To some extent it probably was. But make it Idaho instead of Montana. They beat Montana but avoided Montana St and Weber. Plus we beat them by 18 at their place. If we had Idaho’s schedule, we go 8-3 or 7-4 (Montana game being the tossup). If they had our schedule, they go 5-6. So they’re giving Idaho the nod due to luck of the draw. We can do better than that.

True, Idaho did play Simon Frasier in their first game, but they have a brutal schedule where they play two FBS teams and this year, two from P5 conferences (no matter how down the Pac12 is). I think Montana should not be in. Just like how the Ags played well against Cal, UI almost beat WSU who currently has 7 wins. They only barely lost.

I can live with Idaho getting in ahead of us and even us being left out but Montana getting in is just plain wrong. It stinks of absolute bias. There's no logical or fair reason for them to be in. Awful!

There is a lot I just don't understand about this selection process. The FCS website states that 11 teas get automatic bids. This year one of the bids went to Eastern Kentucky, 3-2 in the ASUN-WAC, over Jacksonville State, which was 5-0 in the same conference. There are 15 FCS conferences, so why did 4 conferences (Ivy, MEAC, SWAC, WAC) not get automatic bids? Of those four conferences, only one had its champion in the playoffs (Jackson State, SWAC) leaving Yale out! I suspected that they relied too much on the rankings, but then I noticed that Mercer (#19) was also left out.

Ivy’s and historically black colleges usually don’t play.

Ivy never plays. Many HBCUs play a bowl game where the payout is something like a million dollars to each team or something like that. Basically like a buy game but where you can win.

New Hampshire is also a pretty weak selection.

I wonder why. I guess the Ivys think their too good for it, but Jackson State is in this year.

ivys have never entered into the mix ostensibly due to extending the season and academics. Jackson State is not in the bracket. They will likely go to (and already had decided) celebration bowl, play on front of a bunch of people, enjoy the bands of both teams and keep more of the money. FAMU was in the playoffs last year as the only HBCU league entry. They lost their first game. You may recall we played Bethune-Cookman in the 1977 d2 playoffs at Toomey. It was a pretty easy victory. I think Moroski set a record for longest TD throw (maybe to Calvin Ellison) of 98 yards or thereabouts. I was in the band-uh at game.

In the FCS, teams can bid (read $$$) for home games. This is one reason why the frizz (what MSU folks call the Griz) get in. So name recognition, $$, and history can get you in. Is it fair - no - but I think there is (or should be) a unit in kindergarten about life not being fair. Maybe a teacher could develop a teaching unit using the frizz and FBS playoffs as a case study.

Man do I hope Montana is ousted first game. Their coach is a real proctologist target.

Ugh... just repeating some of what is already above: Crazy UC Davis not in. 5 losses: 1 to a Div1 team, 3 to the TOP 4 FCS seeds, and 1 to the #7 ranked team. And, of the 4 FCS losses - 3 were on the road and 3 were close (including SD State and Sac State -- the #1 and #2 seeded teams!!!)! The road win vs Idaho + close road loss to Sac State should have sealed it! Finally... according the the Sagarin ratings, UC Davis is the #7 AA team in the country... that certainly should get you in the 24 team playoffs!
P.S. - I google-searched how to give feedback to the FCS committee -- but there is no link to do so!!!

P.S. - I google-searched how to give feedback to the FCS committee -- but there is no link to do so!!!

. Need a secret password that is only provided to Montana and the like.

Need a secret password that is only provided to Montana and the like. — NCagalum

:rofl:

The most direct route is to our AD

To get an autobid you have to have six teams in your conference. I assume that means six teams that are eligible to be in the playoffs.
Jacksonville State is ineligible for the FCS playoffs because they are transitioning to FBS. That leaves the Atlantic Sun with five teams. The reborn WAC only has five eligible teams as Tarleton State is transitioning from D-II to D-1(FCS). There is something called the Atlantic Sun/Western Athletic alliance in which a computer ranks the teams in both conferences and an auto-bid goes to the team that comes out on top of the rankings. That happens to be Eastern Kentucky from the Atlantic Sun.
Ivy League does not play post season football. (Not unique in the Northeast. The teams in the D-III Northeast Small College Athletic Conference don't compete in post season football either.)
Winners of the MEAC and SWAC meet each year in the Celebration Bowl. Their choice, probably more fun in any event.
Don't know about Mercer, but two teams above them from the Southern Conference did get in. Samford is in with a first round bye and Furman is also in.

Thanks. I stand corrected on Jackson State. I'm not sure why I thought I saw them in the bracket. I've only recently followed the playoffs, starting in 2018 when I saw that the Ags were in the playoffs. I joined this list entirely for men's basketball until I realized I could watch football as well. This is the first year that I watched every game.

Thanks! My FCS education continues.

When you learn how Montana pulled it off, educate the rest of us.

Where it surely got dicey for the selection committee was determining the final two at-large teams from about 10 candidates that all had flaws on their regular-season resumes. In the end, two playoff staples won out: Montana (7-4), which doesn’t have a signature win and was blown out by rival Montana State 55-21 on Saturday, earning a record 26th bid...

https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/11/road-to-frisco-five-reactions-to-the-2022-fcs-playoff-field/

We had a signature win over Idaho in their house and didn't get blown out by anyone despite the tough schedule. Oh, and Idaho beat Montana in Missoula...

A couple of comments in regards to the video:

jerseydevs2000
7 hours ago
As a Sac State fan, I usually relish beating our rivals UC Davis in the Causeway Classic. But this year we ruined their playoff chances by tagging them with that fifth loss... and for me that's a little bittersweet because this year's Aggies were a solid football team. Their only really bad losses were to Cal and Montana State. They played Weber close (let them only score 17), they killed Idaho, and they lost to us and SDSU - yes, the top two playoff seeds - by a combined 8 points between the two games. I could've seen UCD doing some damage had they gotten in.

John Ulmer
2 hours ago (edited)
Griz fan, but for the life of me can't figure how they made the playoffs with the drubbing they took yesterday. Not a Bobby Hauck fan, never seen anyone who can pull defeat out of victory like he can. And yes Montana State got screwed. Just sayin.
Oh, the Griz don't deserve to be there, and this isn't popular, but Hauck needs to go!!!![

Montana over the Aggies is a travesty. There is no comparison. Davis lost to Cal and 4 teams in the top 7. Beat Idaho on the road while Montana lost at home and beat no one of significance. One less win but better resume. Reward the resume not a number. Combined record of the teams Montana beat: 19-58. That’s a UCD v MOntana convo where much is comparable. There are other teams that could argue should be in over Davis. Ags had a brutal schedule. Needed that 7th win. Tough. Chatty? Maybe. Others? Maybe. Just tough to see Montana be rewarded. If Montana was outside the top 25 coming into the season no chance they make it.

Ags would be favored over many teams that made it in btw…. If you went off power ratings (numbers used to make gambling lines) Davis is anywhere from 5th to 14th.

Been a minute since I posted. Hope all is well w everyone.

All I have on Montana is theories:

1. Committee made a mistake. Oops! That ballot should have been for UCD.
2. There was election fraud. We could sue and take it to the Supreme Court.
3. Montana has good buddies on the committee.
4. Someone on the committee was once denied admission to UCD, so he's getting his revenge.
5. The Aggies and Montana were even, but only one more Big Sky team could be added, so they flipped a coin,

I think the committee was simply not considering 6-5 teams this year

“3. Montana has good buddies on the committee.“

Montana is literally ON the committee. Their AD is a member through 2024.

Great summary CK2. Nice to have you back posting on the forum.

:lol:

If Montana was outside the top 25 coming into the season no chance they make it. — CK2

I mentioned this in a different thread but this is a huge part of it. It happens at the FBS level too. Teams that lose don't always drop enough and teams that win don't jump enough. Case in point, we beat Idaho a week ago by 18 at their place. They were 15, we were unranked. Both had 6-4 records after the game. The next rankings come out and they're 2 spots ahead of us.

Another comment from the previous youtube video:

kyle wagner
2 hours ago
I fallowed UC Davis after the SdSU game. I had a feeling they were going to beat Idaho. Then i found myself hoping they would beat SAC state. As an SDSU fan i respected Davis and felt they deserved a spot after a great year and tough schedule. Sports builds character.

Seriously, any committee will have ethical rules preventing a member from speaking for let alone voting on a decision involving their school. In fact, looking at the committee representation (one fro each FCS eligible conference) I would think they would be unlikely to speak or vote on any school in their conference. Still, I can't help but wonder what subtle influences his presence has on the decision of the others even if they might, should or do disavow any bias. I didn't see any other members who were from schools on the bubble. On the other hand, one should not cast aspersions on people charged with making such controversial decisions.

I spent several years on the board of a large non-profit. When the board had some big votes coming up, the real work got done in the lounge the night before. The board meeting was more of a formality on some of the issues. I wonder if the playoff selection committee does it all remote or are they in one location for the picks?

Well, a day after the selection, I have not come across any posts anywhere from anyone making the argument for why that Montana deserved to be in the playoffs but there are many comments from people, including Montana fans, who can't believe they got in. There are also quite a few who believe that neither the Ags or Montana should have been selected but just as many or more that think the Aggies should be in. So, bottom line, the overwhelming feeling is that Montana should not have been selected and there appears to be about a 70-30 split of those who think the Ags should have been selected.

I really feel for the Aggie players and the coaching staff. They gave it all they had this season against a brutal schedule and didn't get rewarded for it. Seeing Montana get in ahead of them must be heartbreaking....tough way to end the season.