Collin Crown and Masi Tunoa combined for one of SOU’s many sacks

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football @NAIA @FConference @CollinCrown

As mentioned a few weeks ago, SOU’s upward mobility in the rankings was coming to a near halt even if they continued to win. They have continued to win, but they have no hope of making the top four before the end of the regular season due to the easy schedules of several NAIA teams (Reinhardt, Lindsey Wilson, Morningside, Baker, and Grand Vew in particular). SOU remains at #7. Lindsey Wilson and/or Grand View may lose one of their last two games, but the others have very little chance of that happening.

A few of you have asked me if there is any chance SOU can (finally!!!) get more than one home playoff game. The Raiders best bet is to win out and move past Grand View and Lindsey Wilson in the rankings to #5. Then, if one of the top four teams is upset, at home, in the first round of the playoffs, Southern Oregon can earn a second home game. But that’s about the only way at this point.

Is it fair that Frontier Conference teams have to go out every year and win on the road in the playoffs? (Last year Eastern Oregon won at Doane and at Marian, the year before SOU won at Baker and at Morningside, and in 2014 SOU won at Carroll and at St. Xavier.) Morningside, Grandview (except last year), and Baker have been given home field throughout the playoffs each of the last three years, and none of them have won a national championship during those years. Only Baker has made it to the national championship game in those years (and that’s because Eastern Oregon knocked off the #1 seed Marian). So why will they, with their weaker schedules (and Grand View with a loss!), be given a higher ranking and home field advantage again?

Baker and Grand View are in the Heart of America Conference. Why are they both in the top six, when a Heart of America Conference team has won only one national championship in the past 15 years? By comparison, the Frontier Conference’s top two teams have the same records as Baker and Grand View and are ranked #7 and #11. Frontier Conference teams have won seven national championships over those same 15 years and finished as runner ups in three more of those years. Seems like the Heart of America Conference has been (is being) given unfair advantages that they can’t take advantage of. When will this stop?

Ricky Te’o

August Forrest III blocks field goal attempt and….

…. Zay Taylor recovered the blocked kick

Posted on October 23rd, 2017 under only in ashland, people. Tags: august forrest iii, collin crown, football, masi tunoa, Nikon D500, Raider Athletics, ricky te'o, sports photography, zay taylor. Comments Off on Holding pattern continues in NAIA football rankings