Interesting stats on 1-AA playoff history/home field

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:24 am

I think by showing some of these statistics below, it really shows how much home games in the playoffs really make a difference.

http://diaafootball.com/playoffs.html

Since 93 Griz have played 5 games AWAY in the playoffs (non - nuetral sites) and lost all 5. They are 2-2 in championship games on neutral sites. However, in all 4 of their championship appearances they had all 3 1st/2nd/3rd round games at home. Kind of nice it always worked out that way eh? However, my point is the Bobcats need to take it to the NEXT step this year and HOST a playoff game at the minimum.

I just found that site and though those stats were interesting.

BleedsBlue&Gold · Post by **BleedsBlue&Gold** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:27 am

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:27 am

I think UM is 2-3 in title games. Beat Furman and Marshall. Lost to Marshall, Geo. Southern and James Madison.

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:29 am

...and MSU didn't play any playoff games on the road in '84. They played two at home and one at a neutral site.

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:29 am

iaafan wrote:I think UM is 2-3 in title games. Beat Furman and Marshall. Lost to Marshall, Geo. Southern and James Madison.

Yep, looks like I forgot one in there. I forgot they played Marshall twice. So that makes all 5 times they made it out to championship that they had all 3 early roudn games at home. Very interesting isn't it

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:30 am

The '76 team played ND, or was it NDSU, on the road in the semi-finals. I think it had New Hampshire at home.

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:33 am

iaafan wrote:...and MSU didn't play any playoff games on the road in '84. They played two at home and one at a neutral site.

Well shoot, I stand corrected on that. I never did get to watch any of those games as I was a freshman in high school in no man's land in Chinook. I thought those were all on the road. They must have had BYE's back then in the first round then? Interesting.

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:35 am

Not only does UM play a lot of games at home, but it also has one of the best homefield advantages of any venue I've ever been in. It's not the weather, it's the fans. Not only are the loud, but the opponents have never seen anything like it. A big time program wouldn't have this problem, since they see it on a regular basis, but the I-AAs are used to 5,000-7,000 fans usually.
This another reason UM would have trouble if it moves up. The teams coming in Boise, Fresno, are used to the crowd and won't be as overwhelmed.

CLUB 126 · Post by **CLUB 126** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:36 am

I think what was said about home play- off games can be expanded too, let"s shoot for home play-off games for the entire run up to THE MONTANTA STATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2005 SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mquast53000 · Post by **mquast53000** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:18 am

It's not the weather, it's the fans

I would say that weather plays a factor if a team was from the south. I find it hard to believe that a Texas team would be comfortable in snowy cold conditions. They would not have a chance to get use to it until game time.

Grizlaw · Post by **Grizlaw** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:27 am

CARDIAC_CATS wrote:Well shoot, I stand corrected on that. I never did get to watch any of those games as I was a freshman in high school in no man's land in Chinook. I thought those were all on the road. They must have had BYE's back then in the first round then? Interesting.

I'd have to check, but I believe the playoff field used to be smaller back then -- it was either eight teams, or else twelve with some of the teams getting first round byes.

Home field advantage is huge in the playoffs, especially for teams like Montana and MSU -- if we have to travel, we typically have to go very far, and vice versa. When people talk about the Griz' playoff home record vs. their away record, though, one fact that gets ignored is the simple quality of the teams we've been playing. The reality is, our deep playoff runs with all our home games (i.e. '95, '96, '01), have all come in years when we had great teams, and we won those games because our teams were better. When we've lost on the road (i.e. '98, etc.), it has generally been in years when our teams were not as good (which is why we didn't have home field in the first place), and we've been beaten by teams that were simply better in those years.

So yes, home field is a major advantage, but the fact that you have to earn it during the season sort of makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy. The better teams get home games, and they usually win. (This was more true before '02, back when they actually used to seed all 16 teams...I hope they go back to that soon.)

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 3:56 pm

gl,

I will agree with you except for LAST YEAR. You guys made it to the title game thanks to home field, a ton of upsets above you in the playoffs, and a DECENT team. I don't think last year's Griz team was as good as some of the others who played at home deep into the playoffs.

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:29 pm

I believe the disparity between how good UM is at home vs. how good it is on the road is greater than for any team in I-AA. And the crowd is the main factor. The weather can be a factor, but a lot of games, if not most games, at W-G haven't had that bad of weather. I'd rather play UM in biting cold and no fans than play them on a sunny day in front of 23,000 maniacs. That place is as loud as any stadium, domed or not, that I've ever been it.
A number of their playoff runs have been aided by lesser teams in their bracket pulling off upsets. Last year wasn't the first time that UM got a good bounce from the upsets. They were scheduled to play at Georgia Southern in round 2, the at No. 1 So. Illinois, but New Hampshire and EWU took care of that. As Casey Stengel(?) used to say it's better to be lucky than good. Not that UM isn't good, but even the most die-hard Griz fan has to admit that UM has seen some strange things play out to their advantage in the playoffs.

mquast53000 · Post by **mquast53000** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:29 pm

I agree with El Gato on that one. I think Eastern would have had your number in the playoffs.

iaafan · Post by **iaafan** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 5:21 pm

If anyone could've beat UM in Msla it would be Eastern. But it's never a certainty that a team would win there. I don't know the last time a team went into W/G as having better than a 50% chance of winning, including the regular season. Maybe Idaho. I don't ever recall myself thinking, "Oh (insert team name) is going to beat UM in Missoula this weekend." It happens, but not too many people are winning those bets.

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 5:30 pm

mquast53000 wrote:I agree with El Gato on that one. I think Eastern would have had your number in the playoffs.

I have to agree with quast- EWU pulled off the biggest upset of the playoffs on the road. I don't think they're at all intimidated playing at W/G stadium.

Eastcoastgriz · Post by **Eastcoastgriz** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 7:09 pm

mquast53000 wrote:I agree with El Gato on that one. I think Eastern would have had your number in the playoffs.

Really! Just like they had our number in their house on October 16th.

Heck, I thing any team in the BSC with the exception of Portland would have beaten us in Missoula.

Grizlaw · Post by **Grizlaw** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 7:32 pm

El_Gato wrote:gl,

I will agree with you except for LAST YEAR. You guys made it to the title game thanks to home field, a ton of upsets above you in the playoffs, and a DECENT team. I don't think last year's Griz team was as good as some of the others who played at home deep into the playoffs.

Last year's team wasn't as good as our '95, '96 and '01 teams; I'll agree with that.

I also think the playoff landscape changed a lot after they made the rule change in '02 that resulted in only the top 4 teams being seeded, and allowing schools to bid for home games as long as they're not playing a seeded team. Aside from bidding for games, it would have probably been debatable whether or not we really *should* have been at home for some of our playoff games last year (particularly against SHSU). Even though the Griz benefit from the rule as it currently is (because with their attendance, they're going to be able to out-bid most teams), I do hope they change that rule and start seeding all 16 teams again at some point. The reason for the change was financial, and I understand the need for the playoffs to be a viable financial enterprise, but the current rule really does hurt the competitiveness of the playoffs.

As for whether or not Eastern would've beaten us in the playoffs -- maybe, maybe not; we'll never know. I'm sure it would have been a great game, just like the one played in Cheney earlier in the year. I'm not sure how you guys can be so sure, though, considering 1) we did beat them earlier in the year, and 2) we did crush the team that eliminated them the following week. I also think the Griz were playing quite a bit better at the end of the year (i.e. the Sac State game, the game against you guys, and the playoffs) than they were earlier in the year.

It doesn't matter, though; it turned out the way it turned out. If Eastern had beaten SHSU and then we had beaten Eastern, I know you guys would probably be saying "Well, the Griz were just lucky Eastern took care of SHSU for you; after all SHSU beat the Griz earlier in the year, and they would have beaten you again in the playoffs..." and etc.

catatac · Post by **catatac** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:47 am

Good points Law. And as long as we're speculating here, if the Bobcats wouldn't have imploded against Eastern and blown the 31 - 10 lead, I really think we would have given you a much better game in Missoula. Not saying we would have beaten you, but I bet it would have gone down to the wire. In fact, I'm surprised you didn't beat us by more that day, considering the mental state our team must have been in. I know it's Cat\Griz and all but that Eastern meltdown was a crushing blow. To rebound from the embarrasing Sac State loss and basically dominate what was IMO the hottest team in the country for the 1st 2 1\2 quarters, then blow it... talk about an emotional roller-coaster...

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:15 am

UMASS in 98 and last year James Madison are two teams to win the title playing all games on the road. Both were overpowering and had a defense that's similar to what we'll have on the field this year.