It’s been a tough year for Division I college lacrosse so far.
COVID-19 forced the majority of the 2020 regular season and subsequent NCAA Tournament into cancellation.
Furman was forced to fold its entire program and more schools are rumored to be considering similar options.
Incoming freshmen for the 2021 season are losing scholarships due to seniors staying for a fifth year.
Ivy Leaguers are either losing a year of eligibility or being forced to transfer in order to play again (Michael Sowers).
Instead of dwelling on all the bad, I figured we could all use some positive debate and discussion about expanding the number of sites where the NCAA hosts its annual final four.
Right now, there are three sites that the NCAA Final Four is played: Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Foxboro (MA). It’s not much of a mystery as to why the NCAA chooses these areas to host the Final Four every year. Boston, Philly and Baltimore are three of the top lacrosse hotbeds in the country and all three offer massive venues capable of hosting such an event.
Boston guys like myself hold the luxury of being able to drive 15 minutes down to Gillette Stadium to cover the Final Four every couple of years. It’s an awesome experience meeting and networking with all the various members of lacrosse media on the sidelines on Memorial Day.
Just to make myself clear, it is OBVIOUSLY a good thing to have the Final Four in a major lacrosse market like the three cities the NCAA currently operates in annually. I don’t want that to change and I think we need to keep the Final Four in major lacrosse markets. I would just argue that in order to help the sport grow, the NCAA should consider moving the Final Four around a little more to other major lacrosse markets. This would allow the sport to develop a new audience as well as allow fans in other areas of the country who are already interested in the sport to get to a Final Four and have a similar experience that the people of Boston, Philly and Baltimore do. There are plenty of markets out there who would jump at the opportunity to host a Final Four.
Here are some cities, venues and potential host schools broken up into two categories: prime and potential. You can decide whether or not it makes sense for the NCAA to give it a try in these cities.
Lacrosse is obviously massive in the Tri-state area. Long Island is one of the top recruiting grounds in the country. Northern New Jersey/Southwest Connecticut are not far behind. There’s an ample number of host-able Division I programs that call this area home and Metlife Stadium is more than capable of hosting such an event. Traffic on the Jersey Turnpike getting to the stadium is an issue, especially on a holiday weekend like Memorial Day. That said, every stadium has a traffic problem. Metlife holds a lot of potential both in terms of attendance and growing the sport. This is my top candidate.
City: Buffalo
Venue: New Era Field
Host: Canisius
We all know how big lacrosse is in New York State. Buffalo will attract fans from upstate and western New York schools such as Syracuse and Cornell, and that’ll be huge. Another big reason to put the Final Four in Buffalo is the potential to attract a Canadian audience. Two things we know: lacrosse in Canada is huge, and there are a ton of Canadians in NCAA lacrosse. The PLL went to Hamilton, Ontario last year in its inaugural season and over 10,000 people attended. Buffalo is about as close to Canada as you’ll get and the NCAA definitely needs to try to take advantage of this. Also, pregame tailgates in Buffalo would be fire (pun absolutely intended).
City: Washington D.C.
Venue: FedEx Field
Host(s): Georgetown, Virginia
Lacrosse in the DMV area is huge as we all know. Baltimore has been a successful host, but it’s probably time to give D.C. (Landover, Maryland) a try. Attendance would be solid no matter who makes it, but if one of the local schools like Georgetown or Virginia made it then that would be fantastic. Plus, fans would have a good amount of site seeing to do on that Sunday between games. No reason not to give it a try.
City: Charlotte
Venue: Bank of America Stadium
Host(s): Duke, North Carolina, High Point
This would be interesting. Lacrosse in North Carolina is not as big as it is in the DMV, Tri-State or New England, but the state has three high-level programs (UNC, Duke, High Point). Furman also would have been a good potential host being just two hours South in Greenville, South Carolina but now that’s no longer an option. If any of the Carolina schools make it to Memorial Day weekend this would be a major hit, and it would breed an opportunity to grow the game in the South.
City: Pittsburgh
Venue: Heinz Field
Host: Robert Morris
Lacrosse is actually bigger in Western Pennsylvania than people think. Pitt is rumored to try to move up from the MCLA and start a Division I team. With that said it’s a haul for almost any fanbase of a major program to drive to Pittsburgh; four hours from Baltimore, six hours from NYC, nine hours from Boston and five hours from Philly. Attendance would sort of live/die on whether Penn State makes it. Still, there’s prime potential here.
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Less-Likely But Potential Candidates
City: Cleveland
Venue: First-Energy Stadium
Cleveland State or Ohio State could host but I just don’t feel lacrosse is big enough in this area to draw a decent local crowd.
City: Atlanta
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
It would be cool to see lacrosse played inside of a massive indoor stadium. Mercer seems like the most logical candidate to host and Georgia is becoming a really solid lacrosse area. Atlanta is a college sports town but this might be too big of challenge to host the Final Four, especially with no guarantee of an ACC school or Southern team making it.
City: Denver
Venue: Empower Field
The MLL and PLL have both done Denver with relative success. The only problem with Denver is its location compared to the rest of Division I college lacrosse. Whenever the Denver Pioneers are in the Final Four its a cross-country trip and they bring by far the smallest number of fans (not their fault, its just logistics). If you put the Final Four in Denver you could see the roles reverse. Even if Denver makes it and brings its share of fans it’s hard to see three other programs bring with them the same type of fan presence. It’s a solid idea to consider for the future but in order to ensure sustainable attendance it’s probably best to keep the Final Four on the right side of the Mississippi.
City: Jacksonville
Venue: TIAA Bank Stadium
You have your host school set in Jacksonville as well as a solid venue to host the event, and nobody is going to say no to going to Florida for a long weekend. The only issue is the local crowd draw. Baltimore, Boston and Philly always do well drawing a local crowd to the Final Four. I think people would be interested in Jacksonville but the sport needs to grow a little more in Florida before we put the Final Four there.
City: Green Bay
Venue: Lambeau Field
Simply put this would be all-time. Playing on real grass would be a twist, but I think lacrosse at Lambeau Field 1,000-percent needs to happen. It would be a surreal experience for both the players and fans. Marquette would be a solid host option but like Jacksonville, my issue with Lambeau is the unknown of a local crowd draw.
Figured with no sports to watch it’d be the perfect time to breakdown the 2020 college football season. Here’s my preseason top-25 teams and the players on each of them to watch out for. Let’s pray Coronavirus doesn’t cancel football season and force us all into insanity.
25. Virginia Tech
2019 Record: 8-5
Bowl Result: Lost Belk Bowl, 31-30 vs. Kentucky
Win O/U: 8.5
Despite starting last season 2-2 with a pair of ugly conference defeats to Duke and Boston College, Virginia Tech rallied and still remained a player in the Coastal Division up until their final regular season game (39-30 loss to Virginia). The Hokies return some solid building blocks on offense including redshirt sophomore quarterback Hendon Hooker (1,555 yards, 13/2 TD/INT) and redshirt junior wideout Damon Hazelton (31 receptions, 527 yards, eight touchdowns). Watch for a big breakout season from junior wideout Hezekiah Grimsley. Virginia Tech’s offensive line is young, but its strength comes at the most important position of left tackle with sophomore Christian Darrisaw (ACC Honorable Mention) back.
Sophomore defensive back Caleb Farley is the top Hokie returning on defense after earning First-Team All-ACC as a freshman (16 PBU’s, four interceptions). Junior All-ACC second-team linebacker Rayshard Ashby (119 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles) is also back to call the signals at middle linebacker.
The Hokies host Penn State at Lane Stadium in week-two and we will find out whether or not they are for real.
24. Florida State
2019 Record: 6-7
Bowl Result: Lost Sun Bowl, 20-14 vs. Arizona State
Win O/U: 7.5
James Blackman returns at quarterback and will have a solid arsenal of weapons to throw to which includes star junior wideout Tamorrion Terry (60 receptions, 1,188 yards, nine touchdowns). New head coach Mike Norvell will look to utilize a similarly aggressive approach on offense like he did at Memphis, so expect Blackman and Terry to be the biggest beneficiaries. Another attribute of Norvell is his ability to run a successful ground attack with multiple running backs. He’ll get a solid assortment of talent to choose from in Khalan Laborn, Deonté Sheffield and Treshaun Ward as well as Texas A&M transfer Jashaun Corbin. Three of Florida State’s starting offensive lineman also return.
All-American defensive tackle Marvin Wilson (five sacks) headlines the returning Seminoles on defense. Junior Cory Durden (five sacks) is also back at defensive tackle. Hamsah Nasirildeen and Asante Samuel Jr (14 PBU’s) will lead the Florida State secondary.
This Florida State roster has a ton of potential. Mike Norvell was the perfect hire with his aggressive schemes and ability to recruit. It’s only a matter of time until the Seminoles are back competing with Clemson for the Atlantic Division title.
23. Cincinnati
2019 Record: 11-3
Bowl Result: Won Birmingham Bowl 31-6 vs. Boston College
Win O/U: 8.5
Desmond Ridder (2,814 yards all-purpose yards, 18 touchdowns) returns at quarterback. Ridder will have back wideout Alec Pierce (37 catches, 652 yards, two touchdowns) to throw to.
All-AAC defensive tackle Elijah Ponder headlines the returns on the front-seven. First-Team All-AAC cornerback Ahmad Gardner (11 PBU’s, three interceptions) and safety Darrick Forrest will lead the Bearcat secondary.
Luke Fickell turned down the Michigan State job and opted to stay at Cincinnati. I think this decision speaks volumes as to how he feels about his team heading into 2020. The Bearcats should be considered the co-favorite along with UCF to win the American and make a run at a New Year’s Six bowl game.
22. Texas A&M
2019 Record: 8-5
Bowl Result: Won Texas Bowl, 24-21 vs. Oklahoma State
Win O/U: 9.5
Kellen Mond (2,897 yards, 20/9 TD/INT) is arguably the top quarterback in the SEC. A&M also returns running back Isaiah Spiller (946 yards, 10 touchdowns) as well as leading receiver Jhamon Ausbon (66 receptions, 872 yards, five touchdowns).
Linebackers and leading tacklers Buddy Johnson and Anthony Hines III are both back. Safeties Demani Richardson and Leon O’Neal Jr will lead the A&M secondary.
The Aggies play an absolutely brutal schedule (Alabama, LSU, Auburn), but thus is life in the SEC West. Jimbo Fisher has A&M heading in the right direction with back-to-back eight-win seasons and bowl victories. A&M catches the break of not having to face either Florida or Georgia in conference play and will instead play Vanderbilt and South Carolina. They need to take advantage of that.
21. Louisville
2019 Record: 8-5
Bowl Result: Won Music City Bowl, 38-28 vs. Mississippi State
Win O/U: 6.5
Louisville surprised a lot of people last season, rebounding from a dismal 2-10 campaign in 2018 under Bobby Petrino to 8-5 and a Music City Bowl win in 2019 under Scott Satterfield. There is a lot to like about Malik Cunningham (2,065 yards, 22/5 TD/INT) at quarterback. Javian Hawkins rushed for 1,525 yards and nine touchdowns last season as a freshman. Expect him to have another monster season in 2020. Hassan Hall (551 yards, five touchdowns) will continue to serve as the No. 2 and also has star potential. Chatarius “Tutu” Atwell (69 receptions, 1,272 yards, 12 touchdowns) is back to lead the Cardinals receiving corps.
Cornerback Chandler Jones (10 PBU’s) is back to center the Louisville secondary. Lead tackler Rodjay Burns is also back at outside linebacker.
20. Utah
2019 Record: 11-3
Bowl Result: Lost Alamo Bowl, 38-10 vs. Texas
Win O/U: 8
Jake Bentley takes over at quarterback after transferring in from South Carolina. PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year Zack Moss is gone so the Utes will need to find a way to replace his 1,800 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns. Samson Nacua is a breakout candidate as the team’s new top wideout. Brant Kuithe (34 receptions, 602 yards, three touchdowns) is a dynamic playmaker returning at tight end.
Linebacker Devin Lloyd and defensive end Mika Tafua are back but the majority’s of Utah’s secondary and front seven will be composed of new faces.
It’s another weak year for the PAC-12 South. Utah won the division with relative ease last season. USC (Kedon Slovis) and Arizona State (Jayden Daniels) have the quarterback play to compete with Utah for the divisional crown, but the Utes are the more well-rounded team.
19. Baylor
2019 Record: 11-3
Bowl Result: Lost Sugar Bowl, 26-14 vs. Georgia
Win O/U: 7
Matt Rhule has moved on to the NFL but he leaves behind an extremely potent and capable offense. Charlie Brewer (3,161 yards, 21/7 TD/INT) was forced to leave both the Sugar Bowl and Big 12 championship game following subsequent hits to the head, so while he returns for his senior year, his health is a concern. Denzel Mims leaving for the NFL means Tyquan Thornton (45 receptions, 782 yards, five touchdowns) will be the new No. 1 receiver. Expect a big breakout year from Josh Fleeks. Trestan Ebner (567 yards, five touchdowns) will take over as the starting running back behind an experienced offensive line that returns three starters.
Baylor is likely to take a step back this season due to coaching change as well as having a young defense, but they’ll be in the mix with the likes of Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.
18. North Carolina
2019 Record: 7-6
Bowl Result: Won Military Bowl, 55-13 vs. Temple
Win O/U: 8.5
Things have quickly changed for the better under Mack Brown. Sam Howell (3,641 yards, 39/7 TD/INT) is back at quarterback after dazzling as a freshman. Dazz Newsome (72 receptions, 1018 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Dyami Brown (51 receptions, 1,034 yards, 12 touchdowns) both return at wideout. The Heels also return both of their top rushers from 2019 in Javonte Williams (972 yards, five touchdowns) and Michael Carter (1,055 yards, three touchdowns).
UNC’s defense will be led by First-Team All-ACC inside linebacker Chazz Surratt (115 tackles, 6.5 sacks).
North Carolina should be considered the clear favorite to win the ACC’s Coastal Division. A pair of tough non-conference games against UCF and Auburn to open the season will allow the Heels to prove that theory.
17. Michigan
2019 Record: 9-4
Bowl Result: Lost Citrus Bowl, 35-16 vs. Alabama
Win O/U: 9
Shea Patterson is gone so Dylan McCaffrey and Joe Milton will battle for the starting quarterback job. The Wolverines return Zach Charbonnet (756 yards, 11 touchdowns) at running back and get back a solid group of receivers which includes Nico Collins (37 receptions, 729 yards, seven touchdowns) and Ronnie Bell (48 receptions, 758 yards, one touchdowns). Mike Sainristil is a potential breakout candidate in the slot. Nick Eubanks (25 receptions, 243 yards, four touchdowns) is back at tight end. Michigan’s offensive line is rebuilding but does return starting right tackle Jalen Mayfield.
Michigan’s defense is receiving a lot of hype but the Wolverines will need to replace all three of its leading tacklers from 2019. Nickel-back Daxton Hill is drawing a lot of Jabrill Peppers comparisons and is a potential breakout star.
This is the year that Jim Harbaugh needs to produce. Fans in Ann Arbor are sick of losing to Penn State and Ohio State.
16. Texas
2019 Record: 8-5
Bowl Result: Won Alamo Bowl, 38-10 vs. Utah
Win O/U: 9.5
Sam Ehlinger (3,663 yards, 33/10 TD/INT) returns for his senior season at quarterback. The Longhorns were extremely up-and-down in 2019 but capped the season with a strong showing in the Alamo Bowl by blowing out Utah. Keontay Ingram (1,095 yards, 10 touchdowns) is back to be the Longhorns’ bell-cow at running back. Brennan Eagles (32 receptions, 522 yards, six touchdowns) and Malcolm Epps will serve as the top-two receivers with both Devan Duvernay and Collin Johnson moving on to the NFL. Three of five starters return to the Texas offensive line.
Star linebacker Joseph Ossai (90 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions) headlines the returns on defense. Ayodele Adeoye is another name to watch on the front-seven.
The Longhorns open against South Florida followed by a trip to the Bayou to face the reigning champs LSU. Texas has the pieces to compete with Oklahoma for the Big 12 title but there needs to be consistency, and that means no more losing to TCU and Iowa State.
15. Iowa
2019 Record: 10-3
Bowl Result: Won Holiday Bowl, 49-24 vs. USC
Win O/U: 7.5
You always know what you’re going to get with Iowa; stout defensive play, a hard-nosed rushing attack and solid production from the tight end position. Nate Stanley is gone at quarterback but Kirk Ferentz is high on his potential replacement in Spencer Petras. Tyler Goodson (804 yards, five touchdowns) and Mekhi Sargent (701 yards, four touchdowns) both return at running back. Top wideouts Ihmir Smith-Marsette (44 receptions, 722 yards, five touchdowns) and Tyrone Tracey Jr (36 receptions, 589 yards, three touchdowns) are also both back. Sam LaPorta is a breakout candidate at tight end. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson and right guard Cole Banwart return on the offensive line.
Cornerback Matt Hankins will lead the Iowa secondary. Linebacker Djimon Colbert (61 tackles) will be the nucleus of the front-seven.
There is no longer a large gap between Wisconsin and the rest of the Big 10 West. Teams like Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois will make the chase for the divisional crown extremely interesting in 2020.
14. Oklahoma State
2019 Record: 8-5
Bowl Result: Lost Texas Bowl, 24-21 vs. Texas A&M
Win O/U: 8
The Pokes get back the nation’s rushing leader in Chuba Hubbard (2,094 yards, 21 touchdowns) as well as top receiver Tylan Wallace (53 receptions, 903 yards, eight touchdowns). These two will be an absolutely lethal duo once again. Spencer Sanders (2,065 yards, 16/11 TD/INT) is back under center.
Oklahoma State has the offense to compete with Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor for the Big 12 title. Like all Big 12 schools, defense remains the issue. This is a big season for head coach Mike Gundy. Failure to win Bedlam and compete for the conference championship with all the talent OSU has coming back will put Gundy on the hot seat.
13. Wisconsin
2019 Record: 10-4
Bowl Result: Lost Rose Bowl, 28-27 vs. Oregon
Win O/U: 9.5
Jonathan Taylor is gone at running back. Jake Ferguson (33 catches, 407 yards, two touchdowns) is back at tight end. Jack Coan (2,727 yards, 18/5 TD/INT) returns under center but Graham Mertz could push Coan for the starting job. Left tackle Cole Van Lanen and right tackle Logan Bruss return on the offensive line.
Leading tackler Jack Sanborn (80 tackles, three interceptions) is back at inside linebacker. Wisco also returns its entire secondary comprised of safeties Reggie Pearson and Eric Burrell as well as corners Falon Hicks and Rachad Wildgoose.
Wisconsin was able to up-end rival Minnesota to claim the Big 10 West title last season. The Badgers punched Ohio State in the mouth and hung tough for the first three quarters of the Big 10 championship game before the Buckeyes made their comeback. The fate of the West division will most likely come down to the Minnesota game once again in 2020.
12. Oregon
2019 Record: 12-2
Bowl Result: Won Rose Bowl, 28-27 vs. Wisconsin
Win O/U: 9.5
A late-season loss at Arizona State held the Ducks out of the playoff discussion despite a lopsided win in the PAC-12 championship game (37-15 vs. Utah). Justin Herbert has moved on to the NFL so Mario Cristobal will need to make due with sophomore Tyler Shough. Oregon returns C.J. Verdell (1,220 yards, eight touchdowns) at running back as well as top wideout Johnny Johnson III (57 receptions, 836 yards, seven touchdowns). One of the nation’s top left tackle prospects Penei Sewell returns to the Oregon offensive line.
Nickel-back Jevon Holland (66 tackles, four interceptions) and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr (47 tackles, 10 PBU’s, two interceptions) are back to lead the Oregon secondary. Mase Funa and Jordon Scott have breakout potential on the defensive line.
The Ducks remain the favorite to come out of the PAC-12 North. It’s now the norm for Oregon to play a tough early-season non-conference game. They’ll do it again in 2020 when the Ducks host Ohio State in week-two.
11. Auburn
2019 Record: 9-4
Bowl Result: Lost Outback Bowl, 31-24 vs. Wisconsin
Win O/U: 9
Auburn gave LSU its toughest game of the 2019 season, narrowly winning in Death Valley (23-20 defeat). A 48-45 win over Alabama in the Iron Bowl brings about reason for optimism heading into 2020. Bo Nix (2,542 yards, 16/6 TD/INT) returns at quarterback and is only going to improve with a year of experience and Iron Bowl victory under his belt. Leading rusher Jatarvious Whitlow transferred so the starting job is up for grabs between Malik Miller, Shaun Shivers and DJ Williams. The issue with Auburn’s offense resides on its completely new offensive line.
Big Cat Bryant and Tyrone Truesdell are back to anchor the Auburn front-seven. Roger McCreary (11 PBU’s) and Jamien Sherwood will lead the secondary.
Auburn’s schedule is once again absolutely brutal. An improved North Carolina program highlights the non-conference slate to go along with the normal SEC gauntlet of Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and Alabama.
10. Minnesota
2019 Record: 11-2
Bowl Result: Won Outback Bowl, 31-24 vs. Auburn
Win O/U: 8
Tanner Morgan (3,253 yards, 30/7 TD/INT) lit it up as a redshirt freshman and will return under center. One of college football’s top wideouts Rashod Bateman (60 receptions, 1,219 yards, 11 touchdowns) is also back. Expect Mohamed Ibrahim to fill in nicely for the departed Rodney Smith at running back. He will run behind a massive and experienced offensive line that returns all five starters.
Minnesota’s defense lost a lot of talent to graduation and the NFL. Safety Jordan Howden (57 tackles, six PBU’s, one interception) and defensive back Coney Durr (45 tackles, 10 PBU’s) will lead the Gopher secondary.
It’s a tough schedule for the Gophers this season, traveling to Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin to go along with home dates with Michigan, Iowa and BYU. If Minnesota wants to take the next step and compete for a Big 10 championship they need to get by Wisconsin.
9. Notre Dame
2019 Record: 11-2
Bowl Result: Won Camping World Bowl, 33-9 vs. Iowa State
Win O/U: 10
Ian Book (3,034 yards, 34/6 TD/INT) is back at quarterback and is a sleeper for the Heisman. The Irish will need to replace top wideout Chase Claypool and starting running back Tony Jones Jr. Lawrence Keys III and Micah Jones figure to see increased snaps behind Braden Lenzy (454 yards, four touchdowns) at wideout. Jafar Armstrong and Jahmir Smith will split time at running back. Left tackle Liam Eichenberg is back to anchor the offensive line.
The Irish defense is loaded with talent, including co-lead tackler and sack-getter Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (80 tackles, 13.5 TFL, five sacks) at linebacker. Drew White (80 tackles) is also back at MIKE linebacker. Cornerback Kyle Hamilton (41 tackles, four interceptions) highlights the returns in the Notre Dame secondary.
Notre Dame has the playmakers on both sides of the ball to put themselves in the playoff discussion. A loaded schedule which features Clemson, Wisconsin (at Lambeau Field), Louisville, USC and Stanford gives the Irish the ability to build an exceptional playoff resume.
8. Georgia
2019 Record: 11-2
Bowl Result: Won Sugar Bowl, 26-14 vs. Baylor
Win O/U: 10
Stetson Bennett and Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman will battle for the starting quarterback job with Jake Fromm gone. The Bulldogs need Zamir White to step up at running back in place of the departed DeAndre Swift. The majority of Georgia’s offensive line is gone so there are some serious question marks. The return of top receiver George Pickens (49 receptions, 727 yards, eight touchdowns) offers reason for optimism.
Azeez Ojulari and Monty Rice will anchor the front-seven at linebacker. Richard LeCounte III (61 tackles, four interceptions) is one of the best safeties in the SEC and will lead an experienced Georgia secondary.
Defense will be the name of the game for Georgia this season. Kirby Smart has put together four consecutive top-three recruiting classes so Georgia shouldn’t have too hard of a time replacing the talent lost on offense. Despite getting exposed pretty bad by LSU in the SEC championship game last season, the Bulldogs will once again be a playoff contender in 2020.
7. Oklahoma
2019 Record: 12-2
Bowl Result: Lost CFP Semifinal (Peach Bowl), 63-28 vs. LSU
Win O/U: 10.5
Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb are gone. Tanner Mordecai and Spencer Rattler will compete for the starting quarterback job while Theo Wease and Charleston Rambo (43 receptions, 743 yards, five touchdowns) take over as the team’s top pass-catching options. Jadon Haselwood is a breakout candidate. OU still has Kennedy Brooks (1,090 yards, six touchdowns) to serve as their bell-cow at running back. Brooks will run behind an offensive line that returns all five starters including All-Big 12 center Creed Humphrey and right tackle Adrian Ealy.
Defensively, Oklahoma will need to replace linebacker Kenneth Murray who was the heart and soul of this unit in 2019. Parnell Motley is also gone at cornerback. Returning to OU’s secondary are corner Tre Brown (11 PBU’s) and safety Brendan Radley-Hiles.
Spin zone: not having a Heisman caliber quarterback like Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield will actually force Oklahoma to improve defensively. Oklahoma’s offense will still score a ton of points this season but it will not be at the same level as it was the past three seasons. OU is the favorite to win the Big 12 but they’ll need to improve defensively in order to be taken seriously by the playoff committee.
6. Florida
2019 Record: 11-2
Bowl Result: Won Orange Bowl, 36-28 vs. Virginia
Win O/U: 9
Feleipe Franks transferring means the starting quarterback job at Florida is Kyle Trask’s (2,941 yards, 25/7 TD/INT) to lose. Tight end Kyle Pitts (54 receptions, 649 yards, five touchdowns) is a star in the making. Freddie Swain, Tyrie Cleveland and Van Jefferson are gone at receiver but the Gators do return Trevon Grimes (33 receptions, 491 yards, three touchdowns) and speedster Kadarius Toney. Look for a big breakout year from Jacob Copeland. Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce figure to split the load at running back. Four of Florida’s five starting offensive linemen are back.
Marco Wilson returning at linebacker is huge for the Gator defense. Also back at linebacker is Ventrell Miller (55 tackles, three sacks). Donovan Stiner (29 tackles, four interceptions) also returns at safety.
Dan Mullen has done an exceptional job so far at Florida. The Gators nearly beat both LSU and Georgia last season. The Tigers come to the swamp on October 10 followed by the annual annual SEC East title game against Georgia in Jacksonville on Halloween. Florida football is back and I think 2020 serves as the coming out party.
5. LSU
2019 Record: 15-0
Bowl Result: Won CFP National Championship, 42-25 vs. Clemson
Win O/U: 9
This will be a very different team than the 2019 squad that dominated its way to the national title. Heisman winner Joe Burrow, star tight end Thaddeus Moss, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, wideout Justin Jefferson as well as the entirety of the offensive line have moved on to the NFL. Back for LSU are wideouts Ja’Marr Chase (84 receptions, 1,780 yards, 20 touchdowns) and Terrace Marshall (46 receptions, 671 yards, 13 touchdowns). Chris Curry and Tyrion Davis-Price will split time at running back.
Safety JaCoby Stevens (92 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions, six PBU’s) and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr (six interceptions, 15 PBU’s) highlight the Tigers returning defensive starters. LSU will once again be “DBU” in 2020.
Ed Oregon will coach this team up and have them back competing for the SEC West title, but with so much talent lost it’s difficult seeing LSU be able to duplicate what it did last season.
4. Penn State
2019 Record: 11-2
Bowl Result: Won Cotton Bowl, 53-39 vs. Memphis
Win O/U: 9.5
Penn State’s entire offense is back. Expect quarterback Sean Clifford (2,654 yards, 23/7 TD/INT) to improve and for running back Journey Brown (1,024 yards, 13 touchdowns) to absolutely go off. Clifford’s receiving corps of KJ Hamler (56 catches, 904 yards, eight touchdowns), Jahan Dotson (43 catches, 507 yards, seven touchdowns) and tight end Pat Freiermuth (43 catches, 507 yards, eight touchdowns) is one of the best in the nation. Four of Penn State’s five starting offensive linemen are also back.
Linebacker Micah Parsons (109 tackles, five PBU’s, five sacks) is the top Nittany Lion returning on defense. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields (eight PBU’s, two interceptions) and safety Lamont Wade (five PBU’s) will anchor the secondary.
Penn State faces a relatively easy schedule this season. Road trips to Michigan and Virginia Tech will be difficult but the Nittany Lions get Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State at home in front of the white-out. Penn State’s shot at a Big 10 championship and playoff bid will come down to the Ohio State game. It always does.
3. Alabama
2019 Record: 11-2
Bowl Result: Won Citrus Bowl, 37-16 vs. Michigan
Win O/U: 10.5
Tua, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs are all gone, but Alabama’s offense is still in a great place. Mac Jones showed a lot of promise as Alabama’s quarterback for the final four games including the bowl victory vs. Michigan, throwing for 327 yards and three touchdowns. However, he’ll still have to battle with the younger Tagovailoa (Taulia) for the starting job. Leading receiver DeVonta Smith (68 receptions, 1,256 yards, 14 touchdowns) is back along with Jaylen Waddle (33 receptions, 560 yards, six touchdowns). Also returning for the Tide is running back Najee Harris (1,558 yards, 20 touchdowns). All-American left tackle Alex Leatherwood is back to anchor the Alabama offensive line.
Linebacker Dylan Moses is returning from a season-ending knee injury that cost him all of last season. Patrick Surtain II (42 tackles, eight PBU’s, two interceptions) returns at safety. Linebackers Shane Lee (86 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and Christian Harris (61 tackles).
Alabama’s defense may have lost a lot of talent but they have the pieces in place to improve and get back to championship caliber. The Tide are once again favorites to win their division, the SEC and get back to the playoff.
2. Clemson
2019 Record: 14-1
Bowl Result: Lost CFP National Championship, 42-25 vs. LSU
Win O/U: 11.5
Rinse and repeat for Clemson. Tee Higgins is gone to the NFL but the Tigers still have one of the best receiving corps in the country with Justyn Ross (66 receptions, 865 yards, eight touchdowns) and Amari Rodgers (30 receptions, 426 yards, four touchdowns) both back. Running back Travis Etienne (2,046 yards, 23 touchdowns) and looks poised to eclipse 1,600 rushing yards for the third straight year. And, of course, Trevor Lawrence (3,665 yards, 36/8 TD/INT) is back at quarterback and is a preseason favorite for the Heisman. The one downside to Clemson’s offense is their inexperience on the offensive line. Given the number of skill position players the Tigers have coming back, I think Dabo’s offense will be just fine.
James Skalski (90 tackles, 3.5 sacks) is back to lead Clemson’s defense at middle linebacker. Baylon Spector (44 tackles, two sacks) is another name to watch for at linebacker. Free safety Nolan Turner (48 tackles, two interceptions, eight PBU’s) and cornerback Derion Kendrick (43 tackles, two interceptions, five PBU’s) both return to anchor the secondary.
Clemson’s season came to a tough end last year in New Orleans but they’ll be playoff bound once again in 2020. The biggest test of the season comes in week 10 when the Tigers travel to South Bend to play Notre Dame.
1. Ohio State
2019 Record: 13-1
Bowl Result: Lost CFP Semifinal (Fiesta Bowl), 29-24 vs. Clemson
Win O/U: 11
Running back J.K. Dobbins is gone, so are All-American corner Jeff Okudah and All-American defensive end Chase Young. With that said, Ohio State is the best team in college football heading into 2020 simply because they have the best player; quarterback Justin Fields (3,757 yards, 51 touchdowns). Fields should be considered the Heisman front-runner. Chris Olave (48 receptions, 840 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Garrett Wilson (30 receptions, 432 yards, five touchdowns) are both back at receiver. DeMario McCall and Master Teague (849 yards, four touchdowns) will split time at running back. Right guard Josh Myers and right tackle Wyatt Davis return to the Buckeye offensive line.
Ohio State returns just two starters on its defense but they are both big-time playmakers; middle linebacker Tuf Borland (55 tackles, one interception) and cornerback Shaun Wade (26 tackles, two sacks, one interception, seven PBU’s).
Ohio State is my pick to win the Big 10. I really like Justin Fields and think he helps lead the Buckeyes to promise after some pretty sketchy officiating cost OSU a shot at playing LSU for the national championship.
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Penn State
ECAC: Cornell
Hockey East: Boston College
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Current Top-16 In PairWise
North Dakota (26-5-4)
Minnesota State (31-5-2)
Cornell (23-2-4)
Minnesota Duluth (22-10-2)
Denver (21-9-6)
Boston College (24-8-2)
Penn State (20-10-4)
Massachusetts (20-11-2)
Clarkson (23-8-2)
Ohio State (20-11-5)
UMass Lowell (18-10-6)
Bemidji State (22-10-5)
Arizona State (22-11-3)
Michigan (18-14-4)
Maine (18-11-5)
Quinnipiac (21-11-2)
Now we adjust the top-16 in the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions. AIC slides into No. 16 and Quinnipiac loses its spot.
North Dakota (26-5-4)
Minnesota State (31-5-2)
Cornell (23-2-4)
Minnesota Duluth (22-10-2)
Denver (21-9-6)
Boston College (24-8-2)
Penn State (20-10-4)
Massachusetts (20-11-2)
Clarkson (23-8-2)
Ohio State (20-11-5)
UMass Lowell (18-10-6)
Bemidji State (22-10-5)
Arizona State (22-11-3)
Michigan (18-14-4)
Maine (18-11-5)
AIC (21-12-1)
With the 16-team field set we can assign seedings, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Minnesota Duluth is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 UMass is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 Penn State is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 Boston College is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Denver is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 Clarkson is placed in No. 8 UMass’ regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Ohio State is placed in No. 7 Penn State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 UMass Lowell is placed in No. 6 Boston College’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Bemidji State is placed in No. 5 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Maine is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 Michigan is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Arizona State is placed in No. 4 Minnesota Duluth’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Resulting in this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 UMass vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Michigan
2 Boston College vs. 3 UMass Lowell
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Ohio State
________________
First and foremost, we must accommodate regional hosts. Penn State is the host of the Midwest Regional in Allentown, while Denver is the host of the West Regional in Loveland. We leave the Penn State/Ohio State matchup as it is for now and swap Denver with UMass.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Arizona State
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Michigan
2 Boston College vs. 3 UMass Lowell
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Ohio State
________________
We must now eliminate inter-conference matchups in the first round (BC vs. Lowell, Penn State vs. Ohio State). This is a simple fix as we simply swap Lowell with Ohio State.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Arizona State
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Michigan
2 Boston College vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 UMass Lowell
________________
With regional hosts accommodated and no inter-conference matchups, the goal now is to maximize attendance at each regional event.
*Note: No. 16 AIC must stay in Loveland in fairness to No. 1 North Dakota
Ideally, we want to get more Big 10 teams into the Midwest and more ECAC/Hockey East teams into the Northeast and East. Clarkson can be swapped with Bemidji State and Maine can be swapped with Michigan.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Arizona State
2 UMass vs. 3 Clarkson
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Boston College vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Michigan
2 Penn State vs. 3 UMass Lowell
After that, I really do not see much that can be adjusted. Ohio State cannot go to Allentown as that would create an inter-conference matchup with Penn State. Same thing goes for Lowell with both BC and UMass serving as the two-seeds in the East and Northeast.
________________
Final Bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Arizona State
2 UMass vs. 3 Clarkson
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Boston College vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Michigan
2 Penn State vs. 3 UMass Lowell
________________
Last Week’s Bracket
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Clarkson
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
Northeastern is currently unraveling. The Huskies have lost four in a row after being swept by Vermont this past weekend and are in danger of not only missing the NCAA Tournament, but also missing the conference should UNH pass NU in the Hockey East standings this upcoming weekend.
Current Conference Leaders
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Penn State
ECAC: Cornell
Hockey East: Boston College
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Current Top-16 In PairWise
North Dakota (25-4-4)
Minnesota State (29-5-2)
Cornell (23-2-4)
Boston College (23-8-1)
Minnesota Duluth (20-10-2)
Denver (20-9-5)
Penn State (20-10-4)
Massachusetts (20-11-2)
Clarkson (23-8-2)
Bemidji State (20-9-5)
Ohio State (18-11-5)
Arizona State (22-11-3)
UMass Lowell (17-10-6)
Quinnipiac (21-11-2)
Maine (17-11-5)
Minnesota (14-13-7)
Now we adjust the top-16 in the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions. AIC slides into No. 16 and Minnesota loses its spot.
North Dakota (25-4-4)
Minnesota State (29-5-2)
Cornell (23-2-4)
Boston College (23-8-1)
Minnesota Duluth (20-10-2)
Denver (20-9-5)
Penn State (20-10-4)
Massachusetts (20-11-2)
Clarkson (23-8-2)
Bemidji State (20-9-5)
Ohio State (18-11-5)
Arizona State (22-11-3)
UMass Lowell (17-10-6)
Quinnipiac (21-11-2)
Maine (17-11-5)
American International (21-12-1)
With the 16-team field set we can assign seedings, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Boston College is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 UMass is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 Penn State is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 Denver is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Minnesota Duluth is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 Clarkson is placed in No. 8 UMass’ regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Bemidji State is placed in No. 7 Penn State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 Ohio State is placed in No. 6 Denver’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Arizona State is placed in No. 5 Minnesota Duluth’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Maine is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 Quinnipiac is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 UMass Lowell is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Resulting in this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 UMass vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Denver vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
________________
First and foremost, we must accommodate regional hosts. Penn State is the host of the Midwest Regional in Allentown, while Denver is the host of the West Regional in Loveland. We leave the Penn State/Bemidji State matchup as it is for now and swap Denver with UMass.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
________________
We must now eliminate inter-conference matchups in the first round (BC vs. Lowell, Cornell vs. Quinnipiac). This is a simple fix as we simply swap Lowell with Quinnipiac.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
________________
With regional hosts accommodated and no inter-conference matchups, the goal now is to maximize attendance at each regional event.
*Note: No. 16 AIC must stay in Loveland in fairness to No. 1 North Dakota
One quick change I see is swapping Arizona State with Clarkson.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Clarkson
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
________________
Actually, it probably makes more sense to have Clarkson in Albany and UMass in Worcester. So, we just swap the matchups entirely.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Clarkson
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
I don’t see any other changes after that. Ideally, we would love to get Ohio State into Allentown but with Penn State as the No. 2 seed it cannot happen as it would create an inter-conference matchup. That’s it for this week.
________________
Final Bracket
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Clarkson
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Maine
2 Penn State vs. 3 Bemidji State
________________
Last Week’s Bracket
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Western Michigan
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Penn State
ECAC: Cornell
Hockey East: Boston College
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Current Top-16 In PairWise
North Dakota (24-4-4)
Minnesota State (28-4-2)
Cornell (21-2-4)
Boston College (21-8-1)
Minnesota Duluth (18-10-2)
Denver (19-8-5)
Penn State (20-10-4)
Massachusetts (19-10-2)
Ohio State (18-10-4)
Clarkson (23-7-2)
Bemidji State (19-8-5)
Northeastern (17-10-3)
Arizona State (22-11-3)
Minnesota (14-12-6)
Western Michigan (16-11-5)
UMass Lowell (16-10-5)
Now we adjust the top-16 in the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions. AIC slides into No. 16 and UMass Lowell loses its spot.
North Dakota (24-4-4)
Minnesota State (28-4-2)
Cornell (21-2-4)
Boston College (21-8-1)
Minnesota Duluth (18-10-2)
Denver (19-8-5)
Penn State (20-10-4)
Massachusetts (19-10-2)
Ohio State (18-10-4)
Clarkson (23-7-2)
Bemidji State (19-8-5)
Northeastern (17-10-3)
Arizona State (22-11-3)
Minnesota (14-12-6)
Western Michigan (16-11-5)
American International (20-11-1)
With the 16-team field set we can assign seedings, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Boston College is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 UMass is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 Penn State is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 Denver is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Minnesota Duluth is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 Ohio State is placed in No. 8 UMass’ regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Clarkson is placed in No. 7 Penn State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 Bemidji State is placed in No. 6 Denver’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Northeastern is placed in No. 5 Minnesota Duluth’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Western Michigan is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 Minnesota is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Arizona State is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Resulting in this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Western Michigan
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
First and foremost, we must accommodate regional hosts. Penn State is the host of the Midwest Regional in Allentown, while Denver is the host of the West Regional in Loveland. We leave the Penn State/Clarkson matchup as it is for now and swap Denver with UMass.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Ohio State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Minnesota
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Western Michigan
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
With hosts accommodated and no inter-conference matchups in the first round, the goal now is to maximize attendance at each regional event.
*Note: No. 16 AIC must stay in Loveland in fairness to No. 1 North Dakota
It would be ideal to get multiple Big 10 teams into Allentown. We cannot swap in Ohio State as that would create an inter-conference matchup with Penn State. Minnesota will have to do, so we move the Gophers in and Western Michigan goes to the East.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Ohio State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Western Michigan
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
Geographically, swapping Ohio State with Bemidji State seems like the right call. May as well make life a little easier for both teams as far as distance traveled plus Ohio State will do a lot better attendance-wise in Albany than they would in Loveland, vice versa for Bemidji.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Western Michigan
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
I don’t see any more changes. Obviously, we would love to get Clarkson into Albany and Ohio State into Allentown but it cannot happen due to Penn State hosting the Midwest.
________________
Final Bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Arizona State
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Western Michigan
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
________________
Last Week’s Bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Maine
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Northeastern
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Minnesota
ECAC: Cornell
Hockey East: Boston College
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Current Top-16 In PairWise
North Dakota (23-3-3)
Minnesota State (26-4-2)
Cornell (19-2-4)
Minnesota Duluth (17-9-2)
Denver (17-8-5)
Boston College (19-8-1)
Clarkson (22-6-2)
Massachusetts (18-9-2)
Northeastern (17-8-3)
Penn State (19-10-3)
Arizona State (22-9-3)
Bemidji State (18-8-4)
Ohio State (16-10-4)
Maine (16-10-4)
UMass Lowell (15-9-5)
Minnesota (14-11-5)
Now we adjust the top-16 in the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions. Minnesota moves up to 15, AIC slides into 16, and UMass Lowell loses its spot due to Minnesota currently leading the Big 10.
North Dakota (23-3-3)
Minnesota State (26-4-2)
Cornell (19-2-4)
Minnesota Duluth (17-9-2)
Denver (17-8-5)
Boston College (19-8-1)
Clarkson (22-6-2)
Massachusetts (18-9-2)
Northeastern (17-8-3)
Penn State (19-10-3)
Arizona State (22-9-3)
Bemidji State (18-8-4)
Ohio State (16-10-4)
Maine (16-10-4)
Minnesota (14-11-5)
American International (18-11-1)
With the 16-team field set we can assign seedings, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Minnesota Duluth is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 UMass is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 Clarkson is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 Boston College is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Denver is placed in No. 4 Minnesota State’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 Northeastern is placed in No. 8 UMass’ regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Penn State is placed in No. 7 Clarkson’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 Arizona State is placed in No. 6 Boston College’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Bemidji State is placed in No. 5 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Minnesota is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 Maine is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Ohio State is placed in No. 4 Minnesota Duluth’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Resulting in this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 UMass vs. 3 Northeastern
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Denver vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
First and foremost, we must accommodate regional hosts. Penn State is the host of the Midwest Regional in Allentown, while Denver is the host of the West Regional in Loveland. We leave the Penn State/Clarkson matchup as it is for now and swap Denver with UMass.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Northeastern
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Ohio State
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
With hosts in place and no inter-conference matchups in the first-round, the goal now is to maximize attendance at each event.
*Note: No. 16 AIC must stay in Loveland in fairness to No. 1 North Dakota.
It would be ideal to get more ECAC/Hockey East teams into the East or Northeast. In order to avoid an inter-conference matchup in Albany, we swap Clarkson with Boston College and Northeastern with Arizona State.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Ohio State
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Northeastern
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
It also probably makes sense to swap Maine with Ohio State so that both the East and Northeast Regionals have multiple teams from the ECAC/Hockey East.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Maine
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Northeastern
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
I don’t see any other changes. Multiple Big 10 teams in Allentown is a good thing as far as attendance, same goes to having multiple NCHC teams in Loveland, a pair of ECAC teams in Albany and two Hockey East teams in Worcester. Boston College receives the short end this week having to face Penn State in Allentown.
Final Bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Maine
2 UMass vs. 3 Bemidji State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Northeastern
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Minnesota
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Penn State
ECAC: Clarkson
Hockey East: UMass
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Current Top-16 In PairWise
North Dakota (21-3-3)
Minnesota State (26-4-2)
Cornell (17-2-4)
Minnesota Duluth (17-9-2)
Denver (17-6-5)
Boston College (17-8-1)
UMass (18-9-2)
Penn State (18-9-3)
Clarkson (20-6-2)
Arizona State (20-9-3)
UMass Lowell (15-7-5)
Northeastern (15-8-3)
Maine (15-9-4)
Quinnipiac (17-9-2)
Ohio State (16-10-4)
Providence (14-9-5)
Now we adjust the top-16 of the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions. It remains the same with the exception of Providence losing its spot to AIC.
North Dakota (21-3-3)
Minnesota State (26-4-2)
Cornell (17-2-4)
Minnesota Duluth (17-9-2)
Denver (17-6-5)
Boston College (17-8-1)
UMass (18-9-2)
Penn State (18-9-3)
Clarkson (20-6-2)
Arizona State (20-9-3)
UMass Lowell (15-7-5)
Northeastern (15-8-3)
Maine (15-9-4)
Quinnipiac (17-9-2)
Ohio State (16-10-4)
American International (15-11-1)
With the 16-team field set we can begin assigning seedings, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Minnesota Duluth is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 Penn State is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 UMass is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 Boston College is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Denver is placed in No. 4 Minnesota State’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 Clarkson is placed in No. 8 Penn State’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Arizona State is placed in No. 7 UMass’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 UMass Lowell is placed in No. 6 Boston College’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Northeastern is placed in No. 5 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Ohio State is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 Quinnipiac is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Maine is placed in No. 4 Minnesota Duluth’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Resulting in this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Penn State vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Maine
2 Denver vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Boston College vs. 3 UMass Lowell
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Ohio State
2 UMass vs. 3 Arizona State
First and foremost, we must accommodate regional hosts. Penn State is the host of the Midwest Regional in Allentown, while Denver is the host of the West Regional in Loveland. We perform a three-way swap: moving Denver to Loveland, UMass to Worcester and Penn State to Allentown.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Clarkson
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Maine
2 UMass vs. 3 Northeastern
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Boston College vs. 3 UMass Lowell
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Penn State vs. 3 Arizona State
With hosts now accommodated, we must eliminate inter-conference matchups in the first round (UMass vs. Northeastern, Cornell vs. Quinnipiac, BC vs. Lowell). We must make a four-way swap with the No. 3 seeds, sending Clarkson to Worcester, Northeastern to Loveland, Lowell to Allentown and Arizona State to Albany. We also swap Quinnipiac with Maine.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Northeastern
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 UMass vs. 3 Clarkson
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Penn State vs. 3 UMass Lowell
Now, the goal is to maximize attendance at each event.
*Note* No. 16 AIC must stay matched against No. 1 North Dakota
Northeastern cannot be moved out of the West to either the East or Northeast as it would create an inter-conference matchup with Boston College or UMass. The Huskies must stay in Loveland (same goes to Lowell in the Midwest).
We could move Clarkson from Albany to Worcester in place of Arizona State, but all that would do is put four Eastern teams in the Northeast and leave us with just two in the East. It’s better off as it is with three and three.
The West seems to be all set with North Dakota and Denver, while the Midwest has two Big 10 teams.
I really do not see any necessary changes to this bracket. Denver moving down to a two-seed makes this week’s bracket a lot less complex in terms of placing No. 1 seeds.
Final Bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Denver vs. 3 Northeastern
Northeast
1 Minnesota Duluth vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 UMass vs. 3 Clarkson
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Maine
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Ohio State
2 Penn State vs. 3 UMass Lowell
Accordingly to the NCAA, Monday’s epic Beanpot semifinal between BC and BU ended in a tie. Suck for the Terriers because that was a hell of a win they really could have used to move up a few spots in the ranks. Nevertheless, we move on.
Current Conference Leaders:
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Ohio State
ECAC: Clarkson
Hockey East: Boston College
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Current Top-16 In PairWise
North Dakota (21-3-3)
Minnesota State (24-4-2)
Cornell (15-2-4)
Denver (17-6-5)
Boston College (16-7-1)
Minnesota Duluth (15-9-2)
Clarkson (19-6-2)
Northeastern (15-7-2)
UMass (16-9-2)
Arizona State (18-9-3)
Ohio State (16-9-3)
Penn State (17-9-2)
Providence (14-7-5)
Quinnipiac (16-9-1)
Northern Michigan (16-8-4)
Maine (14-9-4)
Now we adjust the top-16 of the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions. It remains the same with the exception of Maine losing its spot to AIC.
North Dakota (21-3-3)
Minnesota State (24-4-2)
Cornell (15-2-4)
Denver (17-6-5)
Boston College (16-7-1)
Minnesota Duluth (15-9-2)
Clarkson (19-6-2)
Northeastern (15-7-2)
UMass (16-9-2)
Arizona State (18-9-3)
Ohio State (16-9-3)
Penn State (17-9-2)
Providence (14-7-5)
Quinnipiac (16-9-1)
Northern Michigan (16-8-4)
AIC (15-11-1)
With the 16-team field set we can begin assigning seedings, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Denver is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 Northeastern is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 Clarkson is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 Minnesota Duluth is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Boston College is placed in No. 4 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 UMass is placed in No. 8 Northeastern’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Arizona State is placed in No. 7 Clarkson’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 Ohio State is placed in No. 6 Minnesota State’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Penn State is placed in No. 5 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional
No. 15 N. Michigan is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest regional.
No. 14 Quinnipiac is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Providence is placed in No. 4 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Resulting in this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Northeastern vs. 3 UMass
Northeast
1 Denver vs. 4 Providence
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Arizona State
First and foremost, we must accommodate regional hosts. Penn State is the host of the Midwest Regional in Allentown, while Denver is the host of the West Regional in Loveland. We swap North Dakota vs. AIC with Denver vs. Providence, and simply swap Penn State with Arizona State.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Providence
2 Northeastern vs. 3 UMass
Northeast
1 North Dakota vs. 2 AIC
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
Now, we must eliminate inter-conference matchups in the first round (Northeastern vs. UMass, Minnesota State vs. Northern Michigan, Cornell vs. Quinnipiac). We swap Quinnipiac with Northern Michigan, and we swap Minnesota Duluth with Northeastern.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Providence
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 UMass
Northeast
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Northeastern vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
With no inter-conference matchups and all hosts accommodated, we can now switch up matchups to generate the best possible attendance at each event.
*Note* In fairness to No. 1 overall North Dakota, they must stay matched up with No. 16 AIC.
Denver and Penn State must remain in their respective regionals.
Considering AIC’s proximity to Worcester (about 50 miles), it does not seem fair to have that matchup in the Northeast as it would be a major disadvantage to North Dakota. We will swap this matchup with Minnesota State vs. Quinnipiac.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Providence
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 UMass
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Northeastern vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
We can also swap Providence with Northern Michigan.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 UMass
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Providence
2 Northeastern vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
We also would like to get more Hockey East and ECAC teams into the Northeast. To do this, we swap Boston College with Clarkson in order to avoid an inter-conference matchup with UMass. Arizona State moves to the West in place of UMass.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Clarkson vs. 3 UMass
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Providence
2 Northeastern vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
This looks pretty good to me. You could make an argument to put BC back in Worcester or for Clarkson to be in Albany but I think considering the circumstances with the No. 1 seeds this is a pretty solid result for both the East and Northeast as far as attendance. We just need to reorder the regionals so that the bracket aligns with the No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 overall seeding format.
Here is the final bracket for this week:
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Boston College vs. 3 Penn State
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Northern Michigan
2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Clarkson vs. 3 UMass
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Providence
2 Northeastern vs. 3 Ohio State
East – Albany, NY
Northeast – Worcester, MA
Midwest – Allentown, PA
West – Loveland, CO
Current Top 16 in PairWise:
North Dakota (19-3-3)
Cornell (14-1-4)
Minnesota State (23-4-1)
Denver (17-4-5)
Boston College (15-7-0)
Penn State (17-8-1)
Massachusetts (16-8-2)
Clarkson (17-6-2)
Providence (14-6-5)
Ohio State (15-8-3)
Arizona State (16-9-3)
Minnesota Duluth (13-9-2)
Northeastern (13-7-2)
New Hampshire (13-9-2)
Northern Michigan (14-8-4)
UMass Lowell (13-7-5)
Current Conference Leaders:
Atlantic: American International
Big 10: Michigan State
ECAC: Clarkson
Hockey East: UMass
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Now we adjust the top-16 of the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions.
North Dakota (19-3-3)
Cornell (14-1-4)
Minnesota State (23-4-1)
Denver (17-4-5)
Boston College (15-7-0)
Penn State (17-8-1)
Massachusetts (16-8-2)
Clarkson (17-6-2)
Providence (14-6-5)
Ohio State (15-8-3)
Arizona State (16-9-3)
Minnesota Duluth (13-9-2)
Northeastern (13-7-2)
New Hampshire (13-9-2)
Michigan State (13-12-1)
AIC (13-11-1)
With the 16-team field set, we can begin to put teams into their respective regionals. We will start with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 3 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 4 Denver is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two seeds:
No. 8 Clarkson is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 UMass is placed in No. 2 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 6 Penn State is placed in No. 3 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 5 Boston College is placed in No. 4 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three seeds:
No. 9 Providence is placed in No. 8 Clarkson’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Ohio State is placed in No. 7 UMass’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 11 Arizona State is placed in No. 6 Penn State’s’ regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 12 Minnesota Duluth is placed in No. 5 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast regional.
Four seeds:
No. 16 AIC is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Michigan State is placed in No. 2 Cornell’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 UNH is placed in No. 3 Minnesota State’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 Northeastern is placed in No. 4 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Giving us this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Providence
Northeast
1 Denver vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Boston College vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Michigan State
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 New Hampshire
2 Penn State vs. 3 Arizona State
Now, before we move any further, we must place host schools into their respective regionals. Penn State hosts the Midwest in Allentown, so they will stay put. The issue lies in the West Regional, with No. 1 overall seed North Dakota getting bounced in favor of host Denver. We will keep AIC matched up against North Dakota, but for now, the matchup gets moved to Worcester.
Here is how the bracket looks following this change.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Providence
Northeast
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Boston College vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Michigan State
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 New Hampshire
2 Penn State vs. 3 Arizona State
With host schools accommodated and no inter-conference matchups, we can now start moving teams to generate better attendance at each event.
*Note,* No. 16 AIC must stay matched against No. 1 North Dakota in fairness to North Dakota.
One quick change I see is to swap UNH with Michigan State, placing another Big 10 team in the Midwest and another Hockey East team in the East. Here is how the bracket looks following this change.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Providence
Northeast
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Boston College vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 New Hampshire
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Michigan State
2 Penn State vs. 3 Arizona State
It also probably makes sense to swap the Boston College vs. Minnesota Duluth matchup with Clarkson vs. Providence, getting two Eastern teams into Worcester and getting an NCHC team into Loveland. It also makes more sense to bounce the North Dakota vs. AIC matchup to Allentown as AIC’s proximity to Worcester, MA (about 50 miles) is a major disadvantage to North Dakota considering their No. 1 overall seed.
Here is how the bracket looks following these changes.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Boston College vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Michigan State
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Providence
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 New Hampshire
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4. AIC
2 Penn State vs. 3 Arizona State
Another potential change is to swap Northeastern with Michigan State. This does not benefit the Spartans, but it puts another Hockey East team into Worcester. We can also swap Arizona State with Minnesota Duluth as it makes more sense to have the Sun Devils in Loveland than it does across the country in Allentown.
Here is how the bracket looks now.
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Michigan State
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Providence
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 New Hampshire
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4 AIC
2 Penn State vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
Denver moving into the top-four really screws up the bracket due to the Pioneers hosting in Loveland.. I don’t see any other necessary changes, so Minnesota State and North Dakota get the short end this week.
Final bracket:
West
1 Denver vs. 4 Michigan State
2 Boston College vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Providence
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 New Hampshire
2 UMass vs. 3 Ohio State
Midwest
1 North Dakota vs. 4. AIC
2 Penn State vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East – Albany, NY
Northeast – Worcester, MA
Midwest – Allentown, PA
West – Loveland, CO
Current Top 16 in PairWise:
North Dakota (18-2-3)
Minnesota State (22-3-1)
Cornell (13-1-3)
Boston College (15-5-0)
Denver (15-4-5)
UMass (16-7-1)
Ohio State (15-6-3)
Clarkson (16-5-2)
Penn State (16-7-1)
Providence (14-6-5)
Arizona State (15-8-3)
Minnesota Duluth (12-8-2)
UMass Lowell (13-6-4)
Northeastern (13-7-2)
Quinnipiac (13-8-1)
Michigan State (12-11-1)
Current Conference Leaders:
Atlantic: Sacred Heart
Big 10: Ohio State
ECAC: Clarkson
Hockey East: UMass
NCHC: North Dakota
WCHA: Minnesota State
Now we adjust the top-16 of the PairWise to accommodate potential conference champions.
North Dakota (18-2-3)
Minnesota State (22-3-1)
Cornell (13-1-3)
Boston College (15-5-0)
Denver (15-4-5)
UMass (16-7-1)
Ohio State (15-6-3)
Clarkson (16-5-2)
Penn State (16-7-1)
Providence (14-6-5)
Arizona State (15-8-3)
Minnesota Duluth (12-8-2)
UMass Lowell (13-6-4)
Northeastern (13-7-2)
Quinnipiac (13-8-1)
Sacred Heart (13-8-1)
With the 16-team field set, we can start placing teams into regionals, beginning with the No. 1 seeds.
No. 1 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional in Loveland, CO.
No. 2 Minnesota State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, PA.
No. 3 Cornell is placed in the East Regional in Albany, NY.
No. 4 Boston College is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, MA.
Two Seeds
No. 8 Clarkson is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 7 Ohio State is placed in No. 2 Minnesota’s State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 6 UMass is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 5 Denver is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Three Seeds
No. 9 Penn State is placed in No. 8 Clarkson’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 10 Providence is placed in No. 7 Ohio State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 11 Arizona State is placed in No. 6 UMass’ regional, the East Regional.
No. 12 Minnesota Duluth is placed in No. 5 Denver’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Four Seeds
No. 16 Sacred Heart is placed in No. 1 North Dakota’s regional, the West Regional.
No. 15 Quinnipiac is placed in No. 2 Minnesota State’s regional, the Midwest Regional.
No. 14 Northeastern is placed in No. 3 Cornell’s regional, the East Regional.
No. 13 UMass Lowell is placed in No. 4 Boston College’s regional, the Northeast Regional.
Giving us this initial bracket:
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Penn State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Denver vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northeastern
2 UMass vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Ohio State vs. 3 Providence
First things first, we must place host schools in their respective regionals. Penn State will host the Midwest in Allentown, and Denver will host the West in Loveland. Penn State is swapped with Providence and Denver is swapped with Clarkson.
Here is how the bracket looks after these changes.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Denver vs. 3 Providence
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northeastern
2 UMass vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Ohio State vs. 3 Penn State
With hosts accommodated, we must now eliminate inter-conference matchups in the first round (BC vs. Lowell, Ohio State vs. Penn State). We swap Ohio State with UMass, and we swap Lowell with Quinnipiac.
Here is how the bracket looks following these two changes.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Denver vs. 3 Providence
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Ohio State vs. 3 Arizona State
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 UMass vs. 3 Penn State
With no interconfertnce matchups, the focus now turns to boosting attendance at each event.
*Note: No. 16 Sacred Heart must remain in the West Regional in fairness to No. 1 North Dakota.*
Ideally, we want to try to get more Northeast teams into Albany and Worcester, and more Big 10 and West teams into Allentown and Loveland. One quick swap is moving Providence to the East and Arizona State to the West.
Here is how the bracket looks following this change..
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Ohio State vs. 3 Providence
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 UMass vs. 3 Penn State
It also probably makes more sense to have Providence in Worcester and Clarkson in Albany. We can just swap the matchups.
Here is how the bracket looks following these changes.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2. Ohio State vs. 3 Providence
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 Northeastern
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 UMass vs. 3 Penn State
Another adjustment is to swap Lowell with Northeastern in order to avoid a potential all-UMass regional final.
Here is how the bracket looks following this change.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2. Ohio State vs. 3 Providence
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Northeastern
2 UMass vs. 3 Penn State
I don’t see any other potential changes. Obviously, it’s not ideal having UMass and Northeastern in the Midwest, but that’s just the way it unfolds this week.
Here is the final bracket.
West
1 North Dakota vs. 4 Sacred Heart
2 Denver vs. 3 Arizona State
Northeast
1 Boston College vs. 4 Quinnipiac
2. Ohio State vs. 3 Providence
East
1 Cornell vs. 4 UMass Lowell
2 Clarkson vs. 3 Minnesota Duluth
Midwest
1 Minnesota State vs. 4 Northeastern
2 UMass vs. 3 Penn State
Flanny's Thoughts 