AQ?

[Cocky]

After today game I'm wondering and to think I thought the OVC was stronger this year.

[danefan]

Yes. Every conference should get an AQ.

At-large is a different story.

EIU got a tough draw this year too.

[TTUEagles]

YES
I still think UTM was the OVC's best team...they, too, drilled EIU.
Top to bottom, the OVC is as competitive as ever, dramatically improved in recent years; nationally, about where "we've" been for a while.
In my opinion, there about 8-10 teams each year who can realistically win the national championship. The OVC hasn't had one of those in a while.

[EKU Toss Sweep]

Well it took longer than I thought to see this thread get started tonight. YES, the OVC should have an AQ. EIU was conference champ this year and got hammered. While they are the 2012 OVC champs, they may not have been the best team in the league. They also did not beneift from a tough draw today. Terrible day for the OVC but the league does deserve the AQ.

[FargoBison]

Of course they do.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Well it took longer than I thought to see this thread get started tonight. YES, the OVC should have an AQ. EIU was conference champ this year and got hammered. While they are the 2012 OVC champs, they may not have been the best team in the league. They also did not beneift from a tough draw today. Terrible day for the OVC but the league does deserve the AQ.

+1. Replace "EIU" and "OVC" with "Colgate" and "Patriot League" and you have now summed up my feelings.

[lionsrking2]

Well it took longer than I thought to see this thread get started tonight. YES, the OVC should have an AQ. EIU was conference champ this year and got hammered. While they are the 2012 OVC champs, they may not have been the best team in the league. They also did not beneift from a tough draw today. Terrible day for the OVC but the league does deserve the AQ.

We played South Dakota State and UT-Martin back to back, and in my opinion, UT-Martin had more physical talent ... I know our coaches and players felt the same way. Not saying UTM is a better football team -I'd probably take the Jackrabbits head to head, especially in Brookings - but the Skyhawks definitely match up physically. Unfortunately for the OVC, the wrong team represented them in the playoffs ... or at least the team that was the worst possible matchup vs SDSU on the road.

[UNH Fanboi]

The OVC should, of course keep their AQ. But I would like to see a moratorium on posts from OVC fans arguing that "This year is different" until the conference wins a playoff game.

[IBleedYellow]

The only point I'd like to make is that SDSU was the last team in. Really?

[LehighU11]

Yes. Every conference should get an AQ.

At-large is a different story.

EIU got a tough draw this year too.

I fully agree that every conference that currently has an AQ should have that AQ. At larges were tough to pick this year with a field of 20. The expanded playoff field of 24 next year will help ease the difficult decisions. I was glad, though not surprised, to see Stony Brook win today. They are a legitimate threat to any contender and deserved to be in.

I think the CAA was to blame for this year's mess. ODU should have been eligible for the AQ, and that would have kept the CAA at 2 teams or perhaps have Towson in with 3. I really hope UNH wins next week so that the selection committee looks somewhat justified.

[RichH2]

The OVC should, of course keep their AQ. But I would like to see a moratorium on posts from OVC fans arguing that "This year is different" until the conference wins a playoff game.

Exactly
+1

[Tim James]

The OVC is already on the rise and if they add North Alabama and maybe another top D2 program soon they could become a serious multi bid league.

[Maroons]

I made a post a little over half way through the conference season that, while the OVC as a whole was dramatically improved from years past, there was not an elite team. I think that the folks in Richmond thought that EKU was going to be that elite team, but the attrition started before the year even began and the Colonels weren't able to overcome it. What happened this year is that there were 7 teams (EIU, UTM, EKU, TSU, JSU, TTU, Murray) that were comparable and two (APSU, SEMO) that were not competitive. This is a major change from year's past where, as an EKU fan, there were only 2 or 3 conference games that I felt should even be close for the Colonels. That's definitely a sign that things are improving. The 2012 non-conference record is the best evidence in support of this view, regardless of what anyone here wants to say about it.

What hasn't changed is that the conference hasn't managed to build a legit national championship contender. There were years during the ongoing streak of dismal futility when the OVC had a team in the field that could have won a game or two, but had a bad match up or one close call go the wrong way or what have you, but I don't think the OVC has had a legit national championship contender since the 90s.

I see signs of improvement, I see light at the end of the tunnel, and I keep seeing glimmers of hope, but for 2012, it's like another ground hog's day where I've seen my shadow--another year of winter.

[md64179]

Yes

[clenz]

The SWAC hasas many wins as the OVC since 1999...key that sink in sure a second..





Now add in the fact that they have played in 21 games during that same point to the SWACs ZERO

Sent from the nexus of the universe

[Nickels]

After watching Gate and EIU play today, I wish they would get rid of AQs altogether. Let the committee decide the best 24.

[lionsrking2]

After watching Gate and EIU play today, I wish they would get rid of AQs altogether. Let the committee decide the best 24.

In that case, do away with conferences altogether and have free-for-all scheduling.

[ITmonarch10]

After watching Gate and EIU play today, I wish they would get rid of AQs altogether. Let the committee decide the best 24.

There would be no point to conferences. Let not forget just last season we had 7-4 teams in the field.

[Engineer86]

There would be no point to conferences. Let not forget just last season we had 7-4 teams in the field.

That is what he is advocating! He might not realize it, but with no AQ, you would likely have 6-5 teams from power conferences in the playoffs and many more rematches. Is that better?

[walliver]

The OVC hasn't won a playoff game in a long time, but the OVC AQ rarely has an easy 1st round game. The OVC champ frequently faces a top SoCon, CAA or MVFC team in the first round. If the NCAA matched up the OVC champ with the MEAC champ, things could change. Even for the MEAC, their AQ used to face the SoCon champ in the first round (prior to the play-in games).

The only conference which may not deserve an auto-bid is the Big South, which will only have 6 members next year, and only 2 of them take football seriously (Liberty and CCU). 6 may be the NCAA minimum, but I think that's too small for an AQ.

[OL FU]

Yes. Every conference should get an AQ.

At-large is a different story.

EIU got a tough draw this year too.

I agree.

[WUTNDITWAA]

After watching Gate and EIU play today, I wish they would get rid of AQs altogether. Let the committee decide the best 24.

That's a dangerous precedent to set. It's not a big leap to carry that to March Madness.

[AmsterBison]

The OVC deserves an AQ.

[TSU86]

UNH FANBOI please complete your signature. You're missing the Towson score :-)

2012 UNH Schedule and Results:
8/30 - @ Holy Cross - W 38-17
9/8 - @ Minnesota - L 7-44
9/15 - Central Connecticut - W 43-10
9/22 - @ Old Dominion - L 61-64
9/29 - Delaware - W 34-14
10/6 - @ Georgia St. - W 44-21
10/13 - Richmond - W 44-40
10/20 - @ Maine - W 28-21
10/27 - @ Rhode Island - W 40-20
11/3 - William & Mary - W 28-25
11/17 - Towson

[Southsider]

After watching Gate and EIU play today, I wish they would get rid of AQs altogether. Let the committee decide the best 24.

What a dumb comment. All week long I've been reading the juvenile comments on this board from folks who claim this team or that team doesn't belong. I have been watching the playoffs for 40 years. In the early years (Div II) there may have been only 8 teams in the field. I think around 1980 there were only 4 in the 1-aa tournament. (correct me if I am wrong other old-timers). Today the field is meant to represent the entire FCS, thus the AQ's. It is a great format which gives everyone a shot. That is what makes it so special. Any team can get hot and make a run. For those of you riding high right now, just enjoy. Because at this level it doesn't last forever. You may be the one in a year or so that is grateful your league gets an AQ!

[Sonic98]

They should have one. Their best team did not go to the playoffs. There were maybe two teams that were better.

[Nickels]

What a dumb comment. All week long I've been reading the juvenile comments on this board from folks who claim this team or that team doesn't belong. I have been watching the playoffs for 40 years. In the early years (Div II) there may have been only 8 teams in the field. I think around 1980 there were only 4 in the 1-aa tournament. (correct me if I am wrong other old-timers). Today the field is meant to represent the entire FCS, thus the AQ's. It is a great format which gives everyone a shot. That is what makes it so special. Any team can get hot and make a run. For those of you riding high right now, just enjoy. Because at this level it doesn't last forever. You may be the one in a year or so that is grateful your league gets an AQ!
First off, you seem like a prick.

Second, I guess my main beef is the way some conferences give their AQ and the only way around that would be getting rid of AQs altogether. Just about every year I see three way ties and the third best team getting the AQ because of some silly conference rule. I would like something around 24 teams and a minimum of 6 conferences represented or something similar. Honestly you can't tell me some of these AQs are one of the best 24 teams.

[Reign of Terrier]

I would say no, simply because they haven't one a game in the playoffs in over a decade....

I mean, I understand that some people think that every league should get an automatic bid, but as it stands that isn't how the system works. If we're going to have a system at which the toughness of a conference in relation to OOC, playoff performance, etc earns a conference a bid, as opposed to every league getting at least one automatic bid, then the OVC definitely doesn't deserve one because they haven't proven their worth on the field.

As the system now works, continually having an OVC team in the tournament leaves out teams that make noise in the playoffs.

[FargoBison]

Giving every conference a bid is good for FCS football...it helps these conference strengthen themselves and it makes the FCS a deeper a subdivision.

[Maroons]

I would say no, simply because they haven't one a game in the playoffs in over a decade....

I mean, I understand that some people think that every league should get an automatic bid, but as it stands that isn't how the system works. If we're going to have a system at which the toughness of a conference in relation to OOC, playoff performance, etc earns a conference a bid, as opposed to every league getting at least one automatic bid, then the OVC definitely doesn't deserve one because they haven't proven their worth on the field.

As the system now works, continually having an OVC team in the tournament leaves out teams that make noise in the playoffs.

The latest Massey rankings have the OVC fifth, in front of the CAA this year. The OVC beat an FBS team, had a winning record over FCS competition, has a win over one team that has already won a playoff game. Isn't that a good enough regular season for a bid?

It's foolish instead to focus on one game at the end of the year and say that is the measure of the league. The playoffs are about this year, and this year, EIU was the best of 7 very good teams, but none great. They got a very tough draw, and didn't help themselves at all. Does that one game negate the good of an entire season?

[Southsider]

First off, you seem like a prick.

Second, I guess my main beef is the way some conferences give their AQ and the only way around that would be getting rid of AQs altogether. Just about every year I see three way ties and the third best team getting the AQ because of some silly conference rule. I would like something around 24 teams and a minimum of 6 conferences represented or something similar. Honestly you can't tell me some of these AQs are one of the best 24 teams.

I am a realist! Got drawn back to this thread by another comment when I found your post. After 4 weeks of very entertaining games I think, once again, the field proved themselves worthy. I am sure you disagree, so going forward I nominate you to select the field. I am quite sure that will put this argument to bed. Additionally, I was pulling for SHSU in the title game, but I just switched my allegiance. Go Bison!