Playoffs - rough on the road

[ChickenMan]

If the NCAA ruling prohibiting UD from hosting any future playoff games holds, the chances for the Hens playoff success will be drastically reduced. I did some quick checking and found the following stats relative to playoff performance home vs the road. Since 1990 UD is 12-3 at home and 3-5 on the road, neutral sites not included. I also compare that same stat to the following FCS schools who have been playoff participants on a regular basis since 1990.

Home playoff records first.. followed by road records.

Since 1990:


ASU - 17-3 & 2-4

Montana - 22-6 & 1-4

UNI - 11-3 & 4-7

EKU - 3-1 & 0-8

UMass – 3-0 & 5-4

GSU - 17-3 & 2-4

Furman - 5-3 & 3-5

JMU - 4-5 & 3-2

YSU - 11-1 & 4-3

McNeese St - 8-6 & 3-5


Combined home records – 108-32

Combined road records – 32-56

even if those numbers are off by a game or two.. it's pretty obvious that even the 'best' teams in the FCS have a lot of trouble winning on the road come playoff time..... xbawlingx

[appfan2008]

wow... i knew home games helped a lot but wow... that proves it... sad to see the ncaa hammer you like that... i hope they over turn that ruling and let one of the best stadiums and programs host playoff games if they deserve it

[appfan2008]

i mean furman and other south carolina schools host playoff games and there is a las vegas bowl... explain that one

[StrikeJMU]

We at JMU welcome the road. Our best playoff memories are on it.

[appfan2008]

We at JMU welcome the road. Our best playoff memories are on it.

and some of your worst... fumble!


I had to go there... sorry...

[StrikeJMU]

and some of your worst... fumble!


I had to go there... sorry...

you're welcome for the layup. xrolleyesx

[appfan2008]

If the NCAA ruling prohibiting UD from hosting any future playoff games holds, the chances for the Hens playoff success will be drastically reduced. I did some quick checking and found the following stats relative to playoff performance home vs the road. Since 1990 UD is 12-3 at home and 3-5 on the road, neutral sites not included. I also compare that same stat to the following FCS schools who have been playoff participants on a regular basis since 1990.

Home playoff records first.. followed by road records.

Since 1990:


ASU - 17-3 & 2-4

Montana - 22-6 & 1-4

UNI - 11-3 & 4-7

EKU - 3-1 & 0-8

UMass – 3-0 & 5-4

GSU - 17-3 & 2-4

Furman - 5-3 & 3-5

JMU - 4-5 & 3-2

YSU - 11-1 & 4-3

McNeese St - 8-6 & 3-5


Combined home records – 108-32

Combined road records – 32-56

even if those numbers are off by a game or two.. it's pretty obvious that even the 'best' teams in the FCS have a lot of trouble winning on the road come playoff time..... xbawlingx

another thing i noticed is just how much a few teams (mine included) play at home... of course that is a combo of a lot of things 1. big crowds 2. they are good teams so they deserve home field 3. they are good teams so they keep winning to get more games at home.... but still amazing

[89Hen]

Since 1990 UD is 12-3 at home and 3-5 on the road, neutral sites not included.


wow... i knew home games helped a lot but wow... that proves it...
Without checking I'm guessing there's a LOT more to this stat than first glance. The Hens ALWAYS host round one and often round two. They only have to travel once they face a top 4 team. xpeacex

[Umass74]

IMHO, in a playoff tournament, home games are a big advantage. Travel, plus finals really cut into the traveling teams practice times and rest.

I think if you ran the playoff results back to 1978, you would find similar results to Chickenman's 1990 to present report.

[ChickenMan]

Without checking I'm guessing there's a LOT more to this stat than first glance. The Hens ALWAYS host round one and often round two. They only have to travel once they face a top 4 team. xpeacex

Of course there are other factors.. like the home team normally being the stronger team in the opening round.. but not nearly enough of those factors to mitigate the below percentages relative to some of the top FCS programs over the past 20 years. Winning percentages.. home vs away listed below.

UD
H - 80%
A - 37.5

Montana
H - 78.8
A - 20

ASU
H - 86.7
A - 33

GSU
H - 85
A - 33

other factors are certainly involved.. but it is undeniable that the 'home field' advantage is a huge factor come playoff time.
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[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I think this is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Usually, the team that hosts will be the better team so they are more likely to win. I can't speak for all teams, but these are GSU's playoff losses on the road since 1990...

1. 1993 lost to national champion Youngstown State 34-14
2. 1995 lost to national champion Montana 45-0
3. 1997 lost to Delaware 16-7

The fourth loss was versus UMass in the NC game, but we had so many people there it was not much different than home field advantage.

In the 1993 and 1995 games, our opponents were clearly better than we were not only in the game that we played but in the regular season. When you look at each game, the '97 Delaware game might be the only game for GSU that might have come out differently in Statesboro. I'm not saying home field advantage doesn't exist, I'm just saying it isn't as big as some seem to think.

[JayJ79]

i mean furman and other south carolina schools host playoff games and there is a las vegas bowl... explain that one

Bowl games are not "NCAA championships"

[paward]

Richmond has a decent road playoff record.

[89Hen]

but not nearly enough of those factors to mitigate the below percentages relative to some of the top FCS programs over the past 20 years.

UD
Montana
ASU
GSU
xeyebrowx All four of those teams certainly fall under my theory above. :)

[ekufbfan]

There are a lot of intangibles that make a difference in W and L's, particularly when there is a lot on the line (a healthy QB or other injuries at key positions for example, but you play with the hand you are dealt and all teams deal with some of that sooner or later). However, IF HOME FIELD made no difference why don't we have teams lining up to go on the road. IMO, it is one of the key factors in a team moving forward in the playoffs. Now, does a superior team win on the road, of course, and that is the team(s) who may be the top 1-4 and they most likely won't be on the road until deep in the playoffs. Given the rest, IF you go on the road every year and for every playoff game the odds are you are not going to win many of those road games. Looking back at EKU when we were winning playoff games we were NOT going on the road for the first game. You can argue all you want that going on the road does not make a differece, but I'll trade an EKU home game with any of you that does not think it matters.

GO EKU!!!

[89Hen]

However, IF HOME FIELD made no difference why don't we have teams lining up to go on the road.

IMO, it is one of the key factors in a team moving forward in the playoffs.

You can argue all you want that going on the road does not make a differece, but I'll trade an EKU home game with any of you that does not think it matters.
Nobody wants to go on the road because everyone would rather play in front of their own fans, set up in their own locker room, etc... UMass and JMU both won NC's with a combined one home playoff game. The #1 - #4 best teams in the country get the home games so it makes sense that the home team wins more often than not. IMO that is the key factor. :)

[Native]

Very interesting and pertinent thread, Chicken Man! xthumbsupx

[Umass74]

UMass 1998-1999 playoff games went:

1998 @McNeese (Marcel Shipp was hurt and DNP), Home against Lehigh, @Northwestern State (ranked #2)

1999 @Furman (ranked #8), @Georgia Southern (ranked #2).

Five road playoff games in two years against very tough opponents is not a sequence many FCS teams would care copy.

[appfan2008]

home field definately makes a difference whether or not other factors are included

[LEHIGH61]

They should all be at Neutral sites anyway, IMO.

[89Hen]

They should all be at Neutral sites anyway, IMO.
Why? Who would go?

[GoDukes86]

and some of your worst... fumble!


I had to go there... sorry...

Just refer to that as our gift to Appy.

Will this NCAA ruling accelerate UD's move to FBS? If so, how ironic. They'll move up to where they'll never have a shot at a playoff... much less a significant Bowl game. xoopsx

[ChickenMan]

xeyebrowx All four of those teams certainly fall under my theory above. :)

Home field is an advantage.. to deny that it is advantageous is ridiculous.. the only question is how much of an advantage does home field represent??? That point is debatable.

All I'll say is that there isn't a fan here who would prefer that their team play on the road.. rather than at home come the playoffs or any other time. ;)

[GoDukes86]

If UD were to play their playoff games at 'home' in Philly, would that be a big disadvantage?

[ekufbfan]

Sunday Night Football from Canton, Ohio: Just heard Chris Collinsworth refer to the "home field advantage" in talking NFL playoffs......hum...could there be something to this "notion"????????????????????xsmiley_wix