PFL in the Playoffs

vu72 · November 26, 2016, 09:26:32 PM

So our non-scholarship team representing the PFL is San Diego. Tonight they face Cal Poly, a team that beat them in the second game of the season, 38-16. So tonight, San Diego went to their place, playing mid-western mud, and beat them 35-21!!! Probably the only non-scholarship team to ever advance. Cal State Poly finished fourth in the Big Sky, a conference where Montana (Valpo's next opponent) finished 8th.

San Diego looked very good but now has to go the the North Dakota State (five time National Championship team) Dome. Good luck to them!!

As an aside, I sure wish the FBS could get to a legit playoff system like FCS. Even if they went to 8 it would eliminate all the debate about to happen.

bbtds · November 26, 2016, 09:43:36 PM

Quote from: vu72 on November 26, 2016, 09:26:32 PMEven if they went to 8 it would eliminate all the debate about to happen.

That debate will never end no matter how many teams you add whether it's football, basketball or tiddly winks.

hailcrusaders · November 26, 2016, 09:49:37 PM

Wasn't it San Diego that was reprimanded for allegedly giving out athletic scholarships, but got to keep the players in question? I think that was two or three years ago. Not saying they are a *scholarship* team, but I wonder if any of those players are still around. Nonetheless, good for them. It's never easy winning on the road, especially in the playoffs. Cal Poly beat traditional FCS powerhouses Montana (who's down this year) and S. Dakota St. earlier in the season. However, they had played pretty poorly over the last few weeks of the season, so USD certainly got a good draw in that regard.

I'm not seeing any statistics for the game at this time, but CP runs a triple option and I wonder if USD did their homework from their earlier matchup this year and shut them down.

I'd love to see USD pull a shocker in Fargo (I don't like NDSU very much), but I'm not getting my hopes up.

hailcrusaders · November 26, 2016, 09:54:00 PM

Quote from: bbtds on November 26, 2016, 09:43:36 PM
Quote from: vu72 on November 26, 2016, 09:26:32 PMEven if they went to 8 it would eliminate all the debate about to happen.
That debate will never end no matter how many teams you add whether it's football, basketball or tiddly winks.

I have to agree with this. FCS has 24 playoff teams (used to be 16) and there is still debate over who should/shouldn't get in. For example, Albany was shafted this year in favor of Illinois State, last year it was North Dakota in favor of Western Illinois. The only difference is that these bubble teams don't have as good of a shot at winning the whole thing as the FBS bubble teams.

I like the FCS playoffs, but I wonder if the Pioneer League may elect to opt out of them in the future and talk the Ivy League into some sort of crossover, non-scholarship playoff. On the other hand, if San Diego beat Cal Poly who beat South Dakota State who beat North Dakota State, maybe the Pioneer League really can hang with the MVFC

VU2624 · November 26, 2016, 11:06:38 PM

Quote from: hailcrusaders on November 26, 2016, 09:49:37 PMI'm not seeing any statistics for the game at this time, but CP runs a triple option and I wonder if USD did their homework from their earlier matchup this year and shut them down .

Boxscore is here:

http://www.gopoly.com/sports/fball/2016-17/boxscores/20161126_ynt6.xml

Since all Cal Poly does is run, holding them to 155yds rushing, 3.2 per attempt and 12 first downs overall is pretty much shutting them down.

usc4valpo · November 27, 2016, 10:46:50 AM

I think USC would love to see an 8 team playoff right now!!!!! Fight on!

VULB#62 · November 27, 2016, 11:34:07 AM

Quote from: VU2624 on November 26, 2016, 11:06:38 PM
Quote from: hailcrusaders on November 26, 2016, 09:49:37 PMI'm not seeing any statistics for the game at this time, but CP runs a triple option and I wonder if USD did their homework from their earlier matchup this year and shut them down .

Boxscore is here:
I
http://www.gopoly.com/sports/fball/2016-17/boxscores/20161126_ynt6.xml

Since all Cal Poly does is run, holding them to 155yds rushing, 3.2 per attempt and 12 first downs overall is pretty much shutting them down.

Pretty much beat them in every statistical category. Saw the ESPN crawler when USD was up 14 zip but didn't know the final til this morning. Congratulations USD!

usc4valpo · November 28, 2016, 07:37:21 AM

Perhaps Kris Bryant or Ron Burgandy can provide an inspiring pep talk to the Toreros before their trip to scenic Fargo!

bbtds · November 28, 2016, 01:57:48 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on November 28, 2016, 07:37:21 AM
Perhaps Kris Bryant or Ron Burgandy can provide an inspiring pep talk to the Toreros before their trip to scenic Fargo!

Maybe Jenny Craig could teach them to lose by a lot but look good doing it.

usc4valpo · November 28, 2016, 07:42:19 PM

For a San Diego based team to make a trip to North Dakota, where the state tree is the telephone pole, is a story in itself.

VULB#62 · November 28, 2016, 07:47:39 PM

Quote from: usc4valpo on November 28, 2016, 07:42:19 PM
For a San Diego based team to make a trip to North Dakota, where the state tree is the telephone pole, is a story in itself.

valpo84 · December 06, 2016, 07:59:05 AM

Quote from: usc4valpo on November 28, 2016, 07:37:21 AM
Perhaps Kris Bryant or Ron Burgandy can provide an inspiring pep talk to the Toreros before their trip to scenic Fargo!

They should really bring in the big dog who built up that program, former HC Jim Harbaugh to give the speech, as Michigan doesn't have much to do this week....

http://www.si.com/nfl/audibles/2013/09/21/jim-harbaugh-2005-dui-made-me-a-better-counselor-and-aldon-smith-provides-a-serious-test-case

Of course, some might argue that issue was just the Valpo curse.... http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=253022674

By the way, their campus is spectacular....

vu72 · December 06, 2016, 08:48:07 AM

Alas, in spite of whomever gave the speech, our representative went down to defeat to the number one seed and perennial national champion, 45-7

usc4valpo · December 06, 2016, 02:26:57 PM

North Dakota State has a beautiful campus? I thought it was OK but nothing special. The academic buildings however are well insulated.

hailcrusaders · December 07, 2016, 12:05:19 AM

I was impressed at how long USD hung in there. They shut out the NDSU offense for the first quarter (7-0 on a pick six after 1) and kept it to 14-0 through most of the 2nd. Just as good as many scholarship schools would have done.

hailcrusaders · December 10, 2016, 04:40:51 PM

They're not in the PFL, but our friends from Youngstown are moving on to the national semifinals. There are a few ways to view the success of their football team with respect to HL basketball:

1. More success > more athletic donations that trickle down to basketball, or
2. Their wins only reinforce the idea that football is the only successful sport at YSU, so why should they care about their basketball team. Meanwhile the rest of us can't wait for the HL to kick them out

One playoff run isn't going to make a big difference either way, but if they can keep Pelini around, perhaps he'll drive the program