So you're sayin' there's a chance - C-N 10th in final region rankings
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman football wants pure, unbridled chaos.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman football wants pure, unbridled chaos.
That's what it will take for the Eagles to make the NCAA playoffs after being ranked 10th in the final version of the NCAA's region rankings.
The listing is the third of three region rankings that the NCAA publicizes leading up to the NCAA playoffs. The rankings are the official poll utilized by the NCAA in the championship selection process and will continue to be released each week by the NCAA Division II Football Committee up to the NCAA Championship selections on Nov. 16. The region rankings are a snap shot and only include data from past games. Future data is not up for consideration.
Carson-Newman is in Super Region II, which is comprised of the South Atlantic Conference, Gulf Couth Conference, Conference Carolinas and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The champions of each league receive an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs combined with four at-large selections to make up Super Region II's complement of eight teams to the field of 32. Newberry has already laid claim to the SAC's AQ berth.
C-N would need to be in the top eight to be among the field of 32 revealed Sunday. The Eagles are 6-3 on the year.
West Florida is the top-ranked team in Super Region II followed by Albany State. Those two teams are the only D2 unbeatens in the super region. The Argos play Valdosta State for the GSC title Saturday, while the Golden Rams take on Benedict, ranked fourth, for the SIAC title. Newberry was slotted third in this version of the region rankings and has concluded its regular season.
Wingate, whom C-N owns a win over, is in fifth. UNC Pembroke and Kentucky State follow in sixth and seventh, while Delta State is eighth with no remaining regular season games. Emory & Henry joins C-N as SAC teams on the outside looking in.
Carson-Newman's best path to an at-large spot would likely require West Florida and UNC Pembroke to hold serve this weekend. The Braves are at North Greenville for the Conference Carolinas title game. Mars Hill would need to upset Wingate and/or UVA Wise would need an upset win over Emory & Henry. Finally, it would be useful for C-N if Shorter could score a road win at Kentucky State.
If those things happen AND Carson-Newman holds serve at home against Tusculum, then yeah, we're saying there's a chance C-N could be playoff bound as a three-loss team.
Kickoff between the Eagles and Pioneers Saturday is set for 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at noon with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloFB. Fans can also go "In The Booth" and watch Carson-Newman's radio crew at work with a video feed on YouTube.
| REGION/RANK | SCHOOL | OVERALL DIVISION II RECORD | IN-REGION RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| REGION/RANK | SCHOOL | OVERALL DIVISION II RECORD | IN-REGION RECORD |
| SUPER REGION ONE | |||
| 1 | Kutztown | 10-0 | 10-0 |
| 2 | Virginia Union | 9-1 | 9-1 |
| 3 | Johnson C. Smith | 9-1 | 9-1 |
| 4 | Indiana (PA) | 7-2 | 7-2 |
| 5 | California (PA) | 7-3 | 7-3 |
| 6 | Frostburg St. | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 7 | Assumption | 7-2 | 7-2 |
| 8 | Fayetteville St. | 6-3 | 6-3 |
| 9 | Slippery Rock | 6-3 | 6-3 |
| 10 | Charleston (WV) | 7-3 | 7-2 |
| SUPER REGION TWO | |||
| 1 | West Florida | 9-0 | 7-0 |
| 2 | Albany St. (GA) | 9-0 | 9-0 |
| 3 | Newberry | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 4 | Benedict | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 5 | Wingate | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 6 | UNC Pembroke | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 7 | Kentucky St. | 8-1 | 7-1 |
| 8 | Delta St. | 7-3 | 6-3 |
| 9 | Emory & Henry | 7-3 | 7-3 |
| 10 | Carson-Newman | 6-3 | 5-3 |
| SUPER REGION THREE | |||
| 1 | Ferris St. | 9-0 | 8-0 |
| 2 | Findlay | 10-0 | 10-0 |
| 3 | UIndy | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 4 | Ashland | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 5 | Minn. Duluth | 9-1 | 9-1 |
| 6 | Minnesota St. | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 7 | Upper Iowa | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 8 | Augustana (SD) | 9-1 | 9-1 |
| 9 | Northwood | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 10 | Truman St. | 7-2 | 7-2 |
| SUPER REGION FOUR | |||
| 1 | Harding | 10-0 | 10-0 |
| 2 | Central Wash. | 9-0 | 9-0 |
| 3 | Northwest Mo. St. | 9-1 | 9-1 |
| 4 | CSU Pueblo | 9-1 | 9-1 |
| 5 | Pittsburg St. | 8-2 | 7-1 |
| 6 | Chadron St. | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 7 | Western Ore. | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| 8 | UT Permian Basin | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 9 | Western Colo. | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| 10 | Southern Ark. | 7-3 | 7-3 |
