FB: Region 4 fan poll

[GRIZ_BACKER]

1.   Mount Union          70 pts (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
2.   North Central        59 pts (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3)
3.   Franklin                 58 pts (2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5)
4.   Wabash                 41 pts (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 7)
5.   Wheaton               39 pts (4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7)
6.   Wittenberg            38 pts (4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7)
7.   Heidelberg             37 pts (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8)
8.   Illinois Wesleyan   16 pts (7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 10)
9.   John Carroll           15 pts (8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10)
10. Ohio Wesleyan       9 pts (8, 8, 9, 10, -, -, -)

ARV
Trine                               2 pts (10, 10, -, -, -, -, -)
Hope                               1 pt  (10, -, -, -, -, -, -)

I ended up with the exact same top 7 as last week. This will be 2 weeks in a row that my #9 and 10 will face each other (JC vs BW last week, IWU vs Hope this week). I wonder who will creep into my ballot next week?

all that Heidelberg love pts the GRIZ in third.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

1.   Mount Union          70 pts (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
2.   North Central        59 pts (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3)
3.   Franklin                 58 pts (2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5)
4.   Wabash                 41 pts (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 7)
5.   Wheaton               39 pts (4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7)
6.   Wittenberg            38 pts (4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7)
7.   Heidelberg             37 pts (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8)
8.   Illinois Wesleyan   16 pts (7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 10)
9.   John Carroll           15 pts (8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10)
10. Ohio Wesleyan       9 pts (8, 8, 9, 10, -, -, -)

ARV
Trine                               2 pts (10, 10, -, -, -, -, -)
Hope                               1 pt  (10, -, -, -, -, -, -)

I ended up with the exact same top 7 as last week. This will be 2 weeks in a row that my #9 and 10 will face each other (JC vs BW last week, IWU vs Hope this week). I wonder who will creep into my ballot next week?

all that Heidelberg love pts the GRIZ in third.

Last year I was at the other end of the spectrum on Heidelberg (but my rating was justified in the end). And part of it might be that because Franklin is my team that I'm a little tougher on them. I do have them 11th on my top 25 ballot this week though, it just happens that 4 of the 10 ahead of them are in the North as well.
I'm really struggling to choose a 10th team this week... Hope and Trine (who were 10 and 11 last week for me) both lost, OWU and Ott both lost, Chicago and Olivet are unbeaten against fairly easy schedules, B-W and Adrian are just sort of there. I'm sure later in the season they'll all sort themselves out but right now I haven't a clue.

[Mr. Ypsi]

But note that Trine's loss was by 3 to a d2 team (granted, not a very good d2 team, but scholarship none-the-less).  Trine is my #10 team again this week.

[ExTartanPlayer]

What's wrong with keeping Hope at 10? They lost a competitive 14-7 game to #8 Illinois Wesleyan. Why do you have to replace them in the poll because they lost?

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

My point was that no one was really standing out for that spot... everyone on my list was either losing or didn't have the strongest resume. There was every opportunity for someone (Hope, Trine, OWU, etc)  to grab a secure hold on the 10th spot but no one took advantage... it feels more like choosing which team is the least worst rather than which is the best right now. There's a significant gap between the top 9 teams and the cluster that is around 10th. I did ultimately decide to put a team from the MIAA at #10 (won't say which one so I don't influence anyone who hasn't voted) but there's 3 or 4 other teams I could see arguments for having at 10th as well. They're just that close at the moment. I either needed a 9 team ballot or a 13 team ballot

[Mr. Ypsi]

FCGG, amen to that!  I even considered putting 4-0 Olivet there, just so they could get a vote before reality strikes in a couple of weeks!  (If they beat Alma next week - and I think they will - I plan to do it.  I have little doubt they will eventually finish 5-5 or 6-4, but I say give 'em a moment in the sun! )

[smedindy]

I added Trine in for OWU.

[Li'l Giant]

I went with Hope at #10 using the same reasoning as ETP. I did not have them at #10 last week. Odd to add a team after a loss, but it's not a bad loss.

[DPU3619]

Thanks for your quick ballots, friends.  I do greatly appreciate it.

Week 4 North Region Fan Poll

1.   Mount Union           70 pts (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
2.   NCC                        59 pts (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3)
3.   Franklin                  58 pts (2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5)
4.   Wabash                 43 pts (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7)               
T5. Heidelberg              38 pts (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7)
T5. Wheaton                38 pts (4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7)
7.   Wittenberg             37 pts (4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7)
8.   John Carroll            20 pts (8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9)
9.   Illinois Wesleyan    15 pts (8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9)
T10. Trine                      3 pts (10, 10, 10, -, -, -, -)
T10. Hope                      3 pts (10, 10, 10, -, -, -, -)

ARV

Adrian                            1 pt (10, -, -, -, -, -, -)

The North Region Fan Poll is voted on by FCGrizzliesGrad, wally_wabash, Li'l Giant, Mr. Ypsi, NCF, smedindy, and myself.

[DPU3619]

Now, obviously I see everybody's ballot, so I know who voted for who, and I won't call anybody out specifically, but I look at some of these ballots and wonder what the logic is for certain teams being ranked above others on the ballot.  I know we don't have a lot of head-to-heads or common opponents to look at, but the eye test for some of these teams just seems SO good that I wonder how they end up ranked so low.  We can certainly agree to disagree. I wonder how much "I'm not moving somebody down unless they lose" we really get in these polls.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I know I'm to blame for a lot of it since I seem to be the outlier most of the time. It seems like there's a huge gap when say Heidelberg is 3rd and Wabash is 7 but honestly they could be 3a, b, c, d, and e. Every time I think 'ok, maybe this team should be a little lower or this team should be higher' someone does something that makes it difficult to make a change.

1.   Mount Union           70 pts (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
2.   NCC                        59 pts (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3)
3.   Franklin                  58 pts (2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5)
4.   Wabash                 43 pts (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7)               
T5. Heidelberg              38 pts (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7)
T5. Wheaton                38 pts (4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7)
7.   Wittenberg             37 pts (4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7)
8.   John Carroll            20 pts (8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9)
9.   Illinois Wesleyan    15 pts (8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9)
T10. Trine                      3 pts (10, 10, 10, -, -, -, -)
T10. Hope                      3 pts (10, 10, 10, -, -, -, -)

ARV

Adrian                            1 pt (10, -, -, -, -, -, -)

As to that 10th place conundrum... I feel you could toss a three sided coin to pick it. That Pacific loss doesn't seem nearly as bad as it did at the beginning of the season. With Adrian playing Hope this week, the winner should be 10th on my ballot barring some strange event next week.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Barring huge upsets, the poll should be mostly stable for several weeks.  Franklin doesn't play anyone that would move them up.  The MIAA teams play only each other.  Wabash/Witt is not until the second week of November.  Both the CCIW and OAC are totally back-loaded in terms of this year's powerhouses.  So unless there are unforeseen events, the next 4-5 weeks should be pretty tame.

[wally_wabash]

Thanks for your quick ballots, friends.  I do greatly appreciate it.

Week 4 North Region Fan Poll

1.   Mount Union           70 pts (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
2.   NCC                        59 pts (2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3)
3.   Franklin                  58 pts (2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5)
4.   Wabash                 43 pts (4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7)               
T5. Heidelberg              38 pts (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7)
T5. Wheaton                38 pts (4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7)
7.   Wittenberg             37 pts (4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7)
8.   John Carroll            20 pts (8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9)
9.   Illinois Wesleyan    15 pts (8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9)
T10. Trine                      3 pts (10, 10, 10, -, -, -, -)
T10. Hope                      3 pts (10, 10, 10, -, -, -, -)

ARV

Adrian                            1 pt (10, -, -, -, -, -, -)

The North Region Fan Poll is voted on by FCGrizzliesGrad, wally_wabash, Li'l Giant, Mr. Ypsi, NCF, smedindy, and myself.

Just one change for me this week.  OWU out, Hope in.  As discussed, it's hard to pick a #10 this week, but that's going to sort itself out next week in Holland. 

Gave some thought to swapping North Central and Wabash again this week, but decided to keep things the same there.  Wabash can probably move back up to 3 next week if they can hold down Wooster next week.  Also thought about moving Wittenberg back up over Wheaton, but held off there as well. 

[smedindy]

Wes,

It's been a really good year for the top of the region. Also, it's been a lousy year for the bottom of the region. The difference between 2 and 7 is slight. The difference between 9 and 10 huge, really.

[DPU3619]

I'm beginning to change my opinion on 2 through 7 being interchangeable. I've watched a lot of these teams so far this year, and I'm starting to think that NCC, Franklin, and Wabash may be the haves while Wheaton, Heidi, and Witt may be the have nots. That's just my opinion from the eye test, and it's certainly alright if folks disagree with that.  I understand the logic of Franklin being 5 or Wabash being 7, but I just don't see how either of those things can be possible after seeing Franklin play Mount Union and Butler and seeing what Wabash has done defensively, for example.