FB: Empire 8

[fisheralum91]

Welcome CP,
I look forward to a great season this year for the alma mater!
While there are holes that Fisher has to fill, Im hoping that this season is a great one!
I look forward to homecoming and other games that ill catch this year!

[bomber3]

Preseason poll is out and 5 Bomber opponents are in the top 40: cortland 13 Alfred 18 Salisbury 30 Springfield 32 Fisher 39.

For the first time in the history of the preseason poll, Ithaca College does not garner one point.  Bulletin board material.

[Bombers798891]

Preseason poll is out and 5 Bomber opponents are in the top 40: cortland 13 Alfred 18 Salisbury 30 Springfield 32 Fisher 39.

For the first time in the history of the preseason poll, Ithaca College does not garner one point.  Bulletin board material.

I guess the voters finally decided to make the Bombers earn it on the field this season after Ithaca's spent most of the decade failing to live up to the hype

2010-- Preseason: #45. Postseason: Unranked through 40 spots
2009-- Preseason: #10. Postseason: Unranked though 43 spots
2008-- Preseason: #18. Postseason: #23
2007-- Preseason: #33. Postseason: #21
2006-- Preseason: #23. Postseason: #37
2005-- Preseason: #17. Postseason: #24
2004-- Preseason: #13. Postseason: #20
2003-- Week 1: #13. Postseson: #10

Bombers ought to worry a little more about doing things to affect their postseason rankings, like, you know, not losing to Fisher by 30 points every season, or showing up for a tough road game that isn't Cortland

[Bombers798891]

I had to do it. We were getting along too well.

Well, that and I think that if a team is worried about posting things to their bulletin boards, their heads are in the wrong place. But mostly the getting along thing 

[Pat Coleman]

Maybe it's a four-year cycle.

[Ralph Turner]

Preseason poll is out and 5 Bomber opponents are in the top 40: cortland 13 Alfred 18 Salisbury 30 Springfield 32 Fisher 39.

For the first time in the history of the preseason poll, Ithaca College does not garner one point.  Bulletin board material.

I guess the voters finally decided to make the Bombers earn it on the field this season after Ithaca's spent most of the decade failing to live up to the hype

2010-- Preseason: #45. Postseason: Unranked through 40 spots
2009-- Preseason: #10. Postseason: Unranked though 43 spots
2008-- Preseason: #18. Postseason: #23
2007-- Preseason: #33. Postseason: #21
2006-- Preseason: #23. Postseason: #37
2005-- Preseason: #17. Postseason: #24
2004-- Preseason: #13. Postseason: #20
2003-- Week 1: #13. Postseson: #10

Bombers ought to worry a little more about doing things to affect their postseason rankings, like, you know, not losing to Fisher by 30 points every season, or showing up for a tough road game that isn't Cortland

+1! Thanks for the research and the contribution to the discussion on the boards.

Great historical context.  

[AUKaz00]

Preseason poll is out and 5 Bomber opponents are in the top 40: cortland 13 Alfred 18 Salisbury 30 Springfield 32 Fisher 39.

For the first time in the history of the preseason poll, Ithaca College does not garner one point.  Bulletin board material.

But at least you guys are the 8th geekiest city in the country!

[bomber3]

I had to do it. We were getting along too well.

Well, that and I think that if a team is worried about posting things to their bulletin boards, their heads are in the wrong place. But mostly the getting along thing  

I've always said preseason rankings are kind of a joke and to maintain a top 25 ranking throughout the season is a tough task and typically requires making the playoffs.  I understand your point but all your cynical posts make it seem like it you don't like the Bombers receiving recognition, whether it is deserved or not.  Your point is valid and correct but the main reason why we disagree on most things is because I would expect a SJF or other poster to post something like that, not an IC fan.  If I didn't know your affiliation and only read what was on these boards I would be hard pressed to tag you as a Bombers fan.  Some people would take recognition (via preseason rankings) as a sign of respect to the program but it doesn't seem you see it that way - but hey, to each their own.  Coming off a 6-4 season they obviously weren't getting any preseason love this year so lets see how it turns out.

[AUPepBand]

I've always said preseason rankings are kind of a joke and to maintain a top 25 ranking throughout the season is a tough task and typically requires making the playoffs.

While pleased that the Saxons have garnered some nationwide attention from their nice little playoff run in 2010, Pep also sees pre-season rankings as kind of a joke. Two regular season losses will quickly drop a team from such a pre-season place of honor.

And speaking of jokes, the Green Party held its national meeting in Mayberry last weekend, no doubt for its being centrally located among New York State's Amish population, whom the Greens must adore.

Sign behind an Amish carriage:  "Energy efficient vehicle. Runs on grass and oats. CAUTION: Avoid exhaust!" 

On Saxon Warriors!

[Bombers798891]

I had to do it. We were getting along too well.

Well, that and I think that if a team is worried about posting things to their bulletin boards, their heads are in the wrong place. But mostly the getting along thing  

I've always said preseason rankings are kind of a joke and to maintain a top 25 ranking throughout the season is a tough task and typically requires making the playoffs.  I understand your point but all your cynical posts make it seem like it you don't like the Bombers receiving recognition, whether it is deserved or not.  Your point is valid and correct but the main reason why we disagree on most things is because I would expect a SJF or other poster to post something like that, not an IC fan.  If I didn't know your affiliation and only read what was on these boards I would be hard pressed to tag you as a Bombers fan.  Some people would take recognition (via preseason rankings) as a sign of respect to the program but it doesn't seem you see it that way - but hey, to each their own.  Coming off a 6-4 season they obviously weren't getting any preseason love this year so lets see how it turns out.

See, I think the difference isn't so much that I don't want them to get recognition, but that I disagree on what is worthy of said recognition. From my basketball posts, you know I value postseason success more highly than regular-season success and loathe underachieving teams. IC hasn't won a playoff game since 2003 (this year isn't looking good either) and, to me, underachieved in 2004, 2005 and 2008.

Winning 75% of the time is great, no doubt. I'm proud of that 40+ year winning seasons streak. But basically over the past few seasons, IC's beating the teams they're supposed to beat and nothing more. (Notable exceptions might be Springfield in 2006/2010 and Alfred in 2009) And they've lost just as many (If not more) games they shouldn't have in that time.

I'm a results guy, and the results have been okay, but I do think there's a little of an "It's Ithaca" thing going on, and I don't like that, really for anyone.

[Jonny Utah]

Preseason poll is out and 5 Bomber opponents are in the top 40: cortland 13 Alfred 18 Salisbury 30 Springfield 32 Fisher 39.

For the first time in the history of the preseason poll, Ithaca College does not garner one point.  Bulletin board material.

But at least you guys are the 8th geekiest city in the country!

I got a chuckle (and I'm sure LD will too) that the 'Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford' area is ranked as the 6th geekiest city in the country.  And that Framingham, MA is 3rd.  If you have ever been to those places, "geek" isn't really the first thing that comes to mind.

LD is kind of a geek though.

[lewdogg11]

Preseason poll is out and 5 Bomber opponents are in the top 40: cortland 13 Alfred 18 Salisbury 30 Springfield 32 Fisher 39.

For the first time in the history of the preseason poll, Ithaca College does not garner one point.  Bulletin board material.

But at least you guys are the 8th geekiest city in the country!

I got a chuckle (and I'm sure LD will too) that the 'Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford' area is ranked as the 6th geekiest city in the country.  And that Framingham, MA is 3rd.  If you have ever been to those places, "geek" isn't really the first thing that comes to mind.

LD is kind of a geek though.

Chelmsford must carry a lot clout there because that definitely isn't what I think of with Lowell and Billerica.  But, my guess is UMass -Lowell brings the noise on the geek level.  Tons of nerds.

[Frank Rossi]

I had to do it. We were getting along too well.

Well, that and I think that if a team is worried about posting things to their bulletin boards, their heads are in the wrong place. But mostly the getting along thing  

I've always said preseason rankings are kind of a joke and to maintain a top 25 ranking throughout the season is a tough task and typically requires making the playoffs.  I understand your point but all your cynical posts make it seem like it you don't like the Bombers receiving recognition, whether it is deserved or not.  Your point is valid and correct but the main reason why we disagree on most things is because I would expect a SJF or other poster to post something like that, not an IC fan.  If I didn't know your affiliation and only read what was on these boards I would be hard pressed to tag you as a Bombers fan.  Some people would take recognition (via preseason rankings) as a sign of respect to the program but it doesn't seem you see it that way - but hey, to each their own.  Coming off a 6-4 season they obviously weren't getting any preseason love this year so lets see how it turns out.

As a voter that didn't show Ithaca the love you're discussing, let me give you a little insight as to how I dealt with the E8 teams when voting.

Normally, I will rank my teams in the preseason first based on region, then merge them nationally (this is somewhat how the Pool C system works, and that's how I adopted it last year in the preseason).  Not many conferences warrant multiple teams to be considered for the Top 25.  The ones that tend to include the ASC, E8, IIAC, MAC, MIAC, NJAC, NWC, OAC, ODAC, PAC, SCIAC and WIAC (less than half of the Pool A conferences).  In those circumstances, I do tend to predict how I foresee the conference's results turning based on what information we do have (returners, 2010 results, especially in the end of the season, any playoff results available and overal 2011 schedule).  The E8 looks a little odd this year compared to most years when I looked at it.  I think Alfred is a positive outlier, although I do think the team will lose 1-2 games this season.  The problem underneath is that Ithaca, SJF, Salisbury and Springfield all seem very viable as #2 for the E8.  Because of that, I foresee a middling effect in which these teams go on their own feeding frenzy on each other.  So, for 2011 schedule and projections, I'm not positive on any one of those teams enough to place them close to Alfred, a team that barely made my top 20. 

My own internal ranking of the E8 for those teams went something like: 1) Alfred, 2) Salisbury, 3) Springfield, 4) SJF, 5) Ithaca.  It was more based on the other criteria because of the ambivalence I had regarding the 2011 projections.  I'm actually looking right now at my notes and see I crossed out at #25 Springfield, then placed in Salisbury when I considered which of those two teams seems to have the better offense right now in my view (shifting my East rankings as I was merging, obviously), then placed Redlands in #25 when I took another look at the West Region (which I admitted in the LL last week was the hardest region to evaluate this year for me).  SJF lost a lot this year, Ithaca has some real question marks after a disappointing season and the two combined just seem to be in the middle of the busy heap this year.

Here's the upshot: There is such a glut right now in the 21-40 zone in my own personal rankings and the 21-30 slots in the preseason poll that there is a great deal of fluidity as we see the results.  I project a lot of movement in the rankings (moreso than normal) in the first three weeks, especially below the #10 range.  That will make some room for any E8 teams that survive their non-conference schedules early on.  We just have to have some results to see exactly how this conference will shape itself moreson this year than ever.

[AUPepBand]

Normally, I will rank my teams in the preseason first based on region, then merge them nationally (this is somewhat how the Pool C system works, and that's how I adopted it last year in the preseason).  Not many conferences warrant multiple teams to be considered for the Top 25.  The ones that tend to include the ASC, E8, IIAC, MAC, MIAC, NJAC, NWC, OAC, ODAC, PAC, SCIAC and WIAC (less than half of the Pool A conferences).  In those circumstances, I do tend to predict how I foresee the conference's results turning based on what information we do have (returners, 2010 results, especially in the end of the season, any playoff results available and overal 2011 schedule).  The E8 looks a little odd this year compared to most years when I looked at it.  I think Alfred is a positive outlier, although I do think the team will lose 1-2 games this season.  The problem underneath is that Ithaca, SJF, Salisbury and Springfield all seem very viable as #2 for the E8.  Because of that, I foresee a middling effect in which these teams go on their own feeding frenzy on each other.  So, for 2011 schedule and projections, I'm not positive on any one of those teams enough to place them close to Alfred, a team that barely made my top 20. 

My own internal ranking of the E8 for those teams went something like: 1) Alfred, 2) Salisbury, 3) Springfield, 4) SJF, 5) Ithaca.  It was more based on the other criteria because of the ambivalence I had regarding the 2011 projections.  I'm actually looking right now at my notes and see I crossed out at #25 Springfield, then placed in Salisbury when I considered which of those two teams seems to have the better offense right now in my view (shifting my East rankings as I was merging, obviously), then placed Redlands in #25 when I took another look at the West Region (which I admitted in the LL last week was the hardest region to evaluate this year for me).  SJF lost a lot this year, Ithaca has some real question marks after a disappointing season and the two combined just seem to be in the middle of the busy heap this year.

Here's the upshot: There is such a glut right now in the 21-40 zone in my own personal rankings and the 21-30 slots in the preseason poll that there is a great deal of fluidity as we see the results.  I project a lot of movement in the rankings (moreso than normal) in the first three weeks, especially below the #10 range.  That will make some room for any E8 teams that survive their non-conference schedules early on.  We just have to have some results to see exactly how this conference will shape itself moreson this year than ever.

Hope you aren't losing sleep over your pre-season Top 25 ballot, Frank....just saying. Kind of a late night/early morning post! 

[pg04]

Hey! Ithaca is ranked #7... in the following cool towns poll (I happen to be living in town #1... I'm soooo cool  ):

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/795531-college-football-ranking-the-31-coolest-college-towns