CS Northridge Might Need Help to Gain Division II Playoff Berth

Cal State Northridge’s three-point loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday caused the Matadors to tumble to No. 13 in this week’s NCAA Division II football poll.

The Matadors (7-2) were ranked seventh last week.

San Luis Obispo (8-1), previously ranked 10th, moved up to No. 8 after defeating Northridge, 6-3, to earn a tie with the Matadors for the Western Football Conference championship.

Both teams have 4-1 records in conference games.

Northridge closes out the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cal State Long Beach. On Sunday, the Division II Football Committee will announce the 16-team playoff field.

Thus, Northridge is put in a rather unusual position: The Matadors will be rooting for an old rival, UC Davis, and for a team with which it is unfamiliar, top-ranked North Dakota State, among others.

UC Davis will play 16th-ranked Sonoma State for the Northern California Athletic Conference championship; North Dakota State will play No. 11 North Dakota in a North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game.

“I look at the numbers one through 18 and think we need two losses in there besides ourselves,” said Bob Burt, Northridge’s coach. “If we lose but play well, we should be in. But if we get blown out, there could be a question.”

Northridge is the only team in the Top 20 that will play two Division I teams.

The Matadors lost their opener to Division I-AA Northern Arizona, 37-3. Long Beach is Division I-A.

DIVISION II RANKINGS: C14