INDIANAPOLIS - If the 2019 football regular season ended today, Carson-Newman football would be playoff bound.

The Eagles were slotted sixth in the initial region rankings, released Monday by the NCAA.  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, with the top seed from each region receiving a bye. 

Carson-Newman has been regionally ranked in all of Mike Turner's three seasons as head coach at Carson-Newman, but the Eagles are looking for their first playoff appearance under his guidance and their first as a program since 2015.  Carson-Newman is looking to make its SAC-best 26th trip to postseason play.  

The Eagles are the highest-ranked two-loss team in the region.  C-N sits in that position by virtue of one of the tougher schedule stengths in Super Region II.  The Eagles' DII Weighted OWP-OOWP (Opponent's winning percentage and Opponent's Oppoent's Winning percentage) is .561.  Among teams in the top 10 that is the third highest S0S behind Mississippi College (.581) and Valdosta State (.567).  Overall in the region, Delta State, Florida Tech and Shorter have all played tougher schedules.  

Valdosta State is the highest ranked team in the region at 8-0 and in line for a first-round bye.  The Blazers are off this week before a massive collision with fifth ranked West Florida Nov. 9. VSU finishes the year at West Georgia.  The Gulf South's Argos are a spot ahead of Carson-Newman.  The Eagles beat UWF Sept. 5 to open the season 20-13.  The Argos have games remaining at home against North Greenville (who nearly upset Valdosta State last weekend) and West Alabama sandwiched around the road trip to Valdosta.  

The SAC occupies spots two and four in the region.  Unbeatens Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate are slotted second and fourth and play this weekend. Both teams defeated the Eagles earlier this year.  After Wingate, the Bears wrap up the season with a home game against UNC Pembroke and a road trip to Catawba.  Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have Newberry at home and Mars Hill on the road to close the season.  

The CIAA is represented by Bowie State in third and Virginia State in seventh.  The Bulldogs are unbeaten with key league wins over VSU and Virginia Union (who is on the outside looking in in ninth place).  Bowie State should coast to the CIAA title game with Elizabeth City State and Lincoln left on the regular season docket (the Bulldogs only need one win over either team to clinch a spot in the CIAA championship game). Virginia State meanwhile can bolster its playoff resume when it takes on Virginia Union two weeks from now.  The Trojans are at Chowan this week.  

Mississippi College, VUU and Albany State are the first three on the outside looking in.  The Choctaws are on the road the next two weeks at West Georgia and West Alabama before finishing the year at home against Delta State.  Virginia Union plays Elizabeth City State before its highly anticipated meeting with VSU.  Finally Albany State takes on Morehouse and Fort Valley State before potentially playing in the SIAC title game. 

The Rams would need to move up to ninth and win the SIAC to qualify for the NCAA's earned access provision, which would place them in the field of 28 instead of the seventh-ranked team in the region.  

The Eagles are members of Super Region II along with other schools from the South Atlantic Conference, Gulf South Conference, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.