can BOTH the Gateway and A10 get 3 AL bids?

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

-Let's see, the Socon will get one (that's a lock)
-The Southland won't get any
-The Patriot League won't get any
-Great West won't get any
-In the BSC, Montana is already a lock and Montana State is too if they pull of the upset at Washington-Grizzly

so picture this:
UNI defeats Illinois State
Towson defeats JMU
New Hampshire defeats Maine
Montana beats Montana State (not A10 or Gateway of course, but a Griz win would free up a space that you would otherwise definitly give to MSU)

None of these look too terribly unlikely.

So from the A10 we have UMASS getting the auto, and behind them UNH, JMU, and Towson get the at-larges (you have to let in anyone who makes it out of this years A10 with just 3 losses)

And from the Gateway YSU would get the auto and ALs would be IllSt. UNI, and SIU. UNI would probably be the most controversial pick of these 8, and I could probably see an argument of why either Portland State or a 7-4 Montana State would get in before them. The thing you have to consider with UNI is that they did give a good IA team a heck of a fight and lost to a very tough and underrated DII team. I suppose it depends on how much consideration Coastal Carolina and San Diego get.

So is it possible?

[shakdaddy3]

IMO as well as most other Gateway fans, UNI is done... DII loss kills their chances and there are other teams with 4 losses that either beat a IA [as opposed to losing closely] or did not lose to a DII team

[th0m]

It is possible I guess. More so for the A-10 than for the Gateway, but still possible. I think UNI is done though. While JMU would be at 8-3 (with a DII game), they would have lost their last 2 games, and definitely not look too hot.

This would be the worst possible scenario out there for teams from other conferences (2nd OVC, CCU)

[AZGrizFan]

IMO as well as most other Gateway fans, UNI is done... DII loss kills their chances and there are other teams with 4 losses that either beat a IA [as opposed to losing closely] or did not lose to a DII team

or, in the case of Montana State......did BOTH. xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I bet North Dakota could beat Colorado...I'll say that much.

[HensRock]

It becomes really tough to pick just 1 at-large from the Big Sky if Montana beats MSU in the Brawl of the Wild.


On the one hand you have 7-4 Montana State. 7 D-I wins BUT a D-II loss which hurts. I would automatically dismiss them from consideration for an at-large if it weren't for one minor point: They beat PSU head to head.

On the Other hand PSU. 7 D-I wins, 1 of them against a I-A, and 2 I-A losses. But that losas to MSU looms large.

I really think it's hard to make a case for taking one without the other, but I doubt the Big Sky will get 2 At-large bids.

So what to do?
Leave out both? You almost have to.


I don't personally think that UNI or Towson will win their final game. I think Towson's chances are better.

This might open the door for 2 Big Sky at-large if Montana wins and both Towson and UNI lose.

But I think Del State gets in along with Coastal Carolina and Furman, leaving only 1 at-large up for grabs. Towson already has the requisite 7 D-I wins, so even if they lose top JMU they might be the best choice left out there. The knock on them is they will not really have any "quality" wins - although you can count almost any A10 win as quality.

[BDKJMU]

Its simple. Towson wins, they're in. Loses they're out. 7-4 won't cut it with their OOC schedule.

[igo4uni]

UNI is done.

[PantherRob82]

Why do we keep getting mentioned? All we have to play for is a bit of pride by beating Illinois State. We got destroyed yesterday. xidiotx

[WrenFGun]

Is it possible that UNH could get in with a loss to Maine? They'd be 7-4 with a win over Northwestern, and close losses to Northeastern and UMass. Or does Maine suddenly become interesting in the A-10, again, as they'd finish 6-2 in the A-10. Even with a loss, by your criteria, Maine is just 6-5, but 5-3 in the A-10.

So I guess what I'm wondering is, with a win, does Maine look better than UNH for a final At-Large? Especially if Towson also loses?

[GreenDay17]

Is it possible that UNH could get in with a loss to Maine? They'd be 7-4 with a win over Northwestern, and close losses to Northeastern and UMass. Or does Maine suddenly become interesting in the A-10, again, as they'd finish 6-2 in the A-10. Even with a loss, by your criteria, Maine is just 6-5, but 5-3 in the A-10.

So I guess what I'm wondering is, with a win, does Maine look better than UNH for a final At-Large? Especially if Towson also loses?

There could be an argument for UNH at 7-4, but it is not as strong as the argument for a 7-4 Portland State team.

A Maine win would only give them 6 wins in D-I. They are out regardless of the UNH game.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

There could be an argument for UNH at 7-4, but it is not as strong as the argument for a 7-4 Portland State team.

A Maine win would only give them 6 wins in D-I. They are out regardless of the UNH game.

All of their wins are DI. Ivies, PL teams, and Pioneer, and NEC teams count as DI.

[rcny46]

All of their wins are DI. Ivies, PL teams, and Pioneer, and NEC teams count as DI.

Are you talking about Maine when you say "all of their wins are D-1?" If so,one of their wins was over Shaw,a D-2 program.

[Chucktown]

EIU is still hangin around for an at large.... Can still win the OVC auto with some help, but with a win at Jax State next week, they will finish 8-4- with 8 D1 wins. and losses to 2 top ten 1AA and 2 1A

[GreenDay17]

All of their wins are DI. Ivies, PL teams, and Pioneer, and NEC teams count as DI.

My post was a bit disjointed. I was talking about Maine when I said a Maine victory would only give them (Maine) 6 D-I wins.

[Cocky]

EIU is still hangin around for an at large.... Can still win the OVC auto with some help, but with a win at Jax State next week, they will finish 8-4- with 8 D1 wins. and losses to 2 top ten 1AA and 2 1A


That game is in Chucktown.

[UMass922]

I suppose it depends on how much consideration Coastal Carolina and San Diego get.

Coastal Carolina will be in with a win, no questions asked. And frankly, I think they're in even with a loss. They'd be 8-3 (all games against D-I teams) with OOC wins over Furman, Wofford, and South Carolina State. In what's going to be a thin crop of quality at-large contenders, that's going to look like a very solid resume. Yesterday's losses by Cal Poly and UNI were probably the clincher for CCU.

[DFW HOYA]

Agreed on CCU. It's been a good year for the Chants.