SOCON Predictions and Power Rankings - Week 8

[ElCid]

Power Rankings
1 - The Citadel - They earned it
2 - Chattanooga - They are still monsters
2.5 - Samford - Only because Chatty dominated them, but they are rolling now
4 - Wofford - Hope they rested up, still an enigma
5 - Mercer - Got it done against a stubborn Catamount team
6 - Furman - They put one together nicely. Where has this team been?
7 - VMI - Got behind early and couldn't dig their way out
8 - WCU - Blew their lead
9 - ETSU - Struggling badly

Predictions

The Citadel @ Wofford - With the Ankle Biters having a bye week they will be rested. The Dogs will be on the road for the 5th time this season. After the emotional victory for the Dogs, they may let down a bit, but I would not bank on it. The Citadel also got the Wofford monkey off their back last year. Not ready to give that up. The Terriers have a pretty good season going so far and they know how to defend against the option. But the Dogs do as well, and they are on a roll. I am not sure that the Wofford QB situation is helping their cause. Bulldogs win - 27-19
Mercer @ Austin Peay - Bears should win on the road, but not by as much as they would like - 38-28
VMI @ Chattanooga - The Keydets face the wrath of the Mocs - 38-10 if Craine is back, 28-17 if not
WCU @ Samford - Hodges rolls early and often - 45-17
WV Wesleyan @ ETSU - Bucs gets win #3 - 28-14


Playoff Picture

Good position

The Citadel - (6-0) 5 Div I wins, in SOCON drivers seat, currently. (to go - Wofford, ETSU, Samford, VMI, UNC) - 3 wins min likely

UTC - (6-1) 5 Div I wins (to go - VMI, WCU, Woff, Alabama) - 3 wins likely

Samford - (5-1) 4 Div I wins, has OOC Cent Ark Win (to go - WCU, Miss St, Cid, Mercer, ETSU) - 3 wins min likely

Behind a bit

Wofford - (4-2) 3 Div I wins (to go - Cid, Mercer, Furman, UTC, VMI) needs 4 wins to go 8-3 overall, doable, but tough

Mercer - (3-3) 3 Div I wins (to go - Peay, Woff, ETSU, Samford, Furman) Needs 4 wins to have shot, 5 preferable, not likely

VMI - (3-3) 3 Div I wins ( to go - UTC, Furman, WCU, Cid, Woff) Needs 4 wins to have shot, 5 preferable, not likely

[catamount man]

1) The Citadel
2) Chattanooga
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) Mercer
6) VMI
7) Furman
8) ETSU
9) Western Carolina

week 8 victors - The Citadel, UTC, Mercer, Samford, ETSU

[Toby]

According to Massey Composite Rankings:
3 SoCon teams in the top 8
4 SoCon teams in the top 19
5 SoCon teams in the top 31

[Toby]

Massey Composite

UTC 4
Citadel 5
Samford 8
Wofford 19
Mercer 31
VMI 56
Furman 60
WCU 78
ETSU 88

Flip UTC and Citadel and flip VMI and Furman and I'm good.

[FUBeAR]

VMI @ Chattanooga - The Keydets face the wrath of the Mocs - 38-10 if Craine is back, 28-17 if not


So, you're saying Craine is 'worth' 17 net points to Chatt...so, 8.5 points / half. Yeah, I can agree with that.

What was that Chatt @ El Cid final score, again?

[CID1990]

So, you're saying Craine is 'worth' 17 net points to Chatt...so, 8.5 points / half. Yeah, I can agree with that.

What was that Chatt @ El Cid final score, again?

Yes.

In fact, Craine might be worth more than that.

He may not score the TD, but he is integral to nearly all their scoring drives. Just with him in the game and not getting a touch is worth something because teams have to key for him. If he had not been knocked out of the game UTC might well have pulled out a scoring drive in the 2nd.

Craine was in our game and UTC marched. When he went out we started cheating to the QB and they became VERY one dimensional (and didn't score a point in the second half after playing an even game in the first half). He was a beast and the only negative play he had was when he got injured (which was a very good solo defensive stop for us, BTW)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PaladinFan]

Was nice to see Furman get back on the horse this weekend. Sure it was "only ETSU," but Furman beat them like they had not been beaten this season. Completely dominating performance on both sides of the ball.

Games like that sort of underscore the frustration for Furman fans. We can see what the team is capable of, but why doesn't THAT team show up every week?

[kdinva]

1) The Citadel
2) Chattanooga
3) Samford
4) Wofford
5) Mercer
t6) VMI
t6) Furman
8) WCU
t8) ETSU


UTC 38, VMI 20
Citadel 27, Wofford 17
Mercer 31; APSU 17
Samford 44; WCU 17
ETSU 31; WV Wesly. 13

[sudog03]

1. Citadel - Can they come back down to earth to beat a good and rested Wofford team?
2. UTC - If the Craine injury is long term, the losing may not be over for them
3. Samford - Devlin Hodges playing outstanding
4. Wofford - A much improved Mike Ayers squad
5. Mercer - Pretty good distance behind Wofford
6. Western - Can't stop beating themselves, 5 TO's and 9 penalties against Mercer
7. VMI - improved team but unfortunately for them, so is the rest of the SoCon
8. Furman - nice to see them get a win
9. ETSU - how did they best 2 FCS teams?

Winners - Wofford, Samford, UTC, ETSU, Mercer

[Catamount87]

Power Rankings
1. The Citadel - Now the SoCon's big dog
2. Chattanooga - Licking their wounds
3. Samford - Scoring and playing D but a notch below 1 & 2
4. Wofford - Continuing their quiet way to success
5. Mercer - Showed a lot of heart and soul and excellent coaching
6. (tie) VMI and Furman - A step behind but can't be overlooked
8. WCU - Failing to make defensive adjustments
9. ETSU - Early success that hasn't continued

Predictions
VMI @ UTC - UTC takes it out on VMI
Citadel @ Wofford - A nasty dog fight goes to the bellhops in the end
Mercer @ APSU - Mercer adds to their win total
WCU @ Samford - Samford's revenge game for last year's beatdown
WV Wesly @ ETSU - ETSU beats up a lesser division

[Smitty]

1. Citadel
2. UTC
3. Samford
4. Wofford
5. Mercer
6. VMI
7. Furman
8. ETSU
9. WCU

Predictions
VMI @ UTC
Citadel @ Wofford - Not that this will actually happen, just wanted to be different than everybody else
Mercer @ APSU
WCU @ Samford
WV Weasly @ ETSU

[BlackNGoldR3v0lut10n]

9. ETSU - how did they best 2 FCS teams?



By sheer luck.

[Milktruck74]

1. Citadel
2. UTC
3. Wofford
4. Samford
5. Mercer
6. VMI
7. Furman
8. ETSU
9. WCU

VMI @ CHATTANOOGA 38-10
Citadel@ Wofford - probably ain't gonna happen,but I could hope....and Woffy is tough...and two TO teams...4 total offensive drives..Oh, Hell, who am I fooling? Bigger Dogs by 14.
WCU @ Sammy 31-14
Some HS team in WV @ ETSU 28-21
Mercy@APSU 45-21

[BlackNGoldR3v0lut10n]

I was 2-2 last week. Chattanooga's winning streak and Furman's losing streak both came to an end. Here is where I have at after this week:

1) The Citadel (2 out of 5) - Earned this spot last Saturday
2) Chattanooga (2 out of 4) - Can still perform well enough to get into the playoffs
3) Samford (3 out of 5) - Manhandled the Keydets
4) Wofford (4 out of 5) - Rested this past weekend
5) Mercer (4 out of 5) - Exploded against the Catamounts
6) VMI (4 out of 5) - Got routed on the road
7) Furman (OUT) - Sunk the Bucs' ship in the harbor
8) ETSU (OUT) - Saw the best chance for a conference win go up in smoke
9) Western Carolina (OUT) - Only team yet to win a conference game

Predictions
West Virginia Wesleyan @ ETSU (Beatdown of the Week #1) - Bucs take out their frustrations on Thursday.
The Citadel @ Wofford (Game of the Week) - Bulldogs take care of business against the Terriers
VMI @ Chattanooga - Keydets will get hit by a freight train
Mercer @ Austin Peay (Beatdown of the Week #2) - Bears maul the Governors on the road
Western Carolina @ Samford​ - Bulldogs too much for the Catamounts

[FUBeAR]

I'm going to go ahead and post my Power Rankings for this week. I'll be back later with my predictions.

This week, I've decided to invite a Co-Ranker to join me in my Power Rankings. I'll let him rank the Top 5 and then I'll sort out the bottom 4. My Co-Ranker this week is the esteemed David L. Wilson. Mr. Wilson has a BS in Applied Mathematics and Engineering Physics, an MS in Computer Science, and a PhD (ABD) in Computer Sciences. His work is widely-known and is utilized as part of the Massey Composite Ratings. Below is how Mr. Wilson and his algorithms see the SoCon, including his National Ranking, this week.





Conf
Conf
Overall
Overall
Wilson
Wilson



SoCon Rank
Team
W
L
W
L
Rating
National Ranking
Comment


1
Citadel
4
0
6
0
927
1
I hated putting them @ #2 in the SoCon, but Mr. Wilson sez they #1 (in the whole US of A)


2
Chattanooga
4
1
6
1
866
4
CraineTrain derailed...how long?


3
Samford
3
1
5
1
831
6
Can their Air Assault sustain them?


4
Mercer
2
2
3
3
777
14
Quietly improving each week


5
Wofford
2
1
4
2
757
20
Can they take down the #1 Team in the Country this week?






Conf
Conf
Overall
Overall
FUBeAR
FUBeAR
Comment


SoCon
Rank
Team
W
L
W
L
Rating
National
Ranking



6
VMI
1
2
3
3
<757
>20
Almost came back in 3rd quarter on Sammy


7
Furman
1
3
1
6
<756
>21
Big win earns a week vacation and a chance to move up


8
WCU
0
4
1
5
<755
>22
Better than their record


9
ETSU
1
4
2
4
<754
>23
Lost whatever propelled them to 2 wins to open



5 SoCon Teams in the Top 20 looks about right to me. Now that everyone knows the SoCon will have 4 Teams in the Playoffs this season, it's time to start considering if that number should really be 5. Mr. Wilson thinks so. Tim Allen was always enlightened by Mr. Wilson's wisdom. Perhaps the FCS Community could also benefit from such edification.

By the way, Mr. Wilson, who hails from the Midwest, also asked me to include his Conference-by-Conference Power Ratings in this post...



RANK
CONFERENCE
RATING


1
Southern Conference
766


2
Missouri Valley Football Conference
763


3
Big South
699


4
Colonial Athletic Association
690


5
Big Sky Conference
683


6
Ohio Valley Conference
644


7
Southland Conference
643


8
Patriot League
637


9
Ivy League
630


10
Northeast Conference
593


11
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
576


12
Pioneer Football League
553


13
Southwestern Athletic Conference
542



Yep...I can support that.

[ElCid]

Review of this past week on the Wedge.

http://thefcswedge.com/socon/socon-week-7-review-and-power-rankings/

[kdinva]

I would presume this chart includes CCU in the Big South figuring.......



I'm going to go ahead and post my Power Rankings for this week. I'll be back later with my predictions.

This week, I've decided to invite a Co-Ranker to join me in my Power Rankings. I'll let him rank the Top 5 and then I'll sort out the bottom 4. My Co-Ranker this week is the esteemed David L. Wilson. Mr. Wilson has a BS in Applied Mathematics and Engineering Physics, an MS in Computer Science, and a PhD (ABD) in Computer Sciences. His work is widely-known and is utilized as part of the Massey Composite Ratings. Below is how Mr. Wilson and his algorithms see the SoCon, including his National Ranking, this week.





Conf
Conf
Overall
Overall
Wilson
Wilson



SoCon Rank
Team
W
L
W
L
Rating
National Ranking
Comment


1
Citadel
4
0
6
0
927
1
I hated putting them @ #2 in the SoCon, but Mr. Wilson sez they #1 (in the whole US of A)


2
Chattanooga
4
1
6
1
866
4
CraineTrain derailed...how long?


3
Samford
3
1
5
1
831
6
Can their Air Assault sustain them?


4
Mercer
2
2
3
3
777
14
Quietly improving each week


5
Wofford
2
1
4
2
757
20
Can they take down the #1 Team in the Country this week?






Conf
Conf
Overall
Overall
FUBeAR
FUBeAR
Comment


SoCon
Rank
Team
W
L
W
L
Rating
National
Ranking



6
VMI
1
2
3
3
<757
>20
Almost came back in 3rd quarter on Sammy


7
Furman
1
3
1
6
<756
>21
Big win earns a week vacation and a chance to move up


8
WCU
0
4
1
5
<755
>22
Better than their record


9
ETSU
1
4
2
4
<754
>23
Lost whatever propelled them to 2 wins to open



5 SoCon Teams in the Top 20 looks about right to me. Now that everyone knows the SoCon will have 4 Teams in the Playoffs this season, it's time to start considering if that number should really be 5. Mr. Wilson thinks so. Tim Allen was always enlightened by Mr. Wilson's wisdom. Perhaps the FCS Community could also benefit from such edification.

By the way, Mr. Wilson, who hails from the Midwest, also asked me to include his Conference-by-Conference Power Ratings in this post...



RANK
CONFERENCE
RATING


1
Southern Conference
766


2
Missouri Valley Football Conference
763


3
Big South
699


4
Colonial Athletic Association
690


5
Big Sky Conference
683


6
Ohio Valley Conference
644


7
Southland Conference
643


8
Patriot League
637


9
Ivy League
630


10
Northeast Conference
593


11
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
576


12
Pioneer Football League
553


13
Southwestern Athletic Conference
542



Yep...I can support that.

[FUBeAR]

I would presume this chart includes CCU in the Big South figuring.......

Nope...



TEAM
RATING



Charleston Southern
813



Liberty
718



Kennesaw State
683



Monmouth
679



Gardner-Webb
663



Presbyterian
638




699
Average Rating

[Sandlapper Spike]

So, you're saying Craine is 'worth' 17 net points to Chatt...so, 8.5 points / half. Yeah, I can agree with that.

What was that Chatt @ El Cid final score, again?


Well, if I'm not mistaken, The Citadel outscored Chattanooga in the first half, when Craine played, and in the second half, when he got hurt halfway through the third quarter.

Craine is a very good player, and his absence hurt UTC. However, the key to the game was The Citadel's ten consecutive conversions on third down to start the game. Last time I checked, Craine doesn't play defense.

[FUBeAR]

Well, if I'm not mistaken, The Citadel outscored Chattanooga in the first half, when Craine played, and in the second half, when he got hurt halfway through the third quarter.

Craine is a very good player, and his absence hurt UTC. However, the key to the game was The Citadel's ten consecutive conversions on third down to start the game. Last time I checked, Craine doesn't play defense.

10 3rd down conversions are huge...but NOT the key to the outcome of the game, IMO.
El Cid outscored Chatt in the 1st half because Chatt missed a FG - otherwise, tie game @ half. The margin of El Cid's lead was on (or off) the toe of Chatt's kicker; not because The Citadel stopped Craine.

In the 1st half, with Craine in the game, Chatt only had 3 possessions (see "10 3rd down conversions"), BUT they ended each of those 3 drives with Scores (2 TD's) or Scoring Attempts (1 Missed FG)

In the 2nd half, with Craine out of the game, Chatt's possessions ended with Punts (2), a Safety, a turnover on downs, and the clock running out - "Night and Day" from an offensive perspective.

Before the play when Craine was injured early in the 2nd half (on Chatt's 5th Offensive Play of the half), he had accounted for over 100 yards of Offense, averaged over 7 yards/carry, caught 2 passes for 55 yards, and scored a TD rushing.

After he departed, Chatt's production from the RB spot was 1 carry for 2 yards and 1 reception for 5 yards - "Night and Day"

...AND....he DOES play Defense of a sort, by running the ball (and, therefore, the clock - you guys know that all too well!) and by extending drives and keeping the ball out of the other team's Offense's hands. In the 1st half, Chatt was 55% run/45% pass. In the 2nd half, before Craine went out, they were 60% run/40% pass. After he departed, they were 18% run/82% pass - "Night and Day"

I said, before the game, that if Craine was not 100%, then Chatt would not win the game. He wasn't and they didn't. THAT was the key difference, IMO.

Look, that's not a 'knock' on The Citadel. If anything, it's a 'knock' on Chatt for having an O that is so dependent on how 1 player changes everything they can do. The Citadel proved that kind of thing wouldn't affect them in the same way by beating Mercer with a R-FR QB and they prove it every game by having 43 different guys carry the ball. I think Mercer is trying to copy that, in fact. The Bears had 7 Players with carries against WCU, including have 2 different Linebackers (usually) total 5 carries for 26 yards.

All that said, if Craine plays in the 2nd half...and, BTW, he may not have even been 100% in the 1st half after going out of the Mercer game injured the week before (curious to know if it was the same body part injured)...Chatt wins the game, IMO. He didn't and they didn't.

Hail to the Bellhops - playin' hard, doin' what they do; doin' it well...and obviously livin' right! Ain't nothing wrong with that world if you're an El Cid man. Nothing at all.

[Sandlapper Spike]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this.

UTC had eight offensive possessions in the contest. One of them was a 24-second drive at the end of the game where the Mocs were essentially forced to throw deep. I don't think Craine would have been much of a factor in that situation.

That leaves seven possessions. Craine was injured on the next-to-last play of UTC's fifth possession (its second possession in the third quarter). When he left the game, Chattanooga faced a 3rd-and-13 at its own 11-yard line. The likelihood of picking up a first down in that situation, Craine or no Craine, was not good.

In the five possessions in which Craine was regularly on the field, Chattanooga scored 14 points. That's an average of 2.8 points per possession.

Did Craine's absence on Chattanooga's sixth and seventh possessions hurt the Mocs? Yes. Was it the difference in the game? No. I think that is indicated by the way the game had been played up to the point Craine was injured.

Also, just for clarification, Craine averaged 4.4 yards per rush during the game. He had a total of 35 yards rushing on 8 carries, with a long run of 24 yards. His other 7 carries totaled 11 yards. He did have two catches for 55 yards (one went for 46).

[bonarae]

The Citadel at Wofford
Mercer at Austin Peay
VMI at Chattanooga
WCU at Samford
West Virginia Wesleyan at ETSU

[CitadelGrad]

The Citadel at Wofford
Mercer at Austin Peay
VMI at Chattanooga
WCU at Samford
West Virginia Wesleyan at ETSU

[Milktruck74]

First off The Citadel did everything they needed to do to win, and Last saturday they were the best team on the field. That said,Derrick Craine's impact hasn't been felt until late in the third or early in the 4the qtr. he is a runner that pound and pounds and pounds and then it all comes together....if he doesn't get hurt it might be a different outcome....but he dis and there wasn't anotherRBto step up, so KUDOS to the bellhops and GO Wofford!!!!

[FUBeAR]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this.

UTC had eight offensive possessions in the contest. One of them was a 24-second drive at the end of the game where the Mocs were essentially forced to throw deep. I don't think Craine would have been much of a factor in that situation.

That leaves seven possessions. Craine was injured on the next-to-last play of UTC's fifth possession (its second possession in the third quarter). When he left the game, Chattanooga faced a 3rd-and-13 at its own 11-yard line. The likelihood of picking up a first down in that situation, Craine or no Craine, was not good.

In the five possessions in which Craine was regularly on the field, Chattanooga scored 14 points. That's an average of 2.8 points per possession.

Did Craine's absence on Chattanooga's sixth and seventh possessions hurt the Mocs? Yes. Was it the difference in the game? No. I think that is indicated by the way the game had been played up to the point Craine was injured.

Also, just for clarification, Craine averaged 4.4 yards per rush during the game. He had a total of 35 yards rushing on 8 carries, with a long run of 24 yards. His other 7 carries totaled 11 yards. He did have two catches for 55 yards (one went for 46).

Calculating his impact on the game based on number of possessions assumes that he would have no impact on that number of possessions if he were in the game. That, I believe, is highly flawed logic. With Chatt's D coming up with 4 stops in the 2nd half (3 Punts & 1 on Downs), compared to 0 stops in the 1st half, the flow of the game was certainly different in the 2nd half. To say that Craine wouldn't have been a factor on a 3rd and 13 is also rather presumptive. My goodness, his 1st 2 touches in the game went for an average of 35 yards. As we all KNOW too well, he can, when healthy, AND, when IN the game, break off a run or a take a screen pass for 50+ yards at ANY time against ANY Defense.

For further clarification, I said Craine averaged almost 7 yards per carry BEFORE the play that he was injured. Before that play, he had 7 carries for 47 yards - 6.7 yards/carry, i.e., almost 7. EDIT: Math Error - I was a Liberal Arts major...should have been 7 carries for 41 yards - 5.9 yards/carry, i.e., almost 6. My apologies for my mistake.

Besides all of the stats...and I like stats...and I KNOW you do, I think you have to also look at the context of the game of Football - the strategies, the play calling options given the available personnel, how the opponent can (or is forced to) play given those options, the emotional aspects, the role of Leadership, etc. In each of those, the loss of Craine was a HUGE blow for Chatt. and a tremendous benefit for The Citadel.

Once more, we can disagree about the impact of the loss of Craine on the outcome of the game. I think it was THE key factor and I cited it as such BEFORE the game.


* Chattanooga at The Citadel...Gotta go with the Mocs 27-20, but ONLY if...Craine is 100%.

You don't agree. Either way, I don't think it diminishes The Citadel's victory in any way. Every Team has to play with (or without) injured and/or suspended players. NDSU had to go most of the way last season without a 1st round draft pick in their QB spot. They found a way to keep winning. The Teams that win those battles, as well as the battles when the ball is in play, week-in and week-out, over the course of a season, earn their rewards. Right now, The Citadel is, IMO, certainly winning those battles.

In the words of Coach Bill O'Reilly..."I'll give you the last word."

[longtimemocfan]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this.

UTC had eight offensive possessions in the contest. One of them was a 24-second drive at the end of the game where the Mocs were essentially forced to throw deep. I don't think Craine would have been much of a factor in that situation.

That leaves seven possessions. Craine was injured on the next-to-last play of UTC's fifth possession (its second possession in the third quarter). When he left the game, Chattanooga faced a 3rd-and-13 at its own 11-yard line. The likelihood of picking up a first down in that situation, Craine or no Craine, was not good.

In the five possessions in which Craine was regularly on the field, Chattanooga scored 14 points. That's an average of 2.8 points per possession.

Did Craine's absence on Chattanooga's sixth and seventh possessions hurt the Mocs? Yes. Was it the difference in the game? No. I think that is indicated by the way the game had been played up to the point Craine was injured.

Also, just for clarification, Craine averaged 4.4 yards per rush during the game. He had a total of 35 yards rushing on 8 carries, with a long run of 24 yards. His other 7 carries totaled 11 yards. He did have two catches for 55 yards (one went for 46).

Craine or no Craine we still missed some chances late in the game. Dropped one long pass and Bennifield missed a wide open receiver that would have been a TD. Still think one of the big keys in the game came in the first half when we tied the game at 14 and kicked off with the wind. Instead what should've been a touchback indeed up being a shorter kick that was returned back to the 40 that allowed the The Citadel to regain the lead right before the half.

[AshevilleApp2]

Glad to see the conference getting more competitive nationally. Hopefully it will continue in the playoffs.

[walliver]

Power rankings:
1) The Citadel – they are here until they lose.
2) Chattanooga – Would mini-me have made a difference last week? Maybe. But the whole team got outplayed last week.
3) Samford – by default. 3-5 are a toss-up
4) Wofford – BYE was never in the game
5) Mercer – no bad losses, no big wins. The jury is still out.
6) Furman – out of playoff contention, but still a threat in every game they play from here on out
7) VMI – Top team of the bottom 3
8) Western Carolina – The wheels have fallen off the bus
9) ETSU – Right where I would expect a second-year program to land.
This week:
the Citadel at Wofford: We beat the Team That Beat Michigan, I don’t see why we can’t beat the team that beat Chattanooga (of course that wasn’t with a third team QB). I’ll still go with the home team and Terriers win 17-14.
VMI at Chattanooga – after last week, the Mocassins act more like the snakes than native American footwear and roll 42-27
Mercer at Austin Peay – The Governers are 0-6. They don’t pull a Furman this weeks and the cubbies win 38-12
Western Carolina at Samford – Samford is still in the hunt, western is returning to its old ways. Puppies beat kitties 56-41
Furman continues its non-losing ways with a comfortable win over BYE.

Playoffs:
Citadel wins autobid if they win out.
Wofford and Samford could at least tie for conference title winning out.
Chatty needs help for conference title, but still in good shape for at-large.
Prediction: Citadel and Chatty in good shape. Sammy likely in if they beat the Citadel. Wofford needs to beat at least one of Citadel and Chatty, and probably both. I suspect the SoCon gets 3, but 2 is not out of the question. Four is less likely, and likely would require the committee to run low on good at-large candidates- something that happens once every 4-5 years.

[CID1990]

Calculating his impact on the game based on number of possessions assumes that he would have no impact on that number of possessions if he were in the game. That, I believe, is highly flawed logic. With Chatt's D coming up with 4 stops in the 2nd half (3 Punts & 1 on Downs), compared to 0 stops in the 1st half, the flow of the game was certainly different in the 2nd half. To say that Craine wouldn't have been a factor on a 3rd and 13 is also rather presumptive. My goodness, his 1st 2 touches in the game went for an average of 35 yards. As we all KNOW too well, he can, when healthy, AND, when IN the game, break off a run or a take a screen pass for 50+ yards at ANY time against ANY Defense.

For further clarification, I said Craine averaged almost 7 yards per carry BEFORE the play that he was injured. Before that play, he had 7 carries for 47 yards - 6.7 yards/carry, i.e., almost 7. EDIT: Math Error - I was a Liberal Arts major...should have been 7 carries for 41 yards - 5.9 yards/carry, i.e., almost 6. My apologies for my mistake.

Besides all of the stats...and I like stats...and I KNOW you do, I think you have to also look at the context of the game of Football - the strategies, the play calling options given the available personnel, how the opponent can (or is forced to) play given those options, the emotional aspects, the role of Leadership, etc. In each of those, the loss of Craine was a HUGE blow for Chatt. and a tremendous benefit for The Citadel.

Once more, we can disagree about the impact of the loss of Craine on the outcome of the game. I think it was THE key factor and I cited it as such BEFORE the game.



You don't agree. Either way, I don't think it diminishes The Citadel's victory in any way. Every Team has to play with (or without) injured and/or suspended players. NDSU had to go most of the way last season without a 1st round draft pick in their QB spot. They found a way to keep winning. The Teams that win those battles, as well as the battles when the ball is in play, week-in and week-out, over the course of a season, earn their rewards. Right now, The Citadel is, IMO, certainly winning those battles.

In the words of Coach Bill O'Reilly..."I'll give you the last word."

When Craine was injured he was in the process of getting stuffed for a 3 yard loss so I'd say we had made the necessary adjustments at halftime.

You know, if we had fallen on that Bennifield fumble on our 1 yard line maybe Chatty would have only scored 7 points!

See how that works?


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[FUBeAR]

When Craine was injured he was in the process of getting stuffed for a 3 yard loss so I'd say we had made the necessary adjustments at halftime.

You know, if we had fallen on that Bennifield fumble on our 1 yard line maybe Chatty would have only scored 7 points!

See how that works?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No, but I see how you work - putting minimal thought and incorrect info into your trolling posts.

Is there an "Ignore User" feature on AGS?

[cidgrad89]

Ah, yes, the inability to detect irony....

[PaladinFan]

First off The Citadel did everything they needed to do to win, and Last saturday they were the best team on the field. That said,Derrick Craine's impact hasn't been felt until late in the third or early in the 4the qtr. he is a runner that pound and pounds and pounds and then it all comes together....if he doesn't get hurt it might be a different outcome....but he dis and there wasn't anotherRBto step up, so KUDOS to the bellhops and GO Wofford!!!!

Join the club where the Citadel knocked out your starting running back.

[CID1990]

No, but I see how you work - putting minimal thought and incorrect info into your trolling posts.

Is there an "Ignore User" feature on AGS?

IF we hadn't played Mercer with our 2nd string redshirt freshman QB the game wouldn't have been so close.

I can do this all day!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FUBeAR]

IF we hadn't played Mercer with our 2nd string redshirt freshman QB the game wouldn't have been so close.

I can do this all day!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Never doubted that for a minute. You got mad skills!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4GmXSGszZg

[citdog]

Join the club where the Citadel knocked out your starting running back.

This group of football playing members of the SCCC is a very physical and hard hitting bunch. Many guys from our opponents leave the field with help from the training staff.

[CID1990]

Ah, yes, the inability to detect irony....

No *****


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mocs123]

Picks:
The Citadel 28 - Game of the Week - The Citadel does just enough to get past a Wofford program they have struggled with in the past.
Wofford 24
Mercer 42 - The Bears take out their frustrations on the Govs, which completes the SoCon FCS OOC schedule
Austin Peay 10
VMI 21 - I am figuring Craine won’t play or at least won’t be at 100%. We can still score, but our D will be on the field a lot more than they are used to.
Chattanooga 24
Western Carolina 20 - The Catamounts can score, but they haven’t proven they can stop anyone and Samford had a very good offense.
Samford 45
WV Weslyan 7 - ETSU rights the ship
ETSU 35


Rankings :
1.) The Citadel - Earned the top spot after downing Chattanooga
2.) Chattanooga - Couldn’t get it done in Charleston
3.) Samford - The Bulldogs is rolling and looking like a playoff contender
4.) Wofford - Quietly building a playoff resume
5.) Mercer - The Bears are on the fringe of a playoff spot. Need to win 4 out of their next 5.
6.) VMI - The Keydets are a much improved team. They could knock off anyone.
7.) Furman - Got the monkey off their back in a beatdown of ETSU
8.) Western Carolina - Very talented team, but the defense keeps letting them down
9. ETSU - Lost 4 straight

Playoff Picture:
8 wins pretty much guarantees you a spot in the playoff field, and with 7 D1 wins you “should” be in, but no guarantees. I seriously doubt a 6 win SoCon team gets in this year.
Possible D1 wins (excluding $ games)
Chattanooga - 8
The Citadel - 9
VMI - 8
Samford - 8
Wofford - 8
Mercer - 8
Western Carolina - 5 - Eliminated
ETSU - 5 - Eliminated
Furman - 5 - Eliminated

[ElCid]

SOCON Week 8 preview up on the Wedge.

http://thefcswedge.com/socon/socon-week-8-preview/

[moc n tn1991]

Ok. Here we go.

Wofford over The Citadel in an upset, 20 - 27
Chattanooga over VMI, 41 - 20
Samford over Western Carolina, 42 - 20
Mercer over Austin Peay, 41 - 7
ETSU over KY Wesleyan, 37 - 10

Power Rankings
1. The Citadel, Showed they were the best on Saturday
2. Chattanooga, Needs to show that the loss to The Citadel will not get them down
3. Samford, Samford has got it going
4. Wofford, Will see what they are made of this weekend
5. Mercer, They are very competitive so who knows were they will end up at the end if the season
6. VMI, Will hope to put a second loss on CHATTANOOGA
7. Furman, Finally broke through win a win
8. ETSU, Ahead of WCU due to win
9. Western Carolina, until they win a game.

[FUBeAR]

I'm going to go ahead and post my Power Rankings for this week. I'll be back later with my predictions.

This week, I've decided to invite a Co-Ranker to join me in my Power Rankings. I'll let him rank the Top 5 and then I'll sort out the bottom 4. My Co-Ranker this week is the esteemed David L. Wilson. Mr. Wilson has a BS in Applied Mathematics and Engineering Physics, an MS in Computer Science, and a PhD (ABD) in Computer Sciences. His work is widely-known and is utilized as part of the Massey Composite Ratings. Below is how Mr. Wilson and his algorithms see the SoCon, including his National Ranking, this week.





Conf
Conf
Overall
Overall
Wilson
Wilson



SoCon Rank
Team
W
L
W
L
Rating
National Ranking
Comment


1
Citadel
4
0
6
0
927
1
I hated putting them @ #2 in the SoCon, but Mr. Wilson sez they #1 (in the whole US of A)


2
Chattanooga
4
1
6
1
866
4
CraineTrain derailed...how long?


3
Samford
3
1
5
1
831
6
Can their Air Assault sustain them?


4
Mercer
2
2
3
3
777
14
Quietly improving each week


5
Wofford
2
1
4
2
757
20
Can they take down the #1 Team in the Country this week?






Conf
Conf
Overall
Overall
FUBeAR
FUBeAR
Comment


SoCon
Rank
Team
W
L
W
L
Rating
National
Ranking



6
VMI
1
2
3
3
<757
>20
Almost came back in 3rd quarter on Sammy


7
Furman
1
3
1
6
<756
>21
Big win earns a week vacation and a chance to move up


8
WCU
0
4
1
5
<755
>22
Better than their record


9
ETSU
1
4
2
4
<754
>23
Lost whatever propelled them to 2 wins to open



5 SoCon Teams in the Top 20 looks about right to me. Now that everyone knows the SoCon will have 4 Teams in the Playoffs this season, it's time to start considering if that number should really be 5. Mr. Wilson thinks so. Tim Allen was always enlightened by Mr. Wilson's wisdom. Perhaps the FCS Community could also benefit from such edification.

By the way, Mr. Wilson, who hails from the Midwest, also asked me to include his Conference-by-Conference Power Ratings in this post...



RANK
CONFERENCE
RATING


1
Southern Conference
766


2
Missouri Valley Football Conference
763


3
Big South
699


4
Colonial Athletic Association
690


5
Big Sky Conference
683


6
Ohio Valley Conference
644


7
Southland Conference
643


8
Patriot League
637


9
Ivy League
630


10
Northeast Conference
593


11
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
576


12
Pioneer Football League
553


13
Southwestern Athletic Conference
542



Yep...I can support that.

OK - Previously posted Power Rankings above...on to Predictions for this week...

Last Week...3-0-1
* MY PICK: Furman at ETSU 31-10 / ACTUAL: Paladins won 52-7 - good job Brain, shoulda let the Heart have some input and we mighta been closer on the score
* MY PICK: VMI at at Samford 52-21 / ACTUAL: Bullpups won 55-21 - dang it, I underestimated Sammy's offense again...3 points from exact xthumbsupx
* MY PICK: Chattanooga at The Citadel 27-20 / ACTUAL: Bellhops won 22-14 - as I qualified this pick with "ONLY if...Craine is 100%...", I'm taking a 'push' on this one. Hate coming from El Cid fans in 3...2...1...
* MY PICK: WCU at Mercer 42-17 / ACTUAL: Bears won 38-24 - close enough & a "W" is a "W"

25-12-1 - .676 for the season - hopin' to get to .727...y'know...about 8-3 or so.

This Week
* Thu, Oct 20, 7:30 PM - WV Wesleyan @ ETSU - WVW is a D2 school that is 2-5 with their 2 wins coming against the 2 fellow Mountain East conference members that are last in the standings. WVW is certainly no Reinhardt (currently 7-0 and Ranked #3 in NAIA, BTW). This is WVW's only non-conference game, so they will want to rest injured players, etc. Bucs are holding a "Blue Out" and I expect they will get right and "Blow Out" the Bobcats 34-14

* Sat, Oct 22, 1:30 PM on ESPN3 - The Citadel @ Wofford - El Cid has not won in Sparkle City since Aerosmith was topping the charts with "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" in 1998. I don't think many SoCon Fans will want to miss this game. Should be quite a BRAWL. Wofford's D looks TOUGH against the run with 3 Active 300+ Pounders starting on the DL and an an AGGRESSIVE Linebacker corps. They're only yielding 50 yds/game and only 2 TD's on the ground all season. Going with the LittleDogs in a tight one, perhaps on a final play at the goal line where the judgement of SoCon Referees will determine the victor. 24-23

* Sat, Oct 22, 2:00 PM on SDN - VMI @ Chattanooga - Mocs are smarting after losing to the Bellhops in Chucktown. I think they'll be playing without their DIFFERENCE-MAKER, Derrick Craine, this week, but I still think they have enough to beat the Keydets at home. They learned last year that you have to pressure Cobb to stop the Roos, so even though they normally get enough pressure with their DE's, they'll send some LB's and DB's this week and control the game. Mocs 35-21

* Sat, Oct 22, 5:00 PM (Eastern) on OVCDN - Mercer @ Austin Peay - Governors are 0-6, but they ARE better than that. They have given oft-projected playoff team, EIU, a tough game and they even hung-in tough with VERY Highly ranked JaxSt last week for a while. In their last 2 games vs. the Bears, I thought APSU had some very good athletes; now they also have good Coaching with Chattanooga 'DNA.' They are getting better each week and will gel soon. This is Homecoming in Clarksville and this new Staff will pull out ALL the STOPS to win THIS game. Bears avoid being upset, but not by nearly as much as most expect. I see it 27-24 (because Mercer always wins the close ones)

* Sat, Oct 22, 7:00 PM (Eastern) on ASN WCU @ Samford - Catamounts are reeling and they do a lot of things to beat themselves, but they have a secondary and LB group that can, from an athletic perspective, play man coverage as well as any in the SoCon. If they can turn man coverage into pressure and turnovers, they can win this game. Alas, they don't have the pass rushers to get to Hodges and they'll make a mental error or 3 on D that will lead to points. Unless Adams jumps over the Bullpups D and Newsome has a game to remember, the Cats O is not going to be enough to overcome the SammyAttack. Bullpups win it 48-24

[moc n tn1991]

Really, Mercer over Austin Peay by 3??? Don't you have confidence in the Bears??

[FUBeAR]

Really, Mercer over Austin Peay by 3??? Don't you have confidence in the Bears??

Well...I keep seeing Eastern Illinois is ranked and a LOCK for an At-Large Bid to the Playoffs and that Mercer has no shot at the Playoffs...so, one has to assume that EIU is MUCH better than Mercer, right? So...I'm using this info to inform my pick...



Qtr
Time
Scoring Play
APSU
EIU


4th
13:25
APSU - BEARD, Jared 8 yd pass from MITCHELL, Timar (GAUNA, Nick kick ) 11 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:57
28
35





APSU @ EIU - a 1 score game in the 4th quarter with the Panthers at home on Family Weekend.


Also - JaxSt is ranked #1 in some polls, right? And they are the defending FCS runners-up, right? So, certainly, a much, much better team than .500 no-shot-at-the-playoffs Mercer, right?....Well...I'll let that inform my pick as well...



Qtr
Time
Scoring Play
APSU
JSU


1st
08:05
JSU - TERRY,Demontez 11 yd pass from JENKINS,Eli (STINNETT,Cade kick ) 10 plays, 62 yards, TOP 3:40
0
7


2nd
11:46
APSU - MITCHELL, Timar 43 yd run (GAUNA, Nick kick ), 4 plays, 52 yards, TOP 2:14
7
7


2nd
05:59
JSU - JENKINS,Eli 4 yd run (STINNETT,Cade kick ), 3 plays, 56 yards, TOP 0:47
7
14


3rd
09:27
JSU - CLEMONS,Josh 1 yd run (STINNETT,Cade kick ), 1 plays, 1 yards, TOP 0:04
7
21



APSU played, arguably, the BEST Team in FCS to a 1 score game until mid-way thru the 3rd quarter in Jacksonville...on Family Preview Day AND in a "Red Out."

Mercer's game with APSU is APSU's Homecoming and I imagine is the 1 game their players truly BELIEVE they can win. And, you know their Coaches will want those potential donors to see the Governor's BEST. In fact, I'm surprised that Austin Peay is not favored in this game after they've played 2 CERTAIN Playoff Teams so close well into each game. The Bears will need to play better than they have in any game so far this season in order to come out on top. If they hadn't become so good at winning the close ones, I'd probably pick the Gov's.

[moc n tn1991]

Are you an actuarial?

[FUBeAR]

Are you an actuarial?

Nope - I'm a Presbyterian, turned Methodist, turned non-denominational

[moc n tn1991]

That is some progression


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ElCid]

* Sat, Oct 22, 1:30 PM on ESPN3 - The Citadel @ Wofford - El Cid has not won in Sparkle City since Aerosmith was topping the charts with "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" in 1998. I don't think many SoCon Fans will want to miss this game. Should be quite a BRAWL. Wofford's D looks TOUGH against the run with 3 Active 300+ Pounders starting on the DL and an an AGGRESSIVE Linebacker corps. They're only yielding 50 yds/game and only 2 TD's on the ground all season. Going with the LittleDogs in a tight one, perhaps on a final play at the goal line where the judgement of SoCon Referees will determine the victor. 24-23



Hmm. I actually like your pick. Against teams you felt might be competitive with us, you are o'fer picking this year. You picked Mercer, Furman, UTC over us. Please pick Samford when it comes time as well. If you wouldn't mind. :D
You did get the G-W, WCU and N Greenville games correct.

Wofford is doing good against the run, but if you look at the offenses they have faced so far it is fairly easy to see why.

Tenn Tech - Predominantly passes (to date 1793 passing/694 rushing) 42 yards against Wofford
Ole Miss - Predominantly passes (to date 1920 passing/940 rushing) 174 yards against Wofford
JC Smith - Really bad Div II; they passed for 84 and ran for 18 against Wofford
ETSU - lowest offensive output in SOCON (to date 855 passing/619 rushing) -8 against Wofford
Samford - Almost all passing, has 6th lowest total in FCS (to date 2165 passing/473 rushing) 30 yards against Wofford
WCU - Predominantly passes (to date 1702/686 rushing) 46 yards against Wofford

Don't get me wrong, I think we will have our hands full on Saturday since they know how to defend the option. But UTC was averaging 71 yards against the run before last Saturday's game. And we all know how that turned out. What was it? On yeah, 342 yards I think.

[FUBeAR]

Hmm. I actually like your pick. Against teams you felt might be competitive with us, you are o'fer picking this year. You picked Mercer, Furman, UTC over us. Please pick Samford when it comes time as well. If you wouldn't mind. :D
You did get the G-W, WCU and N Greenville games correct.

I'm glad you like my work. If you have followed it recently, you know that I have attributed some of my picks to following my Heart over my Brain. Perhaps those 1st 2 you mentioned had some element of that, yet, as both games were decided by the thinnest of margins, I think it would be hard to cite either of them as being a truly 'bad pick,' as perhaps my pick of FU over Sammy by a score of 45-0 just might have been xnodx. And the 3rd one you cited was a 'qualified' pick in that it contained a specific contingency clause which, as that contingent event did, in fact, arise, rendered that pick null. So, not "0'fer;" 0-2-1 in those 3 games.

My pick, this week, of Woffy over El Cid is a BRAIN-based-only pick and contains no contingencies. I stand by it. If it's wrong, it's wrong. If the LuggageLuggers blow out the AnkleBiters, then it was a bad pick. Further, I will go out on a limb and concur with the your analysis. I'm confident that the Bellhops WILL gain more than 50 yards rushing against the PorchYappers this week.

As to my future Sammy vs. El Cid pick...that game is the 1st week in November, right?
So...um...I'll look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now. I'll look at it at the time. I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense.

[ElCid]

Nice write up about the Bulldogs.



In years past, The Citadel football program was just like the other military academy programs. Winning four or five or six games was hardly the end of the world because the institution and alumni knew there was a bigger reason the Cadets were on campus.

Then again, when you have quality individuals who have bought into a ‘we not us’ attitude and are motivated and disciplined and are used to the rigors of a demanding daily schedule—there is the potential there to build a winning program. You just have to find the perfect scheme to fit what these kinds of young men will excel in.......



http://herosports.com/news/citadel-football-tyler-renew-brent-thompson-fcs-football

[ElCid]

I'm glad you like my work. If you have followed it recently, you know that I have attributed some of my picks to following my Heart over my Brain. Perhaps those 1st 2 you mentioned had some element of that, yet, as both games were decided by the thinnest of margins, I think it would be hard to cite either of them as being a truly 'bad pick,' as perhaps my pick of FU over Sammy by a score of 45-0 just might have been xnodx. And the 3rd one you cited was a 'qualified' pick in that it contained a contingency clause which, as that contingent event did, in fact, arise, rendered that pick null. So, not "0'fer;" 0-2-1.

My pick, this week, of Woffy over El Cid is a BRAIN-based-only pick and contains no contingencies. I stand by it. If it's wrong, it's wrong. If the LuggageLuggers blow out the AnkleBiters, then it was a bad pick. Further, I will go out on a limb and concur with the your analysis. I'm confident that the Bellhops WILL gain more than 50 yards rushing against the PorchYappers this week.

As to my future Sammy vs. El Cid pick...that game is the 1st week in November, right?
So...um...I'll look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now. I'll look at it at the time. I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense.

That's funny because my heart won last week in picking our game, not my head. Go figure. Bank on it...Allen will be the difference maker in our game this week. He is a smart young man.

[longtimemocfan]

Hmm. I actually like your pick. Against teams you felt might be competitive with us, you are o'fer picking this year. You picked Mercer, Furman, UTC over us. Please pick Samford when it comes time as well. If you wouldn't mind. :D
You did get the G-W, WCU and N Greenville games correct.

Wofford is doing good against the run, but if you look at the offenses they have faced so far it is fairly easy to see why.

Tenn Tech - Predominantly passes (to date 1793 passing/694 rushing) 42 yards against Wofford
Ole Miss - Predominantly passes (to date 1920 passing/940 rushing) 174 yards against Wofford
JC Smith - Really bad Div II; they passed for 84 and ran for 18 against Wofford
ETSU - lowest offensive output in SOCON (to date 855 passing/619 rushing) -8 against Wofford
Samford - Almost all passing, has 6th lowest total in FCS (to date 2165 passing/473 rushing) 30 yards against Wofford
WCU - Predominantly passes (to date 1702/686 rushing) 46 yards against Wofford

Don't get me wrong, I think we will have our hands full on Saturday since they know how to defend the option. But UTC was averaging 71 yards against the run before last Saturday's game. And we all know how that turned out. What was it? On yeah, 342 yards I think.



The Citadel basically beat us by controlling the clock and playing good defense. Yes you went for 342 on the ground, but it took 77 plays to get that total 4.4 avg. The longest play being only 15 yards. Most games I'd take that against a triple option team. Hats off to you guy's you made plays when it counted. 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

[CID1990]

The Citadel basically beat us by controlling the clock and playing good defense. Yes you went for 342 on the ground, but it took 77 plays to get that total 4.4 avg. The longest play being only 15 yards. Most games I'd take that against a triple option team. Hats off to you guy's you made plays when it counted. 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

That's a feature not a bug. The Houston/Thompson system is now fully in place, with players recruited for it. It also helps that we have a very good defense that only occasionally hiccups. This team has also improved significantly from week to week. If we had played UTC in week 1 or 2 I think we almost certainly would have lost, especially with our backup QB (even though he has a very good arm).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Milktruck74]

Something leads me to believe we will get a chance to see each other again this season.

[Scrappy94]

Better late than never.

Rankings:

1. The Citadel - Earned the top spot.
2. Chattanooga - Could be #1 if Craine had not gotten injured or had a bounce go their way.
3. Samford - Hodges is on fire.
4. Wofford - Could move up next week.
5. Mercer - Got it done against the Catamounts.
6. VMI - Better than last year.
7. Furman - Finally wins a game.
8. ETSU - Struggling.
9. Western Carolina - Here until they put together a conference win.

Predictions:

WV Wesleyan @ ETSU - 28-14 Game is going on as I type this, but haven't checked the score. Thought I'd put in my 2 cents before seeing how this game is panning out. ETSU "should" win vs a non-DI.
The Citadel @ Wofford - 17-14 The Bulldogs will be tired after facing a physical Chattanooga team, and the Terriers have been under estimated thus far.
Mercer @ Austin Peay - 41-21 Austin Peay has nothing to be ashamed about in their game vs Jacksonville State, but the Bears are too much for them.
Western Carolina @ Samford - 45-24 The Catamounts are struggling, and Hodges and the rest of the Bulldogs are on a roll.
VMI @ Chattanooga - 38-14 if Craine plays. 31-14 if Craine doesn't play. The Mocs are angry, and will take out their frustrations on the Keydets.

[MR. CHICKEN]

CHATTANOOGA
WOFFORD
MERCER
SAMFORD
EAST TENNESSEE STATE

[CID1990]

Something leads me to believe we will get a chance to see each other again this season.

Given the way they set up the playoffs, add CSU into the mix and that's almost certain.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ETSUfan1]

ETSU won tonight 38-7.

[elcid96]

Something leads me to believe we will get a chance to see each other again this season.


I hope so. It will be nice to pencil in a W on the schedule.

[ElCid]

WV Weslyan 7 - ETSU rights the ship
ETSU 35



Nice. Pretty close.

[longtimemocfan]

VMI @ Chattanooga- Not sure where our head will be in this game. Craine not only leading rusher but emotional leader on this team. Doubt we'll see him for this game and wouldn't be surprised if we didn't until he is completely healthy, which might be after the bye for the Wofford game. I'm going to say 31-14 Mocs.

The Citadel @ Wofford- The Citadel comes off tough physical game to go on the road to face another physical team that's had a week to prepare for them. Hard game to call. Not sure about Wofford's QB situation but think it is a toss up game.
I'll say 23-20 The Citadel in O.T.

Mercer @ Austin peay- Hopefully Mercer comes out ready to play. APSU is a improving team that's hungry to win a game. Just don't let their first win be on you guys. Mercer 31-21.

WCU @ Samford- Bulldogs really hitting their stride. Wouldn't want to be playing them right now. 52-24 Samford.

The Citadel
Chattanooga
Samford
Wofford
Mercer
Furman
VMI
WCU
ETSU

[Toby]

Wofford slashing through Citadel's defense to take 7-0 lead. However, the little dogs get an assist from the refs on a no call fumble recovered by the big dogs.

[Toby]

Another case for replay for the SoCon. But Wofford's offense looked good on that drive.

[ElCid]

Incompetent officials again rip off The Citadel. Clearly a fumble. Dogs falling apart since the no call.

[Toby]

After a blocked Citadel punt we have another bad fumble call inside the Citadel 10 costs Wofford points. Maybe a make up call? Wofford running back was sitting on the ground when ball pops out. Instant replay SoCon, please!!!!

[FUBeAR]

Incompetent officials again rip off The Citadel. Clearly a fumble. Dogs falling apart since the no call.

Surprised that even bothered you at all. Someone once told me that good teams overcome bad calls by the officials and/or they don't put themselves in a position where bad calls matter.

Are you afraid that The Citadel is not a good team?

[Toby]

Interception leads to Wofford FG as half ends. Now 10-0. Citadel not getting much done on offense with only 84 yards rushing in the half.

[citdog]

Why does the pioneer league have reply but the SoCon does not? Credit to Woffy they are handing us our lunch on defense.

[longtimemocfan]

Home field is big in the conference this year. Wofford D winning the battle up front so far.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Tough break for Wofford, great effort.

[ElCid]

Unbelievable finish. Wofford out ran us for certain, but Dogs capitalized on the turnovers. D stood up just enough. The flip 6 was a one in a million chance. Surprised he ever pitched it. How many pitch interceptions have there been. A few but not many.

[ElCid]

VMI @ Chattanooga- Not sure where our head will be in this game. Craine not only leading rusher but emotional leader on this team. Doubt we'll see him for this game and wouldn't be surprised if we didn't until he is completely healthy, which might be after the bye for the Wofford game. I'm going to say 31-14 Mocs.

The Citadel @ Wofford- The Citadel comes off tough physical game to go on the road to face another physical team that's had a week to prepare for them. Hard game to call. Not sure about Wofford's QB situation but think it is a toss up game.
I'll say 23-20 The Citadel in O.T.

Mercer @ Austin peay- Hopefully Mercer comes out ready to play. APSU is a improving team that's hungry to win a game. Just don't let their first win be on you guys. Mercer 31-21.

WCU @ Samford- Bulldogs really hitting their stride. Wouldn't want to be playing them right now. 52-24 Samford.

The Citadel
Chattanooga
Samford
Wofford
Mercer
Furman
VMI
WCU
ETSU

You're a frickin genius. I would not have though an OT game was in the offing.

[El Cid 80]

An Amazing ending!

[CitadelGrad]

The Citadel @ Wofford- The Citadel comes off tough physical game to go on the road to face another physical team that's had a week to prepare for them. Hard game to call. Not sure about Wofford's QB situation but think it is a toss up game.
I'll say 23-20 The Citadel in O.T.

Where did you buy your crystal ball? I gotta get me one of those things.

[citdog]

How ' Bout them dirty, nasty, flea bitten, hairy 'DOGS!!!!!!!

7-0 aholes!!!!!

[longtimemocfan]

Where did you buy your crystal ball? I gotta get me one of those things.

Don't forget called Chattanooga-31 VMI-14. 30-13 final.

[longtimemocfan]

You're a frickin genius. I would not have though an OT game was in the offing.

Yeah when's the last time someone predicted a overtime game ? lol