FB: Region 4 fan poll

[smedindy]

I threw Lakeland a bone. The #10 team was tough to determine.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I threw Lakeland a bone. The #10 team was tough to determine.

Agreed.  I had Carthage (I'm the last column), but could easily be talked into any of the ORV teams (and perhaps a couple of others, to boot).

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I was column 4 (I had all 10 that finished in the top 10? I demand a recount ). I have IWU 15th on my top 25 ballot but that's only good for 6th in the north right now.
I'm rather surprised at the size of the drop Franklin took... they lost by 10 to a team that was ranked 4th by the South voters. The only team that jumped them on my ballot was IWU

[wally_wabash]

I was column 4 (I had all 10 that finished in the top 10? I demand a recount ). I have IWU 15th on my top 25 ballot but that's only good for 6th in the north right now.
I'm rather surprised at the size of the drop Franklin took... they lost by 10 to a team that was ranked 4th by the South voters. The only team that jumped them on my ballot was IWU

Franklin stayed on my ballot (I'm the 7th column), but I think Franklin gets dinged more than others because they just don't have the same margin for error.  I ranked Franklin pretty high last week on all of this potential...Chase Burton and an offense that should rock and roll their way through the HCAC looked like a really, really good proposition.  But it's hard to not have your opinion unchanged when you see things like 391 rush yards allowed and a 28-minute(!!) TOP deficit.  You really have to be able to defend to be in the top 6-7 in this region, IMO.  Franklin is the team to beat for sure in the HCAC, but it's only going to take one average day from the offense and they can get caught by Bluffton or RHIT or MSJ.  Tighten up that D! 

I moved IWU up to 4 behind Wheaton and NCC.  If this were 2014, I think IWU could have jumped both of those schools on my ballot, but this UWW isn't that UWW.  It's a tremendous win, absolutely.  But I think the top 25 poll was overvaluing the Warhawks quite a bit.  They're very, very good.  I don't know if they're still great. 

[Dr. Acula]

I'm column 5.  I almoooost ran the table this week.

I also moved IWU up to 4 and my logic was almost identical to Wally's as he outlined above.  I watched most of that game.  It's a huge win for IWU, no question.  I didn't move them any higher based largely on the fact that I wasn't blown away by UWW especially at the skill spots on offense.  Wilber throws a nice ball, but he's not much of a runner and there is definitely no Kumerow or Coppage out there.  I don't know where they should be slotted in the top 25, but I'd say UWW is most likely around the midpoint between where they were (3) and are (15).  I give IWU bonus points for the mental aspect of beating a "purple power" and a top 10 team (IMO), but that's not enough to leapfrog their CCIW foes yet. 

Franklin I dropped mainly due to the defense.  I'm not expecting the '85 Bears, but it needs to be better than that effort.  TMC has a really good offense, but the Griz just got manhandled.  I kept them on my ballot at 9 based solely on Burton and crew.

I dropped ONU out and replaced them with Carthage at 10.  I watched the ONU/Adrian game and ONU did not impress me defensively.  That was a very even game and I did not even consider Adrian for my top 10 so I gave ONU the boot.   

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I was column 4 (I had all 10 that finished in the top 10? I demand a recount ). I have IWU 15th on my top 25 ballot but that's only good for 6th in the north right now.
I'm rather surprised at the size of the drop Franklin took... they lost by 10 to a team that was ranked 4th by the South voters. The only team that jumped them on my ballot was IWU

Franklin stayed on my ballot (I'm the 7th column), but I think Franklin gets dinged more than others because they just don't have the same margin for error.  I ranked Franklin pretty high last week on all of this potential...Chase Burton and an offense that should rock and roll their way through the HCAC looked like a really, really good proposition.  But it's hard to not have your opinion unchanged when you see things like 391 rush yards allowed and a 28-minute(!!) TOP deficit.  You really have to be able to defend to be in the top 6-7 in this region, IMO.  Franklin is the team to beat for sure in the HCAC, but it's only going to take one average day from the offense and they can get caught by Bluffton or RHIT or MSJ.  Tighten up that D! 

I moved IWU up to 4 behind Wheaton and NCC.  If this were 2014, I think IWU could have jumped both of those schools on my ballot, but this UWW isn't that UWW.  It's a tremendous win, absolutely.  But I think the top 25 poll was overvaluing the Warhawks quite a bit.  They're very, very good.  I don't know if they're still great.

I won't deny that Franklin's defense is what holds it back as they've always been a bit weak in the trenches. But I don't really see any of the other teams around them (Denison, Carthage, all the ORV) being within 2 scores against Thomas More.
Time of Possession is one of if not the most useless stat. Not really surprised there was a big difference when one team is pass oriented while the other rushes 65 times. Sewanee was #2 in possession last year and went 0-10 while the worst was WashU who despite having the ball only 23:20 a game was 8-3. (Franklin was 215th while Thomas More was 53rd). Of course I remember when the Colts beat the Dolphins when Miami had the ball for 45:07 .

[wally_wabash]

I probably should have spotlighted the difference in the number of snaps taken rather than TOP because I agree- TOP in a vacuum is a useless number.  I was just using it here as the easiest marker to point out that Franklin couldn't get off the field.  31 first downs allowed, TMC was +37 on offensive plays run.  I mean, it's hard to beat anybody when you spot them 37 offensive plays. 

[smedindy]

There are many of the traditional stats in football that are useless, until they are not. Not getting off the field in a game where you have to come from behind is not trivial.

[GrizFan]

Franklin always "loses" the TOP, they score quick via passing.  I agree that the defense is always the Grizzlies weak link, has been since I began following them in 1980.  But they really need to improve this season!  I have never seen so many missed tackles!  The positive is that the GRIZ were in position to make the tackles, the negative is the number of missed tackles!   

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Going to be a quiet weekend here... 9 of the 14 teams that received a vote are on a off week. Wheaton is at Kalamazoo, IWU hosts Nebraska Wesleyan, Franklin hosts FCS Butler, Carthage hosts Bethel, and Rose-Hulman hosts Millikin while Mount Union, North Central, John Carroll, Wittenberg, Denison, Wabash, Ohio Northern, Heidelberg, and Lakeland all take a break.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Going to be a quiet weekend here... 9 of the 14 teams that received a vote are on a off week. Wheaton is at Kalamazoo, IWU hosts Nebraska Wesleyan, Franklin hosts FCS Butler, Carthage hosts Bethel, and Rose-Hulman hosts Millikin while Mount Union, North Central, John Carroll, Wittenberg, Denison, Wabash, Ohio Northern, Heidelberg, and Lakeland all take a break.

Yeah, barring a big upset somewhere, I suspect my ballot will be a rerun!

Our family vacation got mis-scheduled.  We're renting a house for a week near Traverse City, to be joined by son, d-i-l, and grandkids - I'll be out of the loop NEXT week, when ballots might actually show some change!

[Dr. Acula]

I thought this would pretty much be a mail-it-in week too, but UWW losing again and TMC losing to Bridgewater is going to force me to look at things a little more in depth than I had anticipated.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I thought this would pretty much be a mail-it-in week too, but UWW losing again and TMC losing to Bridgewater is going to force me to look at things a little more in depth than I had anticipated.

Yeah, I fear that UWW's loss will tarnish the lustre of IWU's win.  Interestingly, Concordia-Moorhead, who beat UWW today, beat Neb Wes last week (34-14), the team IWU squashed today (it was 42-7 before the scrubs let in 2 TDs - final 42-21).  Memo to Whitewater: don't schedule any more Nebraska Wesleyan opponents!

I thought Franklin's loss to TMC was no big deal; TMC's loss today says it was.

And Carthage more than monkey-stomped Bethel (31-0).  Is Bethel that bad this year, or is Carthage that good?  Last week I had Franklin #7 and Carthage #10 - haven't decided for sure, but I may just flip-flop them.

[wally_wabash]

One ballot still out.  Hopefully can get that in and have the poll up tonight. 

[HScoach]

I thought this would pretty much be a mail-it-in week too, but UWW losing again and TMC losing to Bridgewater is going to force me to look at things a little more in depth than I had anticipated.

Yeah, I fear that UWW's loss will tarnish the lustre of IWU's win.  Interestingly, Concordia-Moorhead, who beat UWW today, beat Neb Wes last week (34-14), the team IWU squashed today (it was 42-7 before the scrubs let in 2 TDs - final 42-21).  Memo to Whitewater: don't schedule any more Nebraska Wesleyan opponents!

I thought Franklin's loss to TMC was no big deal; TMC's loss today says it was.

And Carthage more than monkey-stomped Bethel (31-0).  Is Bethel that bad this year, or is Carthage that good?  Last week I had Franklin #7 and Carthage #10 - haven't decided for sure, but I may just flip-flop them.

Unless they make a drastic recovery, UWW is looking at a 1-3 record to start the season.  Shocking, though interesting to see if this is a dip or a free fall to becoming Augustana.