FB: Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference

[D3MAFAN]

Week 1 Predictions for the MASCAC

Friday September 5th

Nichols College - 14
@ WESTFIELD STATE - 34
Westfield definitely overlooked the Bison last year. With a new Head Coach to impress and last year's embarrassment on their minds, this one could get ugly.

UMASS DARTMOUTH – 24
@ Mt Ida – 21
Just as the last three years have produced tight games, this one will be a one score affair. It's hard for me to imagine someone winning a third year in a row with two so evenly matched squads.

SALVE REGINA – 30
@ Bridgewater State – 14
Salve's Defense is not what you want to see when you are breaking in a new QB. Look for their D to overwhelm and their rushing attack to pound the Bears. I think this is the year Salve captures that elusive NEFC crown.

Anna Maria – 14
@ WORCESTER STATE – 35
With Sr. Kevin Bumpus healthy, look for the Lancers to have an easy time with the AMCATS. I don't expect much out of Woo State in the MASCAC this year, but I don't expect much out of Anna Maria ever.

FITCHBURG STATE – 38
@ Becker – 14
I could basically copy and paste what I wrote for the WeSU-Nichols game here, except change "impress new coach" to "kick-off a championship chase." I don't think Fitch is MASCAC Title good, but their coaches and kids definitely do.

Saturday September 6th
Endicott – 14
@ FRAMINGHAM STATE – 24
Everyone will be watching this one closely to see what the Ram offense looks like sans Malikke. I think the Rams will be just fine. They may look to air it out more with Silva and their talented wides, but they'll still have a solid back in Jalen Green. He may not have Malikke's vision or quickness, but he will add a new dimension of speed to the backfield.

PLYMOUTH STATE – 21
@ Castleton – 14
Plymouth played a little better towards the end of the season and I expect that to carry over to the opener. I don't think they have the talent to win a second MASCAC game this year, but they should be able to handle Castleton if the Spartans truly shift to a run first team. If Castleton surprises and comes to air it out, however, they can expose Plymouth's secondary and steal this game.

Hartwick – 14
@ WESTERN CONNECTICUT – 35
Look for Loth's bunch to continue where they left off in 2013. They lose their Big 10 (Iowa) transfer at tailback, but they will just plug in their ACC (Virginia) transfer. Must be nice.

Nice Predications E Coast. Hopefully, your prediction on West Conn being a 21 point favor is correct, however I think it may be a closer game and maybe a shoot out. I'd maybe have the Bridgewater vs. Salve game being a much more wider spread. As far as the Becker game, I am hoping Becker can actually pull that game, similar to what they did in the previous year. NOW, regarding the Framingham State vs. Endicott game, this one should be a doosy, hoping for a great game with Framingham pulling away in the second half. However, if Endicott gets some momentum and capitalize when they have good field position, it can be very close.

[D3MAFAN]

Congrats to Bridgewater State, they fought to the very end. I though they were going to make a comeback. Great effort.

[D3MAFAN]

Tough loss for W Conn, a game like this may lag a bit, hopefully they can rebound against Nichols and not have one of those too close for comfort games against a team they should beat easily. Framingham State played okay against Endicott, as aforementioned, if Endicott gained any type of momentum it would be a close game. Framingham State Defense played well which kept Endicott from scoring more points.

[Boxer7806]

Huge game this week for Framingham vs Rowan. It seems both teams might be a little down from last year, but regardless I think it will be Rowan by a couple TDs. Framingham needs to be able to pass the ball to win this game, and they did have success through the air last year against these guys until Silva got hurt in this game. But if the same air attack shows up against Rowan that it did verse Endicott then this will be a blowout. It looks like their second leading receiver Gauthier didn't play vs Endicott and their leading returning receiver Hayes was kept off the stat sheet. Last year the Jones kid had almost half of his season catches in just the Rowan game with 10, and I don't see that happening again. It seems Fram. was able to run the ball somewhat effectively against Endicott, but couldn't rush a lick against Rowan last year and that was with Van Alstyne. For Framingham to have a shot Gauthier will have to play and out of Hayes, Jones, and this new kid Grant, 2 of those guys need to have a big game for them to pull off this upset. I would just love to see a New England team start off the year with wins against 2 playoff teams from last year, even if 1 is fellow New England team from last year. This is the type of game the MASCAC/NEFC/ECFC teams have to win to gain some traction in the east. Framingham is 0-3 their last three against upper echelon E8/NJAC teams, losing each game in the 4th quarter. Lets hope they learned how to pull this one out.

[D3MAFAN]

Huge game this week for Framingham vs Rowan. It seems both teams might be a little down from last year, but regardless I think it will be Rowan by a couple TDs. Framingham needs to be able to pass the ball to win this game, and they did have success through the air last year against these guys until Silva got hurt in this game. But if the same air attack shows up against Rowan that it did verse Endicott then this will be a blowout. It looks like their second leading receiver Gauthier didn't play vs Endicott and their leading returning receiver Hayes was kept off the stat sheet. Last year the Jones kid had almost half of his season catches in just the Rowan game with 10, and I don't see that happening again. It seems Fram. was able to run the ball somewhat effectively against Endicott, but couldn't rush a lick against Rowan last year and that was with Van Alstyne. For Framingham to have a shot Gauthier will have to play and out of Hayes, Jones, and this new kid Grant, 2 of those guys need to have a big game for them to pull off this upset. I would just love to see a New England team start off the year with wins against 2 playoff teams from last year, even if 1 is fellow New England team from last year. This is the type of game the MASCAC/NEFC/ECFC teams have to win to gain some traction in the east. Framingham is 0-3 their last three against upper echelon E8/NJAC teams, losing each game in the 4th quarter. Lets hope they learned how to pull this one out.

I had a chance to watch both teams this past weekend and I think the game is going to be a good one. I actually think that Framingham State has the edge in this game. Although Rowan defense is presumed to be better than that of Endicott, Framingham State still has enough balance to keep Rowan off a bit. I don't think Rowan current quarterback is good enough to beat Framingham State based on last week's performance. Nevertheless, it is still going to come down to whom can capitalize and score points within each opponents side of the field and which defense steps up when their back is against the wall.

[ECoastFootball]

MASCAC POWER RANKINGS FOLLOWING WEEK 1

1.   (LW 1) Framingham State Rams (1-0)
Life without MVA got off to a rocky start as Fram's D pulled out a gutty win for the Rams. The bright side is that Endicott will probably end up being the 3rd or so best team Fram sees all year, so this was a quality opponent. The dark side is the Rams could not run the ball, and that's no way to make a living. I am still very anxious to see this team try to transition into a "throw it" team.

2.   (LW 2) Western Connecticut State Colonials (0-1)
Talk about a tough situation.  Up at the half, night off on your home campus on a Friday night, and a second half against an E8 team the next morning. The upside to this is Hartwick may surprise in the E8 this year behind that QB of theirs. If the Hawks prove to be a legit E8 team, that would make them the 2nd best team West Conn sees all year.

3.   (LW 4) Westfield State Owls (1-0)
Nice win for the Owls in Week 1. If if if if if if if if if, if Mercadante can stay healthy, this senior laden Westfield team is a legitimate MASCAC Title contender.

4.    (LW 3) Bridgewater State Bears (0-1)
I moved BWater down because I should have had Westfield 3 to begin with more  than anything else. I was extremely impressed to see them rally like that in the second half against my pick to win the NEFC. Even better for BWater, it seems they have their heir at the QB position. Danny Higgins, a freshman out of New Jersey, went 16-27 for 244yds/3TDs/0 INTs. More importantly, he ran the ball 13 times. Regardless of his yardage, that means Bridgewater doesn't feel the need to change to O with him in there.

5.    (LW 5) Fitchburg State Falcons (1-0)
Nice win for the Falcons, who dropped their home opener to Becker last year. Regardless of the opponent, it is always tough to go into someone else's place for a home opener under the lights and take a dub from them. Curry comes to town this weekend in what's sure to be a tougher test.

6.    (LW  6) UMass Dartmouth Corsairs (1-0)
After 2 years of gut-wrenching losses, UMD finally opens up with a win over Ida. Special Teams, and more specifically the Field Goal units, were almost the Corsairs downfall for the 3rd straight year. The gap was too close the last 2 years to overcome the miscues, but stout D and timely O were able to build a 14 pt lead that pushed them passed their 3 chipshot misses. Had the kicking game been there, this would have been a 31-14 game.

7.    (LW 7) Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers (0-0)
Nothing to see hear.

8.    (LW 8) Worcester State Lancers (1-0)
It's always nice to open up with a win, but you don't get points for defeating the worst team from the worst conference in the country.

9.   (LW 9) Plymouth State Panthers (0-1)
Tough loss for the Panthers. That CSC one was one they needed to get, for many reasons. It does not look to be turning around in Plymouth. What happened to the teams of the late 2000's?

[Boxer7806]

MASCAC POWER RANKINGS FOLLOWING WEEK 1

1.   (LW 1) Framingham State Rams (1-0)
Life without MVA got off to a rocky start as Fram’s D pulled out a gutty win for the Rams. The bright side is that Endicott will probably end up being the 3rd or so best team Fram sees all year, so this was a quality opponent. The dark side is the Rams could not run the ball, and that’s no way to make a living. I am still very anxious to see this team try to transition into a “throw it” team.

2.   (LW 2) Western Connecticut State Colonials (0-1)
Talk about a tough situation.  Up at the half, night off on your home campus on a Friday night, and a second half against an E8 team the next morning. The upside to this is Hartwick may surprise in the E8 this year behind that QB of theirs. If the Hawks prove to be a legit E8 team, that would make them the 2nd best team West Conn sees all year.

3.   (LW 4) Westfield State Owls (1-0)
Nice win for the Owls in Week 1. If if if if if if if if if, if Mercadante can stay healthy, this senior laden Westfield team is a legitimate MASCAC Title contender.

4.    (LW 3) Bridgewater State Bears (0-1)
I moved BWater down because I should have had Westfield 3 to begin with more  than anything else. I was extremely impressed to see them rally like that in the second half against my pick to win the NEFC. Even better for BWater, it seems they have their heir at the QB position. Danny Higgins, a freshman out of New Jersey, went 16-27 for 244yds/3TDs/0 INTs. More importantly, he ran the ball 13 times. Regardless of his yardage, that means Bridgewater doesn’t feel the need to change to O with him in there.

5.    (LW 5) Fitchburg State Falcons (1-0)
Nice win for the Falcons, who dropped their home opener to Becker last year. Regardless of the opponent, it is always tough to go into someone else’s place for a home opener under the lights and take a dub from them. Curry comes to town this weekend in what’s sure to be a tougher test.

6.    (LW  6) UMass Dartmouth Corsairs (1-0)
After 2 years of gut-wrenching losses, UMD finally opens up with a win over Ida. Special Teams, and more specifically the Field Goal units, were almost the Corsairs downfall for the 3rd straight year. The gap was too close the last 2 years to overcome the miscues, but stout D and timely O were able to build a 14 pt lead that pushed them passed their 3 chipshot misses. Had the kicking game been there, this would have been a 31-14 game.

7.    (LW 7) Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers (0-0)
Nothing to see hear.

8.    (LW 8) Worcester State Lancers (1-0)
It’s always nice to open up with a win, but you don’t get points for defeating the worst team from the worst conference in the country.

9.   (LW 9) Plymouth State Panthers (0-1)
Tough loss for the Panthers. That CSC one was one they needed to get, for many reasons. It does not look to be turning around in Plymouth. What happened to the teams of the late 2000’s?

I agree with most of this but I think Fram. actually was able to run the ball against Endicott...i think they averaged over 4 yards a carry... what they couldn't do is actually throw the ball. It will be interesting to see what happens this week versus Rowan. Rowan's QB situation looks like a mess and Fram. Defense looks good, so the game is going to come down to if Framingham can do anything against Rowan's D which judging from last year is more likely to come from the air.

Bridgewater is down. They are playing alot of younger players but I really hope this Higgins kid is the real deal. It took McCarthy a little bit of time to develop as a passer, so I'm hoping Higgins is more of a downfield threat with the ball so Bridgewater can get back to that power run game. When Bridgewater was at their best they were really a downhill team. I'm hoping they can get back that consistency from the tailback position with Higgins being not only a dual threat, but softening defenses with his arm as well.

[ECoastFootball]

Week 2 Predictions for the MASCAC

Thursday September 11th
Mass Maritime – 30
@ SUNY MARITIME – 31
I swear I didn't forget these two were playing last night. I definitely would have picked SUNY in a squeaker though.
*** In all seriousness, does anyone (I'm talking to you MMABucs) know what's up with EJ Bennet? He is by far the best WR in the league and the Bucs ran their O around him last year. He is listed on the roster still but he didn't play a snap last night. If he's gone that would mean the MMA O lost the best tackle in the league, the best WR in the league, their starting Q and their starting tailback. I would adjust my prediction to 0-10 if Bennet is gone.

Friday September 12th
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE – 41
@ UMass Dartmouth – 14
UMD stepping out into the world with this one. Welcome to the big boy table. While it is nice to see them playing a traditional power, they couldn't have down so at a worse time. Last year UMD stayed with a Framingham team that was most likely overlooking them, but coming off a loss to WNEC the Pride won't be. This one could get ugly quick.

Curry College – 17
@ FITCHBURG STATE – 24
I just can't think WPI is very good all of the sudden, so I'm going to assume Curry is continuing its slow slide into mediocrity. But I'll take Dellechiaie and co behind a 3 TD 250 yd performance from the young gunslinger.

Worcester State – 14
@ WPI – 31
WPI may have a very soft 2-0 on their hands after this one. Woo State stays in town again, but a mediocre LL team and a poor Anna Maria team are not the same thing. That being said, the outside chance this game stays close is a shoot-out. Their D will do what WoSU's D does, but if Sr. Kevin Bumpus has a career day like he did off the bench vs Maritime last year, anything is possible.

Saturday September 13th
ROWAN – 24
@ Framingham State – 14
The NJAC pick-ems' line has Rowan as a 3.5 pt favorite and there seem to be people taking Fram with the line and strait up. Last year I would have done that, and the fact people are going both ways makes me think Rowan may be down a bit, but I needed to see more out of the Ram O last week to be confident in this one. The D will keep it close, but Rowan will just be too much.

MT IDA – 17
@ Plymouth State – 10
I don't know how this game will look, but I know Plymouth won't win it. Ida's Q was like 2-44 last week, but they should be able to just run the ball on Plymouth. The Panthers only put up 10 on Castleton, so I'll go ahead and assume that's about what they get this week.

BRIDGEWATE STATE – 27
@ William Paterson – 20
This game will be much closer than last year as Willy P should be a little better, but as long as the Bears can get ahead early and rely on the run game they should be ok. I am very interested to see how the Higgins kid progresses. The rest of the MASCAC is hoping he regresses, while another solid week could point to BSU being back and ready to contend with Westfield for the #1 contender spot.

Nichols – 14
@ WEST CONN – 41
West Conn should not be playing Nichols OOC. Step it up on your OOC scheduling. Also, hopefully their kids don't all go out on the town at halftime like they probably did vs Hartwick.

WESTFIELD STATE – 21
@ Wnec – 20
I know the buzz around WMass last year was that Westfield only got WNEC because WNEC overlooked them and turned the ball over. I'm not buying it. If Westfield can hold the ball and grind the clock out with Mercadante and keep that Golden Bear O on the sideline, the Owls can control the game. Much tighter than last year, but the Owls defeat a good opponent on their way to 2-0.

[ECoastFootball]

MASCAC POWER RANKINGS FOLLOWING WEEK 2

1.   (LW 1) Framingham State Rams (1-1)
You do not get bumped down for losses to reigning champs of the NJAC. Their win over Endicott looks even better following the Gulls respectable performance against Hobart this past weekend. Framingham sits at 1-1, but they have by far the most impressive win out of everyone in the league.

2.   (LW 2) Western Connecticut State Colonials (1-1)
Nichols should stop scheduling West Conn. Just seems like poor decision making.
P.S. I think this Mack kid may be solid.

3.   (LW 3) Westfield State Owls (1-1)
Tough loss to a good WNEC team. I watched this whole game, and I'm thinking WNEC definitely has a shot to challenge Endicott and Salve for the NEFC Crown. Westfield played very well and displayed that they have a potent rushing attack and a very stout defense. I'm very excited to watch Westfield-Framingham in a few weeks.

4.    (LW 4) Bridgewater State Bears (1-1)
Higgins stepped up to the task as he led the Bears past an NJAC foe on the road. The jury is still out on the Bears though, as I think that Willy P would be a middle of the pack team in the MASCAC. Bridgewater's season will be defined in the next four weeks. They play 2-0 Worcester, Fitchburg, @ West Conn and then a very tough UMD team all in a row. BWater could win or lose every one of those games.

** I THINK 5-7 IS VERY, VERY, CLOSE **
5.   (LW 7) Worcester State Lancers (2-0)
You get no points for beating Anna Maria, but you get points for dominating a Liberty League opponent who just smacked Curry around the week before. You know who's pissed right now? MASCAC D. Coordinators. Everyone knows Woo State can fling it around, but they also ran for 235 this past week. Kemani Jones had 17 carries for 100 yards and a score. If they can run the ball, they can beat some people.

6.   (LW 5) Fitchburg State Falcons (2-0)
Not much has changed from last week. I know Becker sucks, and now I think Curry might too. Nothing against Fitch, I just don't know what to think of their wins based on opponent strength. We'll find out this week though, as the Falcons host the Rams.

7.    (LW  6) UMass Dartmouth Corsairs (1-1)
I predicted a 40 to something loss v Springfield and while the score was close to that, I was wrong. UMD stood toe-to-toe with Springfield and traded punches. It was 14-14 at the half and UMD could have very realistically been up. I watched what seemed to be a bad call take away a TD from the Datrmouth D. The Corsairs have 3 extremely explosive kids on offense to go with their always solid D. They can play with anyone in the MASCAC.

8.    (LW 9) Plymouth State Panthers (1-1)
And the Panthers defeat Mt. Ida. Again. Why does Mt Ida schedule this game? Terrible match up for them. I was watching a bit of this game, looking at all the athletes on Ida's D and thinking, what a waste. Their style of D doesn't match up at all, and Plymouth just shoves it down their throats. Maybe they can call Nichols. I have a feeling they're all set with West Conn Week 2.

9.    (LW 8) Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers (0-1)
We all knew they were losing Trudel, Gustafson and Tackle John Moriarty. They cannot afford to lose Bennett. He is the best WR in the conf, and with him the offense is still dangerous. Without him they have a bad defense and a bad offense. Historically, that's not a great 1-2 punch. It will be hard to evaluate them as they play a lighter opponent this weekend, but a loss to Maine Maritime would be a very bad indicator for things to come.

[ECoastFootball]

The first New England D3 poll came out. What a joke:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/link-resources/poll.html

1. WNEC
2. Amherst
3. Wesleyan
4. Framingham
5. Fitchburg
6. Worcester
7. Middlebury
8. MIT
9. Trinity
10. Salve
Teams Receiving Votes:
11. Springfield
12. West Conn
13. Endicott
14. Bridgewater

Hmm, let's see, I agree with... almost nothing here. West Conn, Endicott, Framingham and maybe Salve are better than WNEC. In what world do MIT, Fitcburg and Worcester rank above Springfield? Trinity's hasn't lost more than 2 games in 13 years and they're essentially 4th in the NESCAC? I know nothing about the NESCAC but I know that's bullspit.

HERE are the real New England Rankings (Excluding the NESCAC because, ya know, they play 4 games a year with no playoffs. I don't rank teams with 1 month seasons.)

1. Framingham - They receive all first place votes.
2. Endicott
3. West Conn
4. Salve
5. WNEC
6. Springfield
7. Westfield
8. BWater
9. Fitchburg/Worcester tied

Thoughts?

[D3MAFAN]

The first New England D3 poll came out. What a joke:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/link-resources/poll.html

1. WNEC
2. Amherst
3. Wesleyan
4. Framingham
5. Fitchburg
6. Worcester
7. Middlebury
8. MIT
9. Trinity
10. Salve
Teams Receiving Votes:
11. Springfield
12. West Conn
13. Endicott
14. Bridgewater

Hmm, let's see, I agree with... almost nothing here. West Conn, Endicott, Framingham and maybe Salve are better than WNEC. In what world do MIT, Fitcburg and Worcester rank above Springfield? Trinity's hasn't lost more than 2 games in 13 years and they're essentially 4th in the NESCAC? I know nothing about the NESCAC but I know that's bullspit.

HERE are the real New England Rankings (Excluding the NESCAC because, ya know, they play 4 games a year with no playoffs. I don't rank teams with 1 month seasons.)

1. Framingham - They receive all first place votes.
2. Endicott
3. West Conn
4. Salve
5. WNEC
6. Springfield
7. Westfield
8. BWater
9. Fitchburg/Worcester tied

Thoughts?

As you mentioned, I do not rank teams that are separated from the rest of field. I believe these rankings are from individuals similar to that of the ACFC coaches polls. I think you nailed it in your assessment on how the teams should be ranked. I have no issue with them wanting to rank team in the New England region. However, I have an issue with them not having valid data to support those rankings. Anyone can say, they just look better, sometimes that may be the case, but in all truthfulness, you can't rely on it. 

[fulbakdad]

I get a kick out of some of these polls and Regional All Star teams that end up loaded with NESCAC players and teams.  And even funnier to me when one or two of the NESCAC teams end up getting votes on the national top 25 right here on this site.  There are some good players in NESCAC, but the teams all are limited due to academic restrictions of players and roster sizes.  And until one of them plays outside of their sandlot, shouldn't be considered......

[ECoastFootball]

I get a kick out of some of these polls and Regional All Star teams that end up loaded with NESCAC players and teams.  And even funnier to me when one or two of the NESCAC teams end up getting votes on the national top 25 right here on this site.  There are some good players in NESCAC, but the teams all are limited due to academic restrictions of players and roster sizes.  And until one of them plays outside of their sandlot, shouldn't be considered......

My point wasn't necessarily to disparage the NESCAC, but this whole poll. I think the NESCAC teams would do very well against the NE schools. The high academic thing helps them more than anything, as elite athletes who could play D-2/1-AA sometimes go the NESCAC route if they don't get an Ivy or Patriot offer. I think the whole poll is ridiculous because a team that hasn't lost 3 times in a season in over a decade is ranked 4th in it's own league, and a WNE team is ranked 1 after going 2-0 in tight games, when neither team they beat is ranked. Fitch is ranked 5th here and they've beaten Nobody U and We're Not Good Anymore College.

[ECoastFootball]

Week 3 Predictions for the MASCAC

Friday September 19th
FRAMINGHAM STATE – 24
@ Fitchburg State – 14
I am pretty excited to watch this game, I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to head out to Fitchburg or just catch it on live stream. That being said, there are only two ways Fitchburg wins this game. 1. Turnovers. If the Rams put the ball on the turf or get too pass happy and throw some pics, Fitch can win this one. 2. Special Teams break downs. If the Falcons can run a kick back or block a punt, that could put them over the top. All things considered equal, I see the Rams defense suffocating Fitch's O tonight.

Saturday September 20th
MAINE MARITIME – 37
@ Mass Maritime – 31
November 23, 2010. That's the last time the Mariners won the Admiral's Cup. The last few installments haven't even been close. I don't expect a lot of defense here, but if Bennett doesn't play I don't know if MassMA can keep pace. I understand the MaineMA only beat Anna Maria last week, but 42 is 42. That triple is hard to stop when it gets rolling. The two big factors in this game will be can the Bucs tackle the QB (Fahey ran for 240 last week) and does Bennett play.

BRIDGEWATER STATE – 24
@ Worcester State – 21
Worcester has been a pleasant surprise this year and this game is a chance for them to announce themselves to the league as a contender. The big question mark around BWater this year was QB, and they seemed to have found one in Higgins. Last year BWater absolutely abused the young corners at WooState so it will be interesting to see what they do to stop WR Matt Green. They at least need to commit a safety over there. They need to decide if they want to force BWater to run it (which is what the Bears want to do anyway) or give up 1-play TD drives to Green again.

Plymouth State – 14
@ WEST CONN – 50
I don't know if Loth and Castonia get along or not. If they do, maybe this one goes 41-14, if they don't, maybe this one goes 70-14.

WESTFIELD STATE – 24
@ UMass Dartmouth – 21
This is a big game for both teams. Westfield wants to get to 1-0 in the MASCAC and has visions of a conference title chase. UMD would love to get to 2-1 with Plymouth next up. If the Corsairs can run the ball consistently, they will win this game. I just don't see that happening. That's what Westfield does, they stop the run. Cooper is definitely one of the better backs in the league, but the Owls are going to force Barneys to beat them with his arm. On the other side, I don't see any explosion out of the Owls, but Mercadante will grind out around 100 yards and 2 scores or so.

[Pat Coleman]

I get a kick out of some of these polls and Regional All Star teams that end up loaded with NESCAC players and teams.  And even funnier to me when one or two of the NESCAC teams end up getting votes on the national top 25 right here on this site.  There are some good players in NESCAC, but the teams all are limited due to academic restrictions of players and roster sizes.  And until one of them plays outside of their sandlot, shouldn't be considered......

And of the 25 voters, many agree with you, but not all do. And I'm comfortable with that -- I think that's the way it should be. No one opinion is the correct one.

I do believe, however, that the New England regional poll is generally poor and seems to be even more so this year.