The first edition of the regional rankings has been released so let's break down the top 10 teams. Please look at David Bykowski's post earlier tonight to get a link to the numbers for those stats geeks in the crowd. He breaks down the numbers team by team and shows the math behind the rankings.

Here are my thoughts on the top ten:

1. New Haven- Have one tough game left (Merrimack) and two very winnable games (Pace and St. Anselm). Needs to win out if they are going to get a home game and a potential bye in the first round (with the help of other teams). They have played the toughest schedule of the top ten to date, which is why they are number one right now.
2. Bloomsburg- Will be helped a lot with SOS in the next two weeks (CW Post and Kutztown). Lock Haven is their final opponent but will be bumped if they make the PSAC championship game. Looks to the top team in the region if they win out.
3. WV Wesleyan- Also has a favorable schedule down the next three weeks. Has two winnable games (WV State and Charleston) before traveling to Concord. They look to be a lock for a home game if they win out and a potential first round bye.
4. Winston-Salem State- Have the toughest schedule of the contenders down the stretch. They have a winnable game against Shaw this weekend before UNC-Pembroke and the CIAA championship game with Elizabeth City. Could have a bye if they win all three games.
5. Elizabeth City State- Have two winnable game with Chowan and Lincoln before the CIAA championship showdown with Winston-Salem State. Looks like the winner of the CIAA title game is in and the loser will be on the outside of the top six.
6. Slippery Rock- They are in the driver's seat for the PSAC championship game as they have Mercyhurst and Gannon over the next two weeks. They will be helped if they make the title game and face Bloomsburg. The two PSAC championship participants have made the playoffs since the game was reinstated a couple of years ago.
7. Southern Connecticut- They would be out of the picture if not for two big plays in the final seconds the past two weeks. Have a winnable game against Stonehill this week and then face Merrimack on November 12th. They need to win out and get some help if they are going to make the playoffs.
8. Kutztown- Might be the weakest team in the top 10 per the numbers. They have not played a team with a record over .500 and the Shippensburg loss is tougher to swallow right now. Have West Chester and Bloomsburg left before a potential title game. They would need to win all three games if they are going back to the playoffs.
9. IUP- Have a big game this weekend with California. The winner will make the top 10 next week and the loser is out of the playoff picture. The Crimson Hawks are only 1-2 against teams over .500 and need to beat California if they are going to have a shot at the playoffs.
10. Edinboro- Consecutive losses to IUP and Slippery Rock really hurt the Fighting Scots. They have a winnable game against Lock Haven this weekend before traveling to California the following one. Would need to win out and get some help.

The biggest surprise is that California is not in the top 10. It is the first time that I can remember in the past couple of seasons that they are absent from the rankings. They control their own destiny in the next two weeks as they face IUP and Edinboro. Two wins and they are on the cusp of the playoffs. They would also need Slippery Rock to stumble if they are going to get back to the PSAC championship game.

The other team that is going to have a major impact on the playoffs is Merrimack. They are 21st in the region per Byko's numbers but they have New Haven this weekend and close out the season with Southern Connecticut. If they win both games and beat AIC in between, they should leapfrog some teams and might have an outside shot at the playoffs as their SOS is one of the toughest in the next three weeks.

Here are the games that will have the biggest impact on next week's rankings:

California @ IUP
New Haven @ Merrimack
Kutztown @ West Chester

Remember, you need to win the game on the field if you are going to make the playoffs. You can't rely on another team to slip up and help you out. The next three weekends are crucial for all of the teams in contention.