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There used to be someone who did this each year, compiling a list of playoff eligible teams and whittling it down as the games went on to the final eligible "field"...can't remember who that was, but they're obviously either not here or not going to do it this year so I thought I'd take it upon myself to take a stab at it:

Many of these teams have games against each other in the final four weeks of the season so not all will end up playoff eligible. In a 12-game season, it's POSSIBLE we could have a 5-loss non-AQ team in the playoffs, still able to get the 7-win plateau. Also, with this year's change of "counting" D-II games but scaling the difficulty factor into the equation, the situation is complicated somewhat.

By Conference, the following teams currently remain playoff eligible, either for their conference AQ bid, or for an at-large bid:

Big Sky Conference
Eastern Washington (6-2)
Montana State (6-2)
Northern Arizona (6-2)
Montana (6-2)
Southern Utah (6-3)
Portland State (4-4)
Sacramento State (4-4)
Cal Poly (3-5)

Big South Conference
Coastal Carolina (8-0)
Charleston Southern (8-1)

Colonial Athletic Association
Maine (7-1)
Towson (8-1)
Delaware (6-2)
W&M (5-3)
James Madison (5-3)
New Hampshire (4-3)
Villanova (4-4)
Stony Brook (3-4)

MEAC
Bethune-Cookman (7-1)
South Carolina State (5-3)
North Carolina A&T (4-3)
NC Central (4-4)

Missouri Valley Conference
North Dakota State (8-0)
Youngstown State (7-1)
South Dakota State (5-4)
Illinois State (4-4)
South Dakota (4-4)
Southern Illinois (4-4)
Northern Iowa (4-4)

North East Conference
Sacred Heart (7-2)
Duquesne (4-3)
Bryant (4-4)
Robert Morris (3-4)

Ohio Valley Conference
Eastern Illinois (7-1)
Tennessee State (7-2)
Jacksonville State (6-2)
Eastern Kentucky (5-3)
Murray State (5-3)
Tennessee-Martin (5-3)

Patriot League
Fordham (8-0)
Lehigh (6-2)
Bucknell (3-4)
Colgate (3-5)
Lafayette (2-5)* Still possible for AQ but not at-large

Pioneer Football League
Dayton (6-2)
Butler (6-3)
Marist (5-3)
San Diego (5-3)
Morehead State (3-5)

Southern Conference
Samford (6-2)
Chattanooga (6-2)
Wofford (5-3)
Furman (3-5)

Southland Conference
McNeese State (7-1)
Southeast Louisiana (6-2)
Sam Houston State (6-2)
Central Arkansas (5-3)


By my count, through 9 weeks of the season 58 teams still remain technically eligible for the playoffs...yowza. Obviously many of these are on the bubble with 5 losses (or 4 for those that only scheduled 11 games) and will drop off next week...many more come from historically weak conferences and won't get in unless it's by autobid (see: PFL, NEC) which eliminates several more from the gene pool.

Big Sky could end up having teams finish at 10-2, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-3. Any way all 4 don't get in if that happens?

Grizalltheway wrote:Big Sky could end up having teams finish at 10-2, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-3. Any way all 4 don't get in if that happens?

I would say they all get in

Grizalltheway wrote:Big Sky could end up having teams finish at 10-2, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-3. Any way all 4 don't get in if that happens?

No, they all get in with an expanded field. Most conferences seem to be on pace to have fewer than normal with the exception of the Patriot who is almost assured of two instead of one.

Grizalltheway wrote:Big Sky could end up having teams finish at 10-2, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-3. Any way all 4 don't get in if that happens?

SoCon is at MOST a 2-bid league. NEC & PFL are 1-bid leagues. Here's how I see the breakdown happening:

BSC - 4 teams
CAA - 4 teams
Southland - 3 teams
Big South - 2 teams
MVC - 2 teams
SoCon - 2 teams
OVC - 2 teams
MEAC - 1 team
Patriot - 2 teams (only because Fordham isn't eligible for the AQ)
NEC - 1 team
PFL - 1 team

Yes, as hard as it is to fathom, I think the only two MVC teams that get in are NDSU and YSU.

AZGrizFan wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:Big Sky could end up having teams finish at 10-2, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-3. Any way all 4 don't get in if that happens?

SoCon is at MOST a 2-bid league. NEC & PFL are 1-bid leagues. Here's how I see the breakdown happening:

BSC - 4 teams
CAA - 4 teams
Southland - 3 teams
Big South - 2 teams
MVC - 2 teams
SoCon - 2 teams
OVC - 2 teams
MEAC - 1 team
Patriot - 2 teams (only because Fordham isn't eligible for the AQ)
NEC - 1 team
PFL - 1 team

Yes, as hard as it is to fathom, I think the only two MVC teams that get in are NDSU and YSU.

Looks about right to me. MVC hasn't been all that impressive outside of those two teams.

Z, these teams can't get to 7 DI wins...

Presbyterian (3-4)
Liberty (4-4)
Gardner-Webb (4-4)
St. Francis (3-4)
Drake (4-4)
Jacksonville (4-4)
Stephen F. Austin (3-5)
Nichols State (4-4)
Lamar (3-5) (Can't even get to 6)
Northwestern State (3-5)

And not sure Mercer is eligible this year

89Hen wrote:Z, these teams can't get to 7 DI wins...

Presbyterian (3-4)
Liberty (4-4)
Gardner-Webb (4-4)
St. Francis (3-4)
Drake (4-4)
Jacksonville (4-4)
Stephen F. Austin (3-5)
Nichols State (4-4)
Lamar (3-5) (Can't even get to 6)
Northwestern State (3-5)

And not sure Mercer is eligible this year

I'll edit the original post...I got a little sloppy there towards the end...

AZGrizFan wrote:

89Hen wrote:Z, these teams can't get to 7 DI wins...

Presbyterian (3-4)
Liberty (4-4)
Gardner-Webb (4-4)
St. Francis (3-4)
Drake (4-4)
Jacksonville (4-4)
Stephen F. Austin (3-5)
Nichols State (4-4)
Lamar (3-5) (Can't even get to 6)
Northwestern State (3-5)

And not sure Mercer is eligible this year

I'll edit the original post...I got a little sloppy there towards the end...

As usual

dbackjon wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
I'll edit the original post...I got a little sloppy there towards the end...

As usual

Griz Goddess complains about it as well....

Original post edited.

AZGrizFan wrote:

89Hen wrote:Z, these teams can't get to 7 DI wins...

Presbyterian (3-4)
Liberty (4-4)
Gardner-Webb (4-4)
St. Francis (3-4)
Drake (4-4)
Jacksonville (4-4)
Stephen F. Austin (3-5)
Nichols State (4-4)
Lamar (3-5) (Can't even get to 6)
Northwestern State (3-5)

And not sure Mercer is eligible this year

I'll edit the original post...I got a little sloppy there towards the end...

Now you know why the other guy stopped doing them. It's a PITA. I was just surprised at some of the names so started looking them up.

89Hen wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
I'll edit the original post...I got a little sloppy there towards the end...

Now you know why the other guy stopped doing them. It's a PITA. I was just surprised at some of the names so started looking them up.

Also eliminated Howard.

The Sky will get no more than three, though as many as five may be eligible when all is said and done. I'm convinced that there is a distinct possibility that a certain somebody could win out, finish 7-1 and second place in conference (there is NO chance for the AQ), and get the big snub....

SuperHornet wrote:The Sky will get no more than three, though as many as five may be eligible when all is said and done. I'm convinced that there is a distinct possibility that a certain somebody could win out, finish 7-1 and second place in conference (there is NO chance for the AQ), and get the big snub....

That is no more likely to happen than Tammy Maida starting for the Cowboys.

dbackjon wrote:

SuperHornet wrote:The Sky will get no more than three, though as many as five may be eligible when all is said and done. I'm convinced that there is a distinct possibility that a certain somebody could win out, finish 7-1 and second place in conference (there is NO chance for the AQ), and get the big snub....

That is no more likely to happen than Tammy Maida starting for the Cowboys.

Better than Romo.

Thanks, AZGrizFan. Great compilation.

SuperHornet wrote:The Sky will get no more than three, though as many as five may be eligible when all is said and done. I'm convinced that there is a distinct possibility that a certain somebody could win out, finish 7-1 and second place in conference (there is NO chance for the AQ), and get the big snub....

Yeah, about the same chance as finding the Loch Ness monster. There is no WAY a 7-1 team in the BSC is left out of the playoffs. Especially that team being 9-2 to finish the year.

This. ^^


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AZGrizFan wrote:

SuperHornet wrote:The Sky will get no more than three, though as many as five may be eligible when all is said and done. I'm convinced that there is a distinct possibility that a certain somebody could win out, finish 7-1 and second place in conference (there is NO chance for the AQ), and get the big snub....

Yeah, about the same chance as finding the Loch Ness monster. There is no WAY a 7-1 team in the BSC is left out of the playoffs. Especially that team being 9-2 to finish the year.

Not the school I'm thinking of.

It's all about precedent. With the schedule (not to mention early performance) of this team, a 7-1 conference record won't get it done. With the overall record this team would have in this (yes, it's highly contrived) scenario, given ZERO previous playoff appearances, an AQ would be required, which will NOT happen THIS year. Hence the snub. A proven program like UM, though, finishing behind Team X, would get the jump-around nod because of their playoff history.

Heck, UM will likely prove that they deserve that jump-around, too....

SH. Just say who you mean or STFU. Seriously

dbackjon wrote:SH. Just say who you mean or STFU. Seriously

Someone had to say it.

Also, it is not out of the realm of possibility that the CAA could only get two in, though three or four is more likely.

dbackjon wrote:SH. Just say who you mean or STFU. Seriously

Like a boss!

dbackjon wrote:SH. Just say who you mean or STFU. Seriously

He's talking about his own team… er, the first of his four(?) teams. The one in his name. I think that's his first team. Anyway, it wasn't that hard to figure out… if you've damaged your own brain by reading too many of his posts.

If they win out (which they won't), they'll be 7-1 in league but 8-4 overall. They'd probably get in but certainly not automatic.

Mvemjsunpx wrote:

dbackjon wrote:SH. Just say who you mean or STFU. Seriously

He's talking about his own team… er, the first of his four(?) teams. The one in his name. I think that's his first team. Anyway, it wasn't that hard to figure out… if you've damaged your own brain by reading too many of his posts.

If they win out (which they won't), they'll be 7-1 in league but 8-4 overall. They'd probably get in but certainly not automatic.

IF they win out, and that's a huge if, they're a virtual lock to be in the playoffs...probably a play-in game somewhere in East Jesus, but they'd be in.

Mvemjsunpx wrote:

dbackjon wrote:SH. Just say who you mean or STFU. Seriously

He's talking about his own team… er, the first of his four(?) teams. The one in his name. I think that's his first team. Anyway, it wasn't that hard to figure out… if you've damaged your own brain by reading too many of his posts.

If they win out (which they won't), they'll be 7-1 in league but 8-4 overall. They'd probably get in but certainly not automatic.

I know it was Suck State - just wanted him to say it. And if Sac State goes 7-1 in the BSC, which would entail wins over Montana, PSU, UC-D and at Poly, they'd be in.

They would be 7-2 versus FCS, with losses only to SUU in OT, and NAU by a point.