I'm not sure which is more startling.

Is it the way Bloomsburg rallied back to catch West Chester after trailing by 35 points?

Or is it the way the Huskies hammered West Chester once it caught up?

I'm not sure. But like many of you, I could hardly believe it when I kept checking on the score last Saturday and every time I did, there was that sense that something unbelievable was happening.

35-7. 35-14. 35-21. 35-28. 35-35.

And then ...

42-35. 45-35. 48-35. 55-35.

I've heard of some strange things in football games, but a 55-point run that took only about two quarters is a first.

But back to the original question. Which is more startling?

I guess it's not so surprising that the Huskies rallied back. I mean, they're the Huskies, right? Bloomsburg might not put up the kind of yardage Kutztown does, and it might not have an offense that defensive coordinators lose sleep over. Yet the Huskies just do what they do. They put the ball in the hands of their trusted quarterback, Pat Carey, and he led them back.

But what the hell is wrong with West Chester?

I can understand why coach Bill Zwaan called it the toughest loss of his career. Like every coach in America, he probably thought he had the win in the bag when West Chester went up 35-0 in the first half. Most teams don't score 35 in a game, so forcing one to do it in two quarters seems unlikely.

I'm not sure exactly how it all happened. I'm sure there were some mistakes that got corrected, and some adjustments had to have been made. But I guess the point is this: Many years from now, will this be remembered as a game the Huskies came back to win, or was it a game the Rams gave away?

That's all in the past now, and it seems likely to think the Huskies are about as confident as you could be. Any team that rallies from 35 down should feel good about itself.

As for the Rams, it's gut-check time. This once-promising season could get ugly. Well, I guess it already has. So it could get uglier.

West Chester (4-4) has two tough games left - Saturday against Kutztown and Nov. 12 vs. IUP. At one point, the Rams were in the playoffs discussion. Now, I'd say they're in danger of finishing with a losing record.

Just imagine if the Rams had been able to hang on to a 35-point lead.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
This is an odd year in Super Region One. For once, it seems like all four conferences have a legitimate team or two that deserves to be in the playoffs.

New Haven, in the Northeast 10. West Virginia Wesleyan in the WVIAC. Winston-Salem State and Elizabeth City State in the CIAA.

The PSAC has Bloomsburg, Slippery Rock, Kutztown, IUP, Edinboro and California jockeying for a shot at the playoffs. At best, three of those six will get in, but the rankings make that seem unlikely.

We'll know more this weekend after a couple big games, most notably IUP-California, Bloomsburg-C.W. Post and Kutztown-West Chester.

Best-case scenario: Bloomsburg, Slippery Rock get in, and Kutztown, California or IUP join them. Edinboro has head-to-head losses with IUP and Slippery Rock that will make things difficult.

Worst-case scenario: Only Bloomsburg gets in. Depending on what happens with Slippery Rock the next two weeks, plus Southern Connecticut's status at No. 7, the PSAC could end up getting only one team in.

GAME OF THE WEEK
California vs. IUP -- We know this much: the loser is out of the playoff race.

But it's also a big game for several reasons, most notably that it's IUP's first crack at the 500th win in program history. Beating the Vulcans would make the Crimson Hawks only the second team in PSAC history to win at least 500 games, joining West Chester, which has 539 wins.

It's also the third rendition of the "Coal Bowl," which California has won the first two years it has been played, including an 18-15 thriller last season in overtime.
This is a matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions. California lost to Slippery Rock two weeks ago and very easily could have lost to Mercyhurst last week.
IUP has won four games in a row and seems to be playing its best football in years.

If IUP can run the ball and take the pressure off QB Pat Smith, the Crimson Hawks have a good chance. The Vulcans will certainly look to hit the kind of big plays they have been successful with, and IUP has struggled to prevent.

I'd give the slightest edge to IUP because of momentum. But the wounded Vulcans could rise up and surprise some people.

Either way, a lot is riding on this one.

A NOTE ON 500
It's impressive that IUP is closing in a milestone win, one that has taken 84 years to reach.

I don't want to pick on anyone, but it made me wonder how long it would take Lock Haven to reach 500 wins. After 30 minutes of research and a few brain cramps from all the addition, I think I have the answer.

Since the school first started playing football more than 100 years ago, Lock Haven has a record of 305-488-22. So it needs to win 195 more games to reach 500.

If you apply the rate at which Lock Haven has been going since 1945, the Bald Eagles will win their 500th game sometime during the 2076 season.

It will take that long because they are averaging three wins a year in the post-World War II era.

Ouch.

POWER RANKINGS
Based on one man's opinion:
1. Bloomsburg (8-0) - Duh.
2. Slippery Rock (7-1) - Don't sleep on Mercyhurst this week.
3. Kutztown (7-1) - All the Golden Bears' eggs are in the Bloomsburg game's basket.
4. California (6-2) - The talent is there. So are the questions.
5. IUP (5-2) - A lot of teams have looked good against Clarion and Gannon.
6. Edinboro (6-2) - Hanging in there, but still must play California.
7. C.W. Post (4-4) - Consolation for not winning the East? Lock Haven comes to Long Island on Nov. 12.
8. West Chester (4-4) - The Rams will forever be on the bad end of a good story.
9. Mercyhurst (3-5) - Getting to the top is tough. Staying there is harder.
10. Shippensburg (4-4) - Still a mystery how they handled Kutztown like that.
11. Gannon (3-5) - Warning to Clarion: Don't punt to Caliste.
12. Millersville (3-5) - Beating bad teams isn't impressive.
13. East Stroudsburg (1-7) - Best 1-7 team in the country.
14. Clarion (1-7) - It's been a rough, rough year.
15. Cheyney (1-7) - Tough slate left: East Stroudsburg, C.W. Post, California.
16. Lock Haven (0-7) - 39 and counting. Cheyney's record is in jeopardy.