FB: Empire 8

[Tags]

In regards to the talk about Fisher dropping to #6, it really doesn't matter this early in the season.  But it does annoy me a little to be honest.  

You know what will happen in next weeks poll?  If  #6 Fisher beats Ithaca, at Butterfield no less, and #7 Wesley beats Montclair State, they will also jump in front of Fisher.  I feel like, even after last season, Fisher is a bit disrespected on the national scene.  

Stop while you're ahead - it's things like this that get Fisher posters a bad rap.

A) the polls don't mean anything

B) This team is not as good as last years team.

and C) We can't let UofR hang tight all game and expect to impress anyone.

[Jonny Utah]

RE: top 25 poll

There are a few things when looking at a poll like this one, and the time of year really matters as well.  Just like Applachian St. isnt going to be ranked above Michigan after one game, MSU doesnt really deserve to be ranked ahead of SC after one game.  Now if App St. is 6-0 and beat a 6-0 Michigan team and App St has some quality wins, then they morally deserve to be ranked ahead.  The same would go for MSU and SC.  If both teams are 6-1 after 7 games, you will see MSU ranked ahead of them.

But......

I believe it was 2005 and Thiel had beaten W&J in week 4, leaving Thiel 4-0 and W&J 4-1.  W&J was still ranked ahead of them for a few weeks after when Thiel deserved a higher ranking.  But people that voted still did not rank them ahead when they deserved to be.  Human error messed up those rankings in that case because I felt it was late enough in the season to see who is better or not.  And in the end, Thiel proved to be at the same level.

[DanPadavona]

I'm not sure I agree with that Jonny.  I the case of App State you have an obvious fluke with a 1-AA team edging a 1-A team.  But Montclair is a solid D3 team, and not so long ago they were a playoff team.  Let's not forget too how bad Springfield looked 2 years ago.

I'm not so convinced Springfield is better than Montclair just because we all had them ranked high coming into the season.  They lost to Montclair - Montclair should be ranked higher imo.

[Jonny Utah]

I'm not sure I agree with that Jonny.  I the case of App State you have an obvious fluke with a 1-AA team edging a 1-A team.  But Montclair is a solid D3 team, and not so long ago they were a playoff team.  Let's not forget too how bad Springfield looked 2 years ago.

I'm not so convinced Springfield is better than Montclair just because we all had them ranked high coming into the season.  They lost to Montclair - Montclair should be ranked higher imo.

You are right about your second point, but my point was that if App St. was 6-0 with 4-5 other big 10 wins then they deserved to be above michigan....

[DanPadavona]

Definitely.

[FisherAlum05]

In regards to the talk about Fisher dropping to #6, it really doesn't matter this early in the season.  But it does annoy me a little to be honest.  

You know what will happen in next weeks poll?  If  #6 Fisher beats Ithaca, at Butterfield no less, and #7 Wesley beats Montclair State, they will also jump in front of Fisher.  I feel like, even after last season, Fisher is a bit disrespected on the national scene.  

Stop while you're ahead - it's things like this that get Fisher posters a bad rap.

A) the polls don't mean anything

B) This team is not as good as last years team.

and C) We can't let UofR hang tight all game and expect to impress anyone.

Fisher posters have a bad rap?    haha

A) Polls are polls.  They do mean something, although I agree not much.  Especially in D3.

B) This is a very good Fisher team.  It's tough when the target is on your jersey.  Everybody in the East Region is gunning for them. 

C) U of R is a good football team.  I think we will see that by the end of the season.  They were missing everybody in week one and lost to a Carnegie Mellon team that was 10-0 in the '06 regular season, and lost in the second round of the NCAA playoffs (11-1 final record).

[FisherAlum05]

I'm looking forward to this weekend.  Although I can't be there, I will be watching or listening over the internet.

What is everybodys honest opinion on the game?
I think it will be very tight, well played ball game.  Could be another high scoring game like in 2004 and 2005.  Both defenses have looked a little suspect.  Although I like the Fisher secondary alot (who wouldn't with Stepnick and Miranto).  If Fisher can limit Donovan and the IC running attack I think they pull it out. 

Early prediction:

Fisher 31
Ithaca 24

[FisherAlum05]

Pep and AU guys,

What are you thinking about the AU-SC game this weekend?  Should be a great one.  I think Alfred prevails.  Offense should put up some big numbers on suspect Springfield defense.  What does the AU defense look like this season?  Limit Sharpe to under 150 yards and I think AU wins for sure.

[AUPepBand]

Here we go again, Montclair beats Springfield and is out voted 166-79, not even close let alone the disrespect in the standings.  That's what happens when humans vote. 

Montclair wins by three points at home. A poll is supposed to tell what would happen on a neutral field.

I know you don't like the Top 25 but the least you could do is understand it. It is not a list of standings.

In hope of being more enlightened, how many game points is a home advantage typically worth?

Coach Murray, walking past the band in the parking lot prior to Saterday's game, "You guys are worth 7 points for us." Pep replies, "Is that all, Coach, 7 points?"

Not sure which of the seven TDs AU Pep Band can be credited with but will lobby for the third Hendrix TD run when Vinson broke it for 63 yards. That TD "drive" was 1 play, 63 yards with TOP a whopping :09 seconds. That topped the Saxons' other one-play scoring drive, a 72-yard run by Hendrix with a TOP of :13 seconds.

The band needs an electric guitar so it can add "Purple Haze" to its Jimi (Vinson) Hendrix Experience.

Stay tuned...

[AUPepBand]

Pep and AU guys,

What are you thinking about the AU-SC game this weekend?  Should be a great one.  I think Alfred prevails.  Offense should put up some big numbers on suspect Springfield defense.  What does the AU defense look like this season?  Limit Sharpe to under 150 yards and I think AU wins for sure.

This is 2007. Pep believes the Springfield defense is better than in 2006, yielding about 285 yards to Montclair and only 191 to Union. AU's defense, meanwhile, has been solid against the run, giving up only an average of 61 yards rushing in its first two games....but the Saxons will certainly be tested versus Sharpe and Company.

Pep is thinking the Saxons will need that 7 points from the AU Pep Band come Saterday. Stay tuned...

GO SAXONS!

[fisheralum91]

ok - first off- the leapfrog shoudnt suprise anybody- Tags said it best the other day----Fisher was flat - they let a very mediocre team back in it and pulled one out.

Also- this weekend- im sorry to miss you guys going dowm to IC- i will keep up to date on the site----have some of mr. S's peppers to keep ya warm...........hindsight being 20/20 i should have stayed well away from the orange ones.....
ill see you guys as the season progresses!!

Fisher wins by 10 for the first win at butterfield.

[maninyellowhat]

The band needs an electric guitar so it can add "Purple Haze" to its Jimi (Vinson) Hendrix Experience.

You rule Pep.

[JQV]

What a weekend.

The pain from the Bomber loss was eased by a monkey stomp of The Phighting Phils from Knoxville and burning in the sun while watching the Buccos go Who Dat all over the 'Aints Defense.

As for the Bombers...yes, Lyco, I actually wouldn't characterize Hartwick as a cupcake, even though I had previously posted to the contrary.  All last week I was thinking this was probably a game IC loses.  We haven't been good on the road the past few seasons, our secondary has been our biggest weakness since Amato left, and Boltus and Crea are legit players.  IC should have won that game but, this "upset" seemed to coming.  Of course, it is easy for me to say that I thought of this in hindsight when I never posted it on the board but, who wants to admit there is a good chance their team is going to lose to an inferior opponent.

The beauty of college football to me, that sometimes gets lost in the playoff-centric DIII level, is that a good season is defined by individual wins over specific opponents.  While I like the National Title runs, I would be happy every fall if UF beat Tennessee, Georgia, and FSU and the Bombers beat Cortland and there current flavor-of-the-month contender (today: Fisher).  Those 5 wins equal a good fall for me...at least until the Bombers can figure a way to return to the national scene.

[Pat Coleman]

I think there is a difference between UW-L edging past Fisher and someone like Wesley potentially doing so. That seems less likely.

There was a fairly thin margin between the teams to begin with, and I think based on UWW's loss, some people just swapped UWW and UWL on their ballot, ordaining UWL the WIAC favorite.

[fisheralum91]

wow- Jose---
I have to disagree with you---
a week ago if anybody asked you if Hatrwick was a cupcake-- i dont think you would have even blinked and said yes.
i give the other fisher guys a lot of credit on this board because i thought that there would be a lot more laughing and cheering after that disaster.
and the flavor of the month-- come on......that was weak.
you are better than that.