2012 ECAC Playoff Permutations

[Aaron M. Griffin]

Just to add a note. Cornell cannot finish higher than second if they tie Union. That game has to result in a win or any final outcome will either be behind Union or lost of a tiebreaker because head to head each team will have two points and Union will end up with more league wins.

*grumble* Right you are.  Cornell's worst case is now fixed in the original post.

And thanks to all who waded through that!

I noticed it, too, but figured that you were just giving one example of how Cornell could finish second.  There are other ways for us to finish 2nd too, even if we beat Union (heaven forbid), so your list is still not exhaustive.

The other ways we could beat Union but still finish second are:
1. We lose to RPI, Union beats or ties Colgate.
2. We tie RPI, Union beats Colgate
I think that's it. Also, if we beat Union, and Colgate also beats Union we take first no matter what we do against RPI. Looks we're Colgate fans this weekend.

The exhaustive/ing way to finish first is:

Beat Union AND (Beat RPI OR (Tie RPI AND (Colgate ties Union OR Colgate beats Union)) OR (Lose to RPI AND Colgate beats Union))

The succinct way of stating that is that Cornell needs to beat Union on Friday, and then equal or better Union's result when it plays RPI on Saturday to win the Jell-O Mold.

[jtn27]

Just to add a note. Cornell cannot finish higher than second if they tie Union. That game has to result in a win or any final outcome will either be behind Union or lost of a tiebreaker because head to head each team will have two points and Union will end up with more league wins.

*grumble* Right you are.  Cornell's worst case is now fixed in the original post.

And thanks to all who waded through that!

I noticed it, too, but figured that you were just giving one example of how Cornell could finish second.  There are other ways for us to finish 2nd too, even if we beat Union (heaven forbid), so your list is still not exhaustive.

The other ways we could beat Union but still finish second are:
1. We lose to RPI, Union beats or ties Colgate.
2. We tie RPI, Union beats Colgate
I think that's it. Also, if we beat Union, and Colgate also beats Union we take first no matter what we do against RPI. Looks we're Colgate fans this weekend.

The exhaustive/ing way to finish first is:

Beat Union AND (Beat RPI OR (Tie RPI AND (Colgate ties Union OR Colgate beats Union)) OR (Lose to RPI AND Colgate beats Union))

The succinct way of stating that is that Cornell needs to beat Union on Friday, and then equal or better Union's result when it plays RPI on Saturday to win the Jell-O Mold.

In other words: Go Colgate (for Saturday, February 26, 2012 only)!

[Josh '99]

Brown:
     THIS WEEKEND:  At Quinnipiac, at Princeton.
     ON THEIR OWN:  Can do no better than twelfth place without help.
     BEST CASE:  Gets tenth place with a sweep if Rensselaer does not win
     twice.
     WORST CASE:  Twelfth.
     TIEBREAKERS:  Loses to Dartmouth and Rensselaer; could win or lose
     against Princeton.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Give My Regards]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Well, maybe not entirely.  Union and Cornell have obviously done pretty well against the rest of the ECAC, as no other team has managed more than one win, total, against the top two -- except for Colgate, which has two wins (dammitall)...

... and Brown, which has three.  The Bears currently have more wins against Union and Cornell than they do against the rest of the ECAC.

[KeithK]

The way all of the tiebreakers and rankings are set up if you have to lose it's best to lose against bottom feeders. (Assuming the silly idea that you can "allocate" your losses.)

[billhoward]

Great stuff. Nice that theoretically 8 teams have a chance to finish in the top 4. For Brown, the handwriting's on the wall: best case, finishing tenth. Time to look to next year. Or transferring.

[Jim Hyla]

Great stuff. Nice that theoretically 8 teams have a chance to finish in the top 4. For Brown, the handwriting's on the wall: best case, finishing tenth. Time to look to next year. Or transferring.

Or pretend you're Colgate.

[French Rage]

Great stuff. Nice that theoretically 8 teams have a chance to finish in the top 4. For Brown, the handwriting's on the wall: best case, finishing tenth. Time to look to next year. Or transferring.

Or pretend you're Colgate.

I'd rather die!