UPDATED: 2019 Tie-Break Scenarios

UPDATE: 7:34PM from Patrick Magee

The Biloxi Sun Herald’s intrepid reporter was able to contact the USM AD and got some insight into the proceedings:

“I expressed serious concerns over the timing of the changes on our conference call, and we were outvoted by the league’s membership.”

The athletic directors got together and had a vote. This was all clearly a reaction to the current implementation. Given the internet outcry at receiving the reminder of the previous implementation, this news is a welcome change but not now. It smacks of uncertainty and mismanagement. The rules were not good, but changing bad rules in the middle of the season seems reactionary. The problem with being reactionary is that it gives the impression that the leadership does not have a well-thought out plan.

UPDATE: 2:46PM From the league:

On Monday, our Athletics Directors clarified the “Two-team or multiple team tie for divisional champion” by adding “Highest average computer ranking” following “Highest CFP Ranking.”

This mirrors the policy to determine the host and enforces the intent that the competitive results determine the outcome.

Therefore that scenario has been adjusted: http://conferenceusa.com/news/2019/11/24/fb-c-usa-football-scenarios.aspx?path=football

UPDATE: The league has updated the tie-breaking scenarios without an announcement. They simply updated the text at this URI:

http://www.conferenceusa.com/news/2019/11/24/fb-c-usa-football-scenarios.aspx

The text below is from the league’s previous update, sent to all the writers that cover the league.

The league emailed the leagues writers to set straight the scenarios for this weekend. Everyone from Reddit to Twitter has had an interpretation of the rules.

In the West –
Louisiana Tech (5-2) – the Bulldogs can win the West Division title with a win vs. UTSA and a UAB loss at North Texas. The Bulldogs will win the division at 6-2 in a tie with Southern Miss only, as the Bulldogs own the tie-breaker over the Golden Eagles).

Southern Miss (5-2) – the Golden Eagles can win the West Division by winning at Florida Atlantic, if LA Tech loses to UTSA. Southern Miss owns the tie-breaker over UAB if both schools are 6-2.

UAB (5-2) – the Blazers can win the West Division by winning at North Texas, along with a Southern Miss loss at Florida Atlantic. UAB would then win a head-to-head tie-breaker with LA Tech if both schools are 6-2.

If Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss and UAB each win their final regular season game and finish 6-2, the tie would not be broken through the first seven tie-breakers and it would go down to tie-breaker No. 8: “If still tied, the representative will be the team that has not participated in the championship game most recently.” Southern Miss (2015) would win that tie-breaker ahead of Louisiana Tech (2016) and UAB (2018).

In the East – 
Florida Atlantic (6-1) –The Owls can win the East Division by winning against Southern Miss.  Florida Atlantic owns the tie-breaker over WKU.

Marshall (5-2) – the Thundering Herd can win the East Division by winning against FIU, if Florida Atlantic loses to Southern Miss.  Marshall owns the tie-breakers over Florida Atlantic and WKU and would win a two-way tie with Florida Atlantic at 6-2 and a three-way tie-breaker at 6-2.

WKU (5-2) –The Hilltoppers can finish in a tie for the East Division at 6-2, but lose the head-to-head tie-breaker with Florida Atlantic and a three-way tie-breaker with both schools based on head-to-head losses to each.

Regarding the host of the Conference USA Football Championship game –

Florida Atlantic (6-1) – controls its destiny to host the C-USA Championship Game and will host with a win over Southern Miss in Boca Raton on Saturday.

Marshall (5-2) remains a possibility to host the C-USA Championship from the East Division, while Louisiana Tech (5-2), Southern Miss (5-2) and UAB (5-2) remain possibilities to host the C-USA Championship from the West Division.

Head-to-head competition is the first tie-breaker if divisional champions have the same conference record. If they did not play, the CFP ranking is the next tie-breaker. If neither team is in the top 25 of the CFP Rankings and wins on the final weekend, average computer ranking (Anderson and Hester, Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Massey, Sagarin and Wolfe) would be used to determine host.