In or out? We'll all know on Sunday the 23rd. But until then, let the projections and predictions commence. For Appalachian fans, it comes as quite a treat to be so heatedly involved in the debate considering a 1-3 start to the season. Now, with the team on the cusp of finishing the season winning six of the last seven games, the Mountaineers hope to repeat a feat they accomplished in 1992 and enter the I-AA playoffs with a 7-4 record. It's hard to control your own destiny when you're in jeopardy of being on the outside looking in, so many of you will have your focus not only on the ASU and Western Carolina matchup, but on other games around the country as well. Allow us to lend you a hand in your search. First, a quick briefing. 16 teams are selected to compete in the I-AA playoffs and eight of those teams are awarded automatic entries by means of winning their conference. These eight teams come from the Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Gateway, MEAC, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern and Southland conferences. The other eight slots are filled by "at-large" teams, schools that are picked by the I-AA selection committee based on a number of factors. Since Wofford has already clinched the automatic bid from the Southern Conference, Appalachian State will have to rely on an at large berth. However, four losses, historically, (ASU is 6-4) sends up a red flag to the committee. Very few "at-large" teams have earned a bid with that all-important fourth-loss over the history of the playoffs. So here is the million-dollar question: Are there enough teams out there to not bring in a four-loss team? Let's begin with the automatic qualifiers. Wofford, the Southern Conference Champion, became the first team to earn a spot in the field of 16 by winning the league title thanks to a 28-14 win over East Tennessee State Saturday. In the Gateway, 10-0 (6-0) Southern Illinois and 8-2 (5-1) Northern Iowa meet for the conference title. One of these teams will win the automatic bid and the other is easily in as an at large. Next, you have the Atlantic 10. Massachusetts (7-0 conference), Villanova (5-2), and Delaware (6-1) are all in the running for the bid. UMass and Delaware both control their own destiny as the two squads meet on Saturday. Villanova could be the odd man out in this equation, leaving the Wildcats hoping for an at large selection. The top-ranked team in the country McNeese State controls their own destiny in the Southland conference. As long as the Cowboys don't suffer a letdown, they should claim the automatic. Despite a shaky start, Montana sits on top of the Big Sky conference. As long as things don't turn ugly like last year, the Grizz should wrap up the league title and subsequent automatic berth. The Ohio Valley conference will only get one team and it will likely come down to a November 22nd meeting between Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri State. In the Patriot League, only losing their last two games would keep Colgate away from the conference crown. The Raiders knocked off the number one contender in Lehigh last weekend. And finally, the Aggies of North Carolina A&T can lock up the MEAC title with a win at home over Hampton. A loss, and the Pirates will be in. Now here is where it gets dicey. Eight spots will be filled from all those scenarios, which leaves eight slots leftover. Keep in mind, that many of the teams competing for an automatic bid will be granted an at large entry if they should fall short. So let's break it down by conference to see who gets the last eight spots. In the Atlantic 10, let's just say that UMass gets the automatic bid. Delaware gets an at-large bid because even if they lose out, they still boast an 9-3 record with a win over a I-A opponent in the process. Seven spots remain. But now what to make of Villanova. Here is a team on the verge of implosion after falling to a Hofstra team that lost to Elon earlier this year. The Wildcats at 7-2 overall finish the year at Maine and hosting Delaware. This team could very easily finish 7-4 and ending on a three game losing streak. But let's give some credit to last year's semi-finalist and award them an at-large berth as well. So there are three from the A-10. Six spots remain. On to the Gateway. As mentioned before, Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa will both be in given their strong records. So that takes away another at-large entry because one team will get the automatic bid. Five at-large spots remain. But arguably the best conference in I-AA still has two more teams vying for a spot. The best chance at a third team from the Gateway goes to Western Illinois. At 7-3, the Leathernecks host SMS on Saturday and can all but lock up a playoff spot with a win. The 'Necks will boast an 8-3 record and a very good strength of schedule. Four spots remain. The money team in this league is defending champion Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers finish off the season with a cautious trip to Youngstown State. Should WKU win, they would also finish 8-3 but with an extremely weak strength of schedule. To get in, the selection committee would have to take four teams from the Gateway. Keep in mind that the Southern Conference, even with a 9-3 Wofford team, was unable to get four teams into the field of 16. But it's difficult to keep the defending national champs out with only three losses. So let's award a fourth spot out of the Gateway to the 'Toppers pending a win Saturday. Three spots remain. For the Southland and Big Sky conferences, App fans have to pull for the frontrunners. If McNeese State wins out over Northwestern State and Nicholls State, they'll be the only representative from the Southland conference and no at-large bids will be awarded due to the other teams having dismal records. But if you remember last year, the Ohio Valley conference and Big Sky conference had teams (Murray State and Montana State respectively) with terrible overall records steal the automatic bid because of a strong conference record. The same could happen this year if McNeese doesn't win out and they are forced to take an at large bid away from the rest of the country. That doesn't seem likely, so zero at large bids are awarded to the Southland. Same thing goes for Montana in the Big Sky. The Grizzlies have a great chance of winning the automatic, but let's award two bids to the conference due to Northern Arizona having a strong year. Things could still shake up so just to be safe, the Big Sky gets one at large bid. Two spots remain. In the Ohio Valley conference, either Jacksonville State or Southeast Missouri State will win the automatic, but under no circumstances will another team get in. On to the Patriot League, which traditionally only gets one team and right now that spot belongs to Colgate. Even if Lehigh wins their final game, they'll still be a Patriot League team with three losses and that likely won't merit a playoff spot. If Western Kentucky is the money team, then the MEAC is the money conference. Appalachian's playoff hopes could all come down to the North Carolina A&T and Hampton showdown. If the Aggies of A&T win, they win the automatic bid and Hampton finishes with four losses, leaving the MEAC with no at-large candidates. If Hampton wins, they steal a playoff berth, and it would be tough to keep a potentially 10-2 A&T team out of the field of 16. If the Aggies win, two spots still remain. So with hopefully two spots remaining, the only conference left is the Southern Conference. If ASU finishes with a 7-4 record, they end up second outright in the league. A league that has placed at least one team in the national semifinals five years in a row. Of course you still have the independents and the best case out there is Florida Atlantic, which can finish with a 9-2 record, the same record the playoff-less 1999 Elon team finished with including a win over SoCon power Furman and a 1997 playoff-less Liberty team, who beat Appalachian on the final day of the regular season to bump the Apps' out of the playoff picture. The independents just don't pull the same weight or seem to have the strength of schedule that a conference-affiliated team does. The final synopsis is this. Assuming things play out in the way described (which on paper is highly probable), there is a strong chance that ASU will be given a spot in the playoffs. The Mountaineers, pending a win Saturday, will have won six of seven, have wins over two teams that were in the top 10 at the time, and will be the second place team in a traditional juggernaut conference. To keep them out would mean taking a second team from the Patriot League, more than one independent team, or a 4-loss team that finished lower than second in their conference. Yes, a lot of this could change unfavorably if things don't play out on paper, but keep in mind that spots were awarded to teams that still have some work to do. So what should Appalachian fans keep an eye on and hope for? ASU topping Western Carolina ?€“ most important part of the equation North Carolina A&T vs. Hampton ?€“ Go Aggies!! estern Kentucky @ Youngstown State ?€“ Let's hope YSU hands the defending champs their fourth loss of the year. McNeese State in their last two games hoping for the Cowboys to win both Montana ?€“ see McNeese State Colgate at least splitting their last two games. Villanova losing at Maine and at home to Delaware Not all of these scenarios have to take place, but all of them will affect the Mountaineers' chances of going to the postseason. Of course, with all the ifs, ands, and buts, it all ultimately rests on the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug.