The Top 10 Eastern Region teams of the D3football.com Era

[Trin9-0]

K-Mac, I'm curious... after your vigorous defense that the NESCAC deserves to be considered for top 10 status in the Eastern Region teams of the D3football.com Era... do you actually think a team from the NESCAC should be ranked and if so, where would you rank them?

[pg04]

And that's it folks!!    Thanks for the discussions and have at it on the first two picks...

Thanks for D3football.com for most of the stats!

Honorable Mention Teams:

Trinity 2003   8-0
Trinity 2004   8-0
Trinity 2005   8-0
Ithaca 2003   10-3
Springfield 2000   11-2
Springfield 2006   10-2
Union 2005   11-1
Rowan 2004   10-3
Montclair 2003 9-2
RPI 2001 8-1

As For the Trinity Teams, they were considered but as people have recently mentioned, I don't think it would be fair to put them in the top 10 without playing anyone in the east or being in the playoffs.

As For Widener, if they were included, probably would have been in the top 5.  However, I had already started this and had my teams set before they were brought into the discussion. 

Overall, I hope you enjoyed all this and continue discussions.

I am currently thinking about possibly doing another Top 10 topic soon (Not Right away, However). 

Hey ... Just caught up, and thought of a new excuse: I only have time to read when I'm not swamped with Kickoff '07 stuff ... solid, solid work.

I might have some room for this kind of "fan analysis" in Around the Nation ... let me holler at the guru. Of course, who needs the big time when you've got the LL board to impress?

It's easier to impress the nation!

thanks for the comments...Also, I think a fan analysis might be good!

[K-Mack]

K-Mac, I'm curious... after your vigorous defense that the NESCAC deserves to be considered for top 10 status in the Eastern Region teams of the D3football.com Era... do you actually think a team from the NESCAC should be ranked and if so, where would you rank them?

Yeah, the funny thing is, my major point there was that the truest rankings must consider everyone, even though the NESCAC gives us less information to work with.

That said, I find it really hard to get behind any particular NESCAC team on the level with the Rowan Stagg Bowl or Clock Game teams or some of the other power teams of the era, because they just don't have the convincing results to prove it.

However, if I'm saying that top NESCAC teams look like top Liberty League teams (as opposed to NEFC), then I guess I'm saying one of the Trinity teams in the streak could have gone as far as RPI did in '03. 

I wouldn't know off the top of my head which team to get behind, but it is my opinion that an 8-0 NESCAC team is possibly good enough to make this list somewhere.

As to which one and where they land, that's where I agree with everyone that they've made it tough on us by not giving us much to work with. But if we really wanted to determine, I bet we could come up with a good guess.

Doesn't seem like anyone really wants to though. If the list and criteria is fine as it is by most everyone in here, then its fine by me.

[DanPadavona]

Great Topic!

I used my computer power rankings system (similar to Massey, Laz Index, etc) to gather a list of the best teams.  Then I tweaked the rankings based on my opinions.

1.  Rowan 2001
2.  St John Fisher 2006
3.  Rowan 1999
4.  Rowan  2005  (with Orihel, they might have been #2 or #3)
5.  RPI 2003
6.  Springfield 2006 (Don't forget their games with Fisher)
7.  Ithaca 2003
8.  Cortland 2002
9.  Brockport 2002
10.  Del Valley 2005

Interestingly, Cortland 2006 would have been about #5 on this list prior to losing Smith.  After all the injuries piled up, their ranking fell fast to just below the top 10.

I could listen to arguments on any of the #4 to #10 selections, but I am pretty set on top 3.

[XDragon59]

Great Topic!

I used my computer power rankings system (similar to Massey, Laz Index, etc) to gather a list of the best teams.  Then I tweaked the rankings based on my opinions.

1.  Rowan 2001
2.  St John Fisher 2006
3.  Rowan 1999
4.  Rowan  2005  (with Orihel, they might have been #2 or #3)
5.  RPI 2003
6.  Springfield 2006 (Don't forget their games with Fisher)
7.  Ithaca 2003
8.  Cortland 2002
9.  Brockport 2002
10.  Del Valley 2005

Interestingly, Cortland 2006 would have been about #5 on this list prior to losing Smith.  After all the injuries piled up, their ranking fell fast to just below the top 10.

I could listen to arguments on any of the #4 to #10 selections, but I am pretty set on top 3.

Springfield 2000 was another great team, went deep into the NCAA's and had an almost unstoppable ground game.

[WUDLINE]

I guess you are all forgeting about the  Widener team that lost to Mount Union. True they were a southern region team for many years but if my memory serves me correctly they were moved to the east region that year, and ripped through the east bracket. During the Jones and Coleman era they embaressed many  quality teams from the east such as Union, Springfield, Hobart, Bridgewater. I would have to plae them at the top of any list.

[union89]

I guess you are all forgeting about the  Widener team that lost to Mount Union. True they were a southern region team for many years but if my memory serves me correctly they were moved to the east region that year, and ripped through the east bracket. During the Jones and Coleman era they embaressed many  quality teams from the east such as Union, Springfield, Hobart, Bridgewater. I would have to plae them at the top of any list.

Wuddie....you lose any sense of credibility when you claim that Widener 'embarassed' Union with a 33-26 score.  I was at that first round game and Widener got smoked in the second half and was very lucky to get out of Schenectady with a win....

[Pat Coleman]

I guess you are all forgeting about the  Widener team that lost to Mount Union. True they were a southern region team for many years but if my memory serves me correctly they were moved to the east region that year, and ripped through the east bracket. During the Jones and Coleman era they embaressed many  quality teams from the east such as Union, Springfield, Hobart, Bridgewater.

They embarrassed Bridgewater? They lost to Bridgewater 57-32 in 2001 and did not play them in any other season.

So ... half your list is bogus. What's left?

[Senor RedTackle]

I guess you are all forgeting about the  Widener team that lost to Mount Union. True they were a southern region team for many years but if my memory serves me correctly they were moved to the east region that year, and ripped through the east bracket. During the Jones and Coleman era they embaressed many  quality teams from the east such as Union, Springfield, Hobart, Bridgewater.

They embarrassed Bridgewater? They lost to Bridgewater 57-32 in 2001 and did not play them in any other season.

So ... half your list is bogus. What's left?

ZING!!! The Guru strikes again.......

[gordonmann]

Not to pile on, but Widener 2000 probably wasn't considered for the same reason John Carroll 2001 wasn't -- they were teams moved into the region, not actual East region teams at the time.

[pg04]

Exactly.  And if WUD had actually read back a little bit, I mention that is exactly why Widener wasn't in this list. 

[WUDLINE]

Gordonmann -
Please do not feel bad for pointing out your interpertation of the facts. However, I still contend that WU did roll through the east that year and as I said thumped many of these so called powers.

Anyone who attended the WU vs. Union game should remember that WU was up 26 - 0 at the 7:46 point of the 3rd quarter before they began sitting on the clock. Did Union battle back a little. However, I question the credability of anyone who would claim a team is luck to escape with a win after they have controled the game.

Pat - You are correct about WU losing to Bridgewater Va, However, that was Jones and Coleman's senior year and was in the South regional final. I was speaking of the Bridgewater , Mass. team that Hobart beat in the 2000 playoff's 25 - 0 before widener beat them.

Gordon - Though you are correct about the format, we are all aware of the fact that the d3 playoff committee has been placing teams in geographical regions for years, and 2000 was not any different. WU was bumped out of the South bracket because of a earlier season loss to McDaniel and sent to the so called Union bracket - If we are not to consider this the East Bracket then what is it. The bracket consited of every team ranked in the Eastern Lambert Poll. If you want to be picky, and claim it was not the east that is fine. However, I stand by my opinion that the 2000 widener team is still at the top.

[Pat Coleman]

Gordonmann -
Please do not feel bad for pointing out your interpertation of the facts. However, I still contend that WU did roll through the east that year and as I said thumped many of these so called powers.

Anyone who attended the WU vs. Union game should remember that WU was up 26 - 0 at the 7:46 point of the 3rd quarter before they began sitting on the clock. Did Union battle back a little. However, I question the credability of anyone who would claim a team is luck to escape with a win after they have controled the game.

Pat - You are correct about WU losing to Bridgewater Va, However, that was Jones and Coleman's senior year and was in the South regional final. I was speaking of the Bridgewater , Mass. team that Hobart beat in the 2000 playoff's 25 - 0 before widener beat them.

Gordon - Though you are correct about the format, we are all aware of the fact that the d3 playoff committee has been placing teams in geographical regions for years, and 2000 was not any different. WU was bumped out of the South bracket because of a earlier season loss to McDaniel and sent to the so called Union bracket - If we are not to consider this the East Bracket then what is it. The bracket consited of every team ranked in the Eastern Lambert Poll. If you want to be picky, and claim it was not the east that is fine. However, I stand by my opinion that the 2000 widener team is still at the top.

OK, dude, that's Bridgewater STATE, and that is not a power in any sense of the word, by anyone's measure.

That team's conference is winless in eight years with an automatic bid.

And surprisingly, Lambert poll is not how this ranking measured the East.

[superman57]

that's funny that like a school saying hey we destroyed St. John Fisher we should be ranked in the top ten like them and then you find it was in the early 90's when fisher sucked... or a guy saying my team beat Michigan...oh wait it was east west southern michigan community college

[WUDLINE]

Superman -
Not sure of your point. Maybe you can clarify in english. I was stating that WU went to the NY regional bracket in 2000 (east) and pretty handly beat all the competition that was offered. Went to the final four and lost to a great Mount Union team.