FB: Liberty League

[Knightstalker]

And as far as polls go, the only "polls" RT cares about are the ones that are made of brass and run from the ceiling to the floor...

CLASSIC!

Video of the Day Long but several hot chicks.

[Tags]

As you get older, you generally learn that you can remain VERY loyal while speaking with honesty and candor.

Tags submits that we need a weekly tv show on here - "Mornings with Dr. Frank Rossi, ESQ" or something.

[Pat Coleman]

New SOS posted:
http://www.d3football.com/strength-of-schedule/2007

[Senor RedTackle]

ok...for all of you SOS pundits, how's this for an open letter to the RPI administration

Dear Dr.Jackson,

First let me congratulation you at RPI recently implementing the largest academic supercomputer in the world. I am told it can run something like 9,000,000,000,000 calculations/second. That's impressive!!...that's like handing out free calculators in Shang Hai and starting your stopwatch!!  Perhaps you could reclaim some of the costs by subcontracting out some of this capacity to Mr. Frank Rossi to help with the LL playoff scenario calculations?

Anyway, I would like to discuss a very serious topic with you regarding the football team. As a refresher, football is a fall sport played on the large grass field in the center of campus. The team has approx 100 guys on it which, coincedentally, is about the same number of students in the Lally School of Management. The team will be moving to the new East Village complex in 2009 where you will be able to watch in the comfort of the presidential suite, so we hope this can get you to some regular season games!!

The topic I am writing about involves something that those in the business refer to as "strength of schedule". This is a variable by which teams competing in a organization (ie, NCAA Div III football) are able to rank themselves against each other in absence of being able to play against each other.

It has come to the attention of a number thought leaders in the division 3 football cult that RPI's "SOS" may not be adequate...and it has even been suggested (by way of Schenectady) that the current SOS may be detrimental to RPI's future. If we wish to continue to compete for the LL title each year and have a shot at the NCAAs, then we must wake up!!!

I suggest we do not fall victim to paralyzing indecision. The right thing to do here is form a committe to investigate. I would recommend we spare no expense on said committee and enlist the help of some of the finest minds out there today that cut across all aspect of society. Here's a few suggestions but I'd welcome your input on this



Once we have the right think tank in place, then I believe we'll be in a good position to address this problem of tuning down the schedule a bit. The addition of Lewis and Clark is a good start but we need to find a way to transition away from stronger opponents like Becker and Endicott into something more palatable.....a Mt.Ida perhaps? I am not telling you how to run your institution but I have an obligation to my cohorts on Post Patterns to make you aware of this situation before it reaches critical mass.

Also, if you feel I may be of assistance in donating money to the school, please do not contact me. I have recently joined a spiritual group whose basic tenent is to avoid giving out money, lest other groups become dependant on you. You know, the "teach a man to fish" thing.

Anway, it has been my privelige to author this letter to you. Good luck on enrollment, recruiting, and keeping your position in tact as the highest compensated college president in the US.


Yours truly,
Redtackle
LETS GO RED

[Jonny Utah]

RE: Ithacas schedule

Although ICs nonleague opponenents arent that great this year. (Lycoming, Kings, Cortland, Brockport), I would say that if in 3 years, if all those teams were the top ranked teams in the east, IC would still be playing them.  

I also have a feeling (and Coach King kind of alluded to it in that early season quote from him) that if Utica and Endicott were the top teams in the east, RPI would look for other (easier) teams to start off their season with.


Is their anything wrong with that?  Not really.  Im gonna say Ithaca probably deserved to be home over RPI in 2001 because of the schedule, but thats not how the system works.  Untill that system changes, Coach King looks like he knows what hes doing in terms of the schedule (in terms of getting his team to the playoff).

[Stlarry]

ok...for all of you SOS pundits, how's this for an open letter to the RPI administration

Dear Dr.Jackson,

First let me congratulation you at RPI recently implementing the largest academic supercomputer in the world. I am told it can run something like 9,000,000,000,000 calculations/second. That's impressive!!...that's like handing out free calculators in Shang Hai and starting your stopwatch!!  Perhaps you could reclaim some of the costs by subcontracting out some of this capacity to Mr. Frank Rossi to help with the LL playoff scenario calculations?

Anyway, I would like to discuss a very serious topic with you regarding the football team. As a refresher, football is a fall sport played on the large grass field in the center of campus. The team has approx 100 guys on it which, coincedentally, is about the same number of students in the Lally School of Management. The team will be moving to the new East Village complex in 2009 where you will be able to watch in the comfort of the presidential suite, so we hope this can get you to some regular season games!!

The topic I am writing about involves something that those in the business refer to as "strength of schedule". This is a variable by which teams competing in a organization (ie, NCAA Div III football) are able to rank themselves against each other in absence of being able to play against each other.

It has come to the attention of a number thought leaders in the division 3 football cult that RPI's "SOS" may not be adequate...and it has even been suggested (by way of Schenectady) that the current SOS may be detrimental to RPI's future. If we wish to continue to compete for the LL title each year and have a shot at the NCAAs, then we must wake up!!!

I suggest we do not fall victim to paralyzing indecision. The right thing to do here is form a committe to investigate. I would recommend we spare no expense on said committee and enlist the help of some of the finest minds out there today that cut across all aspect of society. Here's a few suggestions but I'd welcome your input on this




Once we have the right think tank in place, then I believe we'll be in a good position to address this problem of tuning down the schedule a bit. The addition of Lewis and Clark is a good start but we need to find a way to transition away from stronger opponents like Becker and Endicott into something more palatable.....a Mt.Ida perhaps? I am not telling you how to run your institution but I have an obligation to my cohorts on Post Patterns to make you aware of this situation before it reaches critical mass.

Also, if you feel I may be of assistance in donating money to the school, please do not contact me. I have recently joined a spiritual group whose basic tenent is to avoid giving out money, lest other groups become dependant on you. You know, the "teach a man to fish" thing.

Anway, it has been my privelige to author this letter to you. Good luck on enrollment, recruiting, and keeping your position in tact as the highest compensated college president in the US.


Yours truly,
Redtackle
LETS GO RED

Priceless!

[Jonny Utah]

Dear RT,

I thought Lewis and Clark were just two men that had a football team and that an 11-2 man advantage would be just what RPI is looking for.  Now that I know they will have 11 guys on the field, Im going to put Mt. Hoyloke back on the schedule for 2009.

Thank you,

President Shirley "action" Jackson

[Senor RedTackle]

Dear RT,

I thought Lewis and Clark were just two men that had a football team and that an 11-2 man advantage would be just what RPI is looking for.  Now that I know they will have 11 guys on the field, Im going to put Mt. Hoyloke back on the schedule for 2009.

Thank you,

President Shirley "action" Jackson

BOL

[Frank Rossi]

Here are the 0-, 1- and 2-loss teams and their relative SoS, by order of their national SoS index ranking:

                          Reg.
Rank School               W-L    %    OWP  OOWP
---- ------               ---- ----- ----- -----
1   Wesley               6-1  0.857 0.745 0.539
6   Salisbury            4-1  0.800 0.690 0.503
9   New Jersey           6-1  0.857 0.673 0.502
17  UW-Whitewater        7-0  1.000 0.646 0.569
20  St. Olaf             5-2  0.714 0.636 0.562
23  Hope                 5-1  0.833 0.614 0.508
24  Capital              6-2  0.750 0.613 0.517
36  Mary Hardin-Baylor   7-1  0.875 0.591 0.515
37  Wittenberg           6-2  0.750 0.591 0.563
46  Northwestern (Minn.) 6-2  0.750 0.572 0.448
47  Washington U.        6-2  0.750 0.569 0.538
49  Wheaton (Ill.)       8-0  1.000 0.568 0.595
50  Plymouth State       7-1  0.875 0.567 0.487
54  North Central        6-2  0.750 0.565 0.545
55  Montclair State      6-2  0.750 0.565 0.566
57  Wabash               8-0  1.000 0.562 0.553
58  Dubuque              6-2  0.750 0.561 0.536
60  Millsaps             6-2  0.750 0.560 0.482
63  Dickinson            6-2  0.750 0.558 0.561
64  Wartburg             7-1  0.875 0.558 0.594
66  Mt. St. Joseph       7-1  0.875 0.557 0.511
67  Alma                 4-2  0.667 0.557 0.566
68  Hartwick             6-2  0.750 0.557 0.468
72  Washington and Lee   5-2  0.714 0.554 0.498
73  Franklin             7-1  0.875 0.552 0.506
80  Hobart               6-2  0.750 0.542 0.546
88  Illinois Wesleyan    6-2  0.750 0.536 0.590
92  Muhlenberg           8-0  1.000 0.533 0.569
93  Redlands             5-1  0.833 0.533 0.475
95  Wash. & Jeff.        5-0  1.000 0.531 0.575
97  Pacific Lutheran     6-2  0.750 0.528 0.506
99  Linfield             4-1  0.800 0.528 0.528
100 Trinity (Texas)      6-1  0.857 0.527 0.500
102 Hampden-Sydney       6-2  0.750 0.524 0.573
108 Cortland State       5-2  0.714 0.514 0.552
112 Coast Guard          7-1  0.875 0.502 0.515
115 St. John's           8-0  1.000 0.497 0.601
126 Chapman              5-2  0.714 0.480 0.516
129 Randolph-Macon       7-1  0.875 0.479 0.607
130 Bethel               7-1  0.875 0.479 0.593
131 Mississippi College  6-2  0.750 0.478 0.518
132 N. Carolina Wes.     6-1  0.857 0.476 0.562
137 Alfred               7-1  0.875 0.471 0.584
138 Carthage             6-2  0.750 0.469 0.553
141 Central              8-0  1.000 0.467 0.588
142 St. Norbert          8-0  1.000 0.464 0.483
143 Mount Union          8-0  1.000 0.464 0.536
144 Curry                9-0  1.000 0.464 0.528
148 DePauw               5-2  0.714 0.459 0.490
151 St. John Fisher      8-1  0.889 0.458 0.568
158 Waynesburg           6-1  0.857 0.445 0.548
161 Ithaca               6-2  0.750 0.443 0.588
163 Whitworth            6-1  0.857 0.438 0.530
165 Bridgewater (Va.)    6-2  0.750 0.435 0.534
166 Union                5-2  0.714 0.435 0.556
183 Widener              5-2  0.714 0.408 0.540
198 Case Western Res.    6-0  1.000 0.387 0.546
210 RPI                  7-0  1.000 0.354 0.574
212 Ursinus              6-1  0.857 0.352 0.543
216 Albright             7-1  0.875 0.332 0.521
218 Occidental           6-1  0.857 0.311 0.532
 

[dewcrew88]

RE: Ithacas schedule

Although ICs nonleague opponenents arent that great this year. (Lycoming, Kings, Cortland, Brockport), I would say that if in 3 years, if all those teams were the top ranked teams in the east, IC would still be playing them.  

I also have a feeling (and Coach King kind of alluded to it in that early season quote from him) that if Utica and Endicott were the top teams in the east, RPI would look for other (easier) teams to start off their season with.


Is their anything wrong with that?  Not really.  Im gonna say Ithaca probably deserved to be home over RPI in 2001 because of the schedule, but thats not how the system works.  Untill that system changes, Coach King looks like he knows what hes doing in terms of the schedule (in terms of getting his team to the playoff).

With all this bickering about Utica and Endicott being a crappy schedule, let's all not forget that Utica beat RPI 9-7 in 2004. And UC has finished a 6-4, and 3-3, in arguably one of the toughest conferences in the country. Who's to say that Joe King and the rest of the RPI contingent didn't think Utica would continue to improve and not slink back down to the basement/cellar area of the Empire 8?

[Frank Rossi]

UC has finished a 6-4, and 3-3, in arguably one of the toughest conferences in the country.

...

Who's to say that Joe King and the rest of the RPI contingent didn't think Utica would continue to improve and not slink back down to the basement/cellar area of the Empire 8?

Did you really just post that with a straight face?!

[Jonny Utah]

RE: Ithacas schedule

Although ICs nonleague opponenents arent that great this year. (Lycoming, Kings, Cortland, Brockport), I would say that if in 3 years, if all those teams were the top ranked teams in the east, IC would still be playing them.  

I also have a feeling (and Coach King kind of alluded to it in that early season quote from him) that if Utica and Endicott were the top teams in the east, RPI would look for other (easier) teams to start off their season with.


Is their anything wrong with that?  Not really.  Im gonna say Ithaca probably deserved to be home over RPI in 2001 because of the schedule, but thats not how the system works.  Untill that system changes, Coach King looks like he knows what hes doing in terms of the schedule (in terms of getting his team to the playoff).

With all this bickering about Utica and Endicott being a crappy schedule, let's all not forget that Utica beat RPI 9-7 in 2004. And UC has finished a 6-4, and 3-3, in arguably one of the toughest conferences in the country. Who's to say that Joe King and the rest of the RPI contingent didn't think Utica would continue to improve and not slink back down to the basement/cellar area of the Empire 8?

Because he basically said he doesnt want to play the best teams in the country non-league.

And its 2007, not 2004.

And Im going to assume that RPI plus 99% of the d3football world (with the exception of you) didnt expect Utica to be that good this year or next year.

Bottomline is that RPI plays Utica as a warmup for their league schedule.....

[stimulator]

OK Frank now let me say the last post irritated me..

Let me see if I can logically summarize

1) You say the rules favor RPI with the 1 loss tie breaker

2) You detest the fact that as you suggest RPI does not schedule the hardest OOC opponents.

3) You admit that this serves RPI well later in the season with the rules as they are.

4) You assert this will only prove to somehow hurt the program?

5) You reference a player who was attracted to the program because they were in the playoffs?

I believe 1, 2, and 3 don't equal #4. 

As for # 5, If I was a player coming out of HS and was evaluating my options ala D3, my preference would be in order to play for a winning program, play in a competitive league and play for a team that had a realistic shot at the NCAA's.  I would be less interested in whether our OOC schedule included Muhlenberg or Albright. 
Let's see the coach says "we've made the NCAA's 3 of the last 5 years" or "look at our tough schedule"

Your crusade seems to be misguided.  RPI plays a soft OOC schedule.. others do not... that is a given and not debated by anyone on the site.

Should RPI be penalized for following a strategy of building their teams confidence early in the season while at the same time putting themselves in a good situation come tiebreaker time as the rules currently exist?  No

Should the rules be changed?  Appears so. 

Is RPI ranking deserved.. maybe.. maybe not.  Can Union do something about RPI appearing in the playoffs.... sure. 

[union89]

BudCrew, can you explain your rationale to having Rochester ranked #9 in your East Region Poll while having Union unranked??

Thanks.

[Senor RedTackle]

And Im going to assume that RPI plus 99% of the d3football world (with the exception of you) didnt expect Utica to be that good this year or next year.

BOL....funny shizz. Although, RT will say he understands w/ the point Dew was trying to make but RT would land more on the side of JU on this one.

(side note....notice how JU can rag on someone in a funny, positive way?? AHEM.........)