SoCon vs CAA... Thoughts...

[Hate the CAA]

Well the challenge is over and despite my screen name I am trying to be objective:

Week 1: Richmond over Elon 28-10

Week 3: Georgia Southern over Northeastern 34-27

Week 4: Furman over Delaware 23-20

Week 4: James Madison over App St 35-32

SoCon has 2 wins and CAA has 2 wins...xcoffeex

With the exception of Western Carolina, Chattanoga and new member Samford you legitamately could have 6 teams in the hunt for playoff bids...

In the CAA I think you have a large conference of Haves and Have Nots:
URI, Maine, Towson, Northeastern, Hofstra are HAVE NOTS...

The HAVES include: JMU & Richmond, Delaware, New Hampshire and UMASS...

Villanova and William & Mary are funny in that they both appear to be headed in opposite directions. At one time they were in the Haves and now Nova appears to be on the verge of making some noise... William & Mary appears to be regressing. The funny thing is they both play next week.

None the less, the additional at-large bids should go to teams from these conferences and NOT Patriot League or NEC teams... Strength of schedule and quality wins is who deserves the bids. Hopefully the selection committe gets it right.

[furman94]

All I know is Furman beat Delaware and ASU lost to Madison... :D

[89Hen]

With the exception of Western Carolina, Chattanoga and new member Samford you legitamately could have 6 teams in the hunt for playoff bids...

In the CAA I think you have a large conference of Haves and Have Nots:
URI, Maine, Towson, Northeastern, Hofstra are HAVE NOTS...
So one of the CAA's "have not's" takes one of the 6 "hunters" to OT. Maybe they should move to the SoCon so they too can hunt for the playoffs. xcoffeex

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

My take is that there were two games that were a virtual wash with the home field giving the edge to the winner (JMU and Furman), one game that was a resounding victory for the CAA (Richmond at Elon) and another game that went to OT that based on tradition and history probably didn't seem like a victory for the SoCon (Northeastern at GA Southern). As the season progresses we'll get a better read on the last game (is GaSo a top SoCon team this year? Has NU become a middle or top tier CAA team?).

Considering that three of the four games were on SoCon soil, I think the CAA fared pretty well. If Elon by season's end proves to be a top tier SoCon team, then I think the CAA had an advantage in the games. But it is only four games, so it doesn't meant too much other than for message board banter.

[89Hen]

I think all we learned is what we already knew... the two conferences are pretty damn close. xpeacex

[furman94]

yep

[soccerguy315]

you think W&M is regressing? IMO they are showing up better than almost everyone expected, with a solid showing at NC State and 2 blowout wins over teams they should beat, one of which was receiving more votes than them. Where did you have W&M ranked at the beginning of the season that you can now say they are regressing?

And Villanova @ W&M isn't until the 4th.

[Tailbone]

My dad's bigger than your dad! xlolx

[Uncle Buck]

Well the challenge is over and despite my screen name I am trying to be objective:
In the CAA I think you have a large conference of Haves and Have Nots:
URI, Maine, Towson, Northeastern, Hofstra are HAVE NOTS...
.

Sorry, after beating Furman last year we couldn't get a SoCon on our schedule this year.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

So one of the CAA's "have not's" takes one of the 6 "hunters" to OT. Maybe they should move to the SoCon so they too can hunt for the playoffs. xcoffeex


You beat me to the punch!!! xlolx

Also, not sure how one could evaluate W&M as a 'have not' based on their performance so far. They look resurgent.

[Uncle Buck]

And GSU who struggled agains a have not lost to Elon who lost rather handily to Richmond. Is Elon a SoCon have not? If so, a have not beat GSU a Have?

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

You beat me to the punch!!! xlolx

Also, not sure how one could evaluate W&M as a 'have not' based on their performance so far. They look resurgent.

No kidding! Nobody at UNH is viewing W&M as a "have not"!!

[tribe_pride]

Villanova and William & Mary are funny in that they both appear to be headed in opposite directions. At one time they were in the Haves and now Nova appears to be on the verge of making some noise... William & Mary appears to be regressing. The funny thing is they both play next week.



Crap. If we are regressing after 3 straight years of 5-6 (2005), 3-8 (2006)and 4-7 (2007) in the last 3 years, we are really going to suck this year. If anything, as others have said, we are matching or exceeding pretty low expectations in quality of play.

[whoanellie]

My take is that there were two games that were a virtual wash with the home field giving the edge to the winner (JMU and Furman), one game that was a resounding victory for the CAA (Richmond at Elon) and another game that went to OT that based on tradition and history probably didn't seem like a victory for the SoCon (Northeastern at GA Southern). As the season progresses we'll get a better read on the last game (is GaSo a top SoCon team this year? Has NU become a middle or top tier CAA team?).

Considering that three of the four games were on SoCon soil, I think the CAA fared pretty well. If Elon by season's end proves to be a top tier SoCon team, then I think the CAA had an advantage in the games. But it is only four games, so it doesn't meant too much other than for message board banter.

this season will now boil down to conference performance.
Richmond will more than likely be the top ranked school THIS week.
For them to run the gauntlet of the CAA good luck.
As for the SoCon close games will be the norm.
it's hard to handicap the BCS performances as any type of measuring stick as most FCS also schedule a D-2 or NAIA to balance the schedule as well.
road victories will play a big key but no one is a lock.

When does the GPI get started?

[GannonFan]

Same view now that any rational person had before this - the conferences are pretty even. Home field matters a lot, though, and getting ASU out of Boone will be important come playoff time, especially since Chatty is basically a backyard for ASU.