Who has the toughest matchup in the second round?

[CorrosionDoc]

From Professor Chaos' post of the STATs Top 25 from week 12, these are the remaining matchups with the rankings in parentheses.

#1 SDSU (1) vs Delaware (23)
#2 SacState (2) vs. Richmond (13)
#3 NDSU (4) vs. Montana (19)
#4 MSU (3) vs. Weber (9)
#5 W&M (6) vs. Gardner-Webb (unranked)
#6 Samford (8) vs. SELA (17)
#7 UIW (5) vs. Furman (11)
#8 Holy Cross (7) vs. NH (15)

Seems clear that MSU has the toughest matchup next weekend, followed by UIW. The committee giving NDSU the #3 seed to play Montana is quite the early Christmas present. MSU would have been better off getting the #5 or #6 seed for a guaranteed advancement.

[BisonBacker]

MSU vs. Weber would be my pick.

[WrenFGun]

As I mentioned earlier, I think folks like to crap on Montana and Delaware, but it's not as if those teams don't have talent. Their resumes aren't great, but both teams were ranked in the top 10 at portions of the season and won't be easy matchups. I think pretty much all of these matchups are pretty tough, though I'd have to imagine W&M would be most excited to face GW, even if I think GW is a pretty good team.

I do think that Montana State getting stuck with Weber State is pretty brutal given I assume it's not a bus trip. That said, I guess I'm not entirely sure what could've been done here.

Gardner Webb is a bus trip to WMU, so it makes sense. UNH is a bus trip to Holy Cross, so it makes sense. SELA is a bus trip to Samford. That leaves Delaware, Richmond, Montana, Weber and Furman as the non bus trips available. Furman is the best team of those 5 and got sent to the lowest eligible seed, which makes sense. Delaware is the worst rated team of that bunch and got sent to the top seed, which also make sense. I think probably the best option by ranking would be to send Montana to Sac State and Richmond to NDSU, but still leaves the same issue with Weber and Montana State.

[ming01]

Probably the Bobcats. Tough matchups for almost every seed.

[MSUBobcat]

From Professor Chaos' post of the STATs Top 25 from week 12, these are the remaining matchups with the rankings in parentheses.

#1 SDSU (1) vs Delaware (23)
#2 SacState (2) vs. Richmond (13)
#3 NDSU (4) vs. Montana (19)
#4 MSU (3) vs. Weber (9)
#5 W&M (6) vs. Gardner-Webb (unranked)
#6 Samford (8) vs. SELA (17)
#7 UIW (5) vs. Furman (11)
#8 Holy Cross (7) vs. NH (15)

Seems clear that MSU has the toughest matchup next weekend, followed by UIW. The committee giving NDSU the #3 seed to play Montana is quite the early Christmas present. MSU would have been better off getting the #5 or #6 seed for a guaranteed advancement.

Ogden to Bozeman is 375mi. Presumably, when NDSU got the higher seed, they were going to get the lower ranked team out of the expected Round 1 victors, UM and Weber. Or perhaps the committee didn't want such a recent match between MSU and UM. Regardless, if MSU was the 4th seed or the 8th seed, we were going to get Weber no matter what due to regionalization.

[MR. CHICKEN]

DUH..............................!

[OhioHen]

I would say that either Delaware or Montana has the toughest matchup. xDSU is more superior to UD/UM than any other matchup.

[JSUSoutherner]

The answer for this week and all future weeks is...

Whoever happens to be playing North Dakota State.

[Daytripper]

1. Montana State
2. UIW

Edit: I took the question to ask which "seeded" team has the toughest matchup. Otherwise, the Hens.

[caribbeanhen]

Delaware

[MR. CHICKEN]

...JAX...DO TA US....WHAT WE DID....TA DUH CATHOLICS........xnodx.........BRAWK!


...IT'LL TAKE UH COUPLE SERIES...FO' RABBITS....TA GET GAME SPEED....FROM 2 WEEKS UH VAYCAY.......SO HENS OWN-LAH CHANCE...MAKE HAY EARLY........AAWK!

[McNeese75]

MSU vs Weber

[dewey]

MSU vs. Weber would be my pick.

If the question is which seeded team has the toughest match up then i completely agree with you on Montana State vs Weber State.

If it is who has the toughest match up...PERIOD. then I would say Delaware.

Dewey

[jadmt]

cats got screwed the most having to play weber but the biggest upset will be in fargo

[WileECoyote06]

I think UIW is going to have its hands full with Furman.

[Daytripper]

I think UIW is going to have its hands full with Furman.

I agree. Their HC has his foot out the door to Tulsa.

[SeattleCat]

cats got screwed the most having to play weber but the biggest upset will be in fargo

Good lord... you guys finally beat a team with a winning record and suddenly it's #RTD? NDSU's Oline is going to cake some scrubs. If Montana scores its in garbage time, if it's closer than 40-0 I'll be shocked.

Ranked-Bobcats
any-Montana

Delaware > Montana and will put up more of a fight in Brookings... The Massacre will be in Fargo on Saturday.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Incarnate Word and Montana State have easily the toughest matchups for the seeded teams. SDSU third -- I think Delaware give them a much better game in Brookings than they did in the Spring 2021 semis. At least the upperclassmen will come into that game with the experience of having played in that environment.

[Green Cookie Monster]

MSU and Weber.

[CorrosionDoc]

I would say that either Delaware or Montana has the toughest matchup. xDSU is more superior to UD/UM than any other matchup.

Yes, sorry, I should have clarified that I was talking about which seeded team, even though they had a first round bye, has the toughest first game. My point is that regionalization doesn't serve to create the best matchups or reward the best teams, but can create certain matchups that are significantly tougher than others. I know that's not a shocker, but MSU as the #4 seed drawing the #9 team in Weber is a much tougher game than William & Mary as the #5 seed drawing an unranked Gardner-Webb team.

[caribbeanhen]

I think UIW is going to have its hands full with Furman.

big time

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

MSU vs. Weber would be my pick.


This here 100%