D3 Top 25 Fan Poll

[02 Warhawk]

MHB seems to be hanging on by a thread all season long...they are going to fall sooner or later. they don't seem as strong as years in the past.

So much for those who ranked SJF in the top 10  .

I don't think UMHB will lose during the regular season.  There have been a lot of close games, mostly due to play in the defensive backfield which is really dangerous in the pass happy ASC, yet they have managed to win.  I think what is interesting to note is how they are doing it.  They are running the ball as always, but when teams come up and stack the box and say your only going to win if you pass the ball, this season they have thrown the ball successfully. They're by no means prolific at the pass, but they are averaging 147 yds/game, and that is something new. 

That said, I think that HSU is the best team in the ASC right now, and if they get an at large bid they will be a force to reckon with.  UMHB can still right the ship defensively, so maybe that changes, but barring injury between now and the inevitable rematch, I think HSU has the better chance of winning a second game right now.

yea, you're probably right about MHB winning out this regular season. But still this isn't the MHB team I'm used to seeing. Usually they have a shutdown style defense.

As far as their passing game this season, I would describe it as "getting by" rather than "successful."

     Cmp-Att-Int   Pct      Yards   TD    Avg/G
       64-129-9     49.6   1030      6     147.1 

[retagent]

K-Mack

Why do you think St John's is consistently over ranked. This year, they have lost three games by less than a TD, two to highly ranked teams, two in OT. The loss to UWEC was early in the season, when weird things happen, and some of those might have been in the officiating realm. (I know that they should not have been in the position where a "bad" call would hurt them, and you have to overcaome, yadda, yadda, yadda......).

Over the past few years, they have either gone deep in the playoffs, or lost relatively close games to the eventual #2 or Champion, in most instances. They were last blown out, when? Give your reasoning if you would. I think I made a fairly strong case for mine.

[Ralph Turner]

MHB seems to be hanging on by a thread all season long...they are going to fall sooner or later. they don't seem as strong as years in the past.

So much for those who ranked SJF in the top 10  .

I don't think UMHB will lose during the regular season.  There have been a lot of close games, mostly due to play in the defensive backfield which is really dangerous in the pass happy ASC, yet they have managed to win.  I think what is interesting to note is how they are doing it.  They are running the ball as always, but when teams come up and stack the box and say your only going to win if you pass the ball, this season they have thrown the ball successfully. They're by no means prolific at the pass, but they are averaging 147 yds/game, and that is something new.  

That said, I think that HSU is the best team in the ASC right now, and if they get an at large bid they will be a force to reckon with.  UMHB can still right the ship defensively, so maybe that changes, but barring injury between now and the inevitable rematch, I think HSU has the better chance of winning a second game right now.

yea, you're probably right about MHB winning out this regular season. But still this isn't the MHB team I'm used to seeing. Usually they have a shutdown style defense.

As far as their passing game this season, I would describe it as "getting by" rather than "successful."

    Cmp-Att-Int   Pct      Yards   TD    Avg/G
      64-129-9     49.6   1030      6     147.1  

I don't think D3 fans understand how good ASC passing offenses are. I think that UMHB will go a long way into the playoffs before they have as much trouble with offensive matchups as they are finding in the ASC.  (Unless HSU beats them in the first round.)

Granted that we are isolated, but Howard Payne took Trinity to OT.
Sul Ross lost by a TD to D2 Western New Mexico.
HSU was strong versus NWC teams.

As for this weekend, the McMurry at HSU game will be big, but it will also be only the 18th game for Coach Mumme and his system at McMurry.  It may only now be approaching its full potential.

[Toby Taff]

yea, you're probably right about MHB winning out this regular season. But still this isn't the MHB team I'm used to seeing. Usually they have a shutdown style defense.

As far as their passing game this season, I would describe it as "getting by" rather than "successful."

     Cmp-Att-Int   Pct      Yards   TD    Avg/G
       64-129-9     49.6   1030      6     147.1 

They definitely do not look like the cru d of old, but for the Cru, historically, that is a successful passing game.  
And I'll echo Ralph that the passing game in the ASC is very good.  Keep in mind the Cru d was designed to beat the perennial power of the day, HSU who always had a huge o line, a powerful running game and good passing.  The Dline and LBs were central because if the QB is running for his life he can't throw the football so you had big and fast D linemen and fast athletic LBs.  (That formula still worked against HSU this year by the way.)  That defensive alignment isn't really the best for defending pass happy QBs, of which there have been many in recent years.  Contrast that with defenses that can scheme for the running game by stacking the line and you have a less dominating UMHB that still rushes for 280+/game and almost 37 points and whose DBs have come up big against every team they've played when it mattered. 

As I said I think HSU is probably the best in the league, but if the two don't have to play in round 1 or 2 the ASC will make a good showing in the playoffs.

[bleedpurple]

This week's D3 TOP 25 FAN POLL has just been released!

www.uwwfootball.blogspot.com

[02 Warhawk]

My entry to the poll

UWW
Mount Union
Wesley
North Central
St. Thomas
Linfield
Wittenberg
MHB
Harden Simmons
D. Valley
Thomas More
Trine
Ohio Northern
Wheaton
Wartburg
Montclair St.
Central
Coe
Hampden-Sydney
Cal Lutheran
Bethel
Pacific Lutheran
Alfred
Ursinus
Case Western Reserve

[usee]

Here is the actual poll

D3 Top 25 Fan Poll

1. UW-Whitewater (20) 500
2. Mt. Union     479
3. Wesley    453
4. North Central   435
5. St. Thomas   417
6. UMHB    394
7. Delaware Valley  336
8. Hardin-Simmons  318
9. Ohio Northern   305
10. Linfield    300
11. Wartburg    288
12. Wittenberg   269
13. Thomas More   264
14 Wheaton    242
15. Montclair St.   233
16. Trine    210
17. Coe     169
18. Bethel    167
19. Central 134
20. Hampden-Sydney  133
21. California Lutheran  90
22. Ursinas     84
23. St. John Fisher   56
24. Alfred     46
Pacific Lutheran 46

Dropped Out: Case Western Reserve

Others receiving votes: Case Western Reserve (36), Depauw (21), Rowan (17), Wabash (17), Franklin (16), Cortland St. (12), Willamette (8), Augustana (4)

[blu thru n thru]

What???  No IC Blueboys???!!!  There goes the credibility of this poll...

[usee]

D3 Top 25 Fan Poll


Team        Pts
1. UW-Whitewater (16)   400
2. Mount Union     381
3. Wesley       361
4. St. Thomas      346
5. North Central     332
6. Mary Hardin-Baylor    328
7. Delaware Valley     262
8. Wittenberg      261
9. Hardin-Simmons    252
10. Ohio Northern     240
11. Linfield       218
12. Thomas More     216
13. Wartburg      213
14. Wheaton      187
15. Montclair St.     183
16. Trine       171
17. St. John Fisher     164
18. Bethel       136
19. Coe        123
20. Central       99
21. Pacific Lutheran    88
22. Hampden-Sydney    85
23. Cal Lutheran     46
24. Ursinas       36
25. Case Western Reserve   17


Also Receiving Votes:
Wabash (15), Franklin (12), Rowan (12), Willamette (12), Illinois Wesleyan (6), Cortland State (6), Augustana (5), Depauw (4)

Here is the 1st release so we can compare results

[usee]

My biggest outlier continues to be Trine. I have them at #6. I think they play in a horrible conference but are flying below the radar. They have a 3 yr starter at QB and their defense is very solid. If you look at their UWRF box vs UWRF's results vs UWW, ONU and ST Thomas, Trine held up defensively as well as offensively as well or better. That and their playoff progression from 2008 and 2009 makes me a believer, despite the lackluster conference they play in.

I also dropped Wittenberg about 6 spots in my poll (though not completely out yet 70's) and I have Bethel still at #10. If St Thomas is top 5 how can Bethel be much lower than 10?

[02 Warhawk]

My biggest outlier continues to be Trine. I have them at #6. I think they play in a horrible conference but are flying below the radar. They have a 3 yr starter at QB and their defense is very solid. If you look at their UWRF box vs UWRF's results vs UWW, ONU and ST Thomas, Trine held up defensively as well as offensively as well or better. That and their playoff progression from 2008 and 2009 makes me a believer, despite the lackluster conference they play in.

I also dropped Wittenberg about 6 spots in my poll (though not completely out yet 70's) and I have Bethel still at #10. If St Thomas is top 5 how can Bethel be much lower than 10?

I agree with you on both Bethel. If Bethel wins out, they have to be one of the first few selected for a Pool C bid. As far as Trine, I too have them a little higher than the Fan poll, but I don't know about putting them in the top 10. I don't see them being better than Linfield, Ohio Northern or HSU.

[usee]

Trine beat UWRF AT RF more handily than ONU beat them in Ada. And Trine gave up 100 fewer yards. That doesn't mean Trine is better but it is an indication they are in the same zip code. I saw Trine in 2008 in the playoffs and they were a talented, well coached team. They didn't retreat from that with decent performance in the 09 playoffs. They have a 3 year starter at QB and a very solid defense, all of whom have 2 years of playoff experience now. I may be wrong but I see them as top 10 right now, despite their conference.

[seventiesraider]

 I agree that Trine is very difficult to get a handle on based on the competition they play this year. It's not their fault the conference is down anymore than it's Mount Union's fault the OAC appears to be weaker. Even River Falls is so poor that it's hard to use them as a comparison.

I did think that Wittenberg went out of their way to prove me right last weekend

[sju56321]

I guess I would like my team to be overrated-a team that made the playoffs in 05, 06, 07, 08, and 09. Yes, got beat soundly by UWW twice-but who didn't? And, yes, a bad loss from SJU's point of view to Central in '07 in the second round. If the expectation is that SJU is going to the semi-finals or championship each year, then they have failed to perform. If the expectation is to win the conference and play in the playoffs, then not so much...

[Lever Street]

sju......Linfield doesn't get beat soundly by UWW.  CATS take UWW to the wire each time they play.