The NCR D2 Playoff picture is set. Are we extremely confident in how the Power Index rates and handicaps D2 games? Not yet.

We did not have enough baseline data to have very accurate preseason rankings. Some teams like Adrian went out and played (& beat) higher rated teams from D1A. Some good teams stayed in their conference and had limited opportunity for growth due to strength of schedule. Others barely posted results due to opponent cancellations and forfeits.

So, the Index has a rudimentary picture of D2. But these teams have run their conference gauntlets and deserve the press. Save the Southern Conference Championship, the bracket is set. Here is our way too early D2 bracket picked by the Power Index.

The Power Index is picking an Adrian National Championship. But to get there, the Bulldogs will have to go through the toughest quadrant of the bracket with an average team rating of 46.13. The Principia quadrant is the second toughest with an average rating of 43.29. The Norwich and UNCW quadrants are 38.06 and 37.96. While it’s sensible that Index’s finalists are from the two toughest quadrants, the Index does not account for the wear and tear of two two-match weekends in these playoffs. Will the winners of the tougher quadrants emerge battle tested or battered & bruised?

Do you agree with the Power Index? Our staff reckon Principia and Virginia are under-rated. UNCW and UNCC are marginally separated and a 49ers win in the Southern Conference Championship is 100% conceivable. That could have major consequences that reverberate through our bracket.

CURR RK	Δ RK	PREV RK	SCHOOL	COMP	Week 8 Results	PREV RAT	CURR RAT	Δ RAT
1	0	1	Lindenwood	D1A	Big Win vs Iowa Central	97.64	97.64	0
2	0	2	California	D1A		97.29	97.29	0
3	0	3	Life	D1A		96.94	96.94	0
4	0	4	St. Mary's	D1A		95.51	95.51	0
5	0	5	Central Washington	D1A		91.68	91.68	0
6	0	6	Army	NCR1	Big Win vs Air Force	87.22	87.22	0
7	0	7	Arkansas State	D1A		86.95	86.95	0
8	1	9	Navy	NCR1	Big Win vs Penn State	85.28	85.97	0.69
9	-1	8	Arizona	D1A		85.5	85.5	0
10	0	10	BYU	D1A		85.06	85.06	0
11	0	11	Indiana	D1A	Big Win vs Michigan	78.33	78.33	0
12	0	12	UCLA	D1A		76.25	76.25	0
13	2	15	St. Bonaventure	NCR1	Close Win vs Kutztown	74.25	75.87	1.62
14	0	14	Grand Canyon	D1A		74.29	74.29	0
15	-2	13	Kutztown	NCR1	Close Loss vs St. Bonaventure	75.8	74.17	-1.63
16	0	16	Davenport	D1A	Big Win vs Notre Dame	73.98	73.98	0
17	2	19	Iona	NCR1	Close Win vs Northeastern	68.08	70.23	2.15
18	0	18	Penn State	NCR1	Big Loss vs Navy	70.14	69.46	-0.68
19	-2	17	Dartmouth	NCR1	Close Loss vs Brown	72.24	67.41	-4.83
20	1	21	Ohio State	D1A	Big Win vs Wisconsin	66.05	66.05	0
21	-1	20	Northeastern	NCR1	Close Win vs Iona	68.06	65.9	-2.16
22	0	22	Queens University	NCR1		65.21	65.21	0
23	0	23	Colorado State	D1A		64.52	64.52	0
24	0	24	Iowa Central CC	NCR1	Big Loss vs Lindenwood	63.65	63.65	0
25	0	25	Texas A&M	D1A		63	63	0
26	0	26	Boston College	NCR1		62.52	62.52	0
27	0	27	Colorado	D1A		62.19	62.19	0
28	0	28	Notre Dame College	NCR1		61.47	61.47	0
29	6	35	Baylor	D1A	Big Win vs Oklahoma	56.68	60.52	3.84
30	-1	29	Fairfield	NCR1		60.34	60.34	0
31	-1	30	Adrian College	NCR2		59.42	59.42	0
32	-1	31	Mary Washington	NCR1		59.38	59.38	0
33	-1	32	Tennessee	D1AA	Big Win vs Georgia	59.37	59.37	0
34	-1	33	Utah Valley	D1A		58.89	58.89	0
35		UR	Fordham	NCR1	Big Win vs Syracuse	54.72	58.64	3.92
36	-2	34	Bowling Green	D1AA	Big Win vs Bowling Green	56.97	58.32	1.35
37	-1	36	Mount St. Mary's	NCR1		56.36	56.36	0
38	0	38	Michigan State	D1A	Big Win vs Purdue	55.81	55.81	0
39		UR	Brown	NCR1	Close Win vs Dartmouth	49.99	54.82	4.83
40	0	40	American International	NCR1		54.76	54.76	0