FCS PLAYOFFS: Southern Illinois Head Coach Reacts To Being Left Home

[centennial]

"We scheduled two FBS games, and (playoff-bound) SEMO and (7-5) UT Martin. That's our non-conference schedule. So I guess they're saying that if we'd beaten UMass (the blowout FBS win on SIU's resume) and beaten just one more lower FCS opponent, we're in (with eight wins)."

The argument could be made.
Just hours after pushing No. 1 seeded NDSU hard in Carbondale (game was tied 7-7 with five minutes left in the 3rd quarter - SIU eventually fell 21-7), the Salukis would find out the resume apparently wasn't strong enough. SIU had won five straight MVFC games -- four decisively -- coming into the season-finale with the Bison, then pushed the defending national champions hard. SIU's argument is that its seven-win season includes a blowout FBS win, a 5-3 record in traditionally the toughest conference in the FCS, it finished the year strongly and scheduled tough outside of the conference. Meanwhile, seven-win teams with no FBS wins -- North Dakota, Furman (throwing out its NAIA win) and SE Louisiana got in.

"I know it's about the whole body of work (in the FCS) and I'm throwing excuses out there ... ultimately, we have to win more games," Hill said. "I think we're fighting to get back to having more respect from the whole country. But we're going to get back to work. The culture of our program is to handle things the right way."

https://herosports.com/fcs/football-...nick-hill-ajaj

Would SIU to be in if they avoid a second FBS for a lower level D1 team? What case do UND/ SELA/ KSU have over SIU?

[Daytripper]

SIU should be in over KSU in my opinion.

[Professor Chaos]

I think there is something to be said for avoiding multiple FBS games on your schedule. Losing those games doesn't hurt you directly but it does hurt indirectly because it takes away a reasonable shot at an extra D1 win you could've gotten by scheduling another FCS team. Austin Peay had the same argument in 2017 when they scheduled 3 FBS games, lost all of them, went 8-4 (8-1 vs FCS) and were left out.

I also see the argument the committee made when they said that SIU played 4 playoff teams and lost to them all. If they can't beat playoff caliber teams in the regular season is there any reason to think they'd be able to do it in the postseason?

I also think the committee (correctly) valued the win over UMass about as low as you can for an FBS win. I don't think UMass would even be a FCS playoff team if they played a full FCS schedule this year.

[Professor Chaos]

Another unfortunate scheduling quirk that happened this year was had Furman not bought out of their game with Kennesaw (so they could play a 2nd FBS game I believe) either SIU or South Carolina St would've been in the playoffs. The loser of that Furman/Kennesaw game would not have made the playoffs.

[TheRevSFA]

every year a deserving team gets left out.

They deserved to be in over KSU. KSU is a paper tiger.

[WestCoastAggie]

Financially, did SIU really need 2 FBS games when they have well over 20,000 students subsidizing their athletic department with fees?

[Professor]

Maybe they should schedule better lol

[Professor Chaos]

Financially, did SIU really need 2 FBS games when they have well over 20,000 students subsidizing their athletic department with fees?

The state of Illinois is in the midst of a higher education funding crisis. And I think that enrollment number includes SIU-Carbondale (the SIU we all know) and SIU-Edwardsville.

Some fans from the Illinois FCS teams could probably fill that in a lot better than I could.

[uni88]

Financially, did SIU really need 2 FBS games when they have well over 20,000 students subsidizing their athletic department with fees?

Are you combining the SIU Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses?

Illinois directional schools have had issues due to state financial woes.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[F'N Hawks]

https://herosports.com/fcs/football-...nick-hill-ajaj

Would SIU to be in if they avoid a second FBS for a lower level D1 team? What case do UND/ SELA/ KSU have over SIU?

Not a good look for Nick "dying on the quality loss" Hill. I read several of his quotes and he basically argues that they lost to good teams that are better than them, and therefore, should be rewarded for it.