FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wabco]

Hmmmmm

Think it goes:

WABASH RANKED # 7 in Lindy poll

and ... oh yes, looking further down the list ... Witt comes in later at #11.

[bashbrother]

I am sure that the Lindy Poll reflects on a surface level review of the Division.  Last year finish, reputation and maybe returning players but I doubt it.  (I could be wrong)  I think #7 with all of the questions coming into the season is a little kind.  But we shall see.

Also:  Whitewater loses almost their whole starting team, 
7 starters on offense (Beaver, Jones, 4 offensive lineman, Top WR)
7 starters on Defense (Raebel, entire lock down secondary, Orgizovich)

It will be interesting to see how they reload.  #2 Pre-season may be kind as well and based on their tremendous '07 and success over the past five or so years.

[ADL70]

Since CWRU is sandwiched between Witt and Bash at #10, I'd say last year's finish, returning players, and reputation all are considered.  I'd say CWRU's ranking puts a big ? on the value of the ranking.  Seem like they gave Bash a similar ranking last year.

[wab64]

  It occurs to me that last year Street&Smith ranked Wabash #7 in their pre-season rankings and everyone seemed to think they were out of their minds. After starting in the 20s in the first d3.com polls, they crept up the list and when all the dust (and snow) settled and 13 games were played, guess what? Wabash was ranked #8--maybe S&S knew something.

[wally_wabash]

The Wittenberg ranking is a bit of a surprise, but I think there is some justification.  Witt had a good year last year,  having lost only twice (both to playoff teams), they have a lot coming back, and (perhaps most importantly to pollsters) have a schedule that is about a million times more favorable than the one they have been playing.  I would expect to see Wittenberg hovering in or around the top 25 for most of this upcoming season. 

Wabash has gained a top 10 preseason ranking for the second year in a row.  Perhaps the LGs will have multiple top 10 preseason placements this year.  Are they that good?  Who knows...that's why we play.  More important to me is that Wabash getting these rankings from these publications means that people who follow D-III (even as tangentially as some of these other publications do) now are expecting Wabash to be very good.  I think Wabash has always expected Wabash to be very good...but now it's fun to see the rest of the D-III community start to expect the same and I think it marks another significant benchmark in the progress of the program. 

[Duster72]

While I am excited that Wabash is ranked so highly, I think this reflects how little the pollsters know about D3.  I don't think we've proven ourselves to be consistent enough to be worthy of such high praise.

I hope they're right, but with a coaching change, I wouldn't put us up that high.

Maybe this whole thing is just a little too reminiscent of the 2003 pre-season.

[wally_wabash]

I hope they're right, but with a coaching change, I wouldn't put us up that high.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with Coach Raeburn.  Nobody will soon (or ever) forget the Creighton era at Wabash, but Raeburn is a winner.  The program is in very good hands.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the reigning national champs hoisted Walnut & Bronze the year after a coaching change.  Coaching change certainly doesn't equate to stepping backward. 

[Pat Coleman]

  It occurs to me that last year Street&Smith ranked Wabash #7 in their pre-season rankings and everyone seemed to think they were out of their minds. After starting in the 20s in the first d3.com polls, they crept up the list and when all the dust (and snow) settled and 13 games were played, guess what? Wabash was ranked #8--maybe S&S knew something.

Something, perhaps. But not enough to be credible from 1-25. Only nine of S&S's preseason Top 25 were even in the 32-team playoff field. We had 13.

[wab64]

  It occurs to me that last year Street&Smith ranked Wabash #7 in their pre-season rankings and everyone seemed to think they were out of their minds. After starting in the 20s in the first d3.com polls, they crept up the list and when all the dust (and snow) settled and 13 games were played, guess what? Wabash was ranked #8--maybe S&S knew something.

Something, perhaps. But not enough to be credible from 1-25. Only nine of S&S's preseason Top 25 were even in the 32-team playoff field. We had 13.

    My mind wanders-where did d3.com rank Wabash (and Wittenberg) in last year's preseason top 25, Pat?

[SaintsFAN]

Wabash was preseason #22

Witt was listed as receiving votes....with 14 votes

[bashbrother]

Last years pre-season ranking had Huff leading the team too....Who would have thought that Hudson would've done what he did.  It truly made last year even more of an accomplishment for that team.

[Pat Coleman]

  It occurs to me that last year Street&Smith ranked Wabash #7 in their pre-season rankings and everyone seemed to think they were out of their minds. After starting in the 20s in the first d3.com polls, they crept up the list and when all the dust (and snow) settled and 13 games were played, guess what? Wabash was ranked #8--maybe S&S knew something.

Something, perhaps. But not enough to be credible from 1-25. Only nine of S&S's preseason Top 25 were even in the 32-team playoff field. We had 13.

    My mind wanders-where did d3.com rank Wabash (and Wittenberg) in last year's preseason top 25, Pat?

Oddly enough, such information is readily available at D3football.com. It's self-serve

[Ralph Turner]

  It occurs to me that last year Street&Smith ranked Wabash #7 in their pre-season rankings and everyone seemed to think they were out of their minds. After starting in the 20s in the first d3.com polls, they crept up the list and when all the dust (and snow) settled and 13 games were played, guess what? Wabash was ranked #8--maybe S&S knew something.

Yeah, that Wabash grads had disposable income and would buy their magazine, if they listed them in the pre-season Top 25.

At that level, I think that magazine sales are geared more towards the presumption of a good-enough team to stack the Top 25 with demographically driven research as to who buys the mags and remotely has a chance at a Top 25 season. 

On the other hand, the third-best team in the SCAC beat Wabash and did not get near the playoffs.   

[SaintsFAN]

3am posting Ralph??   

[D3_DPUFan]

Something, perhaps. But not enough to be credible from 1-25. Only nine of S&S's preseason Top 25 were even in the 32-team playoff field. We had 13.

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