FB: Liberty League

[unionpalooza]

PS - If there's anything I hope the LL teams learn this year, it's that you have to replace one of the craptastic 1-9 teams on your nonconference schedule wtih a mediocre 5-5 team.  (Obv Ithaca already knows this.). It's the difference between a .560 SOS and a .600 SOS, which might end up being the Pool C margin of error between a 9-1 team and an 8-2 team this year.

The crappiest of the craptastic is obviously Hilbert. Next year they become a SOS problem for Cortland, Brockport and the rest of the E8 as they become an E8 member.  Since the E8 has a scheduling agreement with the Landmark at least one of those schools will be on Hilbert's 2024 schedule. Does that leave a spot to complete a home & home with this year's LL opponents Union and Hobart? I think not so I'd look for the only LL team to play Hilbert next year as local rival Buffalo St...Hopefully.

I am pretty sure that Hilbert was a plug game so weak one is open for next year. It appears that FDU Florham and SJF are 2024 options. Hopefully Worcester St is wrapped up and we can replace them too.  Good 2024 options there, including Endicott and UNE. 

[UfanBill]

PS - If there's anything I hope the LL teams learn this year, it's that you have to replace one of the craptastic 1-9 teams on your nonconference schedule wtih a mediocre 5-5 team.  (Obv Ithaca already knows this.). It's the difference between a .560 SOS and a .600 SOS, which might end up being the Pool C margin of error between a 9-1 team and an 8-2 team this year.

The crappiest of the craptastic is obviously Hilbert. Next year they become a SOS problem for Cortland, Brockport and the rest of the E8 as they become an E8 member.  Since the E8 has a scheduling agreement with the Landmark at least one of those schools will be on Hilbert's 2024 schedule. Does that leave a spot to complete a home & home with this year's LL opponents Union and Hobart? I think not so I'd look for the only LL team to play Hilbert next year as local rival Buffalo St...Hopefully.

I am pretty sure that Hilbert was a plug game so weak one is open for next year. It appears that FDU Florham and SJF are 2024 options. Hopefully Worcester St is wrapped up and we can replace them too.  Good 2024 options there, including Endicott and UNE.

"Weak one"...I see what you did there. +k

[unionpalooza]

One other RR thought for those not sick of me this morning -

If Ithaca beats Cortland, they absolutely ought to be the #2 in R2 and get two home games in the playoffs.  They would be rocking a 9-1 record with three RRWs and a .725 SOS, which should smoke either Susquehanna (10-0 with 2 RRWs but only a .560 SOS) or Grove City (10-0 with 0 RRWs and a .500ish SOS).  And I don't think you could seed them behind anyone in R1, anyone in R3 (e.g., a Randolph Macon at 10-0 with 2 RRWs and a .500 SOS), nor anyone in R4 (e.g., a 10-0 Mt. Union with 2 RRWs but a .500ish SOS).  I don't think you could actually in good faith seed them behind North Central, who will finish at  10-0, a .525ish SOS, and a single RRW.

I don't know exactly where the committee will land in terms of the value of a single win relative to SOS, but 150-200 bps ought to do it.

Indeed, I actually think you could argue that Ithaca deserves a top 4 seed if they beat Cortland, and three home games.  Across the whole landscape, I think they grade out on actual criteria no worse than fourth, behind JHU (clear overall top seed) and MAYBE Wartburg (10-0 / .570 / 3 RRws) and UWW (9-1 / .710 / 3 RRWs).

Of course, I think there is zero chance the committee will actually act that way, because I don't think the committee has any discipline when it comes to applying the criteria.  Spending time today on reviewing the actual Pool C criteria vs. stats has convinced me that the committee should use a simple numerical formula that weights WP, SOS, RRWs, subject to some rank swap for head-to-head results within some margin of that formula.  Maybe not as good as a committee that really thoughtfully weighs everything that should matter, but committee does not exist in this world.

[Garnet]

[Ice Bear]

A dog? A dog named Charger?

[unionpalooza]

A dog? A dog named Charger?

And the circle of dumbness that is the Union College name change is complete. 

From Union's earlier press release:  "[T]he College has not had an active mascot to represent its nickname in nearly a decade, and the nicknames under consideration provide us with more exciting mascot options than the current names offer."

And then they pick a name that's even harder to represent that Dutchmen and make the mascot .... A dog?  If we're just going to go with a random mascot, we should have gone with something awesome, like a giant rabbit with big pointy teeth.

[BSUfan15]

PS - If there's anything I hope the LL teams learn this year, it's that you have to replace one of the craptastic 1-9 teams on your nonconference schedule wtih a mediocre 5-5 team.  (Obv Ithaca already knows this.). It's the difference between a .560 SOS and a .600 SOS, which might end up being the Pool C margin of error between a 9-1 team and an 8-2 team this year.

The crappiest of the craptastic is obviously Hilbert. Next year they become a SOS problem for Cortland, Brockport and the rest of the E8 as they become an E8 member.  Since the E8 has a scheduling agreement with the Landmark at least one of those schools will be on Hilbert's 2024 schedule. Does that leave a spot to complete a home & home with this year's LL opponents Union and Hobart? I think not so I'd look for the only LL team to play Hilbert next year as local rival Buffalo St...Hopefully. 

With Alfred State also joining Hilbert in the E8 in 2025, that should negatively effect the SOS for all E8 teams. You'd think that will improve the LL #2 odds for Pool C at-large even more

[Bartman]

This weeks picks:

RPI            20.              HOBART.        24             The Statesmen stage a last minute TD and make it 4 in a row at the BOZ
                                                                         against the Sliderulers

ITHACA      42.               SLU.                7.             Ithaca fine tunes for the Red Dragons

UNION.      45.               Buffalo St.       10.            Chargers are fully charged

[Bartman]

A dog? A dog named Charger?

And the circle of dumbness that is the Union College name change is complete. 

From Union's earlier press release:  "[T]he College has not had an active mascot to represent its nickname in nearly a decade, and the nicknames under consideration provide us with more exciting mascot options than the current names offer."

And then they pick a name that's even harder to represent that Dutchmen and make the mascot .... A dog?  If we're just going to go with a random mascot, we should have gone with something awesome, like a giant rabbit with big pointy teeth.

A think that's a Hare...saw a huge one with pointy teeth on a golf course in Ireland.....super scary...Charger...The Union Hare

[tony/troy]

A dog? A dog named Charger?

And the circle of dumbness that is the Union College name change is complete. 

From Union's earlier press release:  "[T]he College has not had an active mascot to represent its nickname in nearly a decade, and the nicknames under consideration provide us with more exciting mascot options than the current names offer."

And then they pick a name that's even harder to represent that Dutchmen and make the mascot .... A dog?  If we're just going to go with a random mascot, we should have gone with something awesome, like a giant rabbit with big pointy teeth.

A think that's a Hare...saw a huge one with pointy teeth on a golf course in Ireland.....super scary...Charger...The Union Hare

Kind of takes me back to when the Engineers wanted to become Redhawks instead of Engineers. Never thought I would ever see anything worse or more stupid than their new Redhawk mascot that more resembled a chicken (and a red one at that) than any hawk. You just had to see this stupid thing to believe it. Needless to say, it went over in this area about as well as the laughable grand opening of the utterly gross Krispy Kreme donut franchise and lasted about as long.

Getting back to football, it sure looks like the top part of the Liberty League standings is going Pool C (however realistic) or nothing. As of close of business today, not a single one of them has declared for an ECAC game and it is getting awful late.

Regardless of how the game turns out tomorrow, looking forward to listening to the Hobart broadcaster (a good one) doing an hysterical Monarch Notes (for those old enough) version of the wrap up all the while talking as fast as the guy from the old Federal Express commercials and abruptly ending it with a "that's all from here now it's on to the Cooler". Then it's kind of fun to check the other webcast to see if he got to the Cooler by 4 P.M.

Taking a wild guess that the guy does not have to weave his way through a bevy of narrow low speed streets lined with nice and well maintained middle class homes to get to the Cooler like you have to in order to get to the old minor league ballpark.

[Bartman]

Recent Hobart football grad, NFL All Pro, Super Bowl Champion Ali Marpet was spotted at the Hobart hockey game at the Cooler last night(Hobart beat Norwich 3-0) and is expected to address the team before the game against the Engineers today. Ali  has lost 80 pounds and is about the same weight he was when he graduated high school. He walked away from $30MM on a contract to avoid serious injury after he accomplished every goal you can accomplish as a football player( except a D3 National Championship  ). I'm hoping Ali can help the boys focus today as pride is at stake on Senior Day against a talented RPI team that has everything to play for. Protect the BOZ. GOBART.

[unionpalooza]

PICKS

RPI 27, Hobart 17.

Union 38, Buff St. 0.

Ithaca 27, SLU 7.

[Machiavelli]

Anyone else getting Hobart warming up on video with live audio of a different game?

[Machiavelli]

I guess tha game hasn't started yet. Doh! Must be a DST mixup. LOL.

[UfanBill]

Anyone else having problems getting audio from Buffalo St? Union takes opening kick right down the field and scores on a Michael Fiore run. 7-0 Garnet.