What a difference a day makes

What a difference a (loosing) day makes! The great Dinah Washington won a Grammy for her classic 50's song "What a difference a day makes". It was later re-done by the Temptations and Dean Martin.

Like song title, UMass' loss to Rhode Island on Saturday made a huge change in the Minutemen's chances of making a return trip to Chattanooga.

The CAA will receive three -----or at most four bids to the playoffs. One team will win CAA title and the league auto-bid. The rest of the league is in competition for the remaining two or three slots.

Right now there are six CAA teams in contention. Two or three of them will not make it.

MY TAKE:

1. Delaware. (7-2, 5-1 CAA) The Hens have a leg up with a 2 point CAA tie-breaker in the race for the auto-bid because of their win over Navy. They do have two tough games with Richmond and Villanova remaining. I think they are a lock as long as they win one of the two. If they beat Richmond this week they are also in the catbird seat for the league auto bid.
2. James Madison. (6-3, 4-2 CAA) The dukes should beat Bill & Mary and Towson. 8-3 and the large JMU fan base will ensure a bid for the Dukes.
3. Richmond. (7-2, 4-2 CAA) The Spiders have to play Delaware and William & Mary. The Hens are on a roll and I think Richmond will end up 8-3 . Quality wins over UNH and JMU will give the Spiders a leg up over other 8-3 CAA teams.
   
4. UMass. (7-2, 5-1 CAA). The Minutemen could end any craziness by winning their last two. At 9-2, UMass would win the CAA North and have a chance at the auto-bid if someone upsets Delaware. Loosing one of the two makes things considerably more murky. UMass could end up one of three or more CAA teams bunched at 8-3. A loss also would mean UMass would not win the CAA North and also loose the head-to-head tie-breaker to Hofstra or UNH. If we had to loose one, it would be better to loose to UNH and beat Hofstra. Two losses would put us out.
5. Hofstra . (7-2, 4-2 CAA) The Pride has/have played a weak schedule. They finish with Northeastern and UMass. It's likely that they will end up as another 8-3 CAA team. If they win out, they're in the playoffs. If they beat UMass and loose to the Huskies, they are a bubble team with all the other possible 8-3 teams in the CAA. I think the Pride would be left out under that scenario. A UMass win would leave the Pride out even if both teams finish 8-3.
   
6. New Hampshire. (6-3, 3-3 CAA). The Wildcats need to win both remaining games against UMass and Maine. Anything else puts them out.
   

Matty Vautour looks at the playoff possibilities here . The SME Network does it's weekly playoff bracket prognostication here .

The College Sporting New has this week's FCS Gridiron Power Index.

Keeper's college ratings has us #7 and a 9 point favorite over UNH.

UMass has its UNH game notes up.

The Boston Herald has a story about Mike McLaughlin, the son of UMass great Mike McLaughlin senior, who played for us in the 70's. Mike Sr. was All-Yankee Conference 1st team in 77 and 78 at center for the Minutemen.