FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[BCGrad2001]

I agree that HSC is getting no love. They lose a tight one to another top 25 team, and barely get any votes. I think most voters must think that there is only enough room for one ODAC team.
McDaniel is 4-0, but is barely winning those games. Beating Ursinus at home by just a touchdown isn't impressive.

What I'm wondering about is why Bridgewater is ranked as high as #18, given that they have only a 3-1 record against an unimpressive set of opponents.  The Eagles begin the season by losing to McDaniel, a team that is barely winning its other games (against teams like Ursinus) and then they beat Shenandoah (a team that is 2-3, with a couple of other 15-20 point losses), beat Hanover (giving up 42 points against a team that is only 2-3), and finally get their 3rd win of the season by barely beating the Tigers (a team that is 3-1 but is barely acknowledged by D3football voters).  So I'd like to better understand why the Eagles are getting ranked as high as #18 while Wesley (5-0) and Ferrum (5-0) fail to crack the Top 25?  Is this largely based upon their performance in past years?

I'm not going to try to speculate what the D3football voters are really thinking, but it seems to me that "past performance" probably does play a role.  They know a lot more about all the teams in D-3 than I do, but when you you have a name like Bridgewater constantly getting on their ballots, week after week, that is a name they are much more familiar with.   The be recognized as a top 25 team for the first time, I think you probably have to command that attention rather than simply expect people to notice.  If teams like Wesley and Ferrum are still undefeated towards the end of the season, and if they are beating teams that already have some recognition, then they'll probably garner some respect themselves.  But I don't think they're going to start receiving votes over these more recognized teams right away. 

[Bmore BC]

I also would like to think that BC is ranked #18 because they are a good team with 1 loss. When BC started winning 5-6 years ago they were undefeated and at the bottom of the polls while other 1 and 2 loss teams were ahead of them. Florida is ranked ahead of Penn State even though Penn State is undefeated. It's because Florida is better then Penn State, at least on paper. My question is why isn't BC ranked higher. There only loss is to an undefeated team. Granted they won some close games, key word they won. Polls really do not mean anything in D3. Rankings don't help you get in the playoffs, oh and D3 has PLAYOFFS! So everyone gets to see who is better then who.

[pakownr97]

these rankings make it interesting during the season and give us fans lotsa things to talk about but in the end it doesn't matter much.

we can complain about being seeded too low but teams with any chance of winning the Stagg Bowl will have the opportunity to prove it on the field where it counts.

in 2003, BC fans thought we should have been seeded higher than Lycoming, but our team (and fans) went up there under sad circumstances and proved it.  Nothing against Lycoming, their hearts were heavy and their team played a great game, but our guys proved they were better.

thanks to the NCAA gods for D3 playoffs.  they are nowhere close to perfect, especially the officiating, but they are the best games I've ever seen at any level of football.

GO BC!  Every game counts!

YOU control your own destiny!

[BCSTUD06]

I agree that HSC is getting no love. They lose a tight one to another top 25 team, and barely get any votes. I think most voters must think that there is only enough room for one ODAC team.
McDaniel is 4-0, but is barely winning those games. Beating Ursinus at home by just a touchdown isn't impressive.

What I'm wondering about is why Bridgewater is ranked as high as #18, given that they have only a 3-1 record against an unimpressive set of opponents. The Eagles begin the season by losing to McDaniel, a team that is barely winning its other games (against teams like Ursinus) and then they beat Shenandoah (a team that is 2-3, with a couple of other 15-20 point losses), beat Hanover (giving up 42 points against a team that is only 2-3), and finally get their 3rd win of the season by barely beating the Tigers (a team that is 3-1 but is barely acknowledged by D3football voters). So I'd like to better understand why the Eagles are getting ranked as high as #18 while Wesley (5-0) and Ferrum (5-0) fail to crack the Top 25? Is this largely based upon their performance in past years?

i don't understand how you can't see why bridgewater is ranked 18th...You make it seem like HSC has had some really hard games to play... look at who they have played before playing bridgewater... Sewanee, Gettysburg, Guilford..  these are 3 teams that could have gotten beat by the GMU club team bridgewater beat 45-0. Guilford almost beat HSC and they have been in last or second to last place in the ODAC ever year.  
    You also say bridgewater lost to MCdaniel and they are barely winning games, McDaniels also lost their starting QB to injury and not sure when he will be back and 100%, who also last year came in second in their conference.  Also bridgewater beat Shenandoah a team that tied for their conference last year and Hanover came in second last year in their conference.  So far bridgewater has played 4 teams that have finished either as their conference champs, or second runner up.  HSC has played 3 team before bridgewater that finished last in their conferences.
 

[narch]

ferrum is off to a great start at 5-0, but they haven't exactly beat anybody, either - averett is the only win against a d3 team at .500 and ehc, su and guilford are a combned 3-11...ferrum has a couple of tough tests coming up...we'll see if they're top 25 material

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

What I'm wondering about is why Bridgewater is ranked as high as #18, blah blah blah blah ... and more blah.

Lets put Ferrum's 5-0 record into perspective (which is what I believe the voters do):

Between 2001 and 2004, Ferrum went 21-17 overall, 14-9 in the USAC.  The two years they were one game from getting to the playoffs ('01 and '02), they lost to CNU in the final game of the season.

Over that same span, Bridgewater went 43-7 overall, 24-0 in the ODAC.  Made the playoffs all four years, and not only got there, but had seven wins over those four postseason appearances.

So you think voters shouldn't go off previous years?  Okay, forget previous years.  Lets talk just 2005.

Ferrum has gone 5-0, with wins over five schools with a combined record of 7-16 (7-11 not counting the Ferrum losses).  The 7 wins Ferrum's opponents have were against schools with a combined record of 4-29 (4-22 not counting the 7 losses).  Now this is where it might get a tad confusing, but bear with me.  Of the four wins that Ferrum's opponents' opponents have, they were against schools with no wins on the season.

So you see, voters don't just look at what record a school has, or even just what schools the wins were against.

[Pat Coleman]

Wow -- even I can't remember ever referencing opponents' opponents' opponents in voting, but I suppose it comes into play subconsciously.

[mizzou_mafia]

Of the four wins that Ferrum's opponents' opponents have, they were against schools with no wins on the season.

Yeah, but Kid, let's not forget that a few of Ferrum's opponents' opponents' opponents are decent ball clubs, at least historically speaking.

[pakownr97]

Ferrum should adopt the ferret for their mascot?  The Ferrum Ferrets sounds good to me.  Maybe they would get more respect after the voters watch the Budweiser ads.

[wrighthall220]

The only thing I know about Ferrum is that their college recuiters are annoying as hell,  I got letters on a weekly basis until my Soph. year at BC!   At the time they did try to sell the school with their big draw of "water gun fights", no mention of sports or excellent professors.. water guns were where it was at!      Oh and to add to Kids point, Ferrums tailgating scene is suspect when compared to BC's or MCDaniels... that's a factor as well! 

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Yeah, but Kid, let's not forget that a few of Ferrum's opponents' opponents' opponents are decent ball clubs, at least historically speaking.

History can be thrown out the door when you're 0-4 or 0-5.

[Hug]

Ferrum should adopt the ferret for their mascot?  The Ferrum Ferrets sounds good to me.  Maybe they would get more respect after the voters watch the Budweiser ads.

How about the Bacardi's. Not exactly top shelf but a Fair Rum! I wouldn't call them exactly Aristocrat.  

[Hug]

I for one am routing for Ferrum! Who's with me. I'm also routing for McDaniel. Is that the correct thing to be doing Matt?

On second thought, I'm routing for Franklin & Marshall.

[Hug]

Here's a totally unrelated thought for ya. Would "the Committee" leave a 1 loss Washington and Jefferson out of the big dance? IF Theil wins out. Right now their Quality of Wins Index is tied for 102nd. It will get better when they win out, but still will probably not be top 30. 

It will be interesting to see if "the Committee" goes hardline by the Quality of Wins Index.  Did a few teams get shafted last year? I can't remember.

[Pat Coleman]

I think there is room for W&J among the four Pool B teams, and even after that, they could still be a Pool C team.