ACU ranked 8th in first poll
10/8/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
ABILENE -- The ACU Wildcats, winners of five straight games since a season-opening loss to Central Oklahoma, will have their work cut out for them over the next five weeks if they intend to make a return trip to the NCAA Division II football playoffs.
ACU -- which is 5-1 overall and on top of the Lone Star Conference at 4-0 -- is ranked No. 8 in the first NCAA Division II Southwest Rregion poll of the season, which was released Monday. The poll is compiled based on a formula that the NCAA football committee uses to rank each team. Factors that are used to determine the ranking include won-loss record inside the region, won-loss record outside the region, strength of schedule and strength of opponents' schedules.
Chadron State (6-0) and featuring the NCAA's all-time leading rusher in senior Danny Woodhead is ranked No. 1 in the regional poll, and the Eagles are joined in the rankings by fellow Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member Mesa State (Colo.), which is also 6-0 and ranked fourth. West Texas A&M, which went on the road and pulled out an important 25-20 win over Midwestern State last Saturday, is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the region.
Defending national runner-up and regional champion Northwest Missouri State is 4-1 and ranked third, although the Bearkats needed overtime to beat rival Pittsburg State, 37-34, last Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Mesa State follows at No. 4, while Midwestern State is 5-1 and ranked fifth. Tarleton State, which improved to 6-0 Saturday with its first-ever road win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, is ranked sixth and clinging to the final playoff spot.
Washburn (4-2) is ranked seventh, just ahead of the 5-1 Wildcats, who are hurt in the initial poll by their Division II opponents' winning percentage (.414), as well as the season-opening loss to the Bronchos. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) teams round out the top 12 with Missouri Western (4-2) checking at No. 9 Pittsburg State (4-2) coming at No. 10, Central Missouri State (4-2) ranked No. 11 and Missouri Southern (4-2) rounding it out at No. 12.
The next regional poll will be released next Monday, the second of six consecutive polls, culminating with the final poll on Sunday, Nov. 11, that will reveal the six playoff teams from the region.
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