FB: Region 4 fan poll

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Are we doing this Poll this year?

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Yeah, I'll get messages sent this weekend. No preseason poll. First poll after week 1.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

I have 5 ballots so far. Try to get them in today if you can.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Week 1

https://i.imgur.com/oxgrLqB.png

Voters: CollegeGolf18, Dr. Acula, FCGG, HOPEful, Kira & Jaxon's Dad, Li'l Giant, smedindy, and wally_wabash

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Week 1

https://i.imgur.com/oxgrLqB.png

Voters: CollegeGolf18, Dr. Acula, FCGG, HOPEful, Kira & Jaxon's Dad, Li'l Giant, smedindy, and wally_wabash

I'm Voter 3 this week.

[HOPEful]

I'm column 5 and an outlier...

I flip flopped with number 2 and 3. I went with the team that won, but a four-point loss to Whitewater is noteworthy.

I know they went to Berea and knocked off BW, but two things I've learned to not trust in this region are the HCAC and the Yellow Jackets. I'm low man on MSJ for now...

As a Hope, and therefore, MIAA fan, I will tell you I believe Trine is stronger this season that Albion. The MIAA coaches agreed in the preseason coaches' poll. Then again, they thought Alma last year was second from bottom, so...

I'm too high on Wabash. I think I may have confused Hampton Sydney with Randolph Macon when considering the close win. Next week, my rankings will almost certainly include Heidelburg, Wittenburg, Albion, etc. over Wabash.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I'm column 5 and an outlier...

I flip flopped with number 2 and 3. I went with the team that won, but a four-point loss to Whitewater is noteworthy.

I know they went to Berea and knocked off BW, but two things I've learned to not trust in this region are the HCAC and the Yellow Jackets. I'm low man on MSJ for now...

As a Hope, and therefore, MIAA fan, I will tell you I believe Trine is stronger this season that Albion. The MIAA coaches agreed in the preseason coaches' poll. Then again, they thought Alma last year was second from bottom, so...

I'm too high on Wabash. I think I may have confused Hampton Sydney with Randolph Macon when considering the close win. Next week, my rankings will almost certainly include Heidelburg, Wittenburg, Albion, etc. over Wabash.

I had Wabash 8 and BW 9 in my rankings.  I think Heidelburg will push JCU for #2 in the OAC this year, if they don't lose focus and lose to BW this year.

[wally_wabash]

I'm column 2.  I put Wittenberg in the 7 spot because I think going over to Dubuque and winning is pretty significant.  Dubuque might be the third or fourth best team in the ARC, but I think the ARC is generally underappreciated as a league.  That was the best week 1 win by any NCAC team. 

I'm holding on Wabash for the time being.  I want to see Carter Sido play a few more games before I can really assess Wabash's performance against H-SC.  He's a difficult QB to prepare for, which of course Wabash couldn't prepare at all for because it's week 1, H-SC didn't name a starter, and Sido played very sparingly last year.  If he does to other teams what he did to Wabash, I think that's a really good win and there's no way H-SC is the #5 team in the ODAC. 

Really impressed by MSJ in a kind of "prove it" game at B-W.  That game was 1) a must win for B-W and 2) no way they could be surprised by MSJ this time around.  And they did it without getting a ton from Cornell Beacham, so they can be better.  Josh Taylor is really, really good you guys. 

[sigma one]

Like you, Wally,  I am very impressed with Sido.  He shredded the Wabash D, which depending on your opinion of the D is either spectacular or merely good.  I attended the game on Saturday, and he was exceptional, if frustrating, to watch  I am trying to think if I've seen a better running performance by a QB going back many years.  A few come to mind:  in his early years at Woo, Barnes; at Wabash about a decade ago, Belton; and then, Gebele, at Denison.  None of these, however, impressed me the way Sido did.  I'm waiting to see if it was the Wabash D, or his athleticism, or some of both.  He was a handful.

[Dr. Acula]

I'm column 6.  I went with JCU over Alma only because I watched some of both games and thought JCU looked every bit like a top 10-12 team.  That was a back and forth game that JCU just couldn't get the ball downfield quickly enough to try to win it at the end. 

I had Berg a little higher mainly due to inherent bias from watching most of their game at Hiram.  Obviously it's Hiram, but Berg looked really good.  On both sides of the ball.  They have a good shot at 8-2 or maybe if JCU slips up 9-1 this year.

I only picked Albion over Trine (my first out) because I was giving some credit for beating a decent CCIW team I guess.  Reading the comments I should have probably given Witt a harder look I think.

[CollegeGolf18]

I am column 8 this week - my reasoning below.

1 - Mount Union - I think the obvious pick until its not.
2 - John Carroll - Like a few others, I caught a bit of their game and despite the lost just looked like a Top 10-15 team in the country.
3 - Alma - Thought they looked strong, but just did not think they looked as solid as JCU.
4 - Heidelberg - I could be drinking the kool-aid here but I watched the Hiram game on Thursday and they looked dominating (as much as you can be against Hiram.) I think they'll prove this year to be a tough foe every week.
5 - Mount St. Joe - That was a very good win against B-W. I think they'll be very good this year but didn't look to me like they should be a Top 4 team....yet.
6 - DePauw - They are the frontrunner in the NCAC this season. Their defense will be stout and they have a ton of experience. The offense should be improved this season too.
7 - Trine - I had about 3 teams vying for this spot, but I went with Trine.I thought that they looked the best (but again it was Anderson).

Close to making it in:

Wabash - Defense looked much better in coverage but it's tough to really tell against a running QB who is very good. But, their defense is improved this year and the offense should be just as good if not better.

Wittenberg - I just wasn't too impressed with Witt. They were only 4/13 on 3rd down and had to come back from 14 down in the 4th to win, one drive of which started at the 50 after a 13 yard punt. I am in wait and see on them this year.

Albion - They were my first out but just thought that the teams in front looked better. They will move in likely soon.

[smedindy]

Column 7. I threw Wabash at #7 because....I had to pick one.

[Dr. Acula]

JCU's stock should be on the rise today.  Damn.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

https://imgur.com/a/qBL9F3K

Voters: CollegeGolf18, Dr. Acula, FCGG, HOPEful, Kira & Jaxon's Dad, Li'l Giant, smedindy, and wally_wabash

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I'm voter 1 this week.  My only change was flip flopping John Carroll and Alma.