SC STATE FOOTBALL: Bulldogs excited to be in contention(by: Chris Clark T&D Sports)

[R.A.]

I only pulled a few small pieces from this story. The complete article can be found at:

https://thetandd.com/sports/bulldogzone/football/sc-state-football-bulldogs-excited-to-be-in-contention/article_eca6e1d3-d3b5-5731-b20c-dfb74ec42365.html



SC STATE FOOTBALL: Bulldogs excited to be in contention
Chris Clark, Times & Democrat, Sports Editor

Even so, there will be widespread disappointment among Bulldog Nation if SC State finishes an 8-win season only to watch Furman (lost to Wofford, didn't finish tied for its conference title), Wofford, Kennesaw State and others invited to the postseason, without the Bulldogs being in the mix.

(Coach Pough)
"Somebody needs to remember that South Carolina State beat Wofford somewhere back when, earlier this season," Pough said. "We don't seem to have anyone who has a recollection of that fact out there.

"We go off that win and, besides the South Florida fiasco, the only (FCS) teams we lose to are Florida A&M by 4 points and North Carolina A&T by 2 points. We've shown ourselves to be competitive with all the top teams we've played and we feel like we are deserving to be in the playoff. It should be a no-brainer that we get in, apart from the fact that the MEAC does not have a representative (with an automatic bid). Yes, we need to be in, we should be in."

[Gangtackle11]

Probably will/should be in at 8-3. Need to beat Norfolk State 1st though. xpeacex

[Mocs123]

An 8 D1 win team should be in, I would think though an 8 D1 win Chattanooga was left at home in 2013so it does happen occasionally. Doesn't SC State only have 7 D1 wins though (assuming a win on Saturday)? A small correction to the article though is if The Citadel beats Wofford this weekend (36% chance) Furman DOES win a share of the SoCon Title. If The Citadel beats Wofford and Chattanooga beats VMI (72% chance) then Chattanooga also gets a share of the Title.

If all three teams win on Saturday, SC State, The Citadel, Furman, and Chattanooga would be in the conversation for an at large. Furman will have an advantage because they are currently ranked, and the Citadel will probably have the best resume (at least the best wins). I believe all 3 have 7 D1 wins (Furman and SC State would have 8 wins but 1 is non D1). SC State does have a quality win over Wofford that would probably give them the nod over Chattanooga, but probably not over the other two. I guess we'll just have to see what the committee views as the most important things when selecting at large teams.

Regardless of whether we are in or out (and we both want to be in) - It's been a pretty good season to be in the conversation.

[Reign of Terrier]

I think SC State has a better case than Kennesaw State, but Kennesaw State will get in.

Now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that SC State goes at least 10-2 with Kennesaw's schedule, but I'm not so certain KSU goes 8-3 with SC State's schedule.

[ejjones]

An 8 D1 win team should be in, I would think though an 8 D1 win Chattanooga was left at home in 2013so it does happen occasionally. Doesn't SC State only have 7 D1 wins though (assuming a win on Saturday)? A small correction to the article though is if The Citadel beats Wofford this weekend (36% chance) Furman DOES win a share of the SoCon Title. If The Citadel beats Wofford and Chattanooga beats VMI (72% chance) then Chattanooga also gets a share of the Title.

If all three teams win on Saturday, SC State, The Citadel, Furman, and Chattanooga would be in the conversation for an at large. Furman will have an advantage because they are currently ranked, and the Citadel will probably have the best resume (at least the best wins). I believe all 3 have 7 D1 wins (Furman and SC State would have 8 wins but 1 is non D1). SC State does have a quality win over Wofford that would probably give them the nod over Chattanooga, but probably not over the other two. I guess we'll just have to see what the committee views as the most important things when selecting at large teams.

Regardless of whether we are in or out (and we both want to be in) - It's been a pretty good season to be in the conversation.
I think it's a more difficult conversation when you look at the lost column. A 5 lost team, can't lose any games their suppose to win. If we played an 12 game schedule, 9-3 (8D1 wins are more appealing).

[apaladin]

Remember the SLC will get 3 teams in. #23 SE LA and #24 Nicholls will play for the auto bid Thursday night. Both will still get bids and we all know why even though a SE LA win would leave Nicholls with a 7-5 record. C. Arkansas got rolled by both of these teams but is still ranked much higher because of their season opening win vs. WKU. So 3 teams from the SLC. #25 So. Illinois will get a pass when they lose to NDSU Saturday and they are from the MVC. Other than those games I don't see any other meaningful losses this Saturday. Not saying SCS should not be in but who are they going to jump to make the playoffs?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Remember the SLC will get 3 teams in. #23 SE LA and #24 Nicholls will play for the auto bid Thursday night. Both will still get bids and we all know why even though a SE LA win would leave Nicholls with a 7-5 record. C. Arkansas got rolled by both of these teams but is still ranked much higher because of their season opening win vs. WKU. So 3 teams from the SLC. #25 So. Illinois will get a pass when they lose to NDSU Saturday and they are from the MVC. Other than those games I don't see any other meaningful losses this Saturday. Who is SC State going to jump to make the playoffs?

I'm not so certain that the Southeastern Louisiana/Nicholls loser makes it in. South Carolina State at 8-3 (and, importantly, only 7 D-I wins) would firmly be on the bubble along with the loser of that game. I think the Bulldogs' spot is pretty strong (they've already beaten the SoCon champions), but circumstances could conspire against them. For example, it's not out of the realm of possibility that UT Martin beats Kentucky or Southern Illinois upsets NDSU. If either of those upsets happen (which I'd give as less than a 1 and 4 chance happening), the Bulldogs could be the odd team out. IMO I don't think the Bulldogs are the odd team out if it's between them and Nicholls.

[apaladin]

SCS's only argument is the first game of the year. Since then they have beaten one FCS team with a winning record, 6-4 Bethune-Cookman I just don't see enough there to jump a lot of teams in front of them. When you think about it how many teams have a lot of wins against winning teams outside the top 10?

[Reign of Terrier]

I think SC State will either be the last team in or the first team out. I think if they played NC A&T and FAMU at the beginning of the season, wofford at the middle and BC at the end and had the same outcomes, they would be in, just because that's how people rank teams nowadays.

[ejjones]

SCS's only argument is the first game of the year. Since then they have beaten one FCS team with a winning record, 6-4 Bethune-Cookman I just don't see enough there to jump a lot of teams in front of them. When you think about it how many teams have a lot of wins against winning teams outside the top 10?
Provide me another bubble team who can claim they’ve beaten a lot of teams with winning records. Good point, but BCU was also undefeated in conference play when we beat them. Most teams ahead of them don’t have a better win and have worst losses.

[R.A.]

#24 North Carolina A&T (8-3, 6-2 MEAC) & South Carolina State (8-3, 6-2 MEAC) BOTH won today.

A&T 54
Central 0
Final

State 20
Norfolk St. 17
Final/ Overtime


NC A&T and SC State are the 2019 MEAC Football Co-Champions!

-North Carolina A&T has earned the MEAC's 2019 Celebration Bowl bid.

-South Carolina State awaits Sunday's FCS Playoffs Selection Show, anticipating they will receive an At- Large Bid into the 2019 FCS Playoffs

[ejjones]

SCS's only argument is the first game of the year. Since then they have beaten one FCS team with a winning record, 6-4 Bethune-Cookman I just don't see enough there to jump a lot of teams in front of them. When you think about it how many teams have a lot of wins against winning teams outside the top 10?
BCU is a solid team. Check ESPN right now...they are giving FAMU all they can handle. Great atmosphere at the FL classic...