East Region Fan Poll

[Boxer7806]

what are you thoughts on Hartwick... they are 4-1 right now but the rest of thier schedule sets up nicely as they should be double digit favorites in every game ... for all the flack Hartwick gets they could end up 9-1 this season and E8 champions

[superman57]

what are you thoughts on Hartwick... they are 4-1 right now but the rest of thier schedule sets up nicely as they should be double digit favorites in every game ... for all the flack Hartwick gets they could end up 9-1 this season and E8 champions

8-1, they only had 9 games this year and they are actually underdogs for the e8 championship due to there sos... as of right now it looks like Ithaca would be the favorites

[theoriginalupstate]

what are you thoughts on Hartwick... they are 4-1 right now but the rest of thier schedule sets up nicely as they should be double digit favorites in every game ... for all the flack Hartwick gets they could end up 9-1 this season and E8 champions

At least they are getting everything out of the talent they have on their roster...

They only have 9 games this year so they'll be going 8-1, lose out to IC for the auto and miss out on the NCAAs as they get passed over for the pool C by teams like Kean/Montclair/LL runner up...

[HHawks]

what are you thoughts on Hartwick... they are 4-1 right now but the rest of thier schedule sets up nicely as they should be double digit favorites in every game ... for all the flack Hartwick gets they could end up 9-1 this season and E8 champions

At least they are getting everything out of the talent they have on their roster...

They only have 9 games this year so they'll be going 8-1, lose out to IC for the auto and miss out on the NCAAs as they get passed over for the pool C by teams like Kean/Montclair/LL runner up...

Ithaca has a tougher road to the title than Hartwick does.

[theoriginalupstate]

what are you thoughts on Hartwick... they are 4-1 right now but the rest of thier schedule sets up nicely as they should be double digit favorites in every game ... for all the flack Hartwick gets they could end up 9-1 this season and E8 champions

At least they are getting everything out of the talent they have on their roster...

They only have 9 games this year so they'll be going 8-1, lose out to IC for the auto and miss out on the NCAAs as they get passed over for the pool C by teams like Kean/Montclair/LL runner up...

Ithaca has a tougher road to the title than Hartwick does.

Ithaca can finish out 8-2 (loss to cortland) and still have the AQ over Wick...

I dont see AU taking out IC this year...

[HHawks]

what are you thoughts on Hartwick... they are 4-1 right now but the rest of thier schedule sets up nicely as they should be double digit favorites in every game ... for all the flack Hartwick gets they could end up 9-1 this season and E8 champions

At least they are getting everything out of the talent they have on their roster...

They only have 9 games this year so they'll be going 8-1, lose out to IC for the auto and miss out on the NCAAs as they get passed over for the pool C by teams like Kean/Montclair/LL runner up...

Ithaca has a tougher road to the title than Hartwick does.

Ithaca can finish out 8-2 (loss to cortland) and still have the AQ over Wick...

I dont see AU taking out IC this year...

they have Alfred, Cortland, and upstart Utica left. Hartwick's toughest game left will probably be Utica.

[superman57]

the fact of the matter is that I have not yet been impressed by any of the teams in the e8 with the exception of maybe Utica... and at this point in time I would not be entirely suprised if Utica won the e8... just kidding... but Hartwick's decision to go to a 9 game schedule and Fisher's over agressive schedule could cost them both  dearly... as they can't keep up with the Ithaca, balanced schedule

[union89]

the fact of the matter is that I have not yet been impressed by any of the teams in the e8 with the exception of maybe Utica... and at this point in time I would not be entirely suprised if Utica won the e8... just kidding... but Hartwick's decision to go to a 9 game schedule and Fisher's over agressive schedule could cost them both  dearly... as they can't keep up with the Ithaca, balanced schedule

Supes, I hear what you're saying, but every one of you Fisher guys were pounding your chests when it was announced that Fisher would be playing MUC this year (rightfully so)....If Fisher wants to pick up the crown as the best team in the East from Rowan, they need to be able to take care of business against a depleted Salisbury team.

You can't have it both ways......

[Ralph Turner]

Anxiously awaiting the pontifications... 

[superman57]

what I am saying is that... even if we beat Salisbury, frank has indicated that non region games do not count towards sos... so there fore Fisher's only chance is for UofR to go on a winning streak...

[pg04]

Anxiously awaiting the pontifications... 

Should be tomorrow evening.  It shall be interesting. 

[redswarm81]

Anxiously awaiting the pontifications... 

Well I for one am back to being baffled.

Here we are today, left with an ordinary three-way tie between Ithaca, SJF and Hartwick, all behind Utica.  I had expected Alfred to throw a monkey wrench into things by beating Hartwick, who I figured was going to be Alfred's best shot among the SJF/Wick/Ithaca trinity.  That would have put SJF in the driver's seat, with their 3-3 overall record.  Gotta love that scenario, but it was not to be.

So maybe Alfred wasn't quite as strong as I had hoped--I might have overestimated their offensive strength when I saw that 42 they laid on Norwich.

So what's it all mean, if Alfred's spoiler role is less potent/likely?  Maybe Ithaca's better than I thought they were--and yet Ithaca was beaten handily by SJFisher, who's now lost two in a row--granted, by gnat's a**hole margins, but I think the dismay is warranted over SJF's inability to beat Salisbury, the very week that the Seagulls lost 3 defensive starters to Barney Fife.

So, if Ithaca's star is dimmed by a loss to a Fisher team that was less than early evaluations indicated, does that mean that Hartwick--who just this weekend successfully avoided an ambush by Alfred--is all that?  But wait--look at that sixty-freaking-nine points allowed against Ithaca!

I'm  so  confused.   

[HHawks]

Anxiously awaiting the pontifications... 

Well I for one am back to being baffled.

Here we are today, left with an ordinary three-way tie between Ithaca, SJF and Hartwick, all behind Utica.  I had expected Alfred to throw a monkey wrench into things by beating Hartwick, who I figured was going to be Alfred's best shot among the SJF/Wick/Ithaca trinity.  That would have put SJF in the driver's seat, with their 3-3 overall record.  Gotta love that scenario, but it was not to be.

So maybe Alfred wasn't quite as strong as I had hoped--I might have overestimated their offensive strength when I saw that 42 they laid on Norwich.

So what's it all mean, if Alfred's spoiler role is less potent/likely?  Maybe Ithaca's better than I thought they were--and yet Ithaca was beaten handily by SJFisher, who's now lost two in a row--granted, by gnat's a**hole margins, but I think the dismay is warranted over SJF's inability to beat Salisbury, the very week that the Seagulls lost 3 defensive starters to Barney Fife.

So, if Ithaca's star is dimmed by a loss to a Fisher team that was less than early evaluations indicated, does that mean that Hartwick--who just this weekend successfully avoided an ambush by Alfred--is all that?  But wait--look at that sixty-freaking-nine points allowed against Ithaca!

I'm  so  confused.   

I agree, the Empire 8 doesn't make any sense this year. Even more so than last year. Ithaca beats Hartwick by 4 touchdowns, Fisher beats Ithaca by more than 3 touchdowns, Hartwick beats Fisher at their own home field, and most of all Utica is first place in the conference.

[superman57]

don't sleep on Blaise... he was created at Ithaca and perfected at Fisher... Utica could be this years Hartwick... and boy wouldn't we all be laughing a little

[redswarm81]

Okay, I'll borrow the entertaining analysis technique I cribbed from the Top 25 Board.  The analysis technique appears to be a combination of record, Strength of Schedule, and marquee wins.  I know how to quantify record and SoS, but I have no idea how to assign value to a marquee win.

I'll use it to evaluate the undefeated East Region teams, and include Case Western, since that's where this all started:

But more importantly [than deleted Massey ratings], it's important to remember that the entire season resume can be re-evaluated each week. (We make sure the voters see this data so they can decide whether to use it.)

Here's the updated entire season resume for both teams (using the modified SoS system where games against the opponent are removed for SoS evaluation):

No. 15 Case Western Reserve (5-0):
Sep 06   AWAY   Kenyon (1-4)   W   26-62
Sep 13   HOME   Rochester (1-3)   W   38-6
Sep 20   AWAY   Oberlin (1-3)   W   21-48
Oct 04   HOME   Denison (2-2)   W   45-14
Oct 11   HOME   Wooster (3-2)  W    28-7
Case Western "SoS" - (8-13)
Ave. Margin of Victory: 29.4

No. 13 Cortland State (5-0):
Sep 06   AWAY   Morrisville State (0-4)   W   37-51
Sep 20   AWAY   Rowan (3-1)   W   20-27
Sep 27   AWAY   Kean (3-1)   W   28-32
Oct 04   HOME   Buffalo State (0-4)   W   35-14
Oct. 11  HOME   Montclair State 4-0)   W   23-17
Cortland "SoS" - (12-8)
Ave. Margin of Victory: 10.4

Case has been pounding teams, yes, but all they've proven is that they're better than four bad teams and one good team. Cortland has proven it's better than Montclair State (marquee win?) and Rowan (marquee win), and that's a road game as well.

RPI (4-0):
Sep. 13  AWAY   Endicott  (2-3)  W  36-7
Sep. 20  AWAY   Utica     (2-2)    W  24-10
Sep. 27  HOME   WPI       (5-0)    W   35-21
Oct. 4    AWAY   Rochester (1-3)  W  27-17
RPI "SoS" - (10-8)
Ave. Margin of Victory: 16.75
No marquee wins, although WPI is becoming difficult to ignore--we know they have history of flaming out, but their 5 wins include one v. Union, who in an ordinary year would qualify as a marquee win.

Curry (5-0-1 6-0)
Sep. 5    AWAY  Worcester State  (2-3)  T W  28-21 OT
Sep. 13  HOME  Fitchburg State     (2-3)    W   41-34
Sep. 20  HOME  Westfield State     (3-2)    W   42-16
Sep. 27  HOME  Western New England (1-4)  W  40-7
Oct. 4    AWAY  Salve Regina        (3-1)      W   21-7
Oct. 11  HOME   MIT                  (3-2)       W   59-27
Curry "SoS" - 14-15
Ave. Margin of Victory: 19.83
No marquee wins, since in the NEFC, only Curry could be considered a marquee win.

So, let's apply the record/SoS/marquee analysis to Cortland, RPI and Curry:
Record: They're all undefeated, so it's hard to spread them apart.
SoS: Cortland - 0.600; RPI - 0.556; Curry - 0.483
Marquee wins: Cortland - Rowan, Montclair (?); RPI - WPI (?); Curry - MIT 

The general conclusion is Cortland, RPI, Curry--in that order.  The only questions I have are

Does RPI's larger margin of victory close the gap at all between RPI and Cortland, when Cortland is clearly ahead on SoS and marquee wins?

Do Curry's SIX wins earn it any bonus points, when compared to Cortland an RPI, with 5 wins and 4 wins, respectively?

Does anyone besides RedSwarm81 regard OT victories differently than victories in regulation?