The Keystone Conference has gone pretty much according to the form sheet with only one or two little hiccups this season, and now with the playoffs coming a few potential upsets rear their heads.

Eight of the ten Keystone teams are in the quarterfinals, and while the top two from each division would have to be favored, this is a perfect time for someone to slip up.

St. Joseph’s is looking to regain the conference title, and for most of the season the Hawks have won comfortably, beating Villanova, Temple by big margins, but winning also close ones over West Chester and Rutgers.

And it’s in those close games that we might see a shakeup. Pitt, which beat James Madison to win the West, takes on West Chester, who put a scare into St. Joe’s, but should win. JMU, said St. Joe’s Coach Dan Yarusso, “is on fire right now and playing very well.” They play Rutgers, which was unlucky to be only 2-2 - losing to Temple 18-15 and St. Joe’s 15-14.

Temple should be favored over Millersville, and St. Joe’s opens up against Lock Haven. But the question is whether the Hawks can make it further.

“It’s good to have eight teams involved because we get more crossover between the West and East divisions,” said Yarusso. “Our team is doing well and playing well as a team. We know that if we win we’ll play the winner of James Madison and Rutgers. We had a tough game against Rutgers, which had an excellent game plan and kept it in the forwards. We will tweak a few things if we face them.”

Jimmy Wolfer continues to lead St. Joe’s as a playmaker and goalkicker, while Greg McTiernan is coming into his own at flyhalf. Tyler Kelly has been getting SJU some go-forward at No. 8, while fullback Dan Deal leads the conference in tries.

Right behind Deal in tries scored are Pitt’s Matt Dunleavy and David Zimmerna, and with Christian Quiros kicking well, the Panthers have one of the most impressive offenses in the conference, although it is James Madison that has scored the most points among all ten teams.

Certainly JMU will want to get another shot at Pitt to garner revenge for the 31-27 Panther victory on October 17. 

“JMU or Rutgers, we know the semifinal will be a tough one,” said Yarusso.

So here are the matchups:

Pitt v Villanova - Pitt should win comfortably.

Temple v Millersville - Temple has played well this fall

Expected semifinal on November 14 - Pitt v Temple - Pitt favored.

James Madison v Rutgers - this is a tossup game, offense of JMU v the tenacious defense of Rutgers

St. Joseph’s v Lock Haven - St. Joe’s for the win.

Expected semifinal on November 14 - it’s tough to predict. It will probably be JMU v St. Joe’s, but even that prediction is shaky. Who wins the semi is the big question.