With yet another week gone by, we are now at the final 1/3 of the season. Hitting some important conference matchups between top teams that will help provide some more clarity to conference races and where teams stack up. Also some battles that could ultimately decide conferences (and auto-bids). Week 9 had about six no brainers and a slew of other games of importance for various reasons. These were the games decided on (with a few others considered also listed). Enjoy!

#18 Rhode Island @ #9 William & Mary - Are the Rams really a weaker link in the five-team CAA race, or will the CAA race become even more muddied?

#10 Delaware @ #27 Elon - The Phoenix appear to be on the outside looking in. Can they play spoiler AND perhaps keep their playoff hopes alive?

#7 Chattanooga @ #22 Furman - Will the Mocs reinforce their SoCon supremacy, or will there be a letdown after last week’s showdown?

#11 Montana @ #5 Weber State - Battle of last week’s losing teams that went toe-to-toe with the “best” of the Big Sky.

#13 Idaho @ #2 Sac State - Wait a minute, could the Vandals be the “best” of the Big Sky?

#28 Illinois State @ #4 North Dakota State - As Professor Chaos pointed out in another thread, the Bison and Redbirds have work to do for playoff consideration.

#24 Fordham @ #8 Holy Cross - Perhaps the standards are higher for a Patriot League team to get a seed, but after last week’s scare, the Crusaders must prove they are the team to beat in the Patriot.

#34 Campbell @ North Carolina A&T - Somebody has to win the Big South auto-bid, right?

St. Francis @ Sacred Heart - Implications for the NEC auto-bid, with the Red Flash eyeing a showdown with Merrimack at the end of the season...just don’t overlook the Pioneers first.

Other games considered:

Valparaiso @ Dayton or San Diego @ St. Thomas - A shakedown in the Pioneer League.

Eastern Kentucky @ #15 Southeast Missouri State or Jacksonville State @ # 28 Austin Peay - Playoff and/or conference championship implications (especially in the ASUN-WAC power ratings to decide the AQ team).

Southern @ # 16 Jackson State - Quest for perfection for the Tigers with the Jaguars hoping to play spoiler.

#6 Incarnate Word @ Texas A&M-Commerce - Wouldn’t that be something if the Cardinals were set off course by the Lions? Don’t expect it to happen, but...