THE SLC RACE

[BEAR]

5 teams are fighting for conference title. Some have it easier than others.


The BIG question is: WHO is most likely to win the conference?
-Looking at the schedules
-Looking at past performance
-Looking at teams that are starting to come on strong toward the end of the year.
-Looking at possible injuries to star players
-Looking at home field advantage..or not
-Looking at.....well, you get the picture.

Throw in your 2 cents fans!

Here are the conference leaders and their remaining schedules:

Southeastern Louisiana: 4-1 (beat UCA, lost to SFA)
Houston Baptist - home
McNeese- home
Nicholls- away

UCA: 4-1 (lost to SLU, beat SFA)
ACU- away
Lamar- home
Sam Houston- away

SFA: 3-1 (beat SLU, lost to UCA)
Sam- away BOTPW
Mcneese- away
ACU- home
NWST- home

McNeese: 3-1 (lost to Sam)
NWST- away
SFA- home
SLU- away
Lamar- home

Sam Houston State: 3-1 (lost to NWST)
SFA- away BOTPW
Incarnate Word- away
HBU- away
UCA- home

SAM and SFA bang heads this weekend to knock one of them out.
McNeese has SLU left to knock one of them out.
IF UCA can get by ACU and Lamar, then SAM can play the spoiler.

[SFA 93]

All I know is that SFA controls their own destiny (win out win the conference)

In other news...

Stephen F. Austin State University will be the first institution in the Southland Conference to produce ESPN3 telecasts for all home football, basketball, soccer and volleyball games.

SFA to begin renovations to their facilities for the equipment to facilitate the delivery of SFA games through the ESPN3 platform.

Should be up and ready by spring 2015 starting with SFA soccer.

http://www.sfasu.edu/7851.asp

http://a.espncdn.com/espn_networks/images/channels/slate_768x432/espn3.jpg

[BEAR]

I think all 5 teams could say the same.

[smilo]

Central Arkansas has got to be the favorite at this point. Either them or SELA, but SELA has to get through McNeese.


NWST over McNeese
McNeese over SELA (entirely dependent on Bennet's performance)
UCA over SHSU
SHSU over SFA

Then there's still the SFA/McNeese game.
Lamar and ACU wins aren't givens either, but I'll take it as that for now.

[BEAR]

No other comments from SLC fans? xeyebrowx

[McNeese72]

No other comments from SLC fans? xeyebrowx

We still haven't beaten anybody decent yet.

Doc

[BEAR]

We still haven't beaten anybody decent yet.

Doc

We have a bye before the Sam game..c'mon down!

OR

Any yet you're still ranked????

[BEAR]

I smell injuries.... (sniff, sniff)

[TheEagleSHSU]

All 5 teams have the same "Win out and we win conference" however some teams have a tougher road to get there. SHSU has beaten SFA 3 years in a row and 5 out of the last 7.

UCA has beaten SHSU the last 2 years in Conway, Ark.

All I know is the SLC race has been pretty exciting to watch and is going to come down to the wire.

[Sammy94]

So if SELA and Sam win out, I guess we will have co-champs again?

[SFA 93]

3 years in a row over SFA, so you have nothing to worry about then.

LOL that means nothing, you could say Conque is 5-3 against Sammy.

Not like Sam has won big the last two against SFA.

[TheRevSFA]

All 5 teams have the same "Win out and we win conference" however some teams have a tougher road to get there. SHSU has beaten SFA 3 years in a row and 5 out of the last 7.

UCA has beaten SHSU the last 2 years in Conway, Ark.

All I know is the SLC race has been pretty exciting to watch and is going to come down to the wire.

Yet this year you lost to NW State and were Puebloed at home. I mean to lose the longest home win streak to a d2 team....

[Texas]

3 years in a row over SFA, so you have nothing to worry about then.

LOL that means nothing, you could say Conque is 5-3 against Sammy.

Not like Sam has won big the last two against SFA.

50-35-2, and your point again? Also all 5 teams control their destiny you goddamn retard.


Yet this year you lost to NW State and were Puebloed at home. I mean to lose the longest home win streak to a d2 team....
We are playing Keelerball so we understand the likelihood of anything good happening this year.

[TheRevSFA]

We are playing Keelerball so we understand the likelihood of anything good happening this year.

Don't you mean unlikelihood

[SFA 93]

With as mad as Sammy fans are, you would think they had lost the last 3.

[Texas]

With as mad as Sammy fans are, you would think they had lost the last 3.

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/79/79cc3e6b891567444ebc7822548e277d16eb0c94870887d3c5 915223c859d9f7.jpg

[MTfan4life]

So if SELA and Sam win out, I guess we will have co-champs again?

In this scenario I assume the tiebreaker will come down to who finishes better between Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin. That could in fact come down to the season finale between those two teams. It should be an exciting finish in the Southland and anyone could win. However, SELA and SHSU have the upper hand considering none of their games against the contenders are on the road.

[TheRevSFA]

In this scenario I assume the tiebreaker will come down to who finishes better between Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin. That could in fact come down to the season finale between those two teams. It should be an exciting finish in the Southland and anyone could win. However, SELA and SHSU have the upper hand considering none of their games against the contenders are on the road.

Well if Sam wins on Saturday vs SFA, SFA will be on the outside looking in

[BEAR]

Looking at this weeks games putting aside the SLC pickem picks, who is likely to knock one of those 5 teams off?

UCA vs. ACU
Sam vs. SFA
McNeese vs. NWST
HBU vs. Lamar
UIW vs. Nicholls

UCA has a 60% chance to win IMO so they should stay at the top.
SFA is looking awfully tough and SAM is kind of a question so I'll say SFA by a little bit. 51%
McNeese will have no problem with an injury depleted Demon team so Cowboys by 80%.
Lamar no problem.
Nicholls also.

So IMO that makes
SELA off but still a #1 team.
McNeese wins so still #1 team.
SFA wins in a squeaker so still #1 team.
Sammy out.
UCA still in with decent game over ACU.

At the end of the week that will only knock 1 team out..either SFA or SAM but IMO SAM most likely.

Next week UCA has Lamar and has to win at home to stay alive.
SFA is at Mcneese so if SFA wins this week they have to go to McNeese..one of them will be out.
SELA plays HBU..easy win.

That will leave most likely UCA, SELA, and SFA (McNeese)...down to 3.

Next week after that:
McNeese goes to SELA to play the spoiler.
ACU goes SFA... SFA should win.
UCA bye.

That should leave still 3 teams, maybe two if the Cowboys pull the upset/win or whatever.

The final week;

UCA goes to SAM who I think will be already out of it.. so SAM could play the spoiler.
The other teams should get victories, SFA and SELA.

So this could go to co-champions between a varied group of SFA/SELA or SFA/SELA/UCA.

Thoughts?

[Sammy94]

This week-
UCA vs. ACU
Sam vs. SFA
McNeese vs. NWST

UCA wins, Sam wins, McNeese wins.... Book it

The other games have no bearing on the race.

[TheRevSFA]

If SFA is in a tie break situation and head to head records don't decide it, they'll get the autobid due to the longest out of the playoffs rule

its interesting to say the least

[BEAR]

If UCA, SELA, and SFA win out then you have 3 cochamps right?

SFA gets the autobid due to default of being out the longest unless the SLC looks at the UCA head to head with SFA?

What happens to SELA and UCA? do both get in or will UCA stay home due to the loss to SELA?

UCA will have 8 division I wins.
SELA will have 9 division I wins.
SFA could have 10 division I wins.


I can see how SELA will be picked for the playoffs over UCA but it sure would be nice to be conference champion AND have 3 teams in the playoffs.

[TheRevSFA]

If UCA, SELA, and SFA win out then you have 3 cochamps right?

SFA gets the autobid due to default of being out the longest unless the SLC looks at the UCA head to head with SFA?

What happens to SELA and UCA? do both get in or will UCA stay home due to the loss to SELA?

UCA will have 8 division I wins.
SELA will have 9 division I wins.
SFA could have 10 division I wins.


I can see how SELA will be picked for the playoffs over UCA but it sure would be nice to be conference champion AND have 3 teams in the playoffs.

Did UCA lose to SELA?

UCA beat SFA
SFA beat SELA
SELA beat UCA

head to head is null

of course SFA still has to beat Sam and mcneese so this probably won't matter

[McNeese72]

If SFA is in a tie break situation and head to head records don't decide it, they'll get the autobid due to the longest out of the playoffs rule

its interesting to say the least

I've read the SLC tie-breaking "rules" for this season and, it is a lot more complicated than that. If two teams are tied with no head to head to determine it, it next goes to how they did against the teams they played in the order they finished. They will look at their records against the 2nd place teams, 3rd place teams, on down until one has done better than the other.

If there are three (or more) teams that are tied, they go to head to head first, and then start comparing records with the other teams.

The only time the "last out of the playoffs" thing comes into play is if the record comparisons don't determine it. And, if that doesn't break the tie, then they go to the NCAA's rating system.

Doc

[Sammy94]

autobid due to the longest out of the playoffs rule


This is no longer a rule.

[McNeese72]

This is no longer a rule.

It is still in there, but there but there are a lot more determining factors ahead of it.

Doc

[Sammy94]

It is still in there, but there but there are a lot more determining factors ahead of it.


Sammy has to win out for a chance, if SELA does also then it will depend on what the final records of SFA and NWST, if that is a tie also then who goes since they were both in the last playoffs? Guess I need to be a Cowboy fan from here on out if we get by SFA this weekend.

[lionsrking2]

Sammy has to win out for a chance, if SELA does also then it will depend on what the final records of SFA and NWST, if that is a tie also then who goes since they were both in the last playoffs?

Simple Rating System.

[BEAR]

Looks like ACU's starting QB is out and is replaced by a redshirt freshman.

Hungry Bears smell blood in Plano...

http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/story/d/story/collums-takes-on-alma-mater/42486/GfYXvSp-YEWk6T6Fi8fGDw

[TheRevSFA]

Looks like ACU's starting QB is out and is replaced by a redshirt freshman.

Hungry Bears smell blood in Plano...

http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/story/d/story/collums-takes-on-alma-mater/42486/GfYXvSp-YEWk6T6Fi8fGDw

Why are you playing in Plano? Also what high school is hosting it?

[BEAR]

Why are you playing in Plano? Also what high school is hosting it?



http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/stadium.php?id=267

http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/simages/267.jpg

[McNeese75]

Lol , yes, let me know if the Jacks are going to Plano so I can change my pick em point spread to a shutout in Abilene by the Wildcats

[LIONFAN07]

Over the next 4 weeks the SLC will have a number of elimination games between contenders. Anybody could lose to anybody but looking at head to heads against teams in the mix I would say SLU and UCA have easiest road. For the Lions if the take care of business against two teams struggling in HBU and Nicholls everything comes down to McNeese in 2 weeks. SFA has the most difficult road right now IMO. McNeese has a difficult stretch too with SFA, NWST, Lions and Lamar. (Cardinals will play them tough) I am hiring Cowboys have a lot of injuries so we will see how that plays out. SAM has BOTPW then UCA at home in final week. UCA really will just have to be ready for SAM. No game can be taken lightly I get that. I am just looking at contenders and head to head games. Don't overlook NWST. After watching them live they will be ready to go against anybody. Very capable espically at home. Should be fun to watch it all play out. I think Mcneese and Southeastern are the only two that could lose 1 of their remaining games and still get in.

[BEAR]

McNeese is banged up? How many injuries?

NWST is devastated. They came into Conway and I thought it was gonna be a fight. Not even close. ZERO defense.

What's the status of SELA's Bennett?

Hey Kat fans, how does the team look so far concerning injuries etc? Will they be ready for the Bears?

ACU lost their starting QB.

[McNeese72]

McNeese is banged up? How many injuries?

NWST is devastated. They came into Conway and I thought it was gonna be a fight. Not even close. ZERO defense.



Hey Kat fans, how does the team look so far concerning injuries etc? Will they be ready for the Bears?

.

We are banged up on offense and they are banged up on defense. Sort of neutralizes any advantage.

Example: After the second series at UIW, we were down to our 4th and 5th runningbacks from where we were at the start of the season.

Doc

[lionsrking2]

Everybody is banged up to some degree or another this time of year.

[Sammy94]

Hey Kat fans, how does the team look so far concerning injuries etc? Will they be ready for the Bears?

We lost Lorance (DT) on the defensive side of the ball and Shane Young (TE) on the offensive side. Plenty of capable replacements on this team. Pretty deep everywhere except LB. If we win this week, the Bears better bring it because we only lose to D2 teams at Bowers and the Kats will be playoff hungry if its a win and in situation.

[msupokes1]

McNeese is missing:

Kent Shelby WR (Out for season)
Jalen James DB (Out for season)
Nate Homes RB (Out indefinitely)
Derick Milton RB (Out this week)

I think everyone else will play but some are banged up. Seems like we took last week to rest quite a few players.

[Hood]

No other comments from SLC fans? xeyebrowx
Bro look at my avatar. You think my ilk has anything to offer to this conversation anytime in the last 8 or next 25 years? xbawlingx Anyone got some cheese for me?

[BEAR]

Bro look at my avatar. You think my ilk has anything to offer to this conversation anytime in the last 8 or next 25 years? xbawlingx Anyone got some cheese for me?

But bro..you have Crimp Crunk, Clink Clank, Cramp Cunk, Clit Clog..or whatever...as a famous alum! Females look up to him! Really....xthumbsupx

[Daytripper]

Bro look at my avatar. You think my ilk has anything to offer to this conversation anytime in the last 8 or next 25 years? xbawlingx Anyone got some cheese for me?

What will it take to get you guys competitive again?

[MR. CHICKEN]

Bro look at my avatar. You think my ilk has anything to offer to this conversation anytime in the last 8 or next 25 years? xbawlingx Anyone got some cheese for me?


19949................AWK!

[TheRevSFA]

What will it take to get you guys competitive again?

Dropping to D2

[TheRevSFA]

But bro..you have Crimp Crunk, Clink Clank, Cramp Cunk, Clit Clog..or whatever...as a famous alum! Females look up to him! Really....xthumbsupx

The amount of hate you have for conque is amazing. You should be thankful for what he did or else you'd still be playing Arkansas tech yearly in the "who gives a ****" conference

[BEAR]

The amount of hate you have for conque is amazing. You should be thankful for what he did or else you'd still be playing Arkansas tech yearly in the "who gives a ****" conference

Poor SFA fans... you really can't know someone until you've know them for a while. His record here speaks for itself. Good coach for sure. But his off field problems led to serious negativity with our program. What things you say? Interviewing for other jobs while a coach. Affairs with employees. Huge negativity with players that I've heard first hand from them. Seriously dude, this isn't a case of jealousy..that only occurs when you are going to miss someone. It was his time to go. He established a good program but lacked any self-discipline in his private life to push it over the top. You'll get the same thing and in four years or less you'll remember this post and say. "Dang, I need another beer". xlolx

[SFA 93]

And you were ok with it all, as long as he kept winning.

nice try xlolx

but seriously get over it already, I'm sure your new coach will live up to your high perfect expectations.

[BEAR]

And you were ok with it all, as long as he kept winning.

nice try xlolx

but seriously get over it already, I'm sure your new coach will live up to your high perfect expectations.

You obviously spent ZERO time on this campus and know NOTHING about how he was perceived. But I'll leave that to your psychic mind to "know". His days were numbered brother.

As for our new coach, he's 1-0 vs. the Jacks and is on track to a SLC title his first year..so again yeah, he's living up to our winning standards. Thanks! xthumbsupx

[SFA 93]

I never claimed that I did spend time on your campus. I'm just talking about you, and how we never heard you bad mouth Conque before, until he left. That's all brother.

No I don't know your school, hell I never even heard of your school until it moved up from division II to be honest. xlolx

[BEAR]

I never claimed that I did spend time on your campus. I'm just talking about you, and how we never heard you bad mouth Conque before, until he left. That's all brother.

No I don't know your school, hell I never even heard of your school until it moved up from division II to be honest. xlolx

Check out the uca board sometime. Plenty of my "mouth" there. Here the last two years I might have been disgruntled but I didn't want to project a negative image of the program on the national scene. Cronks actions themselves did enough of that already. That and the fact we've whipped through more presidents and A.D.s and had more scandals than most soap operas.
Honestly, I had never heard of any of the SLC teams except ASU and Troy before 2005 either. When it comes to irrelevance, division II football and division I-AA are pretty much definitions in many fans eyes I'm sure. But even with that, I'm still cheering for a team that has a chance to win a title AND go to the playoffs.

[Texas]

I never claimed that I did spend time on your campus. I'm just talking about you, and how we never heard you bad mouth Conque before, until he left. That's all brother.

No I don't know your school, hell I never even heard of your school until it moved up from division II to be honest. xlolx
What happened to all that Conque talk with him having SHSU's #?

[BEAR]

Sam looked good tonight.
UCA looked pitiful.
McNeese looking good so far.

The SLC is further sorted out.

[LIONFAN07]

Well Southland comes down to 3 teams with 3 weeks left. SAM, McNeese, and SLU.

[BEAR]

Time for the Bears to play kitty spoiler...xlolx

[LIONFAN07]

Time for the Bears to play kitty spoiler...xlolx that would be much appreciated by SLU McNeese winner.

[BEAR]

I imagined we would lose one more but I expected it to be SAM...not ACU that didn't have its star QB. It would have been difficult for us to make the playoffs with 3 wins in a row anyway...but now it's just about pride.

[Texas]

I imagined we would lose one more but I expected it to be SAM...not ACU that didn't have its star QB. It would have been difficult for us to make the playoffs with 3 wins in a row anyway...but now it's just about pride.
We still got a good chance to lose to HBU or IWU

[TheEagleSHSU]

We still got a good chance to lose to HBU or IWU

That's the truth

[Catatonic]

I imagined we would lose one more but I expected it to be SAM...not ACU that didn't have its star QB. It would have been difficult for us to make the playoffs with 3 wins in a row anyway...but now it's just about pride.ew

Oddly enough, starting a new QB may have worked in ACU's favor. McKenzie, the starter, is more of a passer. Munden relies more on his ability to run the ball. Not sure your coaches knew how to prepare for him, since he has not played much as a collegian. They probably assumed we would pass more than throw, since that's what we have done over the past decade and pass-happy offense is Coach Collums signature. The emphasis on the QB running the ball surprised most ACU fans and probably your coaches as well.

[Hood]

What will it take to get you guys competitive again?I have no more "ins" with the university. So everything I share here is what I've read on the internet, was told to me by someone with an in, or what I've extrapolated sitting in the stands:

#1 to me would be to have the smoke the AD is always blowing up fans' rears actually contain some fire. Not hire coaches based on "Hey if you hire THIS GUY we'll donate $xxx,xxx to the fund" and instead hire coaches that can relate to the community and recruit. Our AD is constantly (from what I've read) flirting with other opportunities, which is his right but indicative of dissatisfaction, to me. We need someone that wants to be there. We were not setting the world on fire with the option offense, but we also weren't 1-10, 1-10, 0-12, etc...We were able to recruit option athletes that didn't have many other offers on the table. With the playbook of the recently resigned coach we were getting the leftovers, kids with no offers on the table (or transfers) and running (well attempting to) an offense like everyone else.

We used to recruit kids with heart. Now, that's the exception, not the rule - not my experience, this was shared to me by a player. That a back up (4th) QB would be on kickoff coverage just to get in the game while other depth players are doing nothing is telling.

That former players would rather go to a Nicholls game in Northwestern State purple out of support for Jay Thomas is telling.

Dropping to D2(pretty sure you're being facetious but I'll bite) If Nicholls is to field a football program, D2 would be very counterproductive. In the Southland we have NWST, SELA, MSU, SHSU, SFA, LU, and HBU within comfortable driving distance for fans if they'd get off of their keisters as well as team travel considerations. ACU, UCA, and UIW are a little more of a pain but still not the worst bus trip ever taken.

Dropping to Division 2 would net zero instate away games, no chance at FBS money games, and the loss of great rivalries. In addition between the Gulf South & Lone Star conferences neither fit Nicholls geographically. Dropping to Division 2 would result in more than football dropping, it'd affect other sports and probably the loss of other sports (not sure if dropping divisions requires dropping sports the way moving up forces you to add).





19949................AWK!
Ah yes! Thank you!! :)

[TheRevSFA]

You caught me on being facetious

[LuckyKat]

its taken alot longer than all of us have wanted, but I finally think the Team is starting to come together,
IF, we make it to the Tournament, I feel good about doing DAMAGE!!!!

Bring em ON!

[Hammond, AMERICA]

Not too surprised with the UCA ACU outcome. Thats the kind of team I wouldn't want the lions to sleep on. I have a pretty good feeling we will come out of the Mcneese game with a W seeing that we are at home and we already know they're a good team. Looks like I'll be a temporary Bear fan.

[TheRevSFA]

What sucks - SFA could win out and finish 9-3 and miss the playoffs

[lionsrking2]

What sucks - SFA could win out and finish 9-3 and miss the playoffs

SFA would definitely be in at 9-3 IMO. Eight D-I wins with wins over us and McNeese on resume if that were to happen.

[BEAR]

I see it like this.

SELA goes as autobid. Easiest schedule left.
SFA goes as at-large. 9 possible wins.
the rest of us watch from home.

[SFA 93]

I can live with that, but more likely 8-4 watching at home with the rest.

[Catatonic]

Not too surprised with the UCA ACU outcome. Thats the kind of team I wouldn't want the lions to sleep on. I have a pretty good feeling we will come out of the Mcneese game with a W seeing that we are at home and we already know they're a good team. Looks like I'll be a temporary Bear fan.

Oh, great. Now I can't get The Lion Sleeps Tonight out of my head. "in the jungle, the mighty jungle....."

[Sammy94]

No way SFA wins out.

[Hood]

Either way, good luck to all of you, may the student athletes representing your schools get through the next few weeks (and maybe months) injury free with memories to last a lifetime.

[JSUBison]

I see it like this.

SELA goes as autobid. Easiest schedule left.
SFA goes as at-large. 9 possible wins.
the rest of us watch from home.

SELA doesn't have the easiest schedule left, SHSU does. So if SELA wins out and SHSU wins out, that would mean both at 7-1. I thought in the event of a tie, the SLC awards the autobid to the team who has gone the longest without winning it. That would be Sam Houston as the auto with SELA as an at large. If McNeese goes 2-1 down the stretch they will finish at 8-3 (6-2). Even with a D2 win I think they would still have a chance at an at large, but not a good one.

[lionsrking2]

SELA doesn't have the easiest schedule left, SHSU does. So if SELA wins out and SHSU wins out, that would mean both at 7-1. I thought in the event of a tie, the SLC awards the autobid to the team who has gone the longest without winning it. That would be Sam Houston as the auto with SELA as an at large. If McNeese goes 2-1 down the stretch they will finish at 8-3 (6-2). Even with a D2 win I think they would still have a chance at an at large, but not a good one.

That's not how the SLC tiebreaker works. In case of a two-way tie, the W/L record vs the next highest positioned team (which both teams have played) is compared. If that's tied, continue down the standings until tie is broken. If all still remains tied, the team with the highest SRS rating is the autobid winner. If still tied, it goes to the team who has gone the longest without going to the playoffs. If that's tied, it's pulled out of a hat.

Essentially, if it's a two-way tie between us and Sam, it'll come down to where SFA and NW State finish in the standings. If SFA finishes higher, Sam would get the autobid ... if NW State finishes higher, we would. If that's tied, it would go to SRS rating.

A lot of football yet to be played before all of that has to be sorted out. There are still a plausible scenarios where multiple teams could finish tied with two losses.

[TheRevSFA]

No way SFA wins out.

We also didn't think Sam would lose to a d2 school either.

I stribgly doubt we beat mcneese in lake chuck

[McNeese72]

We also didn't think Sam would lose to a d2 school either.

I stribgly doubt we beat mcneese in lake chuck

I think it depends on which McNeese team shows up to play. The one that played the first half at Northwestern St. or the one that played the second half at Northwestern St.

Doc

[FormerPokeCenter]

Interesting transformation in the second half. I really liked the way we came out, spread the ball around and efficiently ran the offense in the first half.

We kinda resembled the team that played Nebraska.

In the second half, we resembled the team that played Sam Houston....I'd just as soon have THAT team go ahead and stay in Natchitoches...