Leatherneck Nation

RedNeck wrote:I know where EIU would come in the MVFC 10th place (right ahead of MSU) yet they are play off bound with weak as water schedule/conference.

Illinois *sigh* will the day ever arrive where Illinois football is not an embarrassment. People find it odd that I'm so passionate for the MVFC......why shouldn't I be? look where I live what regional FBS team am I supposed to get behind?

FBS team?....idk, I usually root for Northern when we're not playing against them. Got a lot of friends who went there, and I'm VERY familiar with their stadium and stuff (actually broke my toe playing ultimate frisbee on their field once back in the late '90s). So I root for them.

Yeah, I don't hate NIU, but hard to get excited about a MAC program when half of their membership ranks below MVFC. I guess, my go to BCS team would have to be Wisky.... (partly because I love Madison).......indifferent to Northwestern......sure as hell aint gonna pull for the Hawkeyes. Oh yeah toured Notre Dame's campus this summer OMG it is f***ing gorgeous and so much history there. By far the most beautiful campus I have ever seen. I have seen Yale's and that was cool but not amazing.

RedNeck wrote:Yeah, I don't hate NIU, but hard to get excited about a MAC program when half of their membership ranks below MVFC. I guess, my go to BCS team would have to be Wisky.... (partly because I love Madison).......indifferent to Northwestern......sure as hell aint gonna pull for the Hawkeyes.

I get that. Also it's hard to watch their games when they're on Tuesday nights. I never remember that they're playing until it's nearly the weekend and I go to look at who's playing that weekend and realize that the MAC already played their games for the week.

I do generally pull for Big 10 teams, just because I've got so many people I know who have gone to them. Family who went to Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan State, Michigan. Friends from Ohio State, a LOT of people from Wisconsin, a couple from Indiana, one who went to Penn State. So, I'll generally just root for the Big 10 when they're playing OOC or in bowl games/playoff games.

Playoffs or not, this team made great strides this year!

I'll do a season wrap-up early next week (assuming our season is done), but I did want to mention that with the 1,853 who showed up to brave the weather (and maybe 200 of us who stuck around all the way to the end), we did end up beating last year's average home attendance. 4525.3 last year, 4774.2 this year. Not a huge increase, but it's progress.

So let me get this straight! WIU finishes 5-3 in the conference, tied for 3rd with a team they beat, did not play Missouri State, played the toughest schedule in the nation in FCS, and we are not going to the playoffs????? What a "travesty!" I have absolutely no idea how EIU gets a bid if WIU does not! jc

NFS, you answered your own question a while back. EIU did not have a "Youngstown" style loss within their conference.

Neckfansince71 wrote:So let me get this straight! WIU finishes 5-3 in the conference, tied for 3rd with a team they beat, did not play Missouri State, played the toughest schedule in the nation in FCS, and we are not going to the playoffs????? What a "travesty!" I have absolutely no idea how EIU gets a bid if WIU does not! jc

7 Div I wins...that's how. It's been shown in the past that the committee doesn't care much about SOS...they only care about your wins. Did you get enough...it varies depending on conference, but for the top FCS conferences (MVFC, Big Sky, CAA, Southland, Southern, maybe Big South)...that's 7 wins in an 11-game season. Patriot League and others have to win 8-9 to be considered. The committee has never allowed a 6-win team in as an at-large, although we have probably the strongest resume of any 6-win team in a LONG time...plus this is the most at-large spots there has ever been in the FCS playoffs...so if they're ever going to do it, this is likely to be the time they would.

dumb question the unsaid litmus is 7 wins? regardless of a 11 schedule season? (which I hate)

so In an 11 game season We have to win 63.6%

in a 12 game season we only have to win 58.3%

WIU would beat 85% of FCS brains in...... sorry we have the toughest Sched in the nation .....give us one more game......with anyone you pull out of a hat.

RedNeck wrote:dumb question the unsaid litmus is 7 wins? regardless of a 11 schedule season? (which I hate)

so In an 11 game season We have to win 63.6%

in a 12 game season we only have to win 58.3%

WIU would beat 85% of FCS brains in...... sorry we have the toughest Sched in the nation .....give us one more game......with anyone you pull out of a hat.

In the past, yes...7 wins gets you in, 6 does not (in a 11 game season). In a 12-game season it's 8 wins, and even then it's not 100% certain. Last year, 12-game season, 24-team playoff...7-5 Youngstown State stayed home (they'd already taken 5 other MVFC teams), 8-4 Idaho State (Big Sky) didn't get in, 7-5 William & Mary (CAA) didn't make it either. In 2013, same situation...12 games, 24 teams...7-5 Montana State (Big Sky), 7-5 Delaware and William & Mary (CAA), 7-5 Southern Illinois (MVFC), 7-5 Tennessee-Martin (OVC), 8-3 Lehigh (Patriot), 7-5 Central Arkansas (Southland) didn't make it. Even Youngstown State, at 8-4 overall, 5-3 in the MVFC didn't make it, primarily because another factor that they look at (one that works in our favor a bit this year) is how the team finished out the season. YSU in 2013 was 8-1 overall (only loss to Michigan State) but then lost the last 3 straight games in the season to finish 8-4. Two of those losses were to the other playoff participants from the conference, NDSU and SDSU, but the other was Northern Iowa, who had not done quite as well that season. Finishing the season 0-3 put that doubt in the committee's minds and they left the Penguins at home.

So, yes, we could probably destroy just about every team listed as a "bubble" team, but we just didn't win enough for "top" consideration for a bubble spot. It sucks, but it is what it is (based on past history). As I said though...this could be the year that changes.