2007 playoffs question

[thirdgendin]

In your opinion, if Georgia Southern had replaced Division II West Georgia with a low-level FCS school such as Savannah State or VMI, would they have made the playoffs over a fifth CAA school?

That would give GSU a 7-4 all DI record with losses to Colorado State, Furman, Chattanooga and Elon with wins over Wofford and Appalachian State.

[Appstate29]

I think so

[AZGrizFan]

I don't think there's much doubt about that.

But the loss to Chatty REALLY hurt them. xeyebrowx

[TexasTerror]

Ga Southern should have beaten Chatty...

The Eagles would've had a playoff ticket punched. Playing an FBS squad at the end of the season with so much on the line with your team so out of gas was not the greatest idea in the world, though I am sure there was no choice...

[SeattleGriz]

Yes.

I believe on tradition alone, it would have carried them into the playoffs. Even though GSU has been down a little the last couple of years, they still have the aura.

[Syntax Error]

They certainly had some good wins, beating the eventual champ and Wofford. I think Elon would have made it too and possibly even Liberty if either would have qualified..

[catdaddy2402]

IMO there's no doubt. 8 Div I wins, including wins over App St and Wofford, there would be a lot of explaining to do if you were left out.

[GannonFan]

I'm going to go with no, partly to be a contrarian, and partly because of the schedule. First of all, to correct the poster from above, it would only be 7 DI wins, not 8. Next, GSU had 2 bad losses - to Chatty and to Furman. UNH only had one bad loss to Northeastern. Furthermore, UNH beat their FBS team in Marshall while GSU lost to Colorado St (both of those FBS teams were fairly equal). And GSU's loss to Furman brings in a common opponent connection - Hofstra beat Furman, and UNH drilled Hofstra.

Hey, I think it's very likely that the committee would've taken GSU over UNH just from a conference balancing standpoint, giving the SoCon 3 and the CAA 4 would do that. But let's not pretend that the only difference between the two was that UNH played Iona and GSU played a bad DII team.

[Eyes of Old Main]

Stranger things have happened, but I think they yould have gotten in. I think Elon would have gotten in over the 5th CAA team as well had they been eligible.

[mvemjsunpx]

Yes, they likely would have, but they probably shouldn't have.

Their credentials would have been pretty comparable to Eastern Illinois.

[AZGrizFan]

I'm going to go with no, partly to be a contrarian, and partly because of the schedule. First of all, to correct the poster from above, it would only be 7 DI wins, not 8. Next, GSU had 2 bad losses - to Chatty and to Furman. UNH only had one bad loss to Northeastern. Furthermore, UNH beat their FBS team in Marshall while GSU lost to Colorado St (both of those FBS teams were fairly equal). And GSU's loss to Furman brings in a common opponent connection - Hofstra beat Furman, and UNH drilled Hofstra.

Hey, I think it's very likely that the committee would've taken GSU over UNH just from a conference balancing standpoint, giving the SoCon 3 and the CAA 4 would do that. But let's not pretend that the only difference between the two was that UNH played Iona and GSU played a bad DII team.

That's why I voted Yes, despite your logic above. xcoolx

[ngineer]

I don't think there's much doubt about that.

But the loss to Chatty REALLY hurt them. xeyebrowx

Yes, their chances would certainly have been improved, but that loss was a real killer when playing on the 'bubble'.

[blueballs]

But let's not pretend that the only difference between the two was that UNH played Iona and GSU played a bad DII team.


Care to elaborate further on that?

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I'm going to go with no, partly to be a contrarian, and partly because of the schedule. First of all, to correct the poster from above, it would only be 7 DI wins, not 8. Next, GSU had 2 bad losses - to Chatty and to Furman. UNH only had one bad loss to Northeastern. Furthermore, UNH beat their FBS team in Marshall while GSU lost to Colorado St (both of those FBS teams were fairly equal). And GSU's loss to Furman brings in a common opponent connection - Hofstra beat Furman, and UNH drilled Hofstra.

Hey, I think it's very likely that the committee would've taken GSU over UNH just from a conference balancing standpoint, giving the SoCon 3 and the CAA 4 would do that. But let's not pretend that the only difference between the two was that UNH played Iona and GSU played a bad DII team.

If GSU's 8th win had been Furman, we would have gotten in as we would have won the autobid for the conference. If the 8th win had been Colorado State, I also think we'd have a better case than UNH. With the win being over Elon or Chatty, it seems to be close, but I don't think the committee would go with a 5th CAA before going for a 3rd SoCon.