PSAC Super Region One Playoff Preview - Round One

November 22nd, 2024 8:30pm

The 2024 PSAC Championship Game and the 2024 PSAC Regular Season are both in the books. The NCAA D2 Playoffs start this week and four teams from the PSAC have made the field of seven in Super Region One. #3 Kutztown (11-0, 7-0 PSAC East) beat #18 California (PA) (8-2, 6-0 PSAC West) 21-14 in the 2024 PSAC Championship game last week. The Golden Bears are now back-to-back PSAC champions, and the win propelled them into the Number One Seed on the Super Region One Playoff Bracket. As the Number One Seed, Kutztown will have a bye this week in Round One. #18 California (PA) earned the Number Three Seed, and #12 Slippery Rock (9-1, 5-1 PSAC West) earned the Number Four Seed on the Super Region One bracket which means both teams will have home games in the SR1 First Round this week. #21 East Stroudsburg (10-1, 6-1 PSAC East) also made the bracket as an unseeded team, and they will travel to #18 California (PA) this week in Round One. D2 National Columnist Chuck Bitner and I did a Super Region One Playoff Preview Podcast earlier this week. We took a look at all the playoff teams in SR1 and broke down this week’s games. Playoff Podcasts from the D2 crew can be found for replay on the D2 website for all four Super Regions. Keep reading below for my updated end of regular season PSAC Power Ranking, this week’s Super Region One matchups, and my prediction of who will win each game in SR1 in Round One.

PSAC Power Ranking (PPR) – End of Regular Season:

1. #3 Kutztown (11-0, 7-0 PSAC East)
2. #21 East Stroudsburg (10-1, 6-1 PSAC East)
3. #12 Slippery Rock (9-1, 5-1 PSAC West)
4. #18 California (PA) (8-2, 6-0 PSAC West)
5. IUP (7-3, 3-3 PSAC West)
6. Bloomsburg (6-5, 4-3 PSAC East)
7. West Chester (4-6, 4-3 PSAC East)
8. Shepherd (6-5, 3-4 PSAC East)
9. Lock Haven (5-6, 3-4 PSAC East)
10. Gannon (3-7, 3-3 PSAC West)
11. Edinboro (3-8, 2-4 PSAC West)
12. Seton Hill (3-8, 1-5 PSAC West)
13. Clarion (3-8, 1-5 PSAC West)
14. Shippensburg (2-9, 1-6 PSAC East)
15. Millersville (1-10, 0-7 PSAC East)

The top four teams in the PSAC, those who made the NCAA Super Region One Playoff Bracket, have a combined record of 38-4 (.905 winning percentage). The four combined losses of those top four teams are all to teams in the D2 Top 25 Poll and all those teams are in the NCAA Super Region One Playoffs. #12 Slippery Rock lost to #18 California (PA) 28-7, #18 California (PA) lost to #9 Charleston (WV) 23-19 and #3 Kutztown 21-14, and #21 East Stroudsburg lost to #3 Kutztown 27-21.

Super Region One – Round One – Saturday 11/23/24

#1 Seed - #3 Kutztown (PSAC East) 11-0 – First Round Bye

New Haven (NE10) 8-2 at #4 Seed - #12 Slippery Rock (PSAC West) 9-1

My Prediction: #4 Seed - #12 Slippery Rock moves on to play #1 Seed - #3 Kutztown next week.

Ashland (GMAC) 8-3 at #2 Seed - #9 Charleston (WV) (MEC) 11-0

My Prediction: #2 Seed - #9 Charleston moves on to play the winner of #3 Seed - #18 California (PA) and #21 East Stroudsburg.

#21 East Stroudsburg (PSAC East) 9-1 at #3 Seed - #19 California (PA) (PSAC West) 8-2

My Prediction: #21 East Stroudsburg moves on to play the winner of Ashland and #2 Seed - #9 Charleston.

Chuck and I will have another Podcast next week breaking down the games from this Saturday and we will be taking a look at the SR1 Round Two matchups. For all the PSAC football fans who follow my column, and for the fans now following along for the SR1 Playoffs, you can keep up on everything throughout the week by giving me a follow on X (Twitter) at @CaryMoyer.