Re: Potential route to getting 2 Ivies into the FCS playoffs -- <h1>IVY LEAGUE SPORTS BOARD</h1>

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Subject: Re: Potential route to getting 2 Ivies into the FCS playoffs

Author:
John Harvard (FCS Poll Bias)

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Date Posted: 12:14:57 11/07/25 Fri
In reply to: Tiger_Inn_Boy 's message, "Potential route to getting 2 Ivies into the FCS playoffs" on 13:26:30 10/26/25 Sun

Prior to the season I identified that no Ivy squad was ranked in the top 25 and the there is a historical bias against us because we don't participate in the FCS playoffs. I also noted that our late start to the season contributed to that as well.

Now that the league will participate, we find 7-0 Harvard at #13 in the Coaches Poll. Note that in the Stats ranking Harvard is #9. Sagarin, however, ranks Harvard as #6 and Massey has Harvard as #7.

At 7-0 and having won every game decisively with margins of victory of at least 21 points, the knock on Harvard (other than having played 7 games and being in the Ivy League) is its strength of schedule. However, when one looks closely, the SOS argument doesn't seem to hold up.

1. North Dakota State (9-0) (SOS 52.9/Rank 158th)
2. Montana (9-0)(66.52/181)
3. Montana St (7-2)(50.64/183)
4. Lehigh (9-0)(43.46/247)
5. Tennessee Tech (9-0)(41.97/258)
6. Monmouth (8-1)(45.49/230)
7. Tarleton St (8-1)(49.53/192)
8. Villanova (6-2)(49.50/193)
9. South Dakota St (7-2)(51.57/171)
T10. Mercer (7-1)(44.12/241)
T10. Rhode Island (7-2)(44.86/234)
12. UC Davis (6-2)(50.72/193)
13. Harvard (7-0)(42.66/256)
14. Southeastern Louisiana (7-2)(43.24/249)

Certainly, Harvard has one of the weakest SOS' in the nation, which won't improve tonight vs #234 Columbia (1-6).

On the other hand, Harvard's SOS is within a point or two from #4 Lehigh, #6 Monmouth, #10 Mercer, #10 Rhode Island, and #14 SE Louisiana. Harvard's SOS is stronger than #5 Tennessee Tech. Of those squads, only Lehigh and Tennessee Tech are undefeated like Harvard is.

So, Sagarin and Massey's ratings (#6/#7) are empirically consistent on these metrics, whereas the subjective coaches poll (#13) is the outlier.

As for posters here who have criticized Harvard's SOS, I posture that had Holy Cross been having the season it usually does, Harvard's SOS would be in the middle of the pack. With Columbia (#234), Penn (#177) and Yale (#138), Harvard might just end up near the top of league in SOS, despite the statistical impact of not getting to play against the Ivy League's best squad.

Bottom Line: as expected, the Coaches will minimize Ivy Squads because of the historical remnant of not participating in the post season and the fact that we will play less games, exacerbated by others starting two weeks earlier than we do.

This SOS argument goes away if Harvard replaces Stetson with a team like Lafayette, Fordham, or UNH. I'd welcome it.

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[> [> Subject: Re: Potential route to getting 2 Ivies into the FCS playoffs

Author:
sparman
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Date Posted: 15:01:03 11/07/25 Fri

?Bottom Line: as expected, the Coaches will minimize Ivy Squads because of the historical remnant of not participating in the post season and the fact that we will play less games, exacerbated by others starting two weeks earlier than we do."

These are surely contributing factors, but I suspect another significant reason is general resentment of perceived ivy "elitism".

[> [> [> Subject: Re: Potential route to getting 2 Ivies into the FCS playoffs
Author: John Harvard (Playoff Committee) [ Edit \| View ]	Date Posted: 08:09:20 11/08/25 Sat Apparently there is a less biased “FCS Playoff Committee” that has Harvard ranked #9 going into last night’s game.

[> [> Subject: Re: Potential route to getting 2 Ivies into the FCS playoffs
Author: Greenhorn [ Edit \| View ]	Date Posted: 21:51:15 11/07/25 Fri Agree with both of your arguments but I still think it is highly unlikely that two Ivy teams get in the playoffs in the first year of Ivy participation. Too much anti Ivy bias currently. If Harvard wins out and makes a playoff run ( which I think they will), in future years, the playoff committee will give more respect to the Ivy squads.