Upsets in the quarter-finals

[ChickenMan]

Last week I ranked EWU over McNeese St and Wofford over Montana as the best chance for 1st round upsets..



ranking the chances for an upset

1 - EWU over McNeese St
2 - Wofford over Montana
3 - EKU over Richmond
4 - UNH over UNI
5 - JMU over ASU
6 - Del St over Delaware
7 - EIU over SIU
8 - Fordham over UMass


my quarter finals rankings for an upset..


1 - UMass @ SIU.. if the UMass defense plays well.. they will be tough to beat

2 - EWU @ ASU.. ASU's defense is very suspect and EWU can score points

3 - UD @ UNI.. UD's defense just isn't good enough.. the Hens will score points.. but probably not enough


Richmond @ Wofford you tell me who the favorite is in this one???

[Tribe4SF]

UMass @ SIU will be a tight line, and I'd almost rate that a toss-up, but you've got to give SIU the home field edge. Not sure I'd call it an upset if UMass wins. SIU by 3.

I see UD as a 10 point dog against UNI, and they will have to play some D to have a shot.

EWU will score some points, and has a shot, but they will have to show me they have the team speed to go the distance with ASU. ASU a 7 point favorite, and wins.

Wofford/Richmond a toss-up.

[Reed Rothchild]

SIU has problems facing teams they haven't seen before. I don't think it will be an "upset" if the Minutemen prevail.

[umassfan]

SIU has problems facing teams they haven't seen before. I don't think it will be an "upset" if the Minutemen prevail.

They are also facing a very different Defense then most in the FCS.

[Sam Adams]

UMass is surely the underdog going into Carbondale to face the 2d highest seeded team remaining in the Playoffs. UMass has stumbled and bumbled all season. Turnovers, giving up the big plays, stupid penalties. UMass should be a decided underdog going in to face the mighty 11-1 Salukis. Sure the Minutemen have a shot at pulling the upset, but certainly I would not be expecting that to happen.

[umassfan]

UMass is surely the underdog going into Carbondale to face the 2d highest seeded team remaining in the Playoffs. UMass has stumbled and bumbled all season. Turnovers, giving up the big plays, stupid penalties. UMass should be a decided underdog going in to face the mighty 11-1 Salukis. Sure the Minutemen have a shot at pulling the upset, but certainly I would not be expecting that to happen.

Wheres the faith man...

[Houndawg]

UMass is surely the underdog going into Carbondale to face the 2d highest seeded team remaining in the Playoffs. UMass has stumbled and bumbled all season. Turnovers, giving up the big plays, stupid penalties. UMass should be a decided underdog going in to face the mighty 11-1 Salukis. Sure the Minutemen have a shot at pulling the upset, but certainly I would not be expecting that to happen.

No way. UMass plays in the CAA and we all realize how superior the CAA is to other conferences. Delaware and UMass should win easily against the overrated remaining seeds.

[Houndawg]

SIU has problems facing teams they haven't seen before. I don't think it will be an "upset" if the Minutemen prevail.

Yeah. SIU really struggled on the road at Hampton. Touch and go all the way.

[Old Cage]

No way. UMass plays in the CAA and we all realize how superior the CAA is to other conferences. Delaware and UMass should win easily against the overrated remaining seeds.

I'm glad you recognize that. We came darn close to going five for five.
An all-CAA final is inevitable. :p

[KAUMASS]

I would not consider UMass beating McNeese an upset.

[Houndawg]

I'm glad you recognize that. We came darn close to going five for five.
An all-CAA final is inevitable. :p

Hey, you should have been five for five. Couple of posers got lucky is all. This week it's in the bag, although I suppose they'll play the games as a formality.

[Syntax Error]

There are no favorites in the quarterfinals and there will be no upsets.

Delaware at UNI?
UMass at SIU?
Eastern Washington at ASU?
Richmond at Wofford?

I'd go with the home teams (Gateway and SoCon) but those are all great games and either team could win.

[appfan2008]

ASU i believe will be able to slow down ewu... as they play right into our strength of pass defense... i hope we will be able to run by and around them all day if we start to stretch the field a little more...

[KAUMASS]

UMass is surely the underdog going into Carbondale to face the 2d highest seeded team remaining in the Playoffs. UMass has stumbled and bumbled all season. Turnovers, giving up the big plays, stupid penalties. UMass should be a decided underdog going in to face the mighty 11-1 Salukis. Sure the Minutemen have a shot at pulling the upset, but certainly I would not be expecting that to happen.

Sam-we bumbled and stumbled last season as well. It's UMass's style, and it isn't going to change. UMass lives and dies by being agressive. Looking at both schedules played and GPI rank by opponent.

Southern Illinois: UMass:

Quincy-D2?? Holy Cross-#30
Northern Illinois-#144(Sagarian) Colgate-#38
S. Utah-#80 GPI Towson-#50
Ark-Pine Bluff-#84 GIP Maine-#45
Indiana St-#112 GPI Boston College-#15 (Sagarian)
Youngstown-#12 GPI Villanova-#15
Northern Iowa#1 GPI Northeastern-#40
Missouri St-#33 GPI William/Mary-#33
Western Illinois-#25 Rhode Island-#49
Illinois St.-#42 New Hampshire-#14
Hampton-#61 Hofstra-#21
E. Illinois-#37 Fordham-#43


UMass has played a tougher schedule regardless of the rankings. Southern Illinois is a very good team, no questions. UMass has been more battle tested this year than S. Illinois, so relax Sam and have a Sam Adams. UMass will be fine.

[Houndawg]

Sam-we bumbled and stumbled last season as well. It's UMass's style, and it isn't going to change. UMass lives and dies by being agressive. Looking at both schedules played and GPI rank by opponent.

Southern Illinois: UMass:

Quincy-D2?? Holy Cross-#30
Northern Illinois-#144(Sagarian) Colgate-#38
S. Utah-#80 GPI Towson-#50
Ark-Pine Bluff-#84 GIP Maine-#45
Indiana St-#112 GPI Boston College-#15 (Sagarian)
Youngstown-#12 GPI Villanova-#15
Northern Iowa#1 GPI Northeastern-#40
Missouri St-#33 GPI William/Mary-#33
Western Illinois-#25 Rhode Island-#49
Illinois St.-#42 New Hampshire-#14
Hampton-#61 Hofstra-#21
E. Illinois-#37 Fordham-#43


UMass has played a tougher schedule regardless of the rankings. Southern Illinois is a very good team, no questions. UMass has been more battle tested this year than S. Illinois, so relax Sam and have a Sam Adams. UMass will be fine.

Make mine a Bell's, SA's quality has slipped a ways.

[ASUdrummer]

If both teams bring their A game...UMASS gets my vote...that's always a big IF though.
I don't see any other home team losing but they will all be great games.

[Chi Panther]

ASU i believe will be able to slow down ewu... as they play right into our strength of pass defense... i hope we will be able to run by and around them all day if we start to stretch the field a little more...

Considering Most EWU players are still a sleep for 9 am kickoffs....I think ASU will do okxrolleyesx ....terrible kickoff time.....xmadx

[skinny_uncle]

Bad news for UMass fans. There is a chance of rain in Carbondale Saturday.

[Syntax Error]

Considering Most EWU players are still a sleep for 9 am kickoffs....I think ASU will do okxrolleyesx ....terrible kickoff time.....xmadxThey play at Noon which is a regular kickoff time. They fly in on Weds/Thurs so they should be acclimated. If a team can't get pumped for a quarterfinal game then they'll lose anyway.

[Sam Adams]

Bad news for UMass fans. There is a chance of rain in Carbondale Saturday.

Chance of rain??? Good Gracious. SIU should be favored by 2 touchdowns at least.

[Col Hogan]

Bad news for UMass fans. There is a chance of rain in Carbondale Saturday.

Rain is not an issue with our O line and Matt Lawrence running the ball...

As long as you don't have near-hurricane force winds like at our URI-loss...we'll be OK...

[bcrawf]

I think its a pretty cut and dried week... All 4 Favorites Win-

UNI
SIU
Appy
Wofford