FB: Region 3 fan poll

[Ryan Tipps]

Ryan Tipps... thanks for pointing out my DUMB mistake...sorry

I prefer to think of it as an "honest" mistake, not a dumb one. I've had plenty of both in my lifetime. 

[Pat Coleman]

Ron, I believe.

[DPU3619]

Ron, I believe.

Negative, Ghost Rider.  It's me.

[Ralph Turner]

Ron, I believe.

Negative, Ghost Rider.  It's me.

Hmm, LaGrange (5-1 [5-0 D3], 3-0 SLIAC) should be on someone's watch list about now ...

Ron had posted about LaGrange two weeks ago.

[hasanova]

Ralph, please remind me again who, besides you, Llamaguy and myself, are voting in the poll this year?

Josh, I'm one of the South Fan Poll contributors as well.  I'm in NC, so I follow the ODAC and the USAS the most closely, but I try to keep tabs on all of the South Region and, for that matter, DIII!

[@d3jason]

I haven't kept up with the the south region very closely this year, but why is Muhlenberg getting so much respect this year in the Top 25 and South Region fan poll? On paper the teams following them look like they've had more impressive seasons.

Muhlenberg - Played one team with a winning record, opponents combined record of 19-31, MOV of 21.7.

UMHB - Three opponents with winning record, opponents record of 22-30, beat a ranked opponent and MOV of 21.7.

Millsaps - Three opponents with winning record, opponents record of 23-28 and MOV of 31.5.

Hardin Simmons - Four opponents with winning records, opponents record of 27-28, a win over a ranked opponent and MOV of 17.7.

Muhlenberg could be great for all I know, but I wasn't familiar with them and looking over their schedule it doesn't look that impressive.

Not that it matters, but right now I think I would go:
1. Millsaps
2. UMHB
3. HSU
4. Muhlenberg
5. Wesley

I think that they've earned respect by getting a playoff win last year against a tough Salisbury team and playing Wesley tough for a half in the second round.
Their defense looks tough as usual. On offense, the tailback (DeLuca) is a tough little nut and the QB Santagato can make plays with his feet and improvises well. The receivers are solid but aren't going to run away from you. I think they're going to miss the big tight end they had last season come playoff time. He was Santagato's favorite target when a play would break down. The offensive line was big but overly athletic. This is just based on my observations from last year and checking out their box scores/Play-by-Play from recent games. Muhlenberg has two tough games coming up in Moravian and Dickinson in the next three weeks.

We'll know more about Millsaps after this weekend when they face Trinity. Hard to make a comparison between them and Muhlenberg at this point. They didn't fair well in their last trip to they playoffs in '06. They've been kickin some butt this year though.

The team I'm interested in right now in W & J. They are flying under the radar and not getting much respect in the poll right now with three one-loss teams ahead of them. They probably won't until they get a playoff win. How good are the Presidents? Anybody seen them this year? Thoughts? Comments?

[Pat Coleman]

Ron, I believe.

Negative, Ghost Rider.  It's me.

OK, take it easy.

[Josh Bowerman]

I'll respect W&J more if they can beat an ASC team in the playoffs, Conrad.  Until then, I'm pretty comfortable with ranking them in the middle of the pack in the South Region.

IMHO (and based upon several years of watching the Presidents flame out in the playoffs), whomever is voting them third in the fan poll has them WAY too high.

[Bob.Gregg]

Two things:

1)  the most recent poll is going to be revised.  The points can't be the way they were listed.

IMHO (and based upon several years of watching the Presidents flame out in the playoffs), whomever is voting them third in the fan poll has them WAY too high.

2)  I would agree Josh, and add that whomever is voting them eighth in the fan poll has them WAY too low.

[Josh Bowerman]

I concur with that sentiment, too, Bob.  FWIW, I'm one of the folks voting them 6th.

[Bob.Gregg]

Perhaps, despite all the bashing that goes on, the Olympic's scoring/judging system has some good points to it:

Throw out the top score
Throw out the bottom score
Keep the rest.....

Like it.

[SaintsFAN]

Hopefully W&J faces their stiffest test of the regular season on this coming Saturday. 

I just found this poll page... I think its great you guys are doing something like this. 

I'm surprised at the lack of depth of "top teams" in the South Region this year.  We have one team from the new SLIAC in the top 10, even though they haven't played a team over .500 through their first 7 games.  I'm not trying to pick on them...but this league is predominately made up of IBC teams --traditionally they aren't very competitive outside of the league members.  LaGrange has gotten "fat" off the same schedule....

Maybe HSC can "make things right" in week 11.

[golden_dome]

I think that they've earned respect by getting a playoff win last year against a tough Salisbury team and playing Wesley tough for a half in the second round.
Their defense looks tough as usual. On offense, the tailback (DeLuca) is a tough little nut and the QB Santagato can make plays with his feet and improvises well. The receivers are solid but aren't going to run away from you. I think they're going to miss the big tight end they had last season come playoff time. He was Santagato's favorite target when a play would break down. The offensive line was big but overly athletic. This is just based on my observations from last year and checking out their box scores/Play-by-Play from recent games. Muhlenberg has two tough games coming up in Moravian and Dickinson in the next three weeks.

We'll know more about Millsaps after this weekend when they face Trinity. Hard to make a comparison between them and Muhlenberg at this point. They didn't fair well in their last trip to they playoffs in '06. They've been kickin some butt this year though.

Thanks for the post. I'm not trying to rip Muhlenberg, I honestly don't know a lot about them but noticed their schedule had not been as difficult as some other teams. 

I have seen Millsaps though and  I know they're good this year. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the best team in the south right now. If UMHB had a healthy Quincy Daniels, then I'd probably call the Millsaps-UMHB game a toss up. But with UMHB's depleted RB position, I think Millsaps would be tough to beat.

Hardin-Simmons is also playing well. I would put those three teams a step ahead of everyone in the deep south, followed distantly by Trinity. Should be an interesting first round of the playoffs this year.

[Ralph Turner]

I have corrected the South Region Fan Poll vote totals.

I had the right number of points; I just listed the votes wrong.

Thanks to all who follow this.

[DPU3619]

Ron, I believe.

Negative, Ghost Rider.  It's me.

OK, take it easy.

It's a Top Gun joke.  Guess you missed that one.  Sorry.  No malice intended.