Again it won't happen

[JohnStOnge]

One more year such that we can say we've never had a situation where two teams from the same conference meet in the championship game. And this year we had five teams from one conference in the playoffs; with 3 on one side of the bracket and 2 on the other.

I do think it's amazing that it's never happened even once. I know that, at first, it couldn't happen because it was just a four team tourney with teams from four different conferences. I don't know exactly when the first tournament such that it could have happened occurred because I haven't looked up which conferences all the teams were in.

Earliest one I can see where I know it could've happened is 1984. That year both Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State were in the Southland conference and a team Arkansas State lost to in the second round (Montana State) met Louisiana Tech in the championship game.

[MountaineerGuy]

1988...furman over georgia southern.

or was that before GSU joined the SoCon?

[Ud1Hens]

One more year such that we can say we've never had a situation where two teams from the same conference meet in the championship game. And this year we had five teams from one conference in the playoffs; with 3 on one side of the bracket and 2 on the other.

It is tough when that conference does not have anyone sedded and 7 of the 10 playoff games are on the road.

[Skjellyfetti]

It is tough when 7 of the 10 playoff games are on the road.

xbawlingx

[JohnStOnge]

1988...furman over georgia southern.

or was that before GSU joined the SoCon?

Yes. From what I can tell, GSU joined the SoCon in 1993.

[brownbear]

1988...furman over georgia southern.

or was that before GSU joined the SoCon?

I think GSU joined the SoCon in 1992

[Ud1Hens]

xbawlingx

I wasn't whining. I was simply making a point that it is tough to constantly go on the road and win in the playoffs. How did I know someone would be quick to assume that? Could have seen that coming...xrolleyesx

[JohnStOnge]

It is tough when that conference does not have anyone sedded and 7 of the 10 playoff games are on the road.

I think it came pretty close to still being alive as a possibility at this point. I think App State was real lucky to beat JMU in the first round. Had that happened, I think it's very likely that a CAA team would be coming out of that side of the bracket right now.

[Ud1Hens]

I think it came pretty close to still being alive as a possibility at this point. I think App State was real lucky to beat JMU in the first round. Had that happened, I think it's very likely that a CAA team would be coming out of that side of the bracket right now.

Yeah but then again App. St. made the plays it had to to win the game. Should be interesting today...

[MountaineerGuy]

I think it came pretty close to still being alive as a possibility at this point. I think App State was real lucky to beat JMU in the first round. Had that happened, I think it's very likely that a CAA team would be coming out of that side of the bracket right now.

Better lucky than good...

When are the rest of you fellers gonna figure that out and take it to heart?
:p

[BlueHen86]

I wasn't whining. I was simply making a point that it is tough to constantly go on the road and win in the playoffs. How did I know someone would be quick to assume that? Could have seen that coming...xrolleyesx
Besides, none of our teams were seeded because they didn't deserve it. We got 5 teams in, but they weren't ranked 1 through 5. The CAA would have needed to win several upsets to set up an all CAA final, it wasn't likely from the start.

[McNeese_beat]

Better lucky than good...

When are the rest of you fellers gonna figure that out and take it to heart?
:p

You create your own luck. Game management is part of what has created the App dynasty...and the Patriots dynasty...and the Spurs dynasty...etc., etc.

Championship teams play well. Good teams that don't win championships have stories about how they mismanaged the clock at the end of the game or how the running back fumbled the ball off his own knee going in to score a touchdown to tie the game (Eastern Washington against you last week)...

Not your fault that you have championship composure and they didn't...

[JohnStOnge]

Better lucky than good...

When are the rest of you fellers gonna figure that out and take it to heart?
:p

I think it's a combination. Most of the time you have to be good and have some breaks go your way. I think there are some exceptions, like App last year, Delaware in 2003, and Marshall in 1996. But most of the time you can point to somewhere along the line where the team that won the championship caught a break. On the other hand, if they weren't good enough to be in the game, that break wouldn't have mattered.

I don't entirely agree with the "make your own luck" thing though. I think chance is a factor in every football game and certain things happen that are totally beyond your control that can benefit you. Like Ingle Martin falling down when he was about to walk untouched into the end zone against App in the 2005 playoffs. App didn't "make" that luck. But they were good enough so that lucky break helped them win. If they hadn't been they'd have lost anyway.

Or like fumbles. There's always a random element to what the ball does, where it goes, etc., when it hits the ground. You can increase your chances of being the one to recover it by how you play but how it bounces, etc., is still a factor beyond your control. And it can make the difference between whether you recover it or the other team does.

Then there's officials' calls. Nobody controls that. Whether they see something that does occur or think they see something that doesn't can have impacts and make the difference between who wins and who loses in an evenly matched game.

I disagree with the idea that the fact that somebody wins multiple championships makes it kind of self-evident that chance wasn't involved. Sure, it's true that there's no way chance can entirely account for something like, say, App going on to win three consecutive national titles (if it happens). But that doesn't mean it wasn't a factor.

[Appaholic69]

"Chance favors the prepared mind"

While there are "lucky breaks" in every game, you have to be prepared to take advantage of them. If you don't work hard in practice, film study, weight room, and on the field, then you can get all the breaks you want and it probably wouldn't matter. There are so many factors taht go in to playing a game and winning it. Just like the title of this forum says, Any given saturday, any team can win. Just ask Michigan!

[tralfangar]

I think it's a combination. Most of the time you have to be good and have some breaks go your way. I think there are some exceptions, like App last year, Delaware in 2003, and Marshall in 1996. But most of the time you can point to somewhere along the line where the team that won the championship caught a break. On the other hand, if they weren't good enough to be in the game, that break wouldn't have mattered.

I don't entirely agree with the "make your own luck" thing though. I think chance is a factor in every football game and certain things happen that are totally beyond your control that can benefit you. Like Ingle Martin falling down when he was about to walk untouched into the end zone against App in the 2005 playoffs. App didn't "make" that luck. But they were good enough so that lucky break helped them win. If they hadn't been they'd have lost anyway.

Or like fumbles. There's always a random element to what the ball does, where it goes, etc., when it hits the ground. You can increase your chances of being the one to recover it by how you play but how it bounces, etc., is still a factor beyond your control. And it can make the difference between whether you recover it or the other team does.

Then there's officials' calls. Nobody controls that. Whether they see something that does occur or think they see something that doesn't can have impacts and make the difference between who wins and who loses in an evenly matched game.

I disagree with the idea that the fact that somebody wins multiple championships makes it kind of self-evident that chance wasn't involved. Sure, it's true that there's no way chance can entirely account for something like, say, App going on to win three consecutive national titles (if it happens). But that doesn't mean it wasn't a factor.

Couldn't you just state that chance is a factor in every aspect of our lives as human beings? Or you could argue the other extreme where there is no chance, only cause and effect. Maybe that's getting too philosophical...I digress.

[Seven Would Be Nice]

It is tough when that conference does not have anyone sedded and 7 of the 10 playoff games are on the road.

You are preaching to the wrong crowd with that. First off the SoCon got screwed this year. GSU should have gotten in over a 5th CAA team, and Wofford, the Conference champ had to go to Montana in round one??? and you wanna complain about road games??

[FCS Preview]

You are preaching to the wrong crowd with that. First off the SoCon got screwed this year. GSU should have gotten in over a 5th CAA team, and Wofford, the Conference champ had to go to Montana in round one??? and you wanna complain about road games??GSU had six wins. UNH had 7. PLUS a win over a FBS school.
Every SoCon team with 7 D-I wins made the playoffs. Two CAA teams (Villanova and Hofstra) had 7 D-I wins and did not make the playoffs.

[TheValleyRaider]

One more year such that we can say we've never had a situation where two teams from the same conference meet in the championship game. And this year we had five teams from one conference in the playoffs; with 3 on one side of the bracket and 2 on the other.

I do think it's amazing that it's never happened even once. I know that, at first, it couldn't happen because it was just a four team tourney with teams from four different conferences. I don't know exactly when the first tournament such that it could have happened occurred because I haven't looked up which conferences all the teams were in.

Earliest one I can see where I know it could've happened is 1984. That year both Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State were in the Southland conference and a team Arkansas State lost to in the second round (Montana State) met Louisiana Tech in the championship game.

I really think the number of conferences makes it difficult. Think about it, 1/4 of the field was taken by Patriot/OVC/MEAC teams who aren't going to be making deep runs in the playoffs every year. I love 'em, and wish it would happen (well, for one of those conferences anyway), but it's not very likely. What it does do is make it a numbers game. 3/4 of the field is still being split between 5 other conferences, to say nothing of the occasional team not from one of the autobid conferences. Plus you have to have the teams split somewhat evenly, so the conference doesn't have to rely on 1 team winning their bracket compared to say 2 or 3 on the other side.

I'll compare it to hockey because I know a bit about that tournament. There you're talking about 6 conferences total taking up all 16 spots, and 2 of them are consistently 1-bid leagues who have a total of 1 win since the tournament went to 16 teams. And even then, one of those conferences (the ECAC xbawlingx ) has had very limited success. So already you're talking about 2 to 3 conferences taking up about 3/4 of the tournament field. The chances of an all-conference final are much stronger, and it's happened several times, most recently in 2005 (which actually was an all-conference Frozen Four)

Not sure if any of that really made sense, but the short answer is: it's all about the conferences

[Grabholdofyosef]

One more year such that we can say we've never had a situation where two teams from the same conference meet in the championship game. And this year we had five teams from one conference in the playoffs; with 3 on one side of the bracket and 2 on the other.

I do think it's amazing that it's never happened even once. I know that, at first, it couldn't happen because it was just a four team tourney with teams from four different conferences. I don't know exactly when the first tournament such that it could have happened occurred because I haven't looked up which conferences all the teams were in.

Earliest one I can see where I know it could've happened is 1984. That year both Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State were in the Southland conference and a team Arkansas State lost to in the second round (Montana State) met Louisiana Tech in the championship game.
I think with the focus on keeping travel to a minimum since 9/11/01 it will be harder to have a conference member make it from each side. There have 3 semifinal matchups since then with conference mates.

05-asu-furman
04-JMU-WMary
01-GSU-Furman

The last time we almost had an all conference final was in 2000 when ASU led Montana by 3 in OT and lost after a TD pass. ASU would have faced GSU for the title.

[Jerbearasu]

GSU had six wins. UNH had 7. PLUS a win over a FBS school.
Every SoCon team with 7 D-I wins made the playoffs. Two CAA teams (Villanova and Hofstra) had 7 D-I wins and did not make the playoffs.

Do people really think that Iona was that much more of a competitive team than the D2 school GSU played? I don't agree with the 7 D1 win logic especially if you are arguing the point with a team that played a garbage D1 team. I think for the most part everyone on this board feels that a good FCS school can challenge any FBS school any day of the week. It seems hypocritical that we knock the D2 schools down but we get pissed when FBS schools call us cupcakes.
I think you need to look at overall wins and losses. UNH got trounced by double digits in games to UMass, JMU and at-best what you can consider a mediocre Northeastern team. GSU lost two games in OT, one on a missed field goal, and one to an FBS team...
IMO, UNH got in because of the name appeal that Ricky Santos brought to them... I will agree that it was a toss-up between the two schools but feel it should have fallen to GSU due to the fact the SoCon was really tough this year and the CAA already had 4 going...

[ERASU2113]

1988...furman over georgia southern.

or was that before GSU joined the SoCon?

That was prior to GSU joining

[JohnStOnge]

Do people really think that Iona was that much more of a competitive team than the D2 school GSU played? I don't agree with the 7 D1 win logic especially if you are arguing the point with a team that played a garbage D1 team. I think for the most part everyone on this board feels that a good FCS school can challenge any FBS school any day of the week. It seems hypocritical that we knock the D2 schools down but we get pissed when FBS schools call us cupcakes.
I think you need to look at overall wins and losses. UNH got trounced by double digits in games to UMass, JMU and at-best what you can consider a mediocre Northeastern team. GSU lost two games in OT, one on a missed field goal, and one to an FBS team...
IMO, UNH got in because of the name appeal that Ricky Santos brought to them... I will agree that it was a toss-up between the two schools but feel it should have fallen to GSU due to the fact the SoCon was really tough this year and the CAA already had 4 going...

I don't think the number of other teams in the conference going should be a factor. Iona may not have been great but did finish 7-4. West Georgia finished 2-9. Plus UNH beat a 3-9 CUSA opponent while GSU lost to a 3-9 Mountain West opponent. The Mountain West was a bit tougher than CUSA but I still think that obviously helps UNH when comparing the two. I just don't see the argument for Georgia Southern. Villanova being in over UNH appears to be a no brainer...even though it didn't happen. But Georgia Southern doesn't.