East Region Fan Poll

[Jonny Utah]

"Just win the damn conference" is an interesting take for those conferences. Those are places where you could be a national quarterfinal team and not be the best team in the conference. Surely we want to get national quarterfinalists in the field.

Who is "we" Pat?  It should be clear that the NCAA does not care about getting the best teams into tournaments in many sports.

[Pat Coleman]

"Just win the damn conference" is an interesting take for those conferences. Those are places where you could be a national quarterfinal team and not be the best team in the conference. Surely we want to get national quarterfinalists in the field.

Who is "we" Pat?  It should be clear that the NCAA does not care about getting the best teams into tournaments in many sports.

I agree, but when it comes to national quarterfinal teams, we should at least make sure all of those teams actually get in.

[Bombers798891]

"Just win the damn conference" is an interesting take for those conferences. Those are places where you could be a national quarterfinal team and not be the best team in the conference. Surely we want to get national quarterfinalists in the field.

Who is "we" Pat?  It should be clear that the NCAA does not care about getting the best teams into tournaments in many sports.

I agree, but when it comes to national quarterfinal teams, we should at least make sure all of those teams actually get in.

Curiously, when's the last time an at-large made that kind of noise? Or, perhaps, who's the best team to be left out of the playoffs in recent years? I mean, I'm not a fan of the disappearing Pool C bids either, but are teams this good really being left out?

[Pat Coleman]

"Just win the damn conference" is an interesting take for those conferences. Those are places where you could be a national quarterfinal team and not be the best team in the conference. Surely we want to get national quarterfinalists in the field.

Who is "we" Pat?  It should be clear that the NCAA does not care about getting the best teams into tournaments in many sports.

I agree, but when it comes to national quarterfinal teams, we should at least make sure all of those teams actually get in.

Curiously, when's the last time an at-large made that kind of noise? Or, perhaps, who's the best team to be left out of the playoffs in recent years? I mean, I'm not a fan of the disappearing Pool C bids either, but are teams this good really being left out?

Last time a Pool C made the quarterfinals? 2011, St. John Fisher. Previously: 2010, Bethel. Prior to that: 2009, Albright.

[ExTartanPlayer]

First, I agree that Pool C usually will have at least one or two really good teams capable of making a deep run (actually this year I think there will be several Pool C teams that are capable of making the quarters, depending on bracketology).  Don't mistake my argument for an argument that no really good teams are left out of the field.  However, I don't think that realistic national-title contenders (or perhaps we should say quarterfinal-semifinal-type teams, given the schism that existed between the top two and everyone else for most of the last decade) contenders should be thinking before the season that they'd better schedule easier OOC games just in case they lose a conference game.  Yes, maybe (picking random teams here for a hypothetical scenario) St. John's would regret scheduling a game with Linfield if they lost that + lost to, say Bethel in a given season and missed the field because they went 8-2 instead of 9-1...but if they already lost head-to-head games to two teams, even two of the nation's best teams, didn't they already kinda have the chance to prove that they were one of those elite eight teams for a given season?

We came close to the only scenario that would have had me really going to bat for a two-loss team in 2011 when Oshkosh lost a pseudo-competitive 41-17 game to Mount Union in week 2 and then lost 20-17 to UWW.  They went ahead and mucked it up by losing the next week to LaCrosse.  But I would have been very interested to hear a discussion of an 8-2 team with their only losses coming to the five-time-defending #1/#2 teams in the country, especially given that they were competitive in both games and nearly beat UWW.  But I still see that as different from two losses to, say, the #3 and #7 teams in the country.

[lewdogg11]

Sooooo, Gallaudet beat perennial powerhouse Becker on a blocked FG return for TD.  Anyone still think they won't be 'stealing' a playoff spot?

[D3MAFAN]

Sooooo, Gallaudet beat perennial powerhouse Becker on a blocked FG return for TD.  Anyone still think they won't be 'stealing' a playoff spot?

They won the game and are undefeated, they are in a conference that followed all procedures and rules to qualify for a playoff seed. Until the rules change, just constructively discuss football. There are many other conferences that have a represenative that's going to get an invitation to the playoff that may not be a Top 32 team and the East as a whole may not have a Top 32 team (I do think so). So instead of moping about things you can not control, do as Pat's quote say's "Let's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect."

[Knightstalker]

Sooooo, Gallaudet beat perennial powerhouse Becker on a blocked FG return for TD.  Anyone still think they won't be 'stealing' a playoff spot?

They won the game and are undefeated, they are in a conference that followed all procedures and rules to qualify for a playoff seed. Until the rules change, just constructively discuss football. There are many other conferences that have a represenative that's going to get an invitation to the playoff that may not be a Top 32 team and the East as a whole may not have a Top 32 team (I do think so). So instead of moping about things you can not control, do as Pat's quote say's "Let's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect."

Lets lighten up Francis.

[Bombers798891]

Sooooo, Gallaudet beat perennial powerhouse Becker on a blocked FG return for TD.  Anyone still think they won't be 'stealing' a playoff spot?

They won the game and are undefeated, they are in a conference that followed all procedures and rules to qualify for a playoff seed. Until the rules change, just constructively discuss football. There are many other conferences that have a represenative that's going to get an invitation to the playoff that may not be a Top 32 team and the East as a whole may not have a Top 32 team (I do think so). So instead of moping about things you can not control, do as Pat's quote say's "Let's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect."

We're not disrespecting anyone by accurately assessing the quality of their wins. Just because the reality isn't happy happy joy joy doesn't mean we're not being constructive.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Sooooo, Gallaudet beat perennial powerhouse Becker on a blocked FG return for TD.  Anyone still think they won't be 'stealing' a playoff spot?

They also beat Rochester, likely 3rd-place LL team, by 24.  If you're bent on slamming their worst performance of the season, we should probably acknowledge their best as well.

If Hobart had survived Union in a similar game, we'd all say what a valiant effort Union gave in a rivalry game and say something like "that won't get it done in the playoffs, but kudos to Bart for pulling out the win, hopefully they'll improve from here!"

Look, Gallaudet probably isn't one of the 15 best teams in the East, but they're going to the playoffs whether you like it or not.  It's certainly well within your rights to complain about it but I still think y'all look at every result from those teams with a serious prejudice. When they beat an LL or E8 team there's always some excuse.

Edited to add: the reason I get a little bent out of shape when I see you guy ragging on the bottom East conferences for taking playoff spots is that EVERY region has its weak-sister conference(s), but only you guys spend this much time complaining about them. The UMAC and NACC champs are going to get killed in the playoffs but nobody in the North boards is complaining about them stealing a playoff spot. The ODAC and USAC champs have generally been whipping boys in the South but nobody down there accuses them of stealing a playoff spot. Y'all (not everyone but several) complain about the NEFC and ECFC champs as though the East Region is the only place this happens.

[lewdogg11]

Dude!!!!  Becker has won 11 games in 9 years against the worst competition in the country!!!!  Comparing them to Union as an opponent is like comparing a turtle with an egg roll.

And did you really want to pump up a win vs. Rochester?  The LL is awful this year. I wouldn't be all that excited about that one.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!!

[ExTartanPlayer]

Dude!!!!  Becker has won 11 games in 9 years against the worst competition in the country!!!!  Comparing them to Union as an opponent is like comparing a turtle with an egg roll.

And did you really want to pump up a win vs. Rochester?  The LL is awful this year. I wouldn't be all that excited about that one.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!!

No, I'm not saying Becker is as good as Union. But I am saying that you guys ALWAYS look for the worst possible framing of teams from the crummy conferences to distort them and make them look as bad as you can. I don't have some agenda - I'm not a Gallaudet fan. I'm a completely unbiased observer when it comes to the East. It's silly that you act like the NEFC and ECFC are the only conferences "stealing" playoff spots - as I noted, there are several conferences in each region clearly a step below their regional competition. You're the only one who acts like it's a grave injustice that they get a playoff bid.

[ITH radio]

I'd love to see GU get in and get a 1st rd win.  There will probably only be 5 "east" teams in the tourney (all A no C), including them, so I hope they get a good draw.

[Bombers798891]

Dude!!!!  Becker has won 11 games in 9 years against the worst competition in the country!!!!  Comparing them to Union as an opponent is like comparing a turtle with an egg roll.

And did you really want to pump up a win vs. Rochester?  The LL is awful this year. I wouldn't be all that excited about that one.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!!

No, I'm not saying Becker is as good as Union. But I am saying that you guys ALWAYS look for the worst possible framing of teams from the crummy conferences to distort them and make them look as bad as you can. I don't have some agenda - I'm not a Gallaudet fan. I'm a completely unbiased observer when it comes to the East. It's silly that you act like the NEFC and ECFC are the only conferences "stealing" playoff spots - as I noted, there are several conferences in each region clearly a step below their regional competition. You're the only one who acts like it's a grave injustice that they get a playoff bid.

ETP, let's examine this 3rd place Rochester. Here are their five wins:

Alfred State
A one-point win over a 2-6 Thiel
A one-point win over a 4-3 Springfield
A six-point win over a 4-4 RPI
A 14-point win over a 2-6 Union

This is a pretty mediocre resume. Figure they beat WPI, (currently 2-6) and lose to Hobart. What's a 5-3* record against that schedule? And this is the BEST win Gallaudet's going to get? 

* I know losing out on the MMA game wasn't their fault, and it was hard to find a last-minute replacement. But I'm not giving them credit for beating an Alfred State team that followed up the Rochester game by struggling to beat Erie Community College. That's not a D-III caliber opponent. It might as well have been an exhibition game

[ExTartanPlayer]

Dude!!!!  Becker has won 11 games in 9 years against the worst competition in the country!!!!  Comparing them to Union as an opponent is like comparing a turtle with an egg roll.

And did you really want to pump up a win vs. Rochester?  The LL is awful this year. I wouldn't be all that excited about that one.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!!

No, I'm not saying Becker is as good as Union. But I am saying that you guys ALWAYS look for the worst possible framing of teams from the crummy conferences to distort them and make them look as bad as you can. I don't have some agenda - I'm not a Gallaudet fan. I'm a completely unbiased observer when it comes to the East. It's silly that you act like the NEFC and ECFC are the only conferences "stealing" playoff spots - as I noted, there are several conferences in each region clearly a step below their regional competition. You're the only one who acts like it's a grave injustice that they get a playoff bid.

ETP, let's examine this 3rd place Rochester. Here are their five wins:

Alfred State
A one-point win over a 2-6 Thiel
A one-point win over a 4-3 Springfield
A six-point win over a 4-4 RPI
A 14-point win over a 2-6 Union

This is a pretty mediocre resume. Figure they beat WPI, (currently 2-6) and lose to Hobart. What's a 5-3* record against that schedule? And this is the BEST win Gallaudet's going to get? 

* I know losing out on the MMA game wasn't their fault, and it was hard to find a last-minute replacement. But I'm not giving them credit for beating an Alfred State team that followed up the Rochester game by struggling to beat Erie Community College. That's not a D-III caliber opponent. It might as well have been an exhibition game

Oh, that's totally fair.  But you guys keep talking like Gallaudet would come in last place in another league.  They beat Rochester by 24.  Maybe Rochester isn't an "impressive" 3rd/4th in the LL but they clearly are at least the equal of every LL team but Hobart and possibly Merchant Marine (just as they had close wins against the other teams, they only lost to St. Lawrence by 4, so I suppose one can lump all of those teams roughly equally together).  This doesn't mean Gallaudet wins any other conference in the East, but it probably means they don't come in last in the LL.  Nor do they even come in second-to-last.  They probably finish in the top half.  Which brings me to my second point:

You guys whine an awful lot about using that standard ("Well, they'd probably compete and finish in the middle of other leagues") because in your mind it's too low of a standard.  That's fine and it's your personal preference.  My second point is that this is the case in every region, not just the East.  Y'all act like the NEFC and ECFC are stealing playoff bids that should go to some other East teams, I guess.  Well, out in the North/West world, St. Scholastica has taken the first two AQ bids awarded to the UMAC and lost by 46 and 41 points.  The UMAC champion this year is likely to be Greenville, who beat CCIW bottom-feeder Millikin by a mere touchdown, or St. Scholastica again, who lost 36-7 to Whitworth in their opener.  You know what?  Nobody out in that region complains about Team X being left out because St. Scholastica and the UMAC are "stealing" an AQ.  Their conference formed and met the NCAA requirements for a playoff bid.  It's done.  No crying over it.  Every region has its weak-sister conference that would get whomped by the best teams in the best conferences.

Showing some self-awareness, I realize that it sounds like I'm lecturing y'all like a schoolteacher when you're all grown-ass men and perfectly entitled to your own opinions, so I apologize for the tone of the above.  But seriously, guys, there's a more positive way.  Most of the North and West posters reacted to St. Scholastica's berth with something like "Cool, it's neat to see such a young program building itself & getting a bid, hopefully they'll keep improving!" instead of pissing on every NEFC and ECFC champion like most of y'all do every year, even when they win a game.