East Region Fan Poll

[Knightstalker]

I don't really know that any D3 coach should be pushed out if their in good standing and the students are graduating and becoming quality citizens, but I've had the same questions about Audino's performance lately.  So in this case, I would side w/Lew on this and am not buying the long winded justification.  The reality is that the program isn't the same as it was 10-15 years ago when I played against them

You know, people say this about Ithaca (myself included), but things are just different in the region compared to when Union and IC were powers (I know you're speaking more recently pumkin, but I think this holds true.) The cost of attendance difference compared to certain schools is even more drastic than it was then. You didn't have a team in Hartwick or Utica. Fisher was emerging from club team status and wasn't consistently good until 2002. Buff State didn't have a varsity team until 1981. Hobart was mediocre at best, horrible at worst in the 80's. Cortland was really only good from maybe 1987-1992. You think to all the kids going to those schools now, who would have been looking at IC/Union in the 80's and early 90's. Where's Mark Robinson go? Boltus? Pitcher? Jeff Baker? You think IC would be the first choice for a great running back from Rochester leaving U of R today like it was for Mike Scott in 1988?

Yes, there are things both schools can do better—though I can only speak to Ithaca there—but to quote 'The Wire' "Game's the same. Just got more fierce." Do Union and IC need to respond? Sure. But I also think people who hark back to the glory days need to realize that the landscape is just different. The Unions and Ithacas of the world don't just get the pick of the litter anymore.

Maybe they don't get 'the pick of the litter', but you can't tell me that they(Ithaca and Union) don't both get enough high quality athlete's to put out teams that should fare better than they are currently.  Ithaca has been down but has represented the league pretty well in OOC competition the past few years.  Their issues are more in conference in a conference only getting stronger.

What is it exactly that people are attracted to go to Hobart for?  Is it the girls?  Is it the location?  Is it the Engineering school?  Is it the Orange Helmets?  I don't know what it is, but Hobart doesn't have any unfair advantage yet they continue to get better...Utica is in the same boat.  Why would ANYONE go to Utica?  The brewery?  Maybe it is the orange helmets.  I don't know.  But the product on the field continues to improve. 

Maybe it's just the coaching(or recruiting)?  Hmmmmmmmmm

I think you got something there LD, it's gotta be the orange helmets, nothing else makes sense.

[ITH radio]

Either that or it could be the camo jerseys http://gohobart.blogspot.com

[Jonny Utah]

Either that or it could be the camo jerseys http://gohobart.blogspot.com

Why did Hobart change their helmets?  I liked the old ones better.

[gordonmann]

I also recall visiting Rochester as a recruit and having a less-than-enjoyable visit because my hosts went to a kegger and left me alone for the night.  For some kids that would have worked, for me it didn't.  High school seniors are a funny bunch - what works for some of us won't work for others, and football is far from the only factor for a player choosing a Division III school.

I had the same experience when visiting schools.  When I visited [name redacted out of diplomacy], the first two questions I was asked by the students were...

* "Are you Gordon?"  A fair question from the person who asked it.  The guy's roommate was supposed to pick me up from Admissions but forgot.  So much for first impressions.

* "Have you seen my joint?"  <asked by someone other than the host or his roommate>

[Upstate]

Buff St & AU update:

10-7 Buff St at the half.

Buff St missed a 22yd FG in closing seconds of the half. 

AU's only points came on a blocked FG return for a TD.  They did move the ball on one drive and were stopped on a 4th and goal at the 1.

Not sure if it's the weather that's the reason for all of the incompletions but Buff St QB is 9/23-160yds 1td/1int and AU's QB is 6/15-52 yds.

[Upstate]

Crap meant for that to go in the E8 updates...

[pg04]

The Bomber juggernaut continues to roll by, disrespected.

I'm not sure they can be ignored any longer. And Salve needs to be in too, I think.

[Bombers798891]

The Bomber juggernaut continues to roll by, disrespected.

I'm not sure they can be ignored any longer. And Salve needs to be in too, I think.

Two of their wins were over teams they beat last season, and Moravian...eh...

[pg04]

The Bomber juggernaut continues to roll by, disrespected.

I'm not sure they can be ignored any longer. And Salve needs to be in too, I think.

Two of their wins were over teams they beat last season, and Moravian...eh...

I just think we are running out of teams to put over said undefeated (so far) teams. They could just drop out immediately. 

[dlippiel]

All dlip knows is he has Mt. Ida as his clear number #1 this week. WTF happened today?

[SUADC]

With Widener winning big and many east teams still undefeated, I personally think, we need our teams to stay undefeated and continue winning big, so that we may have some love from the committee.

As of now, I have the South as the #1 Region, East #2 and West #3, and with Wabash losing North #4. What is everyone else take currently on how the season is thus far?

[pumkinattack]

I don't know about the MAC, but believe the NJAC champ will have a loss.  Still think either Hobart or RPI will end up undefeated and if SJF can beat Sals, there's 2-3 undefeated teams in the East (not taking the NEFC or ECFC into consideration here, truthfully, but not sure how a Rowan team only with a D2 loss would be considered overall).  At the end of the day, that only matters if the East is a #1 or #2 bracket and the #1 seed makes it to the national semifinals (I get that the pod that includes primarily Eastern teams, euphemistically dubbed the East bracket, could have a higher, non #1 seed, play a home game, but highly unlikely IMO).  Otherwise, an Eastern team is still going to have to win on the road before sniffing Salem.  One would think the "Eastern" region win over UWW should be considered at the end of the day, but who knows. 

While they're ranked pretty appropriately, give or take a few notches, as a Hobart alum and follower, still find it funny that there's continuous comments about how everything is in shambles in the East, but yet Hobart's still winning by 3tds each week.  Don't get me wrong, like a spoiled child I think they played like crap this week and continue to be disappointed that they haven't even sniffed a complete game, but they're knocking out the schedule to date really with little difficulty.  The schedule likely won't have any heft this year unless RPI continues the roll they're on, so even if Hobart can avoid some idiotic loss, they're 10-0 wouldn't look all that impressive, but I'm just worried they'll drop a game they shouldn't. 

[pg04]

(I am speculating here) I believe one reason that Hobart doesn't get mentioned is because, their games do not have a free video stream to actually see the team, unlike many of the other teams. This is huge because I have no idea how they look and I have watched many of the eastern teams in the first few weeks, but not Hobart. This is more a personal thing and may not extend to most others. Edit: I did see parts of the Utica game, but I have had trouble seeing them outside of that game.

Secondly, and more importantly, the teams that Hobart has played invoke no real excitement from anyone. Buffalo state caused excitement because the teams they have played are all those that are fairly relevant in the football scene in Upstate New York (and in some cases nationally). Fisher has played good teams early on. And so on. My main point is that Hobart's games so far seem to have gone as they should have (outside of Utica, and that was the one game that DID get my attention -- but a defeat of Utica isn't going to make us think Hobart is on the road to a long playoff run). We have nothing to really say that they won't be in shambles like everything else when they play a team like RPI.

[Frank Rossi]

Dear LD,



Sincerely,

Frank

[Upstate]

I think a reason why Hobart hasn't been getting a lot of talk around the east is because they haven't played their conference rivals yet.  Union and RPI are still out there which year in and year out are Hobart's measuring sticks, so to speak.  Those two results are usually what people judge Bart on. 

I'm not saying Hobart hasn't played anyone, just saying that people usually wait to judge Hobart based on those two games.  Although with the addition to Springfield to the conference I think it will make Hobart's body of work look a lot better than it has in previous years.

I think if they go 10-0 they would have a great case at a #2 seed.