FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[B/L Tiger]

Anybody (Trinity in particular) find it interesting or irritating that Trinity cannot get above 9th in the poll?  I realize their scores haven't been consistently of blowout stature as some others, but does an undefeated record and a consistent place around the top ten mean nothing?  A defense averaging 10 ppg allowed isn't that impressive I guess?

[DanSwan]

Polls don't matter in D3

[historymajor]

The Seahawks announced today that they have released Jerheme Urban due to an injury clause in his contract.  He re-injured his stress-fractured/repaired foot in the game against AZ on Sunday. 

They say his only recourse is workman's comp.... well "it's business" in the corporate world of pro football.  We wish him well in his recovery and expect to see him back in somebody's camp next year!!

[tTU719803]

who cares about the D3.com poll?  The only one I would put any merit in is the AFCA.  Even then, it is just a poll.  It is no indication of how good a team is.

[evacuee]

Amen to the poll dismissals.  A lower ranking actually helps anyway because it gives the guys more to prove.  Once you hit that top five, you're always on the defensive.  The non-region polls are just for fun.  It's nothing more than ego stroking speculation. 

[smedindy]

The AFCA poll?? Geez...

[tTU719803]

At least the AFCA poll is voted on by coaches who know what they're talking about.  I'm not saying it is valid - like TU2698 said, it's all for fun.

[DanSwan]

If Trinity wins in the playoffs I promise they will move up in the polls.

[smedindy]

I think many of us here think Pat's poll is a bit more valid. A lot of time coaches sluff off the voting to underlings. Pat knows his pollsters actually care (well, allegedly).

[tTU719803]

I don't see how a poll taken by a bunch of people who have never even seen a third of the teams in it play could be more valid than one taken by coaches who talk on conference calls with other coaches every week, and at least have an idea of how everyone stacks up.  No head coach I have ever known has ever passed off the poll to someone else.  The AFCA one is taken pretty seriously. 

[smedindy]

So talking on the phone to other coaches makes them magically see the other teams play? Coaches look out for their boys - it's rife with self-interests at times.

Don't forget, Pat's poll has coaches as well.

[Pat Coleman]

one taken by coaches who talk on conference calls with other coaches every week

That's news to me and I have worked in more than one Division III athletic department.

The AFCA gives its voters far less information than we give ours. Past track record is on our side. Do I need to cite examples? Just this past week the AFCA's #12 team lost to its #23 team. The AFCA's former #16 team just lost two games in a row, one of them 49-20. They ranked St. Olaf (63-9 losers to St. John's) where we did not. They ranked Wheaton #23, then Wheaton lost to a 3-6 team. When Wooster lost to KENYON, Wooster was ranked #15 in AFCA, #24 in D3football.com Same week, UW-Stout was ranked #16 and lost, we had ranked Stout #23. They had Delaware Valley ranked ahead of Mount Union earlier this year.

And that's this year.

I don't see how a poll taken by a bunch of people who have never even seen a third of the teams in it play ...

Reality check: That's indicative of both polls. It's not like games are on TV or anything. If a coach is collecting tapes of Top 25 teams and watching them he's not doing his job -- preparing his team for its next opponent.

I guess you're bitter over the 2½ spots of difference between Trinity's rank in the AFCA and D3football.com Top 25s, but our track record speaks volumes.

How about some playoff examples? These are the rankings entering the postseason:

AFCA: No. 11 Wheaton def. No. 14 Mt. St. Joseph 31-7
D3football.com: No. 14 Wheaton def. No. 25 Mt. St. Joseph 31-7

AFCA: No. 22 UW-La Crosse def. No. 16 St. Norbert 37-23
D3football.com: No. 13 UW-La Crosse def. No. 22 St. Norbert 37-23

AFCA: No. 13 Rowan def. No. 9 Delaware Valley 56-7
D3football.com: No. 9 Rowan def. No. 11 Delaware Valley 56-7

AFCA: No. 23 Christopher Newport def. No. 5 Salisbury 35-24
D3football.com: No. 19 Christopher Newport def. No. 10 Salisbury 35-24

AFCA: 2 of 40 No. 1 votes for Linfield (5%)
D3football.com: 6 of 25 No. 1 votes for Linfield (24%)

[tTU719803]

whoop-de-doo.

My point isn't that the AFCA is far superior to your poll.  Polls are all B.S.  They are just a way of speculating everyone from #2 to #300 or however many DIII teams there are.  All I'm saying is that in my experience in DIII football offices, the AFCA poll is a better representation.  You can point out all the upsets you want, but in the end it doesn't matter.  It's like the difference between the old AP Poll and the Coaches Poll in DI.  If I'm going to put any credit into either one, I will side with the people who do it for a living rather than those who cover it from the outside.

I  could care less about Trinity's ranking.  It doesn't matter because no one has seen them play this season except for Ron Boerger.  I actually think Trinity's ranking might be a bit high.

Sorry for having an opinion...go ahead and take more karma.

[Pat Coleman]

who cares about the D3.com poll?  The only one I would put any merit in is the AFCA.  Even then, it is just a poll.  It is no indication of how good a team is.

I don't see how a poll taken by a bunch of people who have never even seen a third of the teams in it play could be more valid than one taken by coaches who talk on conference calls with other coaches every week, and at least have an idea of how everyone stacks up. No head coach I have ever known has ever passed off the poll to someone else. The AFCA one is taken pretty seriously.

My point isn't that the AFCA is far superior to your poll. Polls are all B.S.
...
Sorry for having an opinion...go ahead and take more karma.

You have just one opinion? Hard to tell. When you make up your mind on just one opinion, let me know. Oh, and in 12 more hours, if you're still making up your mind ... or trashing the more accurate Division III football poll, I might knock your karma again. The hundred or so posters who have karma privileges can only use them every 12 hours on any individual posters.

By the way, your coach used to vote on our poll before the AFCA forced coaches to choose one or the other.

[tTU719803]

Where does my opinion waver?  I say that I think polls are garbage, but if I were to put merit in one, it would be the AFCA.  Maybe you don't agree with my reasoning.  I don't care. 

Take my karma points too...what can I do with them - redeem them for prizes?  Can I get frequent flyer miles so I can catch a plane to Danville next year to watch a game?

Don't get so angry because one person thinks your poll is pointless.  If I had the time I'm sure I could point out instances where the AFCA was right and you were wrong.  Tell you what, why don't you go do that and then show me how there are more instances of where you were right as to where the AFCA was right.  I still won't care.