FB: Region 3 fan poll

[Llamaguy]

I don't understand how anyone can in good conscience be voting Muhlenberg #1 in this region.  Their competition is mediocre (143rd in OWP) and they have struggled to put away some teams they are much better than (average MOV:  18.4 pts but only 8.5 pts against their last two .500 opponents).  Contrast that with Millsaps (30th in OWP) whose closest win has been by 20 points, and who has leveled the three best D3 teams on their schedule (then-healthy Miss Coll, DePauw, Trinity) by over 35 points per game.  Millsaps' average margin of victory is 32.4 ppg.

So ... I'd be interested in hearing anyone's rationale for voting Muhlenberg over Millsaps at this point in the season. 

No quabbles here Ron. I am just waiting to see things settle themselves out in the playoffs. Millsaps vs. UMHB/HSU for the Southern end of the South bracket and Muhlenberg vs. Wesley for the Northern end. Still more games to be played, but that is the way I see it shaking out come playoff time.

Interestingly enough, my Top 5 have not changed since the Poll on week 5. They are obviously not in the same order as the entire group's picks but include the same top 5 teams. I have been high on Millsaps since Week 1, like #3 in the region back then, even had them #4 in my preseason ranking. They are not my #1 though, YET! 

[PA_wesleyfan]

I don't understand how anyone can in good conscience be voting Muhlenberg #1 in this region.  Their competition is mediocre (143rd in OWP) and they have struggled to put away some teams they are much better than (average MOV:  18.4 pts but only 8.5 pts against their last two .500 opponents).  Contrast that with Millsaps (30th in OWP) whose closest win has been by 20 points, and who has leveled the three best D3 teams on their schedule (then-healthy Miss Coll, DePauw, Trinity) by over 35 points per game.  Millsaps' average margin of victory is 32.4 ppg.

So ... I'd be interested in hearing anyone's rationale for voting Muhlenberg over Millsaps at this point in the season. 

No quabbles here Ron. I am just waiting to see things settle themselves out in the playoffs. Millsaps vs. UMHB/HSU for the Southern end of the South bracket and Muhlenberg vs. Wesley for the Northern end. Still more games to be played, but that is the way I see it shaking out come playoff time.

Interestingly enough, my Top 5 have not changed since the Poll on week 5. They are obviously not in the same order as the entire group's picks but include the same top 5 teams. I have been high on Millsaps since Week 1, like #3 in the region back then, even had them #4 in my preseason ranking. They are not my #1 though, YET! 

llama

Does that mean we will see the Stone Station in Dover again this year???

[Josh Bowerman]

I've seen Millsaps play twice in the past two years.  That's why I'm not voting them #1.  While I'm not sure Muhlenberg is the best in the South, they're the only other unbeaten.

HSU and UMHB are better than both, period.  HSU may be playing the best ball of anybody in the region.  What I want to know is, how can anybody with a clear conscious be voting them (HSU) 5th?

[DPU3619]

Because I think 3 of those 4 teams are better.  Maybe Muhlenberg isn't better, but I think it would be a very silly thing to penalize Muhlenberg for their crappy schedule.  They're winning against the schedule they have.  I don't think I can put them under a team with a region loss.  HSU did play the Crusaders close, but they didn't beat them. 

I do not think HSU is better than Millsaps, and I don't think it's that close, either.  I also do not think HSU is better than Wesley.  Mary Hardin may be better than Millsaps, but I feel that I have to penalize UMHB for a loss (yes I know it wasn't DIII, but it was a school that 2 other D3 teams beat this season).  That's why I voted HSU fifth.

[hsucowboyfan]

This is nothing new for this wes guy...he's never given HSU the benefit of the doubt. Not even when he was the "around the south" columnist.

[Pat Coleman]

In the one year Wes wrote Around the South, Hardin-Simmons went 6-4. There wasn't much benefit to give HSU that year and a lot of doubt.

[golden_dome]

I've seen Millsaps play twice in the past two years.  That's why I'm not voting them #1.  While I'm not sure Muhlenberg is the best in the South, they're the only other unbeaten.

HSU and UMHB are better than both, period.  HSU may be playing the best ball of anybody in the region.  What I want to know is, how can anybody with a clear conscious be voting them (HSU) 5th?

This is just my opinion, but HSU and UMHB are not better than Millsaps this year and I don't think it's close. I've also had the opportunity to see Millsaps the last two years, but I've also seen them this year and this team is much better than the last two. Millsaps is a rival school for us but I'll give credit where credit is due.

I think they are significantly better than both teams right now, especially HSU. If UMHB were healthy and had Quincy Daniels, I would give them a shot at Millsaps. Or if this were UMHB's team last year I would give the Cru a significant edge. But UMHB is not healthy and will have a hard time against a very good Millsaps team.

I always want to see the ASC do well, but I think UMHB and HSU will have a hard time staying within two touchdowns of Millsaps this year. I think the rest of the SCAC is significantly worse than the ASC, and I think Trinity is very overrated as a Top 25 team who would be middle of the ASC this year, but Millsaps is very deserving of the credit they are getting. They are very well coached and Juan Joseph might be the best DIII player in the country this year.

[Bill McCabe]

I saw Millsaps play Trinity this weekend and Trinity's defense was woeful.  UMHB and HSU would both put pressure on Joseph.  UMHB's speed on defense is much better than Trinity's.  I wasn't overly impressed with Millsaps defense and think UMHB and HSU could move the ball on them.  It would be a fun game to watch, but Millsaps is not significantly better than either UMHB or HSU.

[Bill McCabe]

I don't understand how anyone can in good conscience be voting Muhlenberg #1 in this region.  Their competition is mediocre (143rd in OWP) and they have struggled to put away some teams they are much better than (average MOV:  18.4 pts but only 8.5 pts against their last two .500 opponents).  Contrast that with Millsaps (30th in OWP) whose closest win has been by 20 points, and who has leveled the three best D3 teams on their schedule (then-healthy Miss Coll, DePauw, Trinity) by over 35 points per game.  Millsaps' average margin of victory is 32.4 ppg.

So ... I'd be interested in hearing anyone's rationale for voting Muhlenberg over Millsaps at this point in the season. 

No quabbles here Ron. I am just waiting to see things settle themselves out in the playoffs. Millsaps vs. UMHB/HSU for the Southern end of the South bracket and Muhlenberg vs. Wesley for the Northern end. Still more games to be played, but that is the way I see it shaking out come playoff time.

Interestingly enough, my Top 5 have not changed since the Poll on week 5. They are obviously not in the same order as the entire group's picks but include the same top 5 teams. I have been high on Millsaps since Week 1, like #3 in the region back then, even had them #4 in my preseason ranking. They are not my #1 though, YET! 

llamaguy,  how do you see Millsaps playing HSU?  Would that be a 2nd round game?  Just wondering?

[golden_dome]

I saw Millsaps play Trinity this weekend and Trinity's defense was woeful.  UMHB and HSU would both put pressure on Joseph.  UMHB's speed on defense is much better than Trinity's.  I wasn't overly impressed with Millsaps defense and think UMHB and HSU could move the ball on them.  It would be a fun game to watch, but Millsaps is not significantly better than either UMHB or HSU.

Bill,
   I thought everything went their way for it to be this bad, but Millsaps beat us 42-6 30 minutes from campus. HSU beat us 35-27 in a game that could have gone either way, and we were eight hours on a bus. UMHB was 26-14 in a close game.

   I agree with your sentiments on Trinity. I think they would have a similiar record to MS College with the same schedule and would have a hard time beating us, but I'm not going to hold that against Millsaps. Millsaps is benefitting from a very easy schedule, but they are also much better than they've been. That's why I told SCAC posters earlier this year they would run roughshod through that league and beat Trinity bad.

Millsaps is probably 10 points better than UMHB or HSU right now. I get that from people who have seen both teams, and from players who have played against both. And I hear the same thing from all of them. HSU and UMHB might put pressure on Joseph, just like we did, but the kid is very elusive and fast and hard to bring down. 

I'm not saying they wouldn't have a shot to beat them, because they would. But if the game is in Jackson, it will be an uphill battle.
   

[@d3jason]

Good discussion!

I am interested in Millsaps running game. I haven't seen them, but from looking at the stats, is it mostly Joseph running around or can they get out of the spread and run it a little bit? It seems they are more a pass-based spread (Texas Tech) than a run-based one (West Virginia.)

It would/will be interesting to see how they match up against a fast, aggressive defense like UMHB or Wesley that has the ability to match up with their skill players.

Millsaps still has a lot to prove come playoff time, but I have a feeling they have closed the gap with the top teams in the region.

[exmajor]

Good discussion!

I am interested in Millsaps running game. I haven't seen them, but from looking at the stats, is it mostly Joseph running around or can they get out of the spread and run it a little bit? It seems they are more a pass-based spread (Texas Tech) than a run-based one (West Virginia.)

It would/will be interesting to see how they match up against a fast, aggressive defense like UMHB or Wesley that has the ability to match up with their skill players.

Millsaps still has a lot to prove come playoff time, but I have a feeling they have closed the gap with the top teams in the region.

I was at the game this past weekend and it appears to me that Millsaps runs to set up the pass and keep the defense honest.  The team does not have to run mutch the way their passing game works, not a lot of long passes down the field, unless it is open of course . . . The runs are your typical zone type reads in a spread, sometimes an end-around or on the goal line a toss sweep, but not much straight ahead ground it out type stuff.  Millsaps has a couple of guys that run the ball hard and probably have pretty good yards per rush numbers.  I think they could grind up some good yards behind a big o-line if they needed to, but they are so fast with their offense, there is not a lot of grind it out play.  They would match up fine against a fast defense (Trinity is not slow at all) because everything is so precise, plus they are equally as fast.  They were playing on Trinity's crummy grass field and still looked fast to me.

[Ron Boerger]

Question for the Millsaps faithful - is the constant no-huddle offense your usual set, or was it just a wrinkle thrown in this week?  As well as it was executed I expect the former, but would like to know for sure. 

[Carl Menist]

Question for the Millsaps faithful - is the constant no-huddle offense your usual set, or was it just a wrinkle thrown in this week?  As well as it was executed I expect the former, but would like to know for sure. 

No huddle is the usual set

[Llamaguy]

I don't understand how anyone can in good conscience be voting Muhlenberg #1 in this region.  Their competition is mediocre (143rd in OWP) and they have struggled to put away some teams they are much better than (average MOV:  18.4 pts but only 8.5 pts against their last two .500 opponents).  Contrast that with Millsaps (30th in OWP) whose closest win has been by 20 points, and who has leveled the three best D3 teams on their schedule (then-healthy Miss Coll, DePauw, Trinity) by over 35 points per game.  Millsaps' average margin of victory is 32.4 ppg.

So ... I'd be interested in hearing anyone's rationale for voting Muhlenberg over Millsaps at this point in the season. 

No quabbles here Ron. I am just waiting to see things settle themselves out in the playoffs. Millsaps vs. UMHB/HSU for the Southern end of the South bracket and Muhlenberg vs. Wesley for the Northern end. Still more games to be played, but that is the way I see it shaking out come playoff time.

Interestingly enough, my Top 5 have not changed since the Poll on week 5. They are obviously not in the same order as the entire group's picks but include the same top 5 teams. I have been high on Millsaps since Week 1, like #3 in the region back then, even had them #4 in my preseason ranking. They are not my #1 though, YET! 

llama

Does that mean we will see the Stone Station in Dover again this year???

Not for sure yet sir. Have a 10yr old daughter still playing travel soccer, a ticket contact to UVA games (humm. who would that be), and I'm 8 miles from JMU who should be hosting throughout the playoffs with 2 more wins in the old 1-AA. Decisions, decisions. 

I do have my usual front row spot on the 50yrdline at the Stagg and a group of about 15 BC faithful ready to welcome you to Salem tough.