[jcmanson]

As most of you know there is a new opening round to the playoffs this year which features the "bottom 8" teams in 4 games. The winner of those 4 games advance to the round of 16 while facing a top 4 seeded team on the road. What will it take for us to get out of the opening round?

[From the class of 09]

We will need to go undefeated with the possible exception of one lose coming in a VERY close JMU game with JMU going undefeated the rest of the regular season.

[jcmanson]

I put 10-1 losing to JMU. If we do that it will be very close.

The Patriot League, OVC and NEC auto winners will definitely be in the bottom 8. I would think we would beat out a couple of at larges with 7-4/8-3 records. But will we be able to beat out 5 of them? I don't know.

[jcmanson]

No more comments on this? It would be huge for us to get out of the opening round. If we are able to then we'd likely host our first game in the round of 16 in a very winnable game. Then we'd more than likely face one of the top 4 teams in the country on the road in the round of 8. If we have to play in the opening round and are fortunate enough to win that game, then we'd have to face one of the top 4 teams in the country on the road in the round of 16.

[Kolzilla41]

I think 10-1 with a loss to JMU would get us an opening round game. Any BS loss this year would hurt us.

[flamesfan30]

i know this is crazy talk and im drinking the kool-aid but
if we go undefeated... is there any chance of us getting a seed?
(i feel like everyone we play this year would have to win out after playing us to make this happen)

i think we need to beat JMU to get out of the opening round and prove we are for real.

[jcmanson]

Yeah I think if we win out we have a very good shot at a national seed. The key there would be for JMU to be a playoff team.

[TDDance234]

If we go 11-0, we'll miss the first round for sure. I don't think there is any chance of us getting a seed unless some of the top-5 really fall apart.

[From the class of 09]

If we go 11-0, we'll miss the first round for sure. I don't think there is any chance of us getting a seed unless some of the top-5 really fall apart.

We'll have solid wins against Ball St. and JMU along with whats looking like a good G-Webb team. If we do that which 5 teams do you think would be in front of us??? I don't see 5.

[BJWilliams]

Before the season Id have said that just the wins over JMU and Ball State would get us out...but with G-W's win over Akron (and of late LU's propensity for a head scratching loss) we are gonna need to run the table

[Kolzilla41]

Before the season Id have said that just the wins over JMU and Ball State would get us out...but with G-W's win over Akron (and of late LU's propensity for a head scratching loss) we are gonna need to run the table

Can you explain this to me? The only head scratching loss I can find since 2006 is Presby. I don't consider the loss to SB a bad loss. They are who we thought they were.....

[BJWilliams]

I guess I should more say what I call "game over" losses (losses that pretty much knocked us out of the discussion). We've had one of those each of the last two years (Presby in 08 and SBU in 09 even though they are a good team, the fact that they were unranked at the time killed it for us)

[JMUDukes]

a JMU win/loss should NOT be the determining factor as to whether you are in the opening round. Thus, I voted 10-1. though I agree with previous posters, if you do manage to beat us in Bridgeforth, you should earn a seed.

[01LUGrad]

Every team needs a good quality loss to a CAA team to make the playoffs anyway. If we beat JMU, we will be lacking that key component. I'd say if we go 11-0, we won't even make the playoffs.


Newbies: This is a joke about how we always come up short in the playoff discussion because we don't have enough "quality losses."

[JMUDukes]

Every team needs a good quality loss to a CAA team to make the playoffs anyway. If we beat JMU, we will be lacking that key component. I'd say if we go 11-0, we won't even make the playoffs.


Newbies: This is a joke about how we always come up short in the playoff discussion because we don't have enough "quality losses."

its a funny joke until you consider the fact that you had your quality loss last year.

[Liberty4Life]

How about this:

We don't win the conference, and we won't be in the opening round.

[From the class of 09]

How about this:

We don't win the conference, and we won't be in the opening round.

You shut your mouth!!! Don't udder such vile ideas.

[LUnpretty11]

It would be sweet to have two representatives from the BS conference.

[thepostman]

It would be sweet to have two representatives from the BS conference.

That won't happen. I am not saying their won't necessarily be a good argument for 2 making it this year, but even if that is the case I just don't see the committee giving the big south that kind of respect and I don't blame them really

[JMUDukes]

its a funny joke until you consider the fact that you had your quality loss last year.

JMU had a pretty rough year...I'm not sure that was a quality loss.

good point. but JMU was ranked at the time...Dudzik's injury was what brought the season down.

[LUnpretty11]

It would be sweet to have two representatives from the BS conference.

That won't happen. I am not saying their won't necessarily be a good argument for 2 making it this year, but even if that is the case I just don't see the committee giving the big south that kind of respect and I don't blame them really

If we go 10-1 (5-1)and SB wins the BS (6-0), then I see us both getting in.

[thepostman]

It would be sweet to have two representatives from the BS conference.

That won't happen. I am not saying their won't necessarily be a good argument for 2 making it this year, but even if that is the case I just don't see the committee giving the big south that kind of respect and I don't blame them really

If we go 10-1 (5-1)and SB wins the BS (6-0), then I see us both getting in.

In this scenario I would say we SHOULD, but judging from past experience and the opinion nationally on the big south I just can't see it happening

[ToTheLeft]

In this scenario I would say we SHOULD, but judging from past experience and the opinion nationally on the big south I just can't see it happening

We've never deserved to be in the playoffs since we've been in the Big South. I'm not sure what past experience you refer to.