On Feb 23, 22:25, Jayson Moy wrote:
>[log in to unmask] (John T. Whelan) wrote:
>
>>        Does anyone know how exactly the ECAC handles the head-to-head
>>tiebreaker among three teams?  Do they
>
>>        a) Compare the records of the three teams in games among them?
>>        b) Only use it if there is a clear winner (team A beat teams B
>>and C head-to-head or teams A and B beat team C head-to-head); this is
>>the NFL method?
>
>The three teams are compared to the tiebreakers until one is
>eliminated.  So if you go head to head with Yale, Brown, and
>Dartmouth:
>
>Brown would be 2-2 (it has to beat Dartmouth to get into the tie)
>Yale would be 3-1
>Dartmouth would be 1-3
>
>Therefore, Yale is 10, Brown 11, and Dartmouth 12
 
Based on three-team head-to-head record in this situation, Yale does get the #10
seed.  However, once that is set, the ECAC does not simply determine the
seedings among the remaining teams by using their three-team head-to-head
records; they take the remaining teams and start the tiebreaking process all
over again.  OK, that's probably the worst sentence I have ever written, but
what it means is this:
 
Yale takes #10 based on their 3-1 head-to-head record against Brown and
Dartmouth.  Now, to determine the winner of the tie between Brown and Dartmouth,
start over with the head-to-head between the two.  The teams would be 1-1
against each other, so then look at the next tiebreaker, record against the top
four teams in the league.  This one could go either way; if the top four
remained Clarkson, Cornell, RPI, and Vermont, the edge would go to Dartmouth
(1-6-1 to Brown's 1-7).  However, if Princeton showed up in place of RPI, then
Brown would win it (1-6-1 vs. 0-7-1).
 
For even more fun, consider the possible five-way tie for third between RPI,
Vermont, Union, Princeton, and Colgate.  Here are what would be the head-to-head
records in that situation (note that Princeton would have to have beaten RPI and
lost to Union):
 
            RPI       Vermont   Union     Princeton Colgate
 
RPI                   1-0-1     1-0-1     0-2       0-1-1     = 2-3-3 (7 points)
Vermont     0-1-1               1-1       1-1       1-0-1     = 3-3-2 (8)
Union       0-1-1     1-1                 2-0       0-1-1     = 3-3-2 (8)
Princeton   2-0       1-1       0-2                 2-0       = 5-3   (10)
Colgate     1-0-1     0-1-1     1-0-1     0-2                 = 2-3-3 (7)
 
So Princeton wins and gets the #3 seed.  Now start over with the remaining teams
and look at head-to-head among RPI, Vermont, Union, and Colgate:
 
RPI         2-1-3 (7)
Vermont     2-2-2 (6)
Union       1-3-2 (4)
Colgate     2-1-3 (7)
 
RPI and Colgate remain tied for the #4 seed, while Vermont and Union fight it
out over #6 and #7.  Go back to head-to-head record to break the tie between RPI
and Colgate -- Colgate wins it, 1-0-1.  So Colgate is #4 and RPI is #5.
 
Now to Vermont and Union.  They split their season series, so use the second
tiebreaker, record against the top 4, which in this case would be Clarkson,
Cornell, Princeton, and Colgate.  Union would have a 4-2-2 record against those
teams, while Vermont would be 4-3-1.  Union gets #6, and Vermont gets #7.
 
Ain't that purr-ty?  I'm an ECAC devotee, but every year, I get closer to
switching to another conference, just to see if their tiebreakers are any
easier.
 
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF  5/27/94
"I believe Marcel Marceau said it best."
-- Madeline Kahn, "Cosby"
 
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