The NCAA released its second 2008 regional rankings today.
Teams are listed with their regional record first, followed by their overall record. For more information about the playoff format and how participants are determined, check out our FAQ.
East Region
1. Cortland State 8-0 8-0
2. RPI 7-0 7-0
3. Ithaca 6-1 7-1
4. Montclair State 7-1 7-1
5. Rowan 7-1 7-1
6. Hartwick 6-1 6-1
7. Hobart 6-1 6-1
8. Plymouth State 7-1 8-1
9. Husson 6-0 6-2
10. Curry 7-1 8-1
North Region
1. Mount Union 7-0 8-0
2. North Central (Ill.) 8-0 8-0
3. Otterbein 8-0 8-0
4. Wabash 7-0 8-0
5. Trine 8-0 8-0
6. Case Western Reserve 7-0 8-0
7. Franklin 6-1 7-1
8. Adrian 6-1 7-1
9. Augustana 6-2 6-2
10. Wooster 4-2 6-2
South Region
1. Millsaps 7-0 8-0
2. Muhlenberg 8-0 8-0
3. Mary Hardin-Baylor 6-0 7-1
4. Hardin-Simmons 8-1 8-1
5. Thomas More 7-1 7-1
6. Huntingdon 7-0 8-0
7. Trinity (Texas) 6-1 7-1
8. Washington and Jefferson 6-1 7-1
9. Catholic 6-1 7-1
10. Wesley 2-1 6-1
West Region
1. Willamette 7-0 8-0
2. Occidental 7-0 7-0
3. Monmouth 9-0 9-0
4. UW-Stevens Point 4-1 7-1
5. UW-Whitewater 6-1 7-1
6. Redlands 6-1 6-1
7. Northwestern (Minn.) 8-1 8-1
8. St. John’s 6-2 6-2
9. Gustavus Adolphus 6-2 6-2
10. Linfield 4-2 5-2
I was very confident that Millsaps, by virtue of having a win over a RRO now, would move up to No. 1 in the South.
Someone please explain how zero MAC teams and SJF are not represented in the East Region Poll, but two NEFC teams are. I can tolerate Husson to a degree because of their undefeated-in-Division III record, but this is really undercutting at the credibility of these polls.
Wesley’s in-region record is 3-1. Widener is a “200-mile radius” game.
(I cannot get into the Daily Dose from Mozilla Firefox.)
Frank-Probably because no team in the MAC has less than 2 losses and SJF has 3 losses to add to almost being beaten by 2-6 Utica last saturday and having difficulty against Rochester (also 2-6) at home earlier in the season.
Frank-I just looked at the NEFC standings and can now somewhat see one of your points.
Frank, these are not polls, they are rankings that are created by applying a set of specific criteria to team’s records. Check the “Frequently Asked Questions” link on the front page – “Playoffs” section.
That said, the NCAA has been known to make mistakes. LOL!
They had Salisbury’s wrong last week.
Two NEFC teams one of which has a loss? Wow! I am with Frank on this one. To me, the validity of this poll is not good. Nothing against the players in that league but honestly, this is getting a little out of hand.
One very big game on Nov 15th might shake up Pool C.
DePauw visits Wabash in the Monon Bell game.
DePauw is 6-2/5-2/4-2 overall/in-region/conference. (The game versus second year provisional Birmingham Southern does not count as an in-region game this year.) Wabash is currently #4 and is not likely to fall out of the RR.
DePauw’s beating Wabash might move DePauw into the South Region rankings that will be taken by the committees after the games of Nov 15th (the RR’s that we never see) by virtue of having 3 results vs RRO’s (that is K-Mack’s abbreviation for Regionally Ranked Opponents) e.g. Millsaps, Trinity and Wabash, and DPU picks up Wabash’s 9-0 OWP. Trinity and Millsaps will pick up Wabash’s 9-0 in their OOWP. DPU’s 8-2 record benefits the OWP’s of everyone in the SCAC and in turn helps with the OOWP’s of a few ASC schools that played SCAC teams. I don’t think that DPU makes it high enough into Pool C, but the Monon Bell Game is bid anyway, especially if it knocked Wabash out of hosting a first round game! (Hmmm… MUC, NCC, CWRU, Trine, Otterbein, then Wabash?!!!? Maybe. Ah, the intrigue!)
Now we fans in Texas would like to see Trinity and HSU get Pool C bids. Maybe this is the way that it happens. Lots of “if’s”, but if “if and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.”
Check out Huntingdon in region this week (7-0) as compared to last week (1-0.)
Since the SLIAC doesn’t have a Pool A this year they are all considered independents, I submitted that Huntingdon’s regional record is still 1-0. Those SLIAC games all are all too far away to be considered “in region.”
The same thing has happened the past few years with the non Pool A conference ACFC. Brockport v Wesley and Brockport v. Salisbury was not considered a regional game. Why should Huntingdon’s conference games get in region status. Not a knock on the Hawks but the rules should be applied evenly every year.
I will leave the floor open to other posters, but the NCAA is moving to change the policy on conference members being in-region from individual by sport to consistently applied. There are so many multi-region conferences, especially when various sports treat the regions differently. This is a major problem for the UAA and the SCAC. Other multi-region conferences include the AMCC, the NEAC and the ASC. (I know that the ASC Men are in the Men’s Central Region and Women’s South Region in Soccer.)
The SLIAC is a formally recognized conference in D3. They are resuming sponsorship of football for the first time since 1999. This is different from the ACFC which never has been recognized as a formal conference, and is not likely ever to be.
I think that the answer is that the SLIAC has submitted the paperwork to conform to “in-region” rules.
Ralph – From a novice observer with little knowledge of the idiosyncracies of rank determination, placing much emphasis on a Monon clash in nine days may be premature though entertaining from the “what if.” By admission, my focus is on the Bell as well, and wish DePauw retained its Hoosier/Midwest roots throughout the year, but…
With the match-ups on 11/8, it appears there will be a “whole lot a shakin’ goin’ on” between NCC/Augustana, MUC/Otterbein, Trine/Adrian, Case/CMU, and not convinced that Rhodes will be a walkover for DePauw either. Toss in potential, regional shifts (ala MUC) last year for perhaps Thomas More due to geographic criteria and there could be a lot of Excedrin moments happening for the committee during the next ten days.
Good morning cave2bens…
Yeah! Ain’t this a fun time of year!
LOL.
If you are rooting for Trinity, then you want these outcomes.
NCC must put away Augie.
MUC/Otterbein might be a wash.
Trine must put away Adrian.
Same for Case over CMU.
DePauw cannot overlook Rhodes!
On the SLIAC thing Ralph, I see your point. But then they should just given them a Pool A right away then. You have teams in Pool B competing for the same spots being judged on different criteria. Not Fair!
Conrad, what conference game against a D-III school is not being counted as a regional game for Wesley this season? Seems the SLIAC schools and Wesley are indeed being judged on the same criteria.
If you are Pool B you are considered independent, so the rules regarding in region games should be the same. The past couple of years Wesley/Brockport and Salisbury/Brockport were not counted as regional games for either the Wolverines or Gulls despite the fact that they were ACFC conference games.
I know that Brockport left for the NJAC this year, but what if they hadn’t. That wouldn’t be a region game for Salisbury and Wesley this year either.
On that basis, if SLIAC teams are truly independents competing for independent Pool B bids, the the rules determining in region games should apply the same as previous years.
I know Ralph is going to say, well they are a conference. If they are, they should get a Pool A. (I know there is a waiting period, but….) If they want to compete in Pool B, they should be independents and judged like all of the other independents have been historically.
You know, you all take this stuff way toooooooooooooo seriously. Keith is correct, Wesley wins the last two games and they are a Pool B lock. Pick the best teams possible in Pool B and Pool C and as always, let them play! It is on the field where all of this counts, not in the polls or rankings. Wesley has a very good team and so do others. Pick the 32 and let them rock. My problem has always been with the automatic bids for conference champions, many of which are weak teams in weak conferences and get knocked out of the tournament early. They are the ones who keep GOOD teams from being able to play on the field and be judged on the results. Good luck to one and all and unlike the BCS, let the best team win! GO WESLEY!
Piperarcher, you are missing the philosophical basis for D-III.
Abuses and inequities that arose prior to the Pool System have been corrected with the Pools in all sports. Every D-III team knows what it needs to do to get to the playoffs. Had Wesley not lost to Del Valley, we would debating the number of home games that Wesley would get in the playoffs. Instead they lost that game! Del Valley could lose to Wilkes and Albright and end up 5th in a very mediocre MAC.
The expansion to 32 has allowed a sufficient number of Pool C’s to gain access to the playoffs. The teams sitting home can clearly see the one game that they should not have lost. K-Mack’s undefeated 1998 Randolph-Macon team that sat home is a case in point. (I defer to K-Mack to elaborate.)
As it is, I think that we do a better job of getting the 20 best teams that have a chance to win the National title, plus another 12 conference champions who have defeated their peer institutions, and get a chance at the playoffs. I can imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth at trying to determine the 30th, 31st and 32nd best teams. I think that the committee does a much more focused job on getting the 4th, 5th and 6th Pool C’s under the current system. The extra Pool C bids over the last 3-4 years have made a big difference.
The MAC doesn’t have a dominating team but it has several who’ve been competitive with or beaten teams in the upper tier of their conferences (Del Val with Wesley, Lycoming with Ithaca, Widener with NC Wes, FDU with TCNJ). I don’t view it as “very mediocre.”
The undefeated team in 1998 was Emory & Henry, but close enough.
Does Cortland have a chance to host ESPN College Gameday on Saturday, Nov. 15th vs Ithaca?
Ron — I’ve been around for 14 seasons and understand what you’re saying. However, at the heart of it, the “Rankings” are a poll since it is human subjectivity that is used to arrive at the above standings. I don’t need the FAQ as I read the NCAA Division III Football Championship Handbook every year. That’s the basis for my post earlier — at least one of the two-loss MAC teams should be in the top ten when the eighth, ninth and tenth teams are two one-loss NEFC teams and an independent team that has never been to any playoff, including the ECACs. I respect the fact that Husson is technically 6-0 this season, so it’s more a Curry questioning that I am doing here. Lycoming isn’t a terrible team — it lost to the #3 team by one point this season. Even SJF might deserve some further consideration when using the Handbook’s primary criteria (at least for the #10 slot) since they should not be penalized for the Salisbury and/or Mount Union losses until there is a real tie between SJF and another East Team in the Pool C hunt.
Simply said, the East Rankings/Poll doesn’t impress me much based on the Handbook’s criteria.
justunna 2387..after this sat. depending on the outcome …both Time Warner and ESPN may give the JUG game a secound look..its always a sell out..so why not go I C
# Pat Coleman Says:
November 6th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
The undefeated team in 1998 was Emory & Henry, but close enough.
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Thanks for the correction.
The 1998 season is pre-historic! LOL!
I found nothing from the 1998 football season on the ODAC site or the RMC site to confirm that statement (about E&H).
I love the archives aspects on this website!
Ralph,
Don’t you know that “philosophical basis for D-III” only applies if it bolsters one’s argument for their team?? 😉
I simply cannot believe that EITHER Stevens Point or Whitewater is ranked or projected ahead off Redlands for the post season. Redlands only loss was to Occidental when they played with their second string quarterback who was playing in only his second game as a starter. They have gotten stronger every week since that point. Look at the Azusa Pacific score and tell me that this doesn’t give you pasue to have ranked the Wisconsin schools ahead of Redlands.