SCSU deserves at-large play-off bid

[R.A.]

SCSU deserves at-large play-off bid
By THOMAS GRANT JR., Senior Sports Writer

Was it enough? Such a question seems far-fetched to ask a team just two days after a 50-point victory. Yet it’s what the South Carolina State Bulldogs must continue to ask themselves over the final week of the regular season.as they seek a spot in the NCAA Division I-AA play-offs.

In seven days, the Bulldogs will learn whether the answer is an affirmative one when the 16-team play-off field is announced on ESPN News. For now, the Bulldogs can only hope games like last Thursday’s 65-15 nationally-televised home romp over Morgan State and a strong showing in the Nov. 19 regular-season finale against North Carolina A&T will impress the NCAA selection committee responsible for awarding the eight at-large bids.

(The complete story at www.thetandd.com/articles/2005/11/14/sports/doc437817a67c87d152227135.txt)

[*****]

SCSU deserves at-large play-off bid
By THOMAS GRANT JR., Senior Sports Writer
...the Bulldogs can only hope games like last Thursday’s 65-15 nationally-televised home romp over Morgan State and a strong showing in the Nov. 19 regular-season finale against North Carolina A&T will impress the NCAA selection committee responsible for awarding the eight at-large bids.Impressed with wins over Morgan State and NCA&T???

GPI last week:
96. NC A&T (71.11)
104. Morgan St (78.00)

C'mon!!!

Let this guy know:
[email protected]

[R.A.]

-What's wrong w/ that statement. Are you saying that a blowout victory over conference opponents doesn't help SCSU? (By the way the SCSU players are now calling out the JMU Dukes)

[inpsite1919]

Impressed with wins over Morgan State and NCA&T???

GPI last week:
96. NC A&T (71.11)
104. Morgan St (78.00)

C'mon!!!

Let this guy know:
[email protected]

By placing more of an emphasis on a team’s past history in the play-offs rather than what they’ve done to prove themselves this season, the selection committee puts itself in danger of proving Coastal Carolina head coach David Bennett’s point made during his Orangeburg Touchdown Club appearance about the Division I-AA play-offs catering only to certain conferences and teams.

[*****]

-What's wrong w/ that statement. Are you saying that a blowout victory over conference opponents doesn't help SCSU?I am saying blowing out lowly teams doesn't necessarily aid anything. It proves SCSU can close against bad opponents, that is expected and called out if it isn't done.

[*****]

By placing more of an emphasis on a team’s past history in the play-offs rather than what they’ve done to prove themselves this season, the selection committee puts itself in danger of proving Coastal Carolina head coach David Bennett’s point made during his Orangeburg Touchdown Club appearance about the Division I-AA play-offs catering only to certain conferences and teams.Excuse me but I am talking about this season. Bennett is posturing like any coach would. Coastal beat SCSU so what are you saying?

[R.A.]

Excuse me but I am talking about this season. Bennett is posturing like any coach would. Coastal beat SCSU so what are you saying?

-Coastal Coach Bennett is saying that just because you're not in a powerful conference... that doesn't mean you're team isn't powerful. Powerful teams deserve to be in the playoffs no matter what conference they're in.
-And I believe Inspite is saying that both Coastal and SCSU deserve to be in as at- large bids.

[*****]

-Coastal Coach Bennett is saying that just because you're not in a powerful conference... that doesn't mean you're team isn't powerful. Powerful teams deserve to be in the playoffs no matter what conference they're in.
-And I believe Inspite is saying that both Coastal and SCSU deserve to be in as at- large bids.David knows the GPI, he knows what is happening. Why do you think they intentionally scheduled up this year?

GPI #20 CCU
GPI #31 SCSU

Not the same thing.

[FlyBoy8]

Powerful teams win the games they need to win.

ASU 30
CCU 3

CCU 24
SCSU 23

Coastal and SCSU will both make the playoffs having beaten nobody. And their fans will be thrilled.

And then they will lose in the first round while teams that would have had a better shot at winning sit at home.

[R.A.]

David knows the GPI, he knows what is happening. Why do you think they intentionally scheduled up this year?

-He's doing what he feels is best for his program. Far be it for us to tell a Coach how to run his team.

[*****]

-He's doing what he feels is best for his program. Far be it for us to tell a Coach how to run his team.I already said that... "like any coach would."

[*****]

... Coastal and SCSU will both make the playoffs having beaten nobody...Let's see...
At-large maybe possibilities...
A-10 2
PL 1
SOCON 2
SLC 2
BSC 1
OVC 1
MEAC 1
GFC 3
GWFC 1
Big South 1
==============
15 teams? SCSU gets in?

[FlyBoy8]

1. Only two possible GFC at-larges, and I think one of them won't make it (SIU loses to NDSU).
2. Only two SL teams at most can make it because the two hopefuls are playing each other. I have MSU beating Nicholls, and I can't see a 6-3 team being picked over a 9-2 SCSU.
3. The OVC is weaker than the MEAC.
4. The second-place PL team won't be chosen over 9-2 SCSU.
5. Montana beats MSU. Big Sky only gets one team in.

So there you go. That leaves:

A-10 2
SOCON 2
MEAC 1
GFC 1
GWFC 1
Big South 1

8 at-large

Like I said in the other thread, there are about six or seven teams that are in if they win, out if they lose. SCSU is the second team out, so they need two of those teams to lose. I'm picking SIU and Nicholls.

[th0m]

(By the way the SCSU players are now calling out the JMU Dukes)

Yay! Let's make calling out the Dukes of JMU a national pastime!

Doesn't change the fact that you played nobody :rolleyes:

[FlyBoy8]

R.A. isn't an SCSU guy.

[R.A.]

R.A. isn't an SCSU guy.

-R.A.'s a Howard Bison guy.

[R.A.]

Yay! Let's make calling out the Dukes of JMU a national pastime!


-Heavy is the head that wears the crown th0m... even heavier is the head that wore it.

[*****]

1. Only two possible GFC at-larges, and I think one of them won't make it (SIU loses to NDSU).
2. Only two SL teams at most can make it because the two hopefuls are playing each other. I have MSU beating Nicholls, and I can't see a 6-3 team being picked over a 9-2 SCSU.
3. The OVC is weaker than the MEAC.
4. The second-place PL team won't be chosen over 9-2 SCSU.
5. Montana beats MSU. Big Sky only gets one team in.

So there you go...Huh? I was naming possible at-large teams. You were not.

[rokamortis]

Coastal and SCSU will both make the playoffs having beaten nobody.

Many will disagree that CCU has 'beaten nobody'. Last I looked there are two top 25 teams in our W column.

[*****]

Many will disagree that CCU has 'beaten nobody'. Last I looked there are two top 25 teams in our W column.I vote and CCU has beaten somebody, just not everybody and barely beat some nobodys.

[rokamortis]

I vote and CCU has beaten somebody, just not everybody and barely beat some nobodys.

Yeah - I agree with ya Ralph but that wasn't the point. :bang:

[*****]

Yeah - I agree with ya Ralph but that wasn't the point. :bang:I know, I know. Just saying... not everybody has beaten somebody...

[bosshogg]

SCSU deserves at-large play-off bid

By THOMAS GRANT JR., Senior Sports Writer

Was it enough? Such a question seems far-fetched to ask a team just two days after a 50-point victory. Yet it’s what the South Carolina State Bulldogs must continue to ask themselves over the final week of the regular season.as they seek a spot in the NCAA Division I-AA play-offs.

In seven days, the Bulldogs will learn whether the answer is an affirmative one when the 16-team play-off field is announced on ESPN News. For now, the Bulldogs can only hope games like last Thursday’s 65-15 nationally-televised home romp over Morgan State and a strong showing in the Nov. 19 regular-season finale against North Carolina A&T will impress the NCAA selection committee responsible for awarding the eight at-large bids.

“All we can do is just continue to play hard and do the very best job we can of showing ourselves in the best light,” SCSU head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough said. “There is nothing else that we can do. I can tell you this. We’ve got like 5-6 different scenarios of people that can get beaten and can make our situation a lot better. As to exactly which one of those or one of those will fall into play for us, we’ve just got to hope.”

The selection committee and Division I-AA pollsters were not the only targets of SCSU’s ’message’. Thursday’s performance was also aimed at quieting critics who have become more vocal in questioning the Bulldogs’ post-season credentials, as well as the overall quality of football in the MEAC.


No voice was louder this past week than defending Division I-AA champion James Madison head football coach Mickey Matthews. In looking to enhance the 6-4 Dukes’ chances at receiving an at-large bid, Matthews basically threw SCSU and the entire MEAC under the proverbial “bus”.

Not only in an article written by the Daily News-Record’s Mike Barber (who called the MEAC ’weak as ever’) did Matthews assert James Madison would go undefeated in the MEAC, he dismissed the conference’s strength based on his Dukes’ 65-7 pasting of Delaware State.

“You just can#,t compare the two leagues,” Matthews said of the Atlantic 10 and the MEAC. “Look at what our score was with Delaware State and what they#,ve done in that league over there. I#,m sure (conference champion) Hampton (which finished the regular season a perfect 11-0) has a good football team, but there#,s just no comparing the two leagues.”

To say those comments were ’well-received’ in the SCSU lockerroom would be sarcastic. Upon hearing them for the first time, wide receiver Rondriekas Darby thought it was a joke.

“Coastal beat them,” reminded Darby about James Madison’s 31-27 loss on Sept. 10. “And we lost to Coastal by one point. I mean, they can’t say that our conference is a pushover like that.

It shouldn’t be that easy for them to say that. And besides, they’ve got four losses right now. So that doesn’t look too good.”

Senior defensive back Kevin Corley was not in a laughing mood either. In fact, he was anxious to contact Matthews to remind him the Dukes are not exactly perfect against MEAC teams.

“I wish I could write him a message to ask him what happened the last time they played Hampton,” he said. “I think they lost the last three times they played Hampton. So I’d doubt they’d go undefeated in the MEAC.”

Actually, Hampton is 2-0 in its history against James Madison. The Pirates defeated the Dukes 17-15 in 1981 when they were still Division II level and won again in 2002 by a 31-27 score.

SCSU can also point to the fact their schedule is tied with James Madison for fifth-toughest overall in all Division I-AA. They can also make the argument of having played an entire schedule of Division I-AA teams (Winston Salem State is in its first season of provisional consideration for entry into the MEAC) as compared to James Madison which opened the season against a Division II program with a losing record in Lock Haven.

In addition, SCSU has faced four teams (Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman, Coastal Carolina and Hampton) who are or were ranked at one point in both the Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls.

Past instances of the MEAC receiving multi-playoff bids to the Division I-AA play-offs are few and far between. Because the conference’s traditionally low power rankings (which this season is ninth out of 14 conferences and higher than the Big South where Coastal Carolina competes and the Ohio Valley Conference) and 8-18 record in the Division I-AA play-offs (the last team to win a game in the play-offs was Florida A&M in 1999, which also remains the only historically black college to win a Division I-AA national championship back in 1978), the selection committee has generally favored awarding more than one at-large bid to conferences with a more competitive history in the play-offs (i.e. Southern, Atlantic 10).

It would be remiss, however, not to point out SCSU could have saved itself the trouble if it didn’t squander double-digit leads against Coastal Carolina and Hampton. The 23-22 loss to the Chanticleers is especially looking more every day as being Coastal Carolina’s Trump Card to the play-offs and the Bulldogs’ Ace of Spades.

At the same time, it’s also inappropriate to automatically dismiss SCSU’s chances without seriously examining their credentials.

By placing more of an emphasis on a team’s past history in the play-offs rather than what they’ve done to prove themselves this season, the selection committee puts itself in danger of proving Coastal Carolina head coach David Bennett’s point made during his Orangeburg Touchdown Club appearance about the Division I-AA play-offs catering only to certain conferences and teams.

SCSU is doing its part to make a compelling case for an invitation. Whether it will be enough is something only the NCAA Division I-AA play-off selection committee knows.

[Cocky]

I vote and CCU has beaten somebody, just not everybody and barely beat some nobodys.

Why doesn't this apply to GSU?

They beat FU- a good win a little better win than JMU for Coastal

They lost to McNeese a good team, Wofford a 500 team, and APP State a good team-Coastal lost to APP State a good team

They barely beat SDSU a 500 team, and Northeastern a team win one win-Coastal barely beat SCSU a top 25 team, Liberty a one win team, and G-W a 500 team.

GSU's win is better
Coastal's lose is better
The barely would favor GSU but only slightly.

The difference is GSU is in the SOCON so they are assumed to be better by most everyone including myself, but the fact don't show much difference.

Please don't use the GPI. A computer only puts out what a human puts in.

[JMU Duke Dog]

David knows the GPI, he knows what is happening. Why do you think they intentionally scheduled up this year?

GPI #20 CCU
GPI #31 SCSU

Not the same thing.

Based on GPI alone JMU was #26 as of last week so they should get the chance before SC State does; however, I think that neither JMU nor SC State will be in the playoffs.