I wouldn't call Minnesota a "distant 4th" - 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place were all within points of each other. What was CC's non-league schedule like? Did they play (and beat) Michigan or Mich. State? (I don't know if they did or not, this is a clarifying question) Yes, the league schedule was the same, but not the non-league schedule. I think the playoff (WCHA) format is fair - how would you propose to change it to keep the #1 team's RPI from falling, keeping the pairings fair to all teams involved? Katie Go Gophers!