NCAA Playoffs Week 2: YSU at Villanova Saturday 12/2 at 12pm

[The YO Show]

Got the win today, now on to Villanova! Should be a tougher test than Duquesne and Villanova will be the favorite as the seeded team. But I like the fight in these penguins!

Let's go for the upset!

[DoubleE]

Looking at their schedule the only impressive win was Delaware. They got smoked by ucf and Albany, the 2 best teams on their schedule. Everyone else is 6-5 at best

[DoubleE]

Nova highlights from there last game vs Delaware
https://youtu.be/_kWfq8XxlAw?si=0Mv8jbgB4OtI5Yh5

[Wick250]

For fans like us the CAA is largely a mystery. That conference does not use ESPN+ but rather some backwater streaming outfit.

One thing for sure: the CAA forfeited their status as an elite FCS conference. Over the past five years or so they admitted nonentities like Elon, Campbell, North Carolina AT, Hampton, Monmouth, and Stony Brook. Then they lost James Madison. For even their stronger teams the quality of play, week in and week out, is decidedly inferior to the MVFC.

None of that means that Villanova is not an excellent team. They get the chance to prove that against us next Saturday and, if successful, against the monster in Brookings in two weeks.

[InTheYo]

It is about a 5 hour drive to Villanova from Youngstown. Not too many driveable FCS games for us. I would certainly encourage as many of you as possible to make the trip across Pennsylvania next weekend for this one. Based on some old video footage, we had a great contingent of YSU fans make the trip there in 1997 when we upset them when they were the #1 seed. Go YSU!

[YsuPride]

Most of those fans lived in the Philadelphia area I believe.

[YsuPride]

Ysu has a good following in the east because of Jaworski I would think

[Kandrase]

Massey Computer Rankings, which seem pretty accurate to me in terms of predictions has our game very close

It's prediction is 30-27 with Villanova having a 57% chance to win

[penguinpower]

They run a 3-3-5.  Licking our chops if they stay in that defense.

[Penquin68]

I was at the 1997 game. Many from the valley traveled to the game and stayed at a hotel owned by Ron Jaworski. At that point we had more fans than ever so a large group traveled. Their field at the time was at the level of a typical lower tier high school stadium. Not sure if they play at the same place or not. We were behind big and I think got a blocked punt and Harry Deligeonus (sp) wrecked havoc on their qb from the Dline position at the end of the game. He was unlockable.  Great win. The trip home that night was terrible with a snowstorm making driving a challenge, but we were all happy!  Hope we can repeat this Saturday.

[dwj]

Our O line seems to have problems against a 3 man front

[penguinpower]

Our O line seems to have problems against a 3 man front

Wrong. SIU period

[guinpen]

Not worthy of it's own thread but yesterday proved why auto-bids are a major joke.

Drake wins the Pioneer and loses to a third place team from another league 66-3.

Duquesne wins the NEC and gets bounced by a team that was the fifth or sixth team to get in from another league 40-7.

I am not bashing these teams or leagues, I'm sure that they look forward to the chance to play, but that just is not reality. Giving these leagues a spot is keeping another deserving team at home. Play-offs should be about the 24 best teams.

[YsuPride]

Auto bids are a joke with the smaller conferences that cannot compete with the MVCA or CAA or even Big Sky but if the shoe was on our foot and we were in a smaller conference we would be b****ing if we didn't get the auto bid though.  Makes sense to get everyone who had a shot at a qualifying conference into the playoffs even if they get beat bad 1st round.   

[ysubigred]

Got the win today, now on to Villanova! Should be a tougher test than Duquesne and Villanova will be the favorite as the seeded team. But I like the fight in these penguins!

Let's go for the upset!

Nova 4-point favorite as of now