D3 Top 25 Fan Poll

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

It looks like 2 people didn't vote and both teams lost a 1st place vote.

It also looks like I'm responsible for all the votes for 3 different teams

[Ralph Turner]

It looks like 2 people didn't vote and both teams lost a 1st place vote.

It also looks like I'm responsible for all the votes for 3 different teams

Well, in my humble opinion, your #21 - #25 can be ballot orphans who are on your watch list, but beyond that, I am interested in what you see that other people don't.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Well, in my humble opinion, your #21 - #25 can be ballot orphans who are on your watch list, but beyond that, I am interested in what you see that other people don't.

I'll admit that Endicott at 19 is a bit too high and I need to lower them a couple spots next week depending on how they do. I moved them up past 4 teams who lost and it usually takes me more than one week to properly get teams sorted after a loss.
Monmouth I have 24th... their lone loss is their opener to a decent Wartburg squad by 7. They've beaten 4 squads that are 5-3 or better with three of those on the road, 3 by at least 25 and 2 by at least 40 including Illinois College's lone loss.
Lycoming I have 25th (and they're neck and neck with Monmouth)... their lone loss is by 3 at a good Widener team. Their next two weeks (@ Lebanon Valley and vs Delaware Valley) will show if I am wise to have them ranked or if they'll disappear from my ballot.
As to teams who I put them ahead of... Bethel, Franklin, Kean, Louisiana College were not on my ballot this week.

The only unbeatens I don't have on my ballot are St. Scholastica, Lewis & Clark, and the two NESCAC teams... and L&C is a team I'm interested in seeing how they do the next few weeks against tough teams.

[Ralph Turner]

In the interest of fair disclosure, I have no orphans on my ballot.

I have McMurry, Centre and BWC in the Top 25 instead of Adrian, Trinity and Hobart.

I watched the video of Trinity and HPU and was not impressed with the early season game.

HPU is committing to the run offense, but TU could not get going until the second half in their 24-7 opener. Trinity had too much trouble with Millsaps, too, compared to Louisiana College and Mississippi College.

In a coin-flip, I went with Centre as my SCAC choice for the Top 25.

I went with BWC as my second OAC pick.  If that conference did not have UMU, then I think that they would still have someone in the Top 25.

As for Adrian, I need to see someone other than Trine win a post-season game for me to give the MIAA that degree of respect.

I like both Louisiana College and McMurry in my Top 25.  McMurry QB Jake Mullin is great!

[smedindy]

I have Adrian at 18, Centre at 19. St. Olaf and Oshkosh entered my list. I downgraded Montclair and Kean.

[sflzman]

Adrian 11. Centre 13. I've had them both on My ballot since week 3 I believe

[bleedpurple]

UWW lose a vote? or was it a matter of someone not submitting their poll?

One voter switched from UW-W to Mount Union as #1.
One voter switched from Mount Union to UW-W as #1.
Of the two voters not submitting ballots this week, one had UW-W #1 and one had Mount Union #1 last week.

[02 Warhawk]

UWW lose a vote? or was it a matter of someone not submitting their poll?

One voter switched from Mount Union to UW-W as #1.

Really? That happened on the D3football.com poll as well.

Interesting

[hazzben]

I watched the video of Trinity and HPU and was not impressed with the early season game.

HPU is committing to the run offense, but TU could not get going until the second half in their 24-7 opener. Trinity had too much trouble with Millsaps, too, compared to Louisiana College and Mississippi College.

That's putting a lot of weight on the opener. They won 24-7 in their first game of the year. Chances are they've improved and are a different team now. North Central had a wee bit of trouble in their opener. But they seem to have righted things since. That and comparing scores is just dangerous stuff. That line of reasoning means Mount is way better than UWW, given the results against a common opponent. Teams match up differently, the score comparison game gets really dicey really fast.

[Toby Taff]

I watched the video of Trinity and HPU and was not impressed with the early season game.

HPU is committing to the run offense, but TU could not get going until the second half in their 24-7 opener. Trinity had too much trouble with Millsaps, too, compared to Louisiana College and Mississippi College.

That's putting a lot of weight on the opener. They won 24-7 in their first game of the year. Chances are they've improved and are a different team now. North Central had a wee bit of trouble in their opener. But they seem to have righted things since. That and comparing scores is just dangerous stuff. That line of reasoning means Mount is way better than UWW, given the results against a common opponent. Teams match up differently, the score comparison game gets really dicey really fast.

Have you ever watched Howard Payne play? To quote today's Abilene Reporter news about HPU in the ASC power rankings: " The bad news for HPU fans: the Yellow Jackets have lost five straight and have UMHB up next. The good news: women's basketball season will here in no time."
HPU has not been good, is not good, and from what I understand has no prospect of being good in the foreseeable future, which saddens me because I have friends closely related to the program. I just had a conversation in which i was told if UMHB doesn't want HPU to make a first doen this weekend, barring penalty they will not make a first down. So, while it was a first game, it as a first game for both schools and Trinity only netted 288. Maybe you should allow for improvement, but I understand Ralph's reasoning on this one.

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks Toby. In week #2, HPU lost to Southwestern Assemblies, 21-15.

In my family, HPU (Horrid Pain as it was called around the dinner table) was the one team that we wanted to beat each year, even as far back as the late 1930's.

I am sad to see the program having this much trouble.

If Trinity has improved to Top 25 status, then they should run the table.

[AUKaz00]

UWW lose a vote? or was it a matter of someone not submitting their poll?

One voter switched from Mount Union to UW-W as #1.

Really? That happened on the D3football.com poll as well.

Interesting

That would be me.  I had UMU #1 to start the season and dropped them to #2 after their close game with Ohio Northern.  Only fair to do the same to UWW after their finish with Oshkosh.  Really it's a horserace, so it's more mental gymnastics than anything until the Stagg Bowl can settle it.

[ExTartanPlayer]

I have McMurry, Centre and BWC in the Top 25 instead of Adrian, Trinity and Hobart.

I watched the video of Trinity and HPU and was not impressed with the early season game.

HPU is committing to the run offense, but TU could not get going until the second half in their 24-7 opener. Trinity had too much trouble with Millsaps, too, compared to Louisiana College and Mississippi College.

In a coin-flip, I went with Centre as my SCAC choice for the Top 25.

I went with BWC as my second OAC pick.  If that conference did not have UMU, then I think that they would still have someone in the Top 25.

As for Adrian, I need to see someone other than Trine win a post-season game for me to give the MIAA that degree of respect.

I like both Louisiana College and McMurry in my Top 25.  McMurry QB Jake Mullin is great!

Ralph, I say this with the greatest respect as a conscientious fan, but I also think that you're putting too much weight on the opener vs. Howard Payne, and it has less to do with how "bad" HPU has been since then and more to do with how strange season openers often are.  Looking back at Week 1 results after the season often results in a number of head-scratchers, and I think that teams often take a little while to find their identity.

Anecdotal evidence, personal level: The mighty 2006 Carnegie Mellon team that I so often refer to struggled to a 27-6 win over hapless Hiram College in Week 1.  Hiram would go on to lose their next several games by spectacular margins of 42-7, 53-7, 69-34, 52-0 and so forth.  If you had judged our CMU team the same way that you're judging Trinity right now, just by the Week 1 game, surely you'd have said that we couldn't be any good because we struggled to pull away from Hiram; we finished undefeated and won a playoff game.

With all that said: I think it's fair to hold some of the more recent results against Trinity, namely the narrow victories over LaGrange and Millsaps, and it's fair to point out that their only real quality win vame against Huntingdon...but they will have a chance to rectify that vs. BSC and Centre in the next two weeks.  I take it that victories in those two games would presumably overcome your remaining skepticism from the HPU game?

[Ralph Turner]

I have McMurry, Centre and BWC in the Top 25 instead of Adrian, Trinity and Hobart.

I watched the video of Trinity and HPU and was not impressed with the early season game.

HPU is committing to the run offense, but TU could not get going until the second half in their 24-7 opener. Trinity had too much trouble with Millsaps, too, compared to Louisiana College and Mississippi College.

In a coin-flip, I went with Centre as my SCAC choice for the Top 25.

I went with BWC as my second OAC pick.  If that conference did not have UMU, then I think that they would still have someone in the Top 25.

As for Adrian, I need to see someone other than Trine win a post-season game for me to give the MIAA that degree of respect.

I like both Louisiana College and McMurry in my Top 25.  McMurry QB Jake Mullin is great!

Ralph, I say this with the greatest respect as a conscientious fan, but I also think that you're putting too much weight on the opener vs. Howard Payne, and it has less to do with how "bad" HPU has been since then and more to do with how strange season openers often are.  Looking back at Week 1 results after the season often results in a number of head-scratchers, and I think that teams often take a little while to find their identity.

Anecdotal evidence, personal level: The mighty 2006 Carnegie Mellon team that I so often refer to struggled to a 27-6 win over hapless Hiram College in Week 1.  Hiram would go on to lose their next several games by spectacular margins of 42-7, 53-7, 69-34, 52-0 and so forth.  If you had judged our CMU team the same way that you're judging Trinity right now, just by the Week 1 game, surely you'd have said that we couldn't be any good because we struggled to pull away from Hiram; we finished undefeated and won a playoff game.

With all that said: I think it's fair to hold some of the more recent results against Trinity, namely the narrow victories over LaGrange and Millsaps, and it's fair to point out that their only real quality win vame against Huntingdon...but they will have a chance to rectify that vs. BSC and Centre in the next two weeks.  I take it that victories in those two games would presumably overcome your remaining skepticism from the HPU game?

Yes.

Almost no one beats Trinity in San Antonio!  That may explain some of the Huntingdon score.  The good thing for TUTiger fans is that they catch Centre and BSC in SA, too.  Going to Sherman for the finale against Austin College should not be too hard.

IMHO, the best team in the SCAC almost always deserves a Top 25 berth.  Let's see where the conference race ends up. We have several critical conference games left across the country that will winnow the best 25 teams out of the current 40 that are receiving votes.

[emma17]

UWW lose a vote? or was it a matter of someone not submitting their poll?

One voter switched from UW-W to Mount Union as #1.
One voter switched from Mount Union to UW-W as #1.
Of the two voters not submitting ballots this week, one had UW-W #1 and one had Mount Union #1 last week.

I am one of the posters that failed to get my poll in, sorry.  I had Mt #1 last week and would have kept them there this week.  Like many have said, it's a week to week thing.  I'd have McMurry and Dubuque in and Franklin and Hobart out for what it's worth.