FB: Region 4 fan poll

Mr. Ypsi · October 24, 2016, 07:53:37 PM

Quote from: wally_wabash on October 22, 2016, 08:48:51 PM
Same. Have to give Hope a ton of credit for their mid-season turnaround. Super rare to see a team just find it and click like that midstream.

Mount St. Joseph has had an even more dramatic turnaround - from 0-3 to 5-3! The difference is that Hope beat all respectable to fairly good teams; MSJ (with the exception of beating RHIT) beat nothing but tomato cans. This Saturday will be important for the bottom half of the NRFP in HCAC games, as the four one-loss teams square off: Bluffton @ RHIT and Franklin @ MSJ. Can't wait for this week's poll, then this Saturday's games!

wally_wabash · October 25, 2016, 06:40:36 PM

Alright gang, Week 8 NRFP:

The NRFP is voted on by: Captain_Joe08, Dr. Acula, FCGrizzliesGrad, Li'l Giant, Mr Ypsi, NCF, smedindy, USee, and wally wabash.

smedindy · October 25, 2016, 08:05:09 PM

I seem to be an outlier on Olivet vs. IWU. That's all based on conference strength - though really I could have chosen two out of Olivet, Bluffton, IWU and RHIT and been OK.

Mr. Ypsi · October 25, 2016, 09:15:26 PM

Quote from: smedindy on October 25, 2016, 08:05:09 PM
I seem to be an outlier on Olivet vs. IWU. That's all based on conference strength - though really I could have chosen two out of Olivet, Bluffton, IWU and RHIT and been OK.

Those were the four I most considered to replace DePauw and Carthage. While RHIT knocked off Franklin, and IWU knocked out Carthage, I ended up going with the one-loss teams over the two-loss teams. But I really don't see much difference among them, and may flip-flop week to week.

BTW, I'm the middle voter again this week.

USee · October 25, 2016, 10:55:39 PM

Wabash at 3 and Witt at 6? Help me with that.

Dr. Acula · October 25, 2016, 11:24:03 PM

I'm the first column. Hardest thing for me this week was 9-10. Bluffton would be my closest left out.

wally_wabash · October 26, 2016, 12:11:05 AM

I'm the second column this week.

I had been keeping Franklin at 2 despite a lot of the warts that USee has been pointing out. My reasoning- Franklin has owned that league for long enough now that I give Mike Leonard all of the benefit of the doubt when it comes to final scores. He's been at the head of the HCAC table long enough that I believe he knows how to manage his team to get through the league and be ready for mid-November. *Stephen A. voice* Howevah...as soon as Franklin loses a league game, they have to own all of those warts. The defense, the lack of run game, all of it. So while 2 to 8 is a big fall for a one point loss, that's just kind of the cash out that happens when Franklin loses an HCAC game.

Mugsy · October 26, 2016, 09:13:36 AM

Quote from: wally_wabash on October 26, 2016, 12:11:05 AM
I'm the second column this week.

I had been keeping Franklin at 2 despite a lot of the warts that USee has been pointing out. My reasoning- Franklin has owned that league for long enough now that I give Mike Leonard all of the benefit of the doubt when it comes to final scores. He's been at the head of the HCAC table long enough that I believe he knows how to manage his team to get through the league and be ready for mid-November. *Stephen A. voice* Howevah...as soon as Franklin loses a league game, they have to own all of those warts. The defense, the lack of run game, all of it. So while 2 to 8 is a big fall for a one point loss, that's just kind of the cash out that happens when Franklin loses an HCAC game.

+k Love how I read that last sentence with Stephen A.'s voice. Now if you could have rolled in how you "know Mike Leonard personally and go way back, and I've called him yesterday to talk about this" like the name dropper Stephen A. is...

USee · October 26, 2016, 10:57:15 AM

I am the last column this week. I dropped Franklin to 8th and Carthage fell precipitously from 5th to NR for me. I think their defense is top 25 but they went out on IWU 14-0 and didn't score. Their offense is just not good enough for them to beat good opponents. I also punted on Greendingle, they haven't really competed with any of the good teams on their schedule and I don't expect them to at this point.

My biggest noodling came on where to put JCU. I find it really hard to gauge them vis a vis the OAC this year. They don't play Mt until the last game so we won't know. I thought about putting them above the Denison/Witt ranking but ultimately kept them below those two.

Olivet sneaks in at 8 for me along with Bluffton at 10 to replace the two dropouts.

I have no plans to rank RHIT at any point. Their losses to Mt St Joe (by 18 pts) and IC are bad (2-6 Augie won @Mt St Joe by 2 scores) and their win over Franklin was more about the reality that is Franklin than the rise of Rose Hulman in my view.

Mr. Ypsi · October 29, 2016, 08:59:33 PM

In the HCAC, RHIT smashed Bluffton, 42-19, and Franklin smashed MSJ, 56-24. Not sure what that will do for Franklin, but RHIT will probably inherit Bluffton's votes (unless they go to IWU or someone else).

Elsewhere, in the NCAC things are one helluva mess for NRFP voters, but at least we no longer need to put Denison higher than I suspect most of us felt was warranted! Previously, with the only results amongst them being Denison > Witt > (Wabash + DePauw), I felt it was borderline dishonest to have any NCAC team above Denison (which forced them uncomfortably high). Now the rankable NCAC teams can be assessed in all sorts of justifiable ways!

JCU is a real unknown. They were smacked down by UW-Oshkosh, but so have a number of good teams, and otherwise they simply won't play anyone decent until UMU on the final day of the regular season. IF they actually give them a game, they'll rise on my ballot; if they get smashed like all other UMU opponents, then they'll be revealed as simply the best of the dwarfs in that Disney classic: "UMU and the Seven Dwarfs". (And, yeah, I know the OAC has nine dwarfs, unless JCU turns out not to be!

)

I'm getting very tempted to put my IWU Titans back on my ballot, but so far they are only #11 - it would be ironic if next week they make it by smashing 'BYE'!

Sir Battlescars · October 29, 2016, 11:00:05 PM

Here comes another shake up in NRFP! Hey, that's what makes it fun!... Vote wisely men.

smedindy · October 31, 2016, 12:34:27 PM

I did some movement. Still couldn't commit to Olivet.

Desertraider · October 31, 2016, 12:40:13 PM

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on October 29, 2016, 08:59:33 PM
In the HCAC, RHIT smashed Bluffton, 42-19, and Franklin smashed MSJ, 56-24. Not sure what that will do for Franklin, but RHIT will probably inherit Bluffton's votes (unless they go to IWU or someone else).

Elsewhere, in the NCAC things are one helluva mess for NRFP voters, but at least we no longer need to put Denison higher than I suspect most of us felt was warranted! Previously, with the only results amongst them being Denison > Witt > (Wabash + DePauw), I felt it was borderline dishonest to have any NCAC team above Denison (which forced them uncomfortably high). Now the rankable NCAC teams can be assessed in all sorts of justifiable ways!

JCU is a real unknown. They were smacked down by UW-Oshkosh, but so have a number of good teams, and otherwise they simply won't play anyone decent until UMU on the final day of the regular season. IF they actually give them a game, they'll rise on my ballot; if they get smashed like all other UMU opponents, then they'll be revealed as simply the best of the dwarfs in that Disney classic: "UMU and the Seven Dwarfs". (And, yeah, I know the OAC has nine dwarfs, unless JCU turns out not to be! )

I'm getting very tempted to put my IWU Titans back on my ballot, but so far they are only #11 - it would be ironic if next week they make it by smashing 'BYE'!

No offense but it has been "UMU and the 7 dwarfs"...Wilmington hasn't even made dwarf status yet.

However, JCU has gotten better each week. I saw the JC/BW game and both looked terrible. Since then JC is playing very good football. They will test Mount in every phase. Golphin can run it and the passing game looks legit. We will see on the 12th in Alliance.

wally_wabash · October 31, 2016, 01:02:16 PM

Quote from: smedindy on October 31, 2016, 12:34:27 PM
I did some movement. Still couldn't commit to Olivet.

Not saying that you should or shouldn't be voting for Olivet. I don't know how good they are. But I'll offer this- Olivet is 7-1 against what the NCAA thinks is a way stronger schedule than John Carroll, also 7-1, has played. And normally I would laugh that number right out of the post because the NCAA's SOS is an illusion at times, but I'm not sure there's a whole heck of a lot of difference between the SJF + MIAA/NACC group that the Comets have played and JCU's UWO + OAC schedule.

USee · October 31, 2016, 01:25:37 PM

You also have some common opponents with Olivet and other NRFP teams: Benedicitine, Trine, Hope, Albion

There is plenty of data to argue Olivet should be ranked

And it's really easy to say JCU got blown out by UWO so they shouldn't be ranked. There are 10 teams that are/have been ranked that would get blown out @UWO so, to Wally's point, we don't really know what we have with JCU relative to any of the teams ranked 4-12.