FB: Empire 8

[Bombers798891]

yet in 2 weeks, IC is going to beat Cortland, and prove that in reality, this weeks ranking of Cortland was an illusion, or poor perception, if you will...

At least you Fisher guys are good for helping us hate Cortland...

[RedDragonFan]

yet in 2 weeks, IC is going to beat Cortland, and prove that in reality, this weeks ranking of Cortland was an illusion, or poor perception, if you will...

At least you Fisher guys are good for helping us hate Cortland...

Respectfully agree and disagree.  Agree wholeheartedly that Fisher is a better team than Cortland right now and that the polls are what they are.  Opinions loosely based on facts available.  I think you know where I disagree!

[Yanks 99]

Can't we just end this discussion, and just agree that Utica has finally "arrived" and they are the best team in the East?

Sorry...I couldn't help myself.

[Ethelred the Unready]

Upstate, I know you love baseball, so check this out: Since 2004, 3 of the 6 (perhaps 5) biggest World Series droughts have been wiped away.... only a matter of time before that rubs off on IC!

Actually we are looking at this in more eschatological terms, here in Texas.

The last shall be first and the first shall be last,  signs of the end times.

The Cowboys have only 1 win, the Rangers are in the World Series, and the Baylor Bears lead the Big XII South.

Wouldn't you love to see the  Jets and Cowboys play this week?  The football would be atrocious but the smack talk and posturing would be epic!  A pose-off in OT for for the win......

[theoriginalupstate]

Can't we just end this discussion, and just agree that Utica has finally "arrived" and they are the best team in the East?

Sorry...I couldn't help myself.

There's no point in stating the obvious 

[tecmobowler]

mmmm Fisher dropped out of the top 25 (they are number 26) and were jumped by Rowan and Cortland...Alfred losing caused Fisher to be jumped by them no doubt, so thanks for that.  I believe Rowan and Cortland to be two very good teams but I don't think they are currently better than Fisher.  Oh well, such is life.  I think if Fisher wins next week over a solid Springfield team they will jump back in.  Goooo E8!!! 

Unless I'm missing something the D3 football pool means nothing, especially towards the playoffs.  Why does anyone care?

[Bombers798891]

mmmm Fisher dropped out of the top 25 (they are number 26) and were jumped by Rowan and Cortland...Alfred losing caused Fisher to be jumped by them no doubt, so thanks for that.  I believe Rowan and Cortland to be two very good teams but I don't think they are currently better than Fisher.  Oh well, such is life.  I think if Fisher wins next week over a solid Springfield team they will jump back in.  Goooo E8!!! 

Unless I'm missing something the D3 football pool means nothing, especially towards the playoffs.  Why does anyone care?

Read the NJAC board for your answer

[sjfcards]

For the record I don't care.  I would love for fisher to still be ranked, but if they win and AU loses on SatERday I don't care if they are ranked 300.

[theoriginalupstate]

mmmm Fisher dropped out of the top 25 (they are number 26) and were jumped by Rowan and Cortland...Alfred losing caused Fisher to be jumped by them no doubt, so thanks for that.  I believe Rowan and Cortland to be two very good teams but I don't think they are currently better than Fisher.  Oh well, such is life.  I think if Fisher wins next week over a solid Springfield team they will jump back in.  Goooo E8!!! 

Unless I'm missing something the D3 football pool means nothing, especially towards the playoffs.  Why does anyone care?

OK, let's pretend two things here.  Ithaca was good enough to be ranked and that Ithaca won by 32 then dropped out of the top 25. 

Don't kid yourself if you don't think the reaction from IC faithful would be any different.

If anything the reaction by Fisher fans has been mild.

[tecmobowler]

Perhaps the faithful would be mad, but I sure wouldn't. 

I guess it would be different if it counted towards playoffs selections, but really, it just a website's poll. 

[maxpower]

No, Upstate, the reaction would be different because we've seen it happen before. It seems like almost every year since 2002 IC has started out ranked in the top 15 and always always drops out, because the polls mean nothing. Like it or not, our history gives us a boost in the poll. So those of us who know our history doesn't mean squat in terms of this year know that the poll doesn't either.

I'm with tecmo. Why is this such a big deal? And why shouldn't Fisher drop out? I think all that means is that other teams maybe had more impressive wins than yours over Frostburg. You'd have to have scored 70 for your win at Frostburg to be "impressive."

And let's say the poll did reflect strategies for putting teams in the playoffs. What the committee sees is a team that had a couple good runs three years ago, but since then has pooped the bed in three straight years against the same team that loses to people like RPI and UR, or hell, even a crappy version of IC. So that team, if I live in Oregon or something, sounds like a team that would poop itself in the playoffs too.

I'm sure you disagree with what I just said, but one thing that should stand out is that the poll is flawed, and never won't be. One, obligatory whiny post from FA91 is appropriate. Two pages of it is ridiculous.

[tecmobowler]

And unfortunately, because these people voting in polls have never seen a lot of the teams, I'm sure reputation has more to do with things than it really should. It's not like D-1 where you can watch games on the tv.

Trine?  Depauw?  Could Coach Welch even find these on a map?

[theoriginalupstate]

No, Upstate, the reaction would be different because we've seen it happen before. It seems like almost every year since 2002 IC has started out ranked in the top 15 and always always drops out, because the polls mean nothing. Like it or not, our history gives us a boost in the poll. So those of us who know our history doesn't mean squat in terms of this year know that the poll doesn't either.

I'm with tecmo. Why is this such a big deal? And why shouldn't Fisher drop out? I think all that means is that other teams maybe had more impressive wins than yours over Frostburg. You'd have to have scored 70 for your win at Frostburg to be "impressive."

And let's say the poll did reflect strategies for putting teams in the playoffs. What the committee sees is a team that had a couple good runs three years ago, but since then has pooped the bed in three straight years against the same team that loses to people like RPI and UR, or hell, even a crappy version of IC. So that team, if I live in Oregon or something, sounds like a team that would poop itself in the playoffs too.

I'm sure you disagree with what I just said, but one thing that should stand out is that the poll is flawed, and never won't be. One, obligatory whiny post from FA91 is appropriate. Two pages of it is ridiculous.

I totally agree with everything you said here and see/understand where you are coming from.

However no one said that it matters in the long run and most are just saying it doesn't make sense to win by 30+ and drop out of the poll.

[AUPepBand]

Here's Pep's take on what happened Saterday, which, as 'z00 mentioned, has no bearing on the Saxons' position of having the inside track for the E8 AQ, BUT certainly has AU fans questioning the Saxons' ability to get it done.

One of the interesting factors of D3football is the exchange of game tapes. Pep understands that coaches refuse to use plays in some games for the sole purpose of concealing those plays from future opponents. There is a certain strategy involved in not laying all your cards on the table for all to see.

Last year at Butterfield, the Saxons were ill-prepared in a battle with the Bombers. It was a different team on the field than AU had seen on tape. Pep doesn't know what UR game tape the Saxons used in preparation for Saterday's debacle, but Pep is convinced that UR was a much different team on Merrill Field than the Saxons were prepared to battle...and were unable to make necessary adjustments to overcome.

When a team is 1-5, it has nothing to lose. It can take chances. It can re-invent itself. Pep is convinced that St. John Fisher played a much different UR squad than the Saxons faced on Saterday. UR ran a wildcat that AU likely had not seen and utilized different personnel in skill positions.

Here's the key performers in UR's 24-14 win at Merrill:
QB Braezen Subick 13-for-20 with 1 int and 1 TD, 120 yards passing
R.J. Napodano 12 carries for 54 yards
Chris Lebano 24 carries for 63 yards
Byron Saggese 1 carry for 2 yards

Here's the key performers in UR's 49-21 loss to Fisher:
QB Patrick Keegan 24-44-1 int, 264 yards passing
C. Onyiriuka 6 carries for 36 yards
Byron Saggese 13 carries for 64 yards
Chris Lebano 8 carries for 21 yards

Pep gives credit to UR for developing a great game plan and executing it well. AU has had it easy against UR for several years, which Pep believes played into the psyche of the Saxons, who came out flat and finished flat, perhaps not respecting their opponent as they should.

Pep will be interested to see which of the Saxons' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde existence will be on Merrill Field against Ithaca on Saterday.

On Saxon Warriors!

[tecmobowler]

Ithaca sure looks pathetic every year against Fisher.