FB: Region 4 fan poll

[wally_wabash]

Fifth column for me.  Carthage got closer to the top 10 for me, but I didn't quite get them in there.  I feel a little bit like Oshkosh is really masquerading as a top 5 or maybe even a top 10 team.  It's hard for teams to lose the Gagliardi winner and just keep on chugging.  10-19 for 39 yards is a bad, bad, bad team passing stat line no matter what defense you're playing against.  I think I need more info on Oshkosh before I can really know how much credit I should give Carthage for hanging in there. 

Also, it was just difficult for me to move teams around a bunch this week because we didn't really get results that warranted it.  I did shimmy Wabash up a notch or two because they've made immediate and dramatic changes to diversify the offense.  I moved Hope just out and Trine just in.  And I pulled Millikin down some, but not out (it makes sense that should be in and around my Hope/Trine cluster).  Those are really the only changes I've made this week.  I'll have to monitor Wittenberg closely to see how they manage without their RB1 DeShawn Sarley.  That does change the dynamics a little bit in that offense so we'll see how they adjust. 

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I'm column 8. The only change I made was dropping Rose out of 10th. Everyone else did pretty much as was expected so I found no reason to move anyone this week.
Something is clearly wrong when my ballot is almost identical to the actual poll. Just had 3/4 (and they're next to each other on my top 25 ballot) and 8/9 flipped.

[USee]

Fifth column for me.  Carthage got closer to the top 10 for me, but I didn't quite get them in there.  I feel a little bit like Oshkosh is really masquerading as a top 5 or maybe even a top 10 team.  It's hard for teams to lose the Gagliardi winner and just keep on chugging.  10-19 for 39 yards is a bad, bad, bad team passing stat line no matter what defense you're playing against.  I think I need more info on Oshkosh before I can really know how much credit I should give Carthage for hanging in there. 

I can follow this logic pretty easily. Much harder to defend the d3.com poll with UWO at 4 and Carthage nowhere to be found. It seems to me they are compartmentalizing the teams. E.G. "UWO won so they are still top 5" and "Carthage lost so they don't get any votes".

I watched much of that game and Carthage is exactly what I thought they would be. I think UWO's defense is going to be really special again. I would argue that 10-39 is somewhat expected as it's hard to break in a QB against an aggressive, bump and run man, type of defense that is that good. Not many first year starters are gonna look good in their first college start against that kind of scheme.

[Pat Coleman]

I'm not too concerned. Carthage has plenty more games against ranked teams and if they deserve the votes people want them to get, we'll see it in the W column at some point.

[USee]

I am not too concerned either. At the end of the season the poll usually gets the top 10 teams right so lets wait til then to post it?

[Dr. Acula]

I didn't realize Wabash played UWSP this week.  That's a nice stroke of luck letting us see a common opponent so quickly.

[TUAngola]

Voters...you can take Trine off of your Top 10 ballot in the region.  Defensively we have played very well the 1st 2 games.  But is that because of the competition from middle of the pack HCAC teams?  Yeah, that probably figures into it.  Offensively, we have Carswell to tote the ball, but the Oline was bad yesterday, was completely dominated by Bluffton's Dline.  And the QB situation is dicey at best.  Both Duckett and Winters can run, but if we can't pass the ball, or reluctant to pass the ball, then teams are going to start playing 8 in the box.  We have not once in the first 2 games tried what I'd call an "over the top" pass.  You need to throw those deep balls every now and then to keep the defense honest.  We got wideouts with tons of speed in Barnett and Kellah, need to utilize them.   

[Pat Coleman]

I don't have Trine on my national Top 25, but I might have them on my list of 10 in the North, if I were compiling one.

[wally_wabash]

I haven't started in on my region top 10 yet.  Plenty of interesting results around the region to consider- most of them not good for the usual suspects.  Going to be an interesting week to see how things shuffle in here. 

[Dr. Acula]

We're only 2 games in and the bottom half of my ballot is already tricky.  This could be a tough year for us, fellas!

[smedindy]

This week was "interesting" for the North, but not as "interesting" as the West. My ballot there got all crosseyed. What to do with Oshkosh and Linfield, and then Wartburg lays a giant Thuringer mettwurst.

I wound up having for UW schools in a row starting at 3.

[Gregory Sager]

and then Wartburg lays a giant Thuringer mettwurst.

[ADL70]

Not the most tasteful post.  Especially considering that it is Rosh Hoshana

[Desertraider]

Not the most tasteful post.  Especially considering that it is Rosh Hoshana

Perhaps not - but I had to wipe off my screen after spitting my coffee out laughing.

[wally_wabash]

2018 Week 2 NRFP:


click to enlarge

Just 11 ballots this week as Mr. Y is on his annual autumn recess and abstains this week.

The NRFP is voted on by: Captain_Joe08, CollegeGolf18, Dr. Acula, FCGrizzliesGrad, HOPEful, Li'l Giant, Mr Ypsi, NCF,  smedindy, thunderdog, USee, and wally wabash.