Pete's Weekly Review/Preview

The 2007 Play-Off

Here it is...

So here it is ...what separates the Football Championship Sub-division from it's older brother the Football Bowl Sub-division ... the play-off:

The following is the top-28 teams in what will be part of the final release of Pete's Power Poll for 2007. This is the closest match we have ever had to the teams actually chosen by the selection committee. In fact, with the exception of order, our rankings matched almost exactly. Some poll/rankings brag about this, but not Pete's, as we are independent of any other ranking. In fact, we are very unhappy with the committee's continued inability to preserve I-AA/FCS football. We will definitely dwell on this in much more detail later. For now, the selection of 5-teams from the CAA is a demonstration of just what a "joke" the committee has become. It is clear that they have no intention of trying to enhance and preserve I-AA/FCS. From the almost humorous change in nomenclature, to the play-off teams ...2007 will mark the worst in what was but a year ago; I-AA and proud.

An entire nation of I-AA football, well over 100 teams, 15 conferences (all but 3 supposedly qualify for the play-off), and 4 regions. It might interest readers to know that seven clubs ...that is 44% of the entire field ...came from a single region. That is the ridiculous selection of 5 teams from one conference plus Fordham and Delaware State. The NCAA has taken a great deal of abuse for not going deeper into the mix, and when they have a chance to make a difference ...they come up short. The NCAA needs to look at what they already do in DIII ball (with equal representation). If it means an expansion in the number of clubs ... so be it. A better answer is to require that all I-AA/FCS clubs play only I-AA/FCS teams ...then an 8-3 Liberty, or a 7-4 YSU, or a 7-4 Cal-Poly, or a 7-4 Holy-Cross is a choice.

In any case, the teams below in BLUE are the teams in the 2007 Division-I Championship. We will have the details up soon. The teams in RED did not qualify for the post-season, either because of record, or ineligibility.

Rank

Team

Conf

Northern Iowa # *

GFC

Massachusetts #*

Colonial

Southern Illinois

GFC

McNeese State #*

SLC

North Dakota State

GWFC

Appalachian State

SoCon

Montana #*

BSC

Delaware State #*

MEAC

Richmond

Colonial

Eastern Kentucky #*

OVC

Delaware

Colonial

James Madison

Colonial

Eastern Illinois

OVC

Youngstown State

GFC

New Hampshire

Colonial

Wofford #*

SoCon

Western Illinois

GFC

Eastern Washington

BSC

Georgia Southern

SoCon

South Dakota State

GWFC

Villanova

Colonial

Norfolk State

MEAC

S. Carolina St.

MEAC

Citadel

SoCon

Hofstra

Colonial

Furman

SoCon

Holy Cross

Fordham #*

We base our choices for at-large participants on the same basic criteria, with exceptions:

Pete's strongly believes in the preservation of the NCAA, it's regions, and it's conferences. We feel that taking only the top teams in Pete's Power Poll (or any ranking), or choosing too many teams from a specific region or conference is detrimental to the association. Therefore, we always try to select an equal number of teams (4) from each region. From there, we try to fairly represent the conferences (using the teams we cover) equally within each region as follows:
1. West:
  1. Big Sky
  2. Southland
2. Mid-West:
  1. Gateway
  2. Ohio Valley
3. North:
  1. Colonial
  2. Patriot
4. South:
  1. MEAC
  2. Southern
There is also the Great West, Big South, and independents to consider. However, if there are insufficient teams that qualify for a particular conference or region, they must be taken from outside the section. Below is our play-off selections by conference.

Big Sky Standings

Big Sky Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Montana * 8-0 11-0

Eastern Washington 6-2 8-3
Northern Arizona 5-3 6-5
Montana State 4-4 6-5
Weber State 4-4 5-6
Sacramento State 3-5 3-8
Portland State 3-5 3-8
Idaho State 2-6 3-8
Northern Colorado 1-7 1-11

* Automatic Qualifier

Pete's agrees with these selections and would have chosen the same.

Big South Standings

Big South Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L
Liberty 4-0 8-3
Coastal Carolina 3-1 5-6
Gardner-Webb 2-2 5-6
Charleston Southern 1-3 5-6
Virginia Military 0-4 2-9

We firmly believe that the Flames are a play-off worthy club, but the schedule strength does not show this. Pete's agrees with no choices.

Colonial Standings

CAA Standings
NORTH CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Massachusetts * 7-1 9-2

New Hampshire 4-4 7-4
Hofstra 4-4 7-4
Maine 3-5 4-7
Northeastern 2-6 3-8
Rhode Island 2-6 3-8
SOUTH CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Richmond 7-1 9-2

James Madison 6-2 8-3

Delaware 5-3 8-3
Villanova 5-3 7-4
William & Mary 2-6 4-7
Towson 1-7 3-8

Even though our final rankings put's these same 5 teams in the Division-I championship, Pete's does not agree. Just because a conference has parity, does not mean superiority. To ignore other conferences, is simply disregarding the entire nation. When and if there is a play-off expansion, should the selection committee only consider the option of more than 3 teams from a single conference. It was a mistake to take 4 ...this is an even greater mistake. All this selection is doing is forcing I-AA/FCS to embrace larger conferences. What is next ...will the Gateway just absorb the OVC? Maybe the Sky, SLC, and Great West should just form a new conference. Pete's does not agree with the committee, and would not take the Dukes or the Wildcats.

Gateway Standings

Gateway Standings
TEAM	CONF. W-L	OVERALL W-L
Northern Iowa *	6-0	11-0
Southern Illinois	5-1	10-1
Youngstown State	3-3	7-4
Western Illinois	3-3	6-5
Missouri State	2-4	6-5
Illinois State	2-4	4-7
Indiana State	0-6	0-11

Pete's agrees with the choices. The Penguins do not get the opportunity, after a semi-final appearance last year. A good first-half defensive effort against Ohio State was over-looked as App St. upset Michigan. They lost to #1-seed UNI by only 1-point & the #4-seed SIU by 5 ...it was the loss to Illinois St. that was the "straw ...". Although it is unlikely there are 15 more talented teams than YSU, the standard is 7 Division-I wins. Although, it needs to be said. I would sooner take a 7-4 YSU, than a 7-4 New Hampshire that lost to Northeastern, and was not even competitive against the UMass, nor 3 of the 4 other CAA teams that were above them. Here is the difference; YSU scheduled a DII, while UNH scheduled a non-scholarship.

Great West Standings

Great West Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L
South Dakota State 4-0 7-4
North Dakota State 3-1 10-1
Cal Poly 2-2 7-4
UC Davis 1-3 5-6
Southern Utah 0-4 0-11

Cal-Poly is always a very good team & certainly play-off worthy ...they were doomed from week-1, after the unexpected loss to Texas State. Imagine this ...the Mustangs being 8-3, and only losing by 3-points to a #1-ranked NDSU? Yes, that is a play-off team. Again, the standard is 7 DI wins.

MEAC Standings

MEAC Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Delaware State * 9-0 10-1

Norfolk State 7-2 8-3
South Carolina State 7-2 7-4
Winston-Salem 5-4 6-5
Hampton 5-4 6-5
Morgan State 4-5 5-6
Bethune-Cookman 3-6 5-6
Howard 3-6 4-7
Florida A&M 2-7 3-8
North Carolina A&T 0-9 0-11

Norfolk State should have been selected over 5-choices from the CAA. Although their resume is largely untested, this is the perfect opportunity for the NCAA to show favor to the non-power conferences. Look back to 1999, when the #1 team from the MEAC fell easily, and the #2 team almost beat the same opponent the following week. Pete's does not agree with the choices.

Ohio Valley Standings

Ohio Valley Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Eastern Kentucky * 8-0 9-2

Eastern Illinois 7-1 8-3
Austin Peay 5-3 7-4
Jacksonville State 5-3 6-5
Tennessee State 4-3 5-6
Tennessee-Martin 4-4 4-7
Tennessee Tech 2-6 4-7
Samford 2-6 4-7
Southeast Missouri State 1-6 3-8
Murray State 1-7 2-9

It would have been very exciting to have the Governors make the "sweet-16" in their first year of eligibility, but again ...7 DI wins. Pete's agrees with the choices.

Patriot League Standings

Patriot League Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Fordham * 5-1 8-3

Holy Cross 4-2 7-4
Lafayette 4-2 7-4
Colgate 4-2 7-4
Lehigh 2-4 5-6
Bucknell 1-5 3-8
Georgetown 1-5 1-10

The Crusaders were a quality program in 2007. Excellent wins over Harvard, Lehigh, and a red-hot Colgate. In addition, close losses to Fordham and UMass. So, if you are going to "throw the dog a bone" with the Ohio Valley ...the same should apply here. Pete's does not agree, we would take Holy Cross over New Hampshire, but not James Madison.

Southern Standings

Southern Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

Appalachian State 5-2 9-2

Wofford * 5-2 8-3
Georgia Southern 4-3 7-4
Elon 4-3 7-4
Citadel 4-3 7-4
Furman 4-3 6-5
Chattanooga 2-5 2-9
Western Carolina 0-7 1-10

GSU only had to win one more game. Personally, I thought they were maybe even playing well enough to beat a terrible Colorado State club ...but a week-3 win over the Moc's would have been a more simple task. Pete's agrees with the choices.

Southland Standings

Southland Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L

McNeese State * 7-0 11-0
Sam Houston State 5-2 7-4
Central Arkansas 5-2 6-5
Nicholls State 3-4 6-5
Texas State 3-4 4-7
Northwestern State 3-4 4-7
Southeastern Louisiana 2-5 3-8
Stephen F. Austin 0-7 0-11

Sam Houston certainly turned things around in the second half; but the early losses (and the terrible scheduling of 2 sub-FCS clubs took a talented team (playing red-hot) out of the post-season consideration. Nicholls State again disappoints. There is no question this is avery good ball club, with a IA win. However a late season collapse sees them home for Thanksgiving. Pete's agree with the choice.