INDIANAPOLIS – With it's playoff hopes on life support following a week eight loss to North Greenville, Carson-Newman's football team has clocked in in 10th place in the second iteration of the NCAA's region rankings, the NCAA announced Monday afternoon.
The Eagles sit inside the top 10 of the region rankings thans to the region's second toughest strength of schedule. The Eagles have the hardest strength of schedule of any team in the top 10. Only North Alabama has played a more challenging schedule than Carson-Newman.
The region rankings are used to determine the field of 28 teams that comprise the NCAA Division II playoff field. The top seven teams from each super region advance to postseason play.
The Eagles have some work to do if they are to make the playoffs for a 28th time. Carson-Newman unquestionably needs to win out. The Eagles could also use some help from the three two-loss teams and one three-loss team sitting in front of them.
Fellow South Atlantic Conference foe Catawba sits in sixth. The Eagles beat the Indians 31-20 on Sept. 30. Catawba is 6-2 and finishes the season with two home games against Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Gulf South's Delta State (6-3) is in seventh. The Statesmen have lost back-to-back games to Valdosta State and North Alabama. They close the year with a trip to Tigerville, S.C. to take on North Greenville, who beat Carson-Newman two weeks ago. Delta State wraps up the year at home against Florida Tech.
When @cnfootball creeps into the top 10 in Super Region II pic.twitter.com/ATAk5W3Xpy
— C-N Athletics (@CNathletics) October 30, 2017
Eighth-ranked Miles from the SIAC finishes up its slate of regular season games this week at Tuskegee. The winner of that game will be the SIAC West Division's representative in the league's title game on Nov. 11. The loser would likely be eliminated from playoff consideration. The Golden Bears would presently bump Delta State for the final spot in the playoffs via earned access.
The concept of earned access means that if one of the teams in the final top ten is the only team from its conference featured in that top ten, they would make the playoffs over a team ranked ahead of them. This would presently apply to Miles, and could conceivably to Tuskegee, Fort Valley State or Benedict if they won the SIAC Title game.
The CIAA's Virginia Union occupies the ninth spot in the region rankings with a 6-2 in-region record and a 6-3 record overall. The Trojans take on Virginia State, the region's third-ranked team this weekend. A win by VUU would create a three-way tie atop the CIAA's Northern Division for a spot in that league's title game. Either VUU, VSU or Bowie State would then more than likely take on Fayetteville State, who is unbeaten in league play out of the Southern Division.
South Atlantic Conference foe Wingate holds the top spot in the region at 8-0. West Alabama follows in second. West Georgia and Bowie State round out the top five.
The first place team in the region receives a first round bye in the playoffs, which begin Nov. 21. The two-seed hosts the seven, the three-seed the six, and the four-seed the five.
The Eagles are in action this weekend at Lenoir-Rhyne, a venue that C-N hasn't won at since 2009. Kickoff between the bricks at Moretz Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. Pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 1 with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
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SUPER REGION TWO |
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1 |
Wingate |
8-0 |
8-0 |
|
2 |
West Ala. |
7-1 |
7-1 |
|
3 |
Virginia St. |
7-0 |
7-0 |
|
4 |
West Ga. |
7-2 |
7-2 |
|
5 |
Bowie St. |
8-1 |
8-1 |
|
6 |
Catawba |
6-2 |
6-2 |
|
7 |
Delta St. |
6-3 |
6-3 |
|
8 |
Miles |
6-2 |
6-2 |
|
9 |
Virginia Union |
6-2 |
6-3 |
|
10 |
Carson-Newman |
5-3 |
5-3 |