Wouldn't it be interesting if....

[CollegeObserver]

Monmouth makes the playoffs, and San Diego comes east to play the 5-6 Stony Brook squad?
IMO, Monmouth has a better shot at the field of 16 than "you know who".

[Torero Tradition]

I think that would be very interesting that a team who is undefeated and
No. 11 in Saragin
No. 12 in Don Hansens
No. 13 in the GPI
No. 14 in the Sports Network Poll.
No. 15 in the CSN
No. 20 in the AGS Poll

has the nations top offense (statistically) with Payton Award Candidate QB doesn't get in, and Monmouth does... yes I would find that very interesting.

If that happens... i would still cheer Monmouth on and hopefully they could pull off a few upsets and make a run.

[CollegeObserver]

Any team that ranks in the "Saragin" and Hansen must really be something.

Agreed, though, good luck to Monmouth, the ONLY team to have 10 D-I wins.

[shakdaddy3]

AND USD IS 69 IN THE KEEPER : smh :

"Strength-of-Schedule is the most important consideration when ranking college football teams" - from Keeper's College Football Ratings website.. i wish the other polls took SOS into account b/c it doesn't seem like they do...

[CopperCat]

I think that would be very interesting that a team who is undefeated and
No. 11 in Saragin
No. 12 in Don Hansens
No. 13 in the GPI
No. 14 in the Sports Network Poll.
No. 15 in the CSN
No. 20 in the AGS Poll

has the nations top offense with Payton Award Candidate QB doesn't get in, and Monmouth does... yes I would find that very interesting.

If that happens... i would still cheer Monmouth on and hopefully they could pull off a few upsets and make a run.

Trad, when are you going to realize there is much more to a good team than being ranked in some stupid poll?

[JohnStOnge]

has the nations top offense .

I think it'd be more accurate to say, "leads the nation in total offense." I doubt that it's the top I-AA offense. Not saying that it'd good and I really don't know that it's not. But I doubt if the same offense would be leading the nation statistically if it were playing in, say, the Gateway conference.

[FlyYtown]

ENOUGH.. SAN DIEGO IS NOT GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS.... DAMN I AM STARTING TO GET SICK OF THIS SITE!

[CollegeObserver]

Agreed, the Torinos are "out".

[GreenDay17]

I have an idea...wouldn't it be interesting if the Gridiron Classic featured USD and the last team not chosen for the playoffs.:smiley_wi

[Torero Tradition]

I have an idea...wouldn't it be interesting if the Gridiron Classic featured USD and the last team not chosen for the playoffs.:smiley_wi

Could happen! If Monmouth is close to making it and are the last team left out, then it would happen or vice versa... Monmouth could end up playing the last team left out :nod:

How would people feel if combined (and we know it can't happen in the current set up) if the NEC and PFL combined recieved one at-large bid. The winner of the Gridiron classic so to speak. :eyebrow:

[downbythebeach]

Monmouth is better than Del State IMHO

I'm a SFU fan and we lost to both...:o

[usdtoreros]

So you guys really think Monmouth deserves to get in? They are not ranked higher than 23rd in any poll in the GPI. So even though not one computer or human poll even hints at them being in, they should be in? I am not arguing that polls mean everything, but the fact that NOT ONE has them in the Top 20 is interesting if they deserve to be in. I guess you guys know a lot more than ALL the experts and computers.

I am not arguing that USD should necessarily be in, but if Monmouth made it and USD didn't, I think there will be major issues.

[UMass922]

I am not arguing that USD should necessarily be in, but if Monmouth made it and USD didn't, I think there will be major issues.

D-I games played:
Monmouth 11
San Diego 8

D-I wins:
Monmouth 10
San Diego 8

Wins against opponents from auto-bid conferences:
Monmouth 3
San Diego 0 (1 if we want to count Yale/Ivy as equivalent)

Wins against teams ranked at some point in the AGS top 25:
Monmouth 2
San Diego 0

I don't think Monmouth is quite deserving of a bid, but I don't see what the "major issues" would be in letting them in over San Diego.

[usdtoreros]

D-I games played:
Monmouth 11
San Diego 8

D-I wins:
Monmouth 10
San Diego 8

Wins against opponents from auto-bid conferences:
Monmouth 3
San Diego 0 (1 if we want to count Yale/Ivy as equivalent)

Wins against teams ranked at some point in the AGS top 25:
Monmouth 2
San Diego 0

I don't think Monmouth is quite deserving of a bid, but I don't see what the "major issues" would be in letting them in over San Diego.

Anyone can pick and choose information that makes one team look better than another (SEE: statistics/undefeated record vs. SOS), but I feel the GPI does a pretty good jobs of take as much as you possibly could in consideration. Do you wonder why only one poll (of 12) has Monmouth ahead of USD? And that is not the famed AGS poll. In addition to that, 10 have USD over ten spots ahead and 6 have them over 20 spots ahead. Could it be that, maybe, one team has lost? I guess people on here don't understand the power of a loss. If USD had played 2 or 3 other Yale-equivalent/Auto-bid games, one loss would've still killed their playoff aspirations. There is a huge difference between a one loss team and an undefeated team.

[UMass922]

Anyone can pick and choose information that makes one team look better than another

Yes, anyone can. And I picked and chose the information that is most relevant to the selection committee's actual stated criteria for selecting at-large teams (i.e., full D-I schedule, D-I wins, strength of schedule--as opposed to statistics and poll rankings, which are nowhere mentioned in the committee's stated criteria).

[UMass922]

I guess people on here don't understand the power of a loss. If USD had played 2 or 3 other Yale-equivalent/Auto-bid games, one loss would've still killed their playoff aspirations. There is a huge difference between a one loss team and an undefeated team.

Actually, I think a USD team that went 10-1 against a full D-I slate--let's say they went undefeated against the PFL, and 3-1 against an OOC slate of Yale, UC-Davis, Cal Poly, and Sacramento State (or maybe Northern Arizona)--would have a substantially stronger playoff resume than the current 10-0 team that has played two non-D-I games and only one D-I game of note. Teams that play strong schedules can actually afford to lose a game or two or three (or occasionally even four, as at least one four-loss team is likely to make the field this year). You'll notice that all of the teams ranked ahead of San Diego (in whatever poll/ranking you choose) have lost at least a game or two, and that has not eliminated any of them from playoff contention.

[usdtoreros]

You'll notice that all of the teams ranked ahead of San Diego (in whatever poll/ranking you choose) have lost at least a game or two, and that has not eliminated any of them from playoff contention.

And I can almost guarantee you that USD's SOS would be lower than all of them, no matter who they played OOC.

[UMass922]

And I can almost guarantee you that USD's SOS would be lower than all of them, no matter who they played OOC.

Yes, but it (USD's SOS) could still stand to be much much higher than it is now. As long as USD is locked into the Pioneer schedule, it's going to have at least seven weak games, but if it holds its own in four OOC games against very good auto-bid (or equivalent) teams--let's say a couple blowout wins (a la the Yale game), one closer win, and a close loss--it is going to be viewed much more legitimately. This is what San Diego's WCC conference-mate Gonzaga did in basketball: knowing that it was locked into a relatively weak conference schedule, it ramped up its OOC slate to one of the best in the country, won its fair share of those games, and put itself in a position where not only did it start to get much higher seeds in the NCAA tourney, but also to where it could even afford to slip up in the conference tourney and still get in to the NCAA's with an at-large.

Now obviously there are differences between basketball and football--mainly that the greater number of games played in basketball leaves greater margin for error, and that Gonzaga still has the WCC auto-bid as a safety net if it struggles OOC--but I think the same general scheduling philosophy would work to San Diego's benefit if it wants to be considered a playoff-caliber football program. Schedule four tough OOC games, win three of them, and run the conference table, and San Diego will stand a much greater chance at earning an at-large berth than it does now.

[PaladinFan]

So you guys really think Monmouth deserves to get in? They are not ranked higher than 23rd in any poll in the GPI. So even though not one computer or human poll even hints at them being in, they should be in? I am not arguing that polls mean everything, but the fact that NOT ONE has them in the Top 20 is interesting if they deserve to be in. I guess you guys know a lot more than ALL the experts and computers.

I am not arguing that USD should necessarily be in, but if Monmouth made it and USD didn't, I think there will be major issues.

Look at it this way, Furman is 8-3 in a tough conference and ranked #8 in the country and I am not sure we are in. The selection committee has a way of shocking you.

[monmouthhawk]

So you guys really think Monmouth deserves to get in? They are not ranked higher than 23rd in any poll in the GPI. So even though not one computer or human poll even hints at them being in, they should be in? I am not arguing that polls mean everything, but the fact that NOT ONE has them in the Top 20 is interesting if they deserve to be in. I guess you guys know a lot more than ALL the experts and computers.

I am not arguing that USD should necessarily be in, but if Monmouth made it and USD didn't, I think there will be major issues.

The major issue would be if Monmouth didn't make it and San Diego did. San Diego has those two games on their schedule while Monmouth (or the teams Monmouth beat - Albany/CCSU) who scheduled and beat multiple higher ranked conferences.

I would love MU to go to the playoffs, but if not we won't whine about it:bawling: .

[usdtoreros]

The major issue would be if Monmouth didn't make it and San Diego did. San Diego has those two games on their schedule while Monmouth (or the teams Monmouth beat - Albany/CCSU) who scheduled and beat multiple higher ranked conferences.

I would love MU to go to the playoffs, but if not we won't whine about it:bawling: .

So you're saying every poll except the Keeper poll is wrong?

[GannonFan]

The beauty of selecting Monmouth and not selecting San Diego would go right to the heart of the matter - scheduling. Monmouth has played 3 teams and won against those 3 from I-AA conferences that have an automatic qualifier. Plus they beat CCSU and Albany that also have wins, even bigger ones, against those types of conferences. USD has nothing in that regard. If the selection committee wanted to make scheduling the big issue, picking Monmouth and leaving USD home would be a big way to do that.

[henfan]

Monmouth is better than Del State IMHO

I'm a SFU fan and we lost to both...:o

Did you actually see the DSU-SFU game? St. Frank's got absolutely steamrolled by the Hornets. DSU put up 49 points in the first half and cruised to a 63-28 win. SFU got half it's points in garbage time against the Hornets' second teamers. The Hornets had 562 offensive yards.

Monmouth pounded SFU too but not quite as badly as DSU. SFU managed to put up 20 points on MU's first teamers in the first half.

IMO, two blowouts are probably not a good indicator of which team is stronger. Based on the other team DSU and MU both played (Morgan St.), both teams were fairly comparable, with DSU having the slight scoring edge.

IMO, DSU and MU both have better shots at an at-large than any of the 4 loss teams. We'll see.

[monmouthhawk]

So you're saying every poll except the Keeper poll is wrong?

Not talking "Polls" - talking about scheduling competition and winning games to have a realistic and fair chance at playoff contention.

[aceinthehole]

Did you actually see the DSU-SFU game? St. Frank's got absolutely steamrolled by the Hornets. DSU put up 49 points in the first half and cruised to a 63-28 win. SFU got half it's points in garbage time against the Hornets' second teamers. The Hornets had 562 offensive yards.

Monmouth pounded SFU too but not quite as badly as DSU. SFU managed to put up 20 points on MU's first teamers in the first half.

IMO, two blowouts are probably not a good indicator of which team is stronger. Based on the other team DSU and MU both played (Morgan St.), both teams were fairly comparable, with DSU having the slight scoring edge.

IMO, DSU and MU both have better shots at an at-large than any of the 4 loss teams. We'll see.

IMO - MU/DSU would have been a good game this year. CCSU is playing at Del State in 2008, Im looking forward to that.

BTW - are the Hornets still interested in joining the NEC? They made overtures to leaving the MEAC for the NEC a couple of years ago, but at the time NEC football was not comparable.

See: http://www.newszap.com/articles/2004/05/11/dm/central_delaware/sports/dsnspt01.txt and http://community.meacfans.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4491044881/m/8261023981/p/1

I wonder what the administration in Dover thinks of the NEC option now?

Just wondering, but how would DSU stack up as an all-sports member of the NEC?

[UAalum72]

Did you actually see the DSU-SFU game? St. Frank's got absolutely steamrolled by the Hornets. DSU put up 49 points in the first half and cruised to a 63-28 win. SFU got half it's points in garbage time against the Hornets' second teamers. The Hornets had 562 offensive yards.

SFUPA gained over 400 yards against DSU, but had 3 fumbles and a punt blocked for a touchdown.

More importantly, St. Francis was DSU's only non-conference D-I win