East Region Fan Poll

[lewdogg11]

I will get you my poll in later today if I have time or by 9:00 9:30 this evening.

Mwahahahuahahahha, Pole in,, hwhahamwmmahaha...

[Ralph Turner]

Dan, TGP, East Region readers,

Thanks for the comments and the discussion.

I had an early (7am meeting CST) and had have the chance to review my remarks since posting them.

After some reflection, I conclude that my remarks were not appropriate for a regional forum, and I am sorry.

Dan, thanks for the insight on the NJAC.  I get the impression that the East Region has a couple of teams that break out of the pack every year, but there are a whole bunch of schools that are in the #30-#80 range.  If you don't bring your "A" game every weekend, then you are "gonna get beat".

Thanks.   

[PBR...]

Ralph,

I try to support my understanding of other conferences other than our NJAC by closely following a lot of the computer algorithm polls like Massey, Laz, etc.  I also run my own ratings system (actually there are 3 I've written) coded in C++.  I don't think any of these polls are nearly robust enough to absolutely solve rankings or determine playoff participants.

But what they do all provide is unbiased generalized information about teams.  If a Cinderella team is coming in with a "high power rating," I might not have the confidence to rank them absolutely, but I am comfortable in believing that they are a lot better than people realize.  Computer ratings were the first signal I received 2 years ago that Kean was pretty good, and no longer a door mat.  I'm certainly open to the belief that Husson could be very good down the road...though right now they rate out as a mid pack E8 team.  If you go back through my posts from one year ago, I picked Curry to beat Hartwick in the playoffs.  My rating system believed in Curry, and my own analysis of the game scores and stats supported it.

What do the ratings tell me these days?  They tell me that the MAC is solid, top to bottom, if not dominant.  And that Del Valley is really, really good.  You won't find a NY/NJ bias in me, other than to say I am a fan of football in NY and NJ.

They also tell me that even the best teams in the East would have a hard time finishing better than third in the OAC, or fifth in the WIAC.  And that UMHB, Millsaps, St John's, and in other years Linfield, offer a whole other level of competition.

We've theorized elsewhere what is wrong with Eastern football.  I don't think anyone knows for sure, though my belief is the density of NY teams is to blame.  If you asked me to rank the top 25 teams in D3, I'd have Ithaca in there, and maybe Cortland or Del Valley at the bottom.  Nobody else.  That's the current reality as I see it.

thank you dan...pbr has been trying to stay quiet here but seems to get more angry by the day...true dvc lost to fdu....but they beat teams ranked very high in the d3 polls when they played them including salisbury, wesley, plus played iona (div I-AA). they beat albright and barely lose to lyco in the utmost ridiculous conditions. so this is the way they get repaid for playing a tough OOC schedule? in div I-A's march madness teams that play tough schedules and win are rewarded and get in the tourney...maybe dvc should schedule nothing but  cream puffs like some other schools and pad their record and look great to the rest of the nation against a bunch of nobody schools. the selection committee has spoken imho and told everyone to not play any tough ooc games and play an easy ooc schedule. because NO ONE can convince pbr that the best teams are playing right the d3 football tourney this year. there are many other teams besides dvc that should of gotten before some of the teams that did get in. that being said pbr knows IT IS DIFFICULT being on the selection committee and you will never have everyone happy. but there are some serious question marks imho on who got in and who didnt this year.

[pumkinattack]

Dan, TGP, East Region readers,

Thanks for the comments and the discussion.

I had an early (7am meeting CST) and had have the chance to review my remarks since posting them.

After some reflection, I conclude that my remarks were not appropriate for a regional forum, and I am sorry.

Dan, thanks for the insight on the NJAC.  I get the impression that the East Region has a couple of teams that break out of the pack every year, but there are a whole bunch of schools that are in the #30-#80 range.  If you don't bring your "A" game every weekend, then you are "gonna get beat".

Thanks.   

I think thats right about a couple that break out and the rest in the 30 - 80 range most years.  I think that 2005 was an exception (with SJF, Ithaca, Springfield, Union and Hobart), but that the talent level is relatively thin on a per team basis, but I don't think the competitive spirit is any less. 

[Ralph Turner]

Good morning, uPBRmeASAP.

With only 6 Pool C bids to give, I think that the strategy should be to play the toughest schedule that you can.

HSU is a Pool C bid,  helped by beating UW-LaCrosse and Linfield (In-region  -- administrative region #4) games.  Those two teams helped HSU's OWP/OOWP as well.  (The OWP/OOWP of the ASC is around .500 because we play 8 conference games, and there are few other teams around for non-conference games.)

Of course, you don't know how good a team will be when you schedule them, but there are some quality programs, year-in and year-out.

I don't think that HSU earns a Pool C bid, if they had not come back to defeat UW-L but ended up a 2-loss team.  

[labart96]

Good morning, gentlemen. 

Thanks for the comments.  +1!

TGP and Dan, this poll really helps me understand the interesting nature of "East Region Football".

Dan's comment about Del Valley is reassuring.  I was impressed with their play as well.  The FDU-Florham loss really knocked them back.  The MAC Pool A bid was theirs, if they had won that game.

The Salisbury team also is still getting votes on our South Region poll. I think they would beat Curry, too.  There is a "big log jam" in the middle of the region.

Thanks for running the poll.  It brings out more constructive discussion to assist us fans in learning about your Region of D-III.   

Ralph -

You are true gentleman in every sense of the word. k+ to you too.

We here in "Bracket 1" realize, barring the occasional exception, that our teams are not at the same level as the usual suspects in the Top 25 year in and year out.  That being the said, we attempt to drive interest in our own back yard here in Bracket 1 by doing exercises such as the PG04 moderated poll.

The main benefit to me as a "pollster" has reading up on the MAC and other teams/conferences I'd probably wouldn't have studied up on otherwise.

[superman57]

Ok now I am deciding to post my thoughts... By giving Curry a pool c they are basicly saying it doesn't matter who you play during the season as long as you win your games...

[PBR...]

Ok now I am deciding to post my thoughts... By giving Curry a pool c they are basicly saying it doesn't matter who you play during the season as long as you win your games...

that is what pbr is reading....screw playing tough ooc opponents...schedule cupcakes and post a handsome record and your in

[Bombers798891]

Ok now I am deciding to post my thoughts... By giving Curry a pool c they are basicly saying it doesn't matter who you play during the season as long as you win your games...

that is what pbr is reading....screw playing tough ooc opponents...schedule cupcakes and post a handsome record and your in

There's a balance to strike...look at SJF...they're probably better than Curry, but if, for example, an independent team played all of the Top 10 teams in the country and went 0-10, would they get in? What if they went 5-5? 7-3? 8-2? Where's the invisible line?

[superman57]

Listen Montclair St. got robbed and they deserve to be upset, both Montclair and Dem Spicy Boyz both lost to  conference champs, so by saying the Dem Spicy Boyz were better than Montclair you are saying that Plymouth state is better than Cortland, so in that case why is Plymouth state not hosting the first round NCAA game...

[Bombers798891]

Listen Montclair St. got robbed and they deserve to be upset, both Montclair and Dem Spicy Boyz both lost to  conference champs, so by saying the Dem Spicy Boyz were better than Montclair you are saying that Plymouth state is better than Cortland, so in that case why is Plymouth state not hosting the first round NCAA game...

I am assuming the "you" you are referring to is the NCAA. I never once stated Montclair did or did not deserve a bid over Curry. I simply asked a hypothetical question regarding when strength of schedule can overcome a worse record, and when it can't.

[superman57]

yes the you is the NCAA as they are the ones who gave Dem Spicy Boyz the pool c

[Jonny Utah]

Ok now I am deciding to post my thoughts... By giving Curry a pool c they are basicly saying it doesn't matter who you play during the season as long as you win your games...

that is what pbr is reading....screw playing tough ooc opponents...schedule cupcakes and post a handsome record and your in

There's a balance to strike...look at SJF...they're probably better than Curry, but if, for example, an independent team played all of the Top 10 teams in the country and went 0-10, would they get in? What if they went 5-5? 7-3? 8-2? Where's the invisible line?

Good point.  That "line" used to be 2 losses for the E8, LL, NJAC and MAC and 0 losses for the NEFC, but now it looks like its 1 loss for every one.

I wonder how much last years Hartwick/Curry game and this years Rowan/Bridgewater game have to do with this whole situation this year?

[AUPepBand]

Listen Montclair St. got robbed and they deserve to be upset, both Montclair and Dem Spicy Boyz both lost to  conference champs, so by saying the Dem Spicy Boyz were better than Montclair you are saying that Plymouth state is better than Cortland, so in that case why is Plymouth state not hosting the first round NCAA game...

Montclair State would have easily been the Pool C had they not blown their game at Kean. It's not like BOTH teams were 9-1. Curry didn't lose to the Ivy League wannabe Mass-Dartmouth.

['gro]

snap, didn't do a ballot this week... I'll scratch one up today if there is going to be one.