Nov 11, 2003
By Pat Cummings
D3sports.com
After 10 brutal weeks, with some surprises and some staples, we reach the all-important Week 11. Almost more important than this week is what happens after the games are finished, at the war room in Indianapolis. Regardless, it will be fun!
Lyco in with a win; King's has a prayer
Only two teams have a chance to get the automatic bid from the MAC. Should Lycoming knock off Susquehanna, the Warriors advance. Should Lycoming lose and Delaware Valley win and King's defeat Wilkes, King's would advance to the playoffs based on a point differential tiebreaker.
Lycoming reigns supreme even if they lose coupled with a Delaware Valley loss. In this scenario, Lycoming holds the head-to-head tiebreaker having wins over King's and Wilkes. Even should the perfect storm brew in the MAC, with King's taking the Pool A bid, we are assured that there will only be one playoff representative since all other MAC teams will have two regional losses.
Bridgewater clinches ODAC, HSC hopes to swim in Pool C
With a lopsided 59-13 win against Randolph-Macon, the Eagles of Bridgewater clinched the ODAC. Bridgewater can lose this Saturday and still advance to the postseason having won their head-to-head matchup with Hampden-Sydney.
The Tigers tallied 82 points in their embarrassment of Maryville. Unfortunately, margin of victory is not a variable considered by the NCAA committee. I received two notes from HSC fans this weekend telling me the Tigers have a better chance of getting a bid based on notching 82 points against Maryville. Sorry, fellas. A win this week and 9-1 is 9-1, not "9-1 with a 68-point win over the Fighting Scots."
Hampden-Sydney will be on the committee's board should they defeat Randolph-Macon. A non-conference schedule with wins over 3-7 Sewanee, 5-4 Gettysburg, 3-6 Dickinson, and 2-8 Maryville does not bode well for the Tigers. While their only loss will be to a playoff team, Bridgewater, another regional team may stand ahead of the Tigers one of the coveted Pool C bids.
Mary Hardin-Baylor lost in overtime to East Texas Baptist, who will get the automatic bid from the American Southwest Conference (for more, read Ron Boerger's South Region column) should they beat the Choctaws of Mississippi College on Saturday.
ASC teams have only one non-conference game and UMHB traveled to Willamette (7-2, hosting third-ranked Linfield). That win for UMHB is out of region, but may weigh on the minds of the committee. With Baldwin-Wallace and Bethel sitting out there with big Pool C marks on their heads, it would appear HSC may be in a tough spot to land one of the three bids.
Centennial comes down to Saturday
Should McDaniel defeat Johns Hopkins on Saturday, the Green Terror will go back to the NCAA playoffs after a one-year respite. They would tie Muhlenberg for the conference championship, but McDaniel's win over the Mules will be enough to send Tim Keating's troops back to the big dance. Regardless, the Centennial representative is looking at a lower seed in the bracket they are placed.
Pool B watch
Salisbury was eliminated from serious consideration for a Pool B bid after Shenandoah's 23-22 win against the previously undefeated Sea Gulls. The Hornets allowed Salisbury to score on their opening drive but rallied for the first of two times on the afternoon to surpass the Sea Gulls.
No question, I saw this one coming. As I mentioned last week, Shenandoah was evenly matched with Salisbury in terms of their common opponents this season and that was how the game was played.
Congratulations to the Hornets for a tremendous game in what has been a most solid season, with losses to two of the best teams in the region, Bridgewater and Christopher Newport. In just their third season of football, Shenandoah is poised for an 8-2 finish should they win over Methodist this week. Paul Barnes has done a heck of job. Now, if only the Hornets can rise to sting the likes of CNU and Bridgewater. Perhaps in a few years.
In general, the Pool B waters are murky at this moment since Linfield will play their toughest opponent of the season in Willamette. A Linfield loss would a tremendous upset, but also potentially limit the chances of a Pool B team emerging from the South Region, let alone the Mid-Atlantic subregional. Waynesburg seems to sit in the driver's seat with a win over Washington & Jefferson, but who knows since their lone loss came at Gettysburg.
Bartosic by the numbers
I have received several notes throughout the season from a variety of sources claiming that Susquehanna is padding the stats of Mark Bartosic. I doubt this sincerely -- receiving yards are difficult to pad, unlike tackles. Bartosic has been a powerhouse, not just this year, but his entire career with the Crusaders. Let's review Bartosic by the numbers in 2003:
9 games played
70 catches
1182 receiving yards
16.9 yards per catch
13 touchdowns
131 receiving yards per game
The next receiver in terms of catches is Josh Kleha with 32. Bartosic's numbers are solid and having seen him play in a variety of seasons, legitimate, setting records of his own which no player has come close to touching.
Next week, we will review the south bracket of the playoffs and some of the top performances from 2003.
Games of the Week
Susquehanna at Lycoming, Williamsport, Pa., 1 p.m.: Lyco can win the MAC with a victory over the Crusaders. Enough said.
King's at Wilkes, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1 p.m.: These schools are practically down the street from each other. A crosstown D-III rivalry will bud once again. King's needs a win and some luck to keep playing.
Frostburg vs. Salisbury at Towson University, Towson, Md., 7 p.m.: The fifth-annual Regents Cup game featuring the two crab cakes from the western and eastern extremes of Maryland battling for the title, "Champion of the Free State." The Bobcats took this the title last year, with a 33-7 win under the lights, spoiling the Sea Gulls' chances at a perfect season.
Johns Hopkins at McDaniel, Westminster, Md., 1 p.m.: These two teams, from the middle of Maryland, could lay equal claim to the "Champion of the Free State" title, but all that rides on it is a Centennial Conference championship for McDaniel. Hopkins looks likely to visit the ECACs again with either a win or loss. Their non-conference schedule is unimpressive and the chances of a Pool C bid are among the lowest of the competition.
Lyco in with a win; King's has a prayer
Only two teams have a chance to get the automatic bid from the MAC. Should Lycoming knock off Susquehanna, the Warriors advance. Should Lycoming lose and Delaware Valley win and King's defeat Wilkes, King's would advance to the playoffs based on a point differential tiebreaker.
Lycoming reigns supreme even if they lose coupled with a Delaware Valley loss. In this scenario, Lycoming holds the head-to-head tiebreaker having wins over King's and Wilkes. Even should the perfect storm brew in the MAC, with King's taking the Pool A bid, we are assured that there will only be one playoff representative since all other MAC teams will have two regional losses.
Bridgewater clinches ODAC, HSC hopes to swim in Pool C
With a lopsided 59-13 win against Randolph-Macon, the Eagles of Bridgewater clinched the ODAC. Bridgewater can lose this Saturday and still advance to the postseason having won their head-to-head matchup with Hampden-Sydney.
The Tigers tallied 82 points in their embarrassment of Maryville. Unfortunately, margin of victory is not a variable considered by the NCAA committee. I received two notes from HSC fans this weekend telling me the Tigers have a better chance of getting a bid based on notching 82 points against Maryville. Sorry, fellas. A win this week and 9-1 is 9-1, not "9-1 with a 68-point win over the Fighting Scots."
Hampden-Sydney will be on the committee's board should they defeat Randolph-Macon. A non-conference schedule with wins over 3-7 Sewanee, 5-4 Gettysburg, 3-6 Dickinson, and 2-8 Maryville does not bode well for the Tigers. While their only loss will be to a playoff team, Bridgewater, another regional team may stand ahead of the Tigers one of the coveted Pool C bids.
Mary Hardin-Baylor lost in overtime to East Texas Baptist, who will get the automatic bid from the American Southwest Conference (for more, read Ron Boerger's South Region column) should they beat the Choctaws of Mississippi College on Saturday.
ASC teams have only one non-conference game and UMHB traveled to Willamette (7-2, hosting third-ranked Linfield). That win for UMHB is out of region, but may weigh on the minds of the committee. With Baldwin-Wallace and Bethel sitting out there with big Pool C marks on their heads, it would appear HSC may be in a tough spot to land one of the three bids.
Centennial comes down to Saturday
Should McDaniel defeat Johns Hopkins on Saturday, the Green Terror will go back to the NCAA playoffs after a one-year respite. They would tie Muhlenberg for the conference championship, but McDaniel's win over the Mules will be enough to send Tim Keating's troops back to the big dance. Regardless, the Centennial representative is looking at a lower seed in the bracket they are placed.
Pool B watch
Salisbury was eliminated from serious consideration for a Pool B bid after Shenandoah's 23-22 win against the previously undefeated Sea Gulls. The Hornets allowed Salisbury to score on their opening drive but rallied for the first of two times on the afternoon to surpass the Sea Gulls.
No question, I saw this one coming. As I mentioned last week, Shenandoah was evenly matched with Salisbury in terms of their common opponents this season and that was how the game was played.
Congratulations to the Hornets for a tremendous game in what has been a most solid season, with losses to two of the best teams in the region, Bridgewater and Christopher Newport. In just their third season of football, Shenandoah is poised for an 8-2 finish should they win over Methodist this week. Paul Barnes has done a heck of job. Now, if only the Hornets can rise to sting the likes of CNU and Bridgewater. Perhaps in a few years.
In general, the Pool B waters are murky at this moment since Linfield will play their toughest opponent of the season in Willamette. A Linfield loss would a tremendous upset, but also potentially limit the chances of a Pool B team emerging from the South Region, let alone the Mid-Atlantic subregional. Waynesburg seems to sit in the driver's seat with a win over Washington & Jefferson, but who knows since their lone loss came at Gettysburg.
Bartosic by the numbers
I have received several notes throughout the season from a variety of sources claiming that Susquehanna is padding the stats of Mark Bartosic. I doubt this sincerely -- receiving yards are difficult to pad, unlike tackles. Bartosic has been a powerhouse, not just this year, but his entire career with the Crusaders. Let's review Bartosic by the numbers in 2003:
9 games played
70 catches
1182 receiving yards
16.9 yards per catch
13 touchdowns
131 receiving yards per game
The next receiver in terms of catches is Josh Kleha with 32. Bartosic's numbers are solid and having seen him play in a variety of seasons, legitimate, setting records of his own which no player has come close to touching.
Next week, we will review the south bracket of the playoffs and some of the top performances from 2003.
Games of the Week
Susquehanna at Lycoming, Williamsport, Pa., 1 p.m.: Lyco can win the MAC with a victory over the Crusaders. Enough said.
King's at Wilkes, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1 p.m.: These schools are practically down the street from each other. A crosstown D-III rivalry will bud once again. King's needs a win and some luck to keep playing.
Frostburg vs. Salisbury at Towson University, Towson, Md., 7 p.m.: The fifth-annual Regents Cup game featuring the two crab cakes from the western and eastern extremes of Maryland battling for the title, "Champion of the Free State." The Bobcats took this the title last year, with a 33-7 win under the lights, spoiling the Sea Gulls' chances at a perfect season.
Johns Hopkins at McDaniel, Westminster, Md., 1 p.m.: These two teams, from the middle of Maryland, could lay equal claim to the "Champion of the Free State" title, but all that rides on it is a Centennial Conference championship for McDaniel. Hopkins looks likely to visit the ECACs again with either a win or loss. Their non-conference schedule is unimpressive and the chances of a Pool C bid are among the lowest of the competition.
