Richmond/William and Mary: The First Play-In Game to the FCS Playoffs?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Discuss. Should be a great game on Saturday evening. I'm thinking winner is in, loser is out.

[JMUNJ08]

After watching UR self destruct for the second straight week after beating Nova, it has to be the Tribes game to lose...

[tribe_pride]

Discuss. Should be a great game on Saturday evening. I'm thinking winner is in, loser is out.

Agreed that it is a play-in game but Montana/Montana State may be too (though Montana State may be in already). If W&M loses, they likely don't have the big win to get them in even though they have no bad losses and 2 close ones that they should have won against Nova and JMU (leading both games with 1:00 to go in the game). Richmond might get in either way depending on what happens based on the win over Nova but they will have lost 3 straight which could keep them out.

[UNH Fanboi]

Agreed that it is a play-in game but Montana/Montana State may be too (though Montana State may be in already). If W&M loses, they likely don't have the big win to get them in even though they have no bad losses and 2 close ones that they should have won against Nova and JMU (leading both games with 1:00 to go in the game). Richmond might get in either way depending on what happens based on the win over Nova but they will have lost 3 straight which could keep them out.

What? There is no chance Richmond gets in with a loss. The only team that could possibly get in with 5 losses is UNI. Also, look at Youngstown last year--3 losses to end the season is a death knell.

[MTfan4life]

I'm thinking winner is in, loser is out.

Or maybe the committee will turn this into the Towson/New Hampshire game a couple seasons ago where Towson won 64-35, but New Hampshire was given the bid. ;)

[jmrepak]

If it weren't for the overall history of the CAA I would say this game determines if they get a 4th bid. At this point Nova, UNH and JMU are basically locked in. However, IMO if Richmond wins they're last 4 in and if W+M wins they are first four out. That's not a knock on W+M. They've had what looks to me like one of the hardest CAA schedules this year and don't have any really bad losses other than the smack down vs. UNH. However, they're missing the signature win as well because if the beat UofR the Spiders likely drop from the top 25.

What I believe will happen is the winner gets a 4th bid, but that's just my two cents on what I think should happen.

[wml33t]

Really? With all of the bad losses by bubble teams yesterday that have us talking about teams with 6 D-I wins being on the bubble you think an 8 D-I win W&M team doesn't make the playoffs?

I think you're nuts.

[FargoBison]

W&M is a lock if they win. Absolute rock solid lock.

[jmrepak]

Really? With all of the bad losses by bubble teams yesterday that have us talking about teams with 6 D-I wins being on the bubble you think an 8 D-I win W&M team doesn't make the playoffs?

I think you're nuts.
I didn't say they wouldn't. In fact I said they would. I just said that I didn't believe they should based on them losing to every playoff bound team they faced. I still think they are a good team, but should've been on the edge of the bubble on the outside. I will say you are right about the number of bubble teams losing yesterday. The fact that Liberty lost and B-C lost among others should easily clear the way for the 4th CAA bid. However, I'm pulling for the Spiders to get it. We R ...U-R!

[wml33t]

I didn't say they wouldn't. In fact I said they would. I just said that I didn't believe they should based on them losing to every playoff bound team they faced. I still think they are a good team, but should've been on the edge of the bubble on the outside. I will say you are right about the number of bubble teams losing yesterday. The fact that Liberty lost and B-C lost should easily clear the way for the 4th CAA bid. However, I'm pulling for the Spiders to get it. We R ...U-R!

Would should, whichever. Its still an insane statement based on the playoff field.

Now, if you're saying you think it's bit surprising that his is a team that is a kick with a win, fine. But based on the playoff field to say they "shouldn't" get in is just an absurd statement.

[smilo]

I have William & Mary losing and am considering them for one of my last two spots (projecting forward) with three other teams - all from the SLC. Considering geography, I think they may still get in as an opponent to Liberty for partly geographic reasons (not that they wouldn't deserve it anyway). JMU-Youngstown seems like a lock. A+T-Richmond would be a matchup. Contrary to what you may think, Liberty winning may actually help the CAA. Of course losing would make 3 spots for 4 teams and I can't see the SLC getting 4 bids so maybe they would be good either way.

So long as Montana loses (and ideally NAU loses but that may not be necessary) and probably SFA loses and no insane SEC upsets. Colgate and Wagner wins would be bonuses too and even if Bethune just struggles they should be kept out. A 5 loss W&M would be better than all that and they help so much with geography. The only team that doesn't have an obvious pair would be San Diego and you can just send them to the last bubble spot.

I may be a CAA fan but in general I am supportive of the depth in other conferences (as seen in my alleged MVFC polling bias and extensive inclusion of SLC teams over us). I know history is also against us especially during the last 2 years. I still think 5 is likely because the Big Sky hasn't been this bad ever so the obvious proximity of locations is setting things up perfectly in the Mid-Atlantic. Bryant and Bethune are just going to mess things up unless you want them over a 2nd SLC. Bucknell could get sent to Youngstown bringing JMU-Liberty-Richmond-A+T as matchup potentials. A 2-loss Bucknell could be a bad scenario for a 5-loss WMU (or Richmond for that matter) by providing Youngstown an opponent, but with the bubble as bad as it is, I think 5 teams is very realistic.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Not sure where all the love for the SLC comes from, I see them as a autobid and one at-large conference.

If Bill and Mary wins they'll be 8-4 with a resume IMO that will be head and shoulders ahead of any 3rd placed SLC team. And as anyone will tell you, I'm not a CAA guy either.

[Grizalltheway]

So when lower teams in other conferences upset the big boys, it's a sign of parity, but when it happens in the Big Sky, it's a sign of weakness? Do I have that right?

[smilo]

So when lower teams in other conferences upset the big boys, it's a sign of parity, but when it happens in the Big Sky, it's a sign of weakness? Do I have that right?

South Dakota is not winning games in the MVFC. WIU won one (and that was a pretty unacceptable loss considering the parity)).
Elon and URI are not winning games. Towson beat Delaware and they're not in the playoff picture). Albany is not beating everyone.
NWST, SFA, UCA, McNeese and SHSU are not losing to any of the newbies (save ACU - a team with an FBS win) or Nicholls or Lamar.

I don't think I'd be critical of the BSC if they lost to Sac St (similar to Abilene or Maine loss), but losses to UNCO and UC-Davis and North Dakota is unacceptable. NAU lost to USD too.
Idaho state is completely forgivable - they just don't have enough D1 wins. Montana is unlikely to get there either (though they have some nail-biting wins vs. the bottom feeders inc. USD and North Dakota). NAU and CP are the real culprits.

[Anovafan]

I hope I am wrong, but I don't think either team gets in with a win. UNH, Nova and JMU are locks. The UNH AD will fight for UNH and Nova for seeds and for a JMU first round home game. I just can't see much fight for getting Richmond or W&M in. SOS just isn't there in the CAA this year.

[Sitting Bull]

I hope I am wrong, but I don't think either team gets in with a win. UNH, Nova and JMU are locks. The UNH AD will fight for UNH and Nova for seeds and for a JMU first round home game. I just can't see much fight for getting Richmond or W&M in. SOS just isn't there in the CAA this year.

If W&M wins, I suspect they will be ranked somewhere between 15 and 20. Same with UR.

Not sure how you keep either out of a 24 team playoff.

[FargoBison]

I hope I am wrong, but I don't think either team gets in with a win. UNH, Nova and JMU are locks. The UNH AD will fight for UNH and Nova for seeds and for a JMU first round home game. I just can't see much fight for getting Richmond or W&M in. SOS just isn't there in the CAA this year.

You might want to take a look at the FCS playoff bubble...

[Anovafan]

If W&M wins, I suspect they will be ranked somewhere between 15 and 20. Same with UR.

Not sure how you keep either out of a 24 team playoff.

The committee doesn't go by the polls, of course, and has their own rankings. I think if W&M wins and puts in a good bid they stand the best chance. But I think they will be left out. They haven't beaten anyone that is any good. Every team they have beaten has a losing record, except Delaware. And Delaware will finish 6-6 after this week. Their only good win would be against Richmond (assuming they win) and Richmond would have just played themselves out of the playoffs.

[Anovafan]

You might want to take a look at the FCS playoff bubble...

I did before posting and I still think the CAA only gets 3 in this year. It is a down year for the CAA.

[FargoBison]

I did before posting and I still think the CAA only gets 3 in this year. It is a down year for the CAA.

Well it is a down year for everyone but the MVFC, NEC and Big South.

The SoCon is a shell of itself, that is what is opening up some spots for a weak CAA or Big Sky team.

[Anovafan]

Well it is a down year for everyone but the MVFC, NEC and Big South.

The SoCon is a shell of itself, that is what is opening up some spots for a weak CAA or Big Sky team.

Yes sir, and I think the committee will look elsewhere to fill that last slot. Big Sky, SLC or even the Patriot. When all is said and done, I don't think Richmond or W&M will have the resume to get in.

[FargoBison]

Yes sir, and I think the committee will look elsewhere to fill that last slot. Big Sky, SLC or even the Patriot. When all is said and done, I don't think Richmond or W&M will have the resume to get in.

Richmond has its Nova win, I think they would get in for sure. You could make an argument about W&M I suppose since their best win would be a free falling Richmond team but I still think they get in.

[Nova09]

I did before posting and I still think the CAA only gets 3 in this year. It is a down year for the CAA.

Where do you think the 13 are coming from?

The Locks:
OVC will get 1
CAA 2
SoCon getting 0
PFL getting 0
Let's give MVFC 4 just to help your argument of W&M exclusion

That's 7, leaving 6 available.

Big South only gets 1 if Liberty upsets Coastal, for your argument I'll say that happens (5 left)
SLC will get at least 1 (4 left)
Big Sky let's say 2 for now, if you think Montana will make it 3 we'll get to that (2 left)

That leaves 2 for: Bethune, Bryant, Bucknell, SLC team, W&M/Richmone. Do you think W&M/UR with 8 DI wins is not the first of these 5?

OR let's say Montana wins, now we have 3 Big Sky candidates, but all 3 are below W&M/UR's 8 DI wins.

Remember, I granted you Liberty upsetting Coastal AND I gave MVFC 4 even though I think they end up with 3.

[Mattymc727]

I think W&M definitely gets in with a win. Similar to UNH last year. W&M had a really tough CAA schedule and has no bad losses.

[Anovafan]

Richmond has its Nova win, I think they would get in for sure. You could make an argument about W&M I suppose since their best win would be a free falling Richmond team but I still think they get in.

I think Richmond is out even if they beat W&M. Too many losses late, no good wins except a 10-9 fluky win over Nova in the rain and wind. Richmond won that game fair and square don't get me wrong and I am not whining, but I don't think it is a statement kind of win. We will see.

[Anovafan]

Where do you think the 13 are coming from?

The Locks:
OVC will get 1
CAA 2
SoCon getting 0
PFL getting 0
Let's give MVFC 4 just to help your argument of W&M exclusion

That's 7, leaving 6 available.

Big South only gets 1 if Liberty upsets Coastal, for your argument I'll say that happens (5 left)
SLC will get at least 1 (4 left)
Big Sky let's say 2 for now, if you think Montana will make it 3 we'll get to that (2 left)

That leaves 2 for: Bethune, Bryant, Bucknell, SLC team, W&M/Richmone. Do you think W&M/UR with 8 DI wins is not the first of these 5?

OR let's say Montana wins, now we have 3 Big Sky candidates, but all 3 are below W&M/UR's 8 DI wins.

Remember, I granted you Liberty upsetting Coastal AND I gave MVFC 4 even though I think they end up with 3.

MVFC 4 or maybe 5
SLC 2 or 3
Big Sky 3 or 4
Patriot possibly 2

I see lots of ways to exclude W&M and Richmond.

Massey ratings have W&M at 25 and Richmond at 27 and I agree with those ratings for those two teams. If I am looking at those ratings, you have to think the committee is as well when it comes down to that last spot.

[Nova09]

MVFC 4 or maybe 5
SLC 2 or 3
Big Sky 3 or 4
Patriot possibly 2



I was talking at-larges, not total bids for the conference

[Anovafan]

I was talking at-larges, not total bids for the conference

And I see the committee taking teams from the MVFC, SLC, Big Sky and even the Patriot over Richmond or W&M.

[tribe_pride]

And I see the committee taking teams from the MVFC, SLC, Big Sky and even the Patriot over Richmond or W&M.


I think he was saying that when you say Patriot possibly 2 - are you saying 2 at-larges or 2 total teams from the conference? If you meant 2 teams from the conference, you were comparing apples to oranges with his numbers. If you were saying 2 total teams, why Bucknell ahead?

[Anovafan]

I think he was saying that when you say Patriot possibly 2 - are you saying 2 at-larges or 2 total teams from the conference? If you meant 2 teams from the conference, you were comparing apples to oranges with his numbers. If you were saying 2 total teams, why Bucknell ahead?

Yes, mine were total bids so take away the auto and you have my thoughts. I could see them taking Bucknell at 9-2, especially if Fordham beats Army and gets a seed. Or a 5th team from MVFC or 4th team from Big Sky.

[tribe_pride]

Yes, mine were total bids so take away the auto and you have my thoughts. I could see them taking Bucknell at 9-2, especially if Fordham beats Army and gets a seed. Or a 5th team from MVFC or 4th team from Big Sky.

But why Bucknell? What have they done that gives them a better resume than the Richmond/W&M winner? You used the Massey rankings against W&M and Richmond before. Bucknell is at 35 - 10 behind W&M and 8 behind the Spiders. Remember that Bucknell is playing Colgate next game so a win there won't be looked at as good as a win by the winner over the lose of the Richmond/W&M game

And who is this 4th team from the Big Sky? You have EWU, Montana State and Montana (if they beat Montana State). Idaho St. is 7-4 with 2 D-II wins, NAU is 7-4 with a D-II win and lost to North Dakota and Northern Colorado this year. Cal Poly is 6-5, just lost 2 straight including 1 to UC Davis. Sacramento State is 6-5 with a best win over 3-8 Portland State. How are any of those a better resume than W&M or Richmond for a 4th spot

I could see 5 from the MVFC but he included that in his original argument.

[Anovafan]

But why Bucknell? What have they done that gives them a better resume than the Richmond/W&M winner? You used the Massey rankings against W&M and Richmond before. Bucknell is at 35 - 10 behind W&M and 8 behind the Spiders. Remember that Bucknell is playing Colgate next game so a win there won't be looked at as good as a win by the winner over the lose of the Richmond/W&M game

And who is this 4th team from the Big Sky? You have EWU, Montana State and Montana (if they beat Montana State). Idaho St. is 7-4 with 2 D-II wins, NAU is 7-4 with a D-II win and lost to North Dakota and Northern Colorado this year. Cal Poly is 6-5, just lost 2 straight including 1 to UC Davis. Sacramento State is 6-5 with a best win over 3-8 Portland State. How are any of those a better resume than W&M or Richmond for a 4th spot

I could see 5 from the MVFC but he included that in his original argument.


I'm not saying they will take Bucknell, but it wouldn't surprise me if they took them depending on how the brackets and bids shake out. I think Richmond and W&M are better teams for sure.

For the Big Sky, that would be Idaho State or even Northern Arizona, again, depending on how the brackets and bids shake out.

[tribe_pride]

I'm not saying they will take Bucknell, but it wouldn't surprise me if they took them depending on how the brackets and bids shake out. I think Richmond and W&M are better teams for sure.

For the Big Sky, that would be Idaho State or even Northern Arizona, again, depending on how the brackets and bids shake out.

Ok. So you are doing this without any real analysis. Just pulling conferences and teams out of your ass instead of looking at each resume. Got it.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Yes, mine were total bids so take away the auto and you have my thoughts. I could see them taking Bucknell at 9-2, especially if Fordham beats Army and gets a seed. Or a 5th team from MVFC or 4th team from Big Sky.

What does Fordham beating Army have to do with Bucknell getting in? They've played three good teams all year and are 1-2 in those games with the one win coming against SHU. W&M and UR should be LOCKS over Bucknell.

[lknspider]

I think Richmond is out even if they beat W&M. Too many losses late, no good wins except a 10-9 fluky win over Nova in the rain and wind. Richmond won that game fair and square don't get me wrong and I am not whining, but I don't think it is a statement kind of win. We will see.

Anovafan....Let's set the record straight.......Richmond thrashed Villanova....nova had a weak 258 yds. offense, Spiders had almost 400 yds and even with 4 turnovers still won .....score should have been 31-17! Let's try again, Richmond lost to #2 UNH with 19 seconds to go. Now granted Richmond's season turned around with the loss of Strauss at QB. Strauss played pretty well (first game back with 3 TD passes) in spite of the bad loss to jmu.....he should be back in great form vs W&M.

Two years ago Richmond got screwed.... they were CAA Co-Champs, 8-3 record, beat W&M last game of year (and by the way... beat Villanova also)and DID NOT make the playoffs.. somebody owes the Spiders a make-up call!!!

[MacThor]

Danny Rocco does this almost every year. Gets his team into a position where they just need to take care of business, and they get throttled. He has never made the playoffs for a reason.

The loser of this game is out. The winner is a bubble team, potentially last one in or first one out.

Richmond statistically dominated Villanova, true...but they won by 1 point. Turning the ball over 15 times in 3 games down the stretch is not a confidence-booster, even if one of those games is a win over Villanova.

UR got to play all 3 CAA playoff teams at home, and lost 2. I noted Saturday that in all three games they fumbled the ball away at the one yard line.

Two pick 6's and two fumbles for touchbacks, that's a 28 point swing against JMU. Sheesh.

[Sitting Bull]

A little history and perspective on this rivalry, beyond the fact the winner will in my view definitely be in the playoff field (and likely host a 1st round game to boot).

W&M/UR is the oldest college football rivalry in the South and among the top 5 I believe in the nation. This meeting will be the 124th meeting. W&M leads the series 61-57-5.

Always some memorable games when you have a rivalry and series like this. The two from W&M perspective were early in my day though still the top two:

1970: W&M came back after trailing 27-14 entering the 4th quarter, winning on a game ending Hail Mary, 34-33 in Richmond. Big stakes on this one as the win gave W&M the Southern Conference Championship (over Richmond) and berth in the Tangerine Bowl against undefeated and ranked Toledo. That was Lou Holtz' first bowl game.

1974: W&M was in the middle of an internal debate/decision on whether to de-emphasize football or drop the sport altogether. This hung like a cloud during the entire football season until the BOD were to finalize a decision in November. The football team slugged through a 3-7 season up to the Richmond game. The Board made their decision the week prior to the game, an emphatic stamp of support for football at W&M. The team responded against conference champ UR as a huge underdog, again in Richmond, with a 54-12 beatdown.

Just a couple of my favorites.

It's fitting that this year again there is something at stake in the game.

[Nova09]

Anovafan....Let's set the record straight.......Richmond thrashed Villanova....nova had a weak 258 yds. offense, Spiders had almost 400 yds and even with 4 turnovers still won .....score should have been 31-17! Let's try again, Richmond lost to #2 UNH with 19 seconds to go. Now granted Richmond's season turned around with the loss of Strauss at QB. Strauss played pretty well (first game back with 3 TD passes) in spite of the bad loss to jmu.....he should be back in great form vs W&M.

Two years ago Richmond got screwed.... they were CAA Co-Champs, 8-3 record, beat W&M last game of year (and by the way... beat Villanova also)and DID NOT make the playoffs.. somebody owes the Spiders a make-up call!!!

This is completely absurd. You won the game fair and square. It was obvious in the first quarter that the losing team would bemoan all the mistakes. But now we have to hear the winning team say they should have beaten us by so much more?

We had uncharacteristic turnovers too. We missed a freakin extra point. Yes I know that is not really out of the ordinary for us but still, remember that the reason you won instead of going to ot is a team MISSED AN EXTRA POINT!

Lincoln Collins should have caught the pass that would have put us at least in fg range to win. The wind did a number on it, but he still should have caught it. Poppy was blatantly held on what would have been a first down across midfield on one of the 4th quarter drives. Cherry should have picked off a pass in Richmond territory in the 4th. Cherry could have been to the house on his earlier pick if not for so many Nova defenders in position to intercept it that they all ran into each other. Oh, and a missed tackle would have been a safety for the win.

AND OUR PROBABLE PAYTON WINNING QB WITH 1 INT ALL SEASON THREW HIS 2ND FROM INSIDE THE 10 WHEN HE COULD HAVE RUN IT IN LIKE HE OFTEN DOES OR WE COULD HAVE KICKED A FG FOR THE WINNING MARGIN.

Like I said, you won fair and square. I have no complaints, our team learned a tough lesson, regrouped, is prepared for a playoff run. But don't go running your mouth about how much more you should have won by.

[tribe_pride]

We missed a freakin extra point. Yes I know that is not really out of the ordinary for us but still, remember that the reason you won instead of going to ot is a team MISSED AN EXTRA POINT!



To be fair, it's not like Nova has missed only 1 XP all season. Your kickers are 53 of 60 on XPs which is only 88% so they do miss on average 1 every other game. They are also only 3 of 4 from inside 30 on FGs and 0-3 from 30-40 yard FG (though surprisingly 1-1 from outside of 40 (42 yards).

Kicking is a part of the game and has been by far the Nova weakness this season. No kicking point has been automatic for the Wildcats this year beginning with game 1 against Syracuse.

[Anovafan]

Ok. So you are doing this without any real analysis. Just pulling conferences and teams out of your ass instead of looking at each resume. Got it.

I looked at each conference and came up with the likely teams I thought might get in, not pull it out of my ass. It is all conjecture right now given that there are a lot of games this Saturday that will impact the selection committee. I'm not talking smack, just my odd feeling that both teams are already out. Like I said, I think W&M will win and have the best chance of getting in. If Richmond wins, I think they get left home.

[Anovafan]

Anovafan....Let's set the record straight.......Richmond thrashed Villanova....nova had a weak 258 yds. offense, Spiders had almost 400 yds and even with 4 turnovers still won .....score should have been 31-17! Let's try again, Richmond lost to #2 UNH with 19 seconds to go. Now granted Richmond's season turned around with the loss of Strauss at QB. Strauss played pretty well (first game back with 3 TD passes) in spite of the bad loss to jmu.....he should be back in great form vs W&M.

Two years ago Richmond got screwed.... they were CAA Co-Champs, 8-3 record, beat W&M last game of year (and by the way... beat Villanova also)and DID NOT make the playoffs.. somebody owes the Spiders a make-up call!!!

Richmond played great defense that day but didn't "thrash" Nova by any stretch. Nova had the ball twice at the end of the game to drive the field and win the game but they didn't. That's how it goes. If you told me before the game that Nova would be down 10-9 and you give Robertson the ball twice in the last two drives to win the game I would tell you Nova wins that game 90% of the time. But it didn't happen and Richmond won, end of story. Again, my point isn't to talk smack here, but my prediction that Richmond is already out of the dance regardless of Saturday's outcome.

[Anovafan]

To be fair, it's not like Nova has missed only 1 XP all season. Your kickers are 53 of 60 on XPs which is only 88% so they do miss on average 1 every other game. They are also only 3 of 4 from inside 30 on FGs and 0-3 from 30-40 yard FG (though surprisingly 1-1 from outside of 40 (42 yards).

Kicking is a part of the game and has been by far the Nova weakness this season. No kicking point has been automatic for the Wildcats this year beginning with game 1 against Syracuse.

Absolutely correct. If Nova had any kicking game, they could be undefeated. I think Nova should go for 2 each time.

[Anovafan]

What does Fordham beating Army have to do with Bucknell getting in? They've played three good teams all year and are 1-2 in those games with the one win coming against SHU. W&M and UR should be LOCKS over Bucknell.

If Fordham beats Army, I could see the committee giving Fordham the #8 seed. And then Bucknell's record would look better given their close loss to Fordham, granted it was without Nebrich. I'm not saying Bucknell gets in, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them in.

[Gil Dobie]

What happens if W&M loses and both teams get in playoffs? Still games to be played.

[32counter]

As awful as the Spiders have been playing of late we would crush Bucknell and so would the Tribe.There ain't no doubt it.No comparison of league or quality of teams.

[jmrepak]

What happens if W&M loses and both teams get in playoffs? Still games to be played.
Depending on the number of Bubble losses this weekend I would say that your scenario is absolutely ossible. I know what I've said earlier may contradict that, but a lot of bubble teams are losing it here at the end of the season. As long as the MEAC only gets the one they deserve and CCU beats Liberty to keep the Big South at one bid, I would say the CAA has a fair shot at 5.

[MacThor]

Richmond played great defense that day but didn't "thrash" Nova by any stretch. Nova had the ball twice at the end of the game to drive the field and win the game but they didn't. That's how it goes. If you told me before the game that Nova would be down 10-9 and you give Robertson the ball twice in the last two drives to win the game I would tell you Nova wins that game 90% of the time. But it didn't happen and Richmond won, end of story. Again, my point isn't to talk smack here, but my prediction that Richmond is already out of the dance regardless of Saturday's outcome.

Well, the Nova fans sitting around me (my ST's are on the visitor's side) were pretty unanimous that "you guys (Spiders) should be up by a lot more." Posters can argue that it was a "fluky" win, but we can just as easily argue that it was "fluky" the game was so close.

Back to UR v. W&M. Based on what I've seen out of the Spiders in the past few weeks, if I were on the committee I'd leave them out even with a win. However, it seems the bubble teams keep losing their way out of consideration. 8-4 with quality wins over Villanova, Liberty & W&M would be hard to dismiss over a MEAC team, especially one with a loss to Hampton (25 pt losers to UR).

The 2012 Spiders team was much more deserving of a bid and didn't get one.

[TypicalTribe]

Depending on the number of Bubble losses this weekend I would say that your scenario is absolutely ossible. I know what I've said earlier may contradict that, but a lot of bubble teams are losing it here at the end of the season. As long as the MEAC only gets the one they deserve and CCU beats Liberty to keep the Big South at one bid, I would say the CAA has a fair shot at 5.

This is an absolutely ridiculous statement. No possible chance of either team getting in at 7-5. The bubble is pretty weak but there will be enough teams with better resumes than that. 5 loss teams do not get in unless all other options are exhausted.

[kdinva]

.....5 loss teams do not get in unless all other options are exhausted.

I predict come Sunday's selection, there will be two 7-5 at-large selections.....(I saw this coming four weeks ago).

[jmrepak]

This is an absolutely ridiculous statement. No possible chance of either team getting in at 7-5. The bubble is pretty weak but there will be enough teams with better resumes than that. 5 loss teams do not get in unless all other options are exhausted.
W+M wouldn't get in at 7-5, but Richmond would have a shot at it.

[TypicalTribe]

W+M wouldn't get in at 7-5, but Richmond would have a shot at it.

No chance. 7-5 with 3 straight losses to close the season? As the 5th team from the CAA? Don't see it happening.

[FargoBison]

Do people realize that UNI was 7-5 last year, with a win over a Big 12 team and they demolished a seeded team? 7-5 teams just aren't happening, the committee will look to Bryant, Bucknell and Bethune-Cookman if they have to.

[MR. CHICKEN]

Do people realize that UNI was 7-5 last year, with a win over a Big 12 team and they demolished a seeded team? 7-5 teams just aren't happening, the committee will look to Bryant, Bucknell and Bethune-Cookman if they have to.

20079....AH BELIEVE.....IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OTHERAH CRITERIA....DEY'LL SPREAD DUH WEALTH 'ROUND....OFFERAH OPPURTUNITIES...TA EXPERIENCE DUH PLAY-OFFS....EVEN IFIN' ABOVE LIKE SQWADS ....ARE VIEWED.....AS LESS DAN DUH 7-5 POWER MONGERS.....DEY'LL SEEK TA OFFERAH WELL ROUNDED TOURNEY......xnodx..BRAWK!

SENT FROM MAH COMPUTER.....HAL

[jmufan999]

Richmond clearly has the more talented QB, but it's not going to be enough to win this game.

these teams are relatively close in terms of talent. but there is one glaring matchup problem, and that's the punting game. JMU came close to blocking SEVERAL Richmond punts, and W&M is #1 in the country with 6 blocked punts. the #2 FCS teams "only" have 4 blocked punts.

W&M is going to block a punt in this game unless Richmond does something drastic to fix the issue.

don't overlook this. if W&M blocks a punt, they win the game. and i'm going out on a limb to say that they WILL block a punt and they WILL win the game. if i'm wrong, no need to give me s**t for it, because that's a pretty specific prediction.

[MR. CHICKEN]

20096

.............'NIDS/TRIBE......"LITTLE MISS MUFFET BOWL"..........6:30 PM....NBC SPORTS...FO' ALL TA SEE!

[MacThor]

Richmond clearly has the more talented QB, but it's not going to be enough to win this game.

these teams are relatively close in terms of talent. but there is one glaring matchup problem, and that's the punting game. JMU came close to blocking SEVERAL Richmond punts, and W&M is #1 in the country with 6 blocked punts. the #2 FCS teams "only" have 4 blocked punts.

W&M is going to block a punt in this game unless Richmond does something drastic to fix the issue.

don't overlook this. if W&M blocks a punt, they win the game. and i'm going out on a limb to say that they WILL block a punt and they WILL win the game. if i'm wrong, no need to give me s**t for it, because that's a pretty specific prediction.

You're not really going out on a limb if you qualify your prediction like that. :)

[KPSUL]

William and Mary is virtually unbeatable at home, oh wait a minute, that's only when playing my school. So I guess Richmond has a chance; but that Danny Rocco is STRANGE dude.
He'll find a way to lose his third straight.

[Gordon Shumway]

Oh how the mighty have fallen. WTF is Kevin Gilbride doing as the color guy on this game. He is trying way too hard to be the reincarnation of Joe Theisman. xlolx