2008 Lax World MCLA Division 1 Top 25 Poll (4/9/08) is out

[onpoint]

In some ways it would make doing a poll easier. As of now, you have two weeks of consideration into each poll and tabulating/cross-referencing/reading Zamboni_Driver/throwing darts can get a little cumbersome. Doing it every week would let you have more flexibility, but I believe there would be less overall "movement" if you did it every week as opposed to ever two.

[Tom]

There are a couple arguments you can have for UCSB being where they are.

1. The beat Sonoma pretty good. I know the game was close for 3 qtrs but it doesn't matter. UCSB opened it up in the 4th and blew them out.

2. All FSU had to do was beat V.Tech and BC and they would be sitting in the top 10 but that didn't happen. They end up losing to both of them. That hurt.

3. Fl. could be in the top 10 but they have losses to LMU and BC from earlier in the year. The game between Florida and FSU this weekend is huge.

4. Oregon hasn't beaten anyone. They have losses to CSU and SF which don't hurt them but they don't have a strong case to ba any higher. Now, they still have to play Cal, Sonoma and BYU. After these 3 games, everyone will have a good understanding about the ducks and what they are all about.

5. BC has a pretty strong case to be in the top 10. If you get rid of their first season lose to GA, they are looking very strong. Wins over FL and FSU. They do have loses to CSU and Duluth (add in GA as well) If anything they could be above FSU. I put them at 11 not 12.

So, everyone is wondering why UCSB is at #8 and that's not the question. The question is who else would you put at #8 and why? I think UCSB is in the right spot. FSU would be there in my mind if they beat V.Tech and BC like I said earlier.

[Tom]

In regards to having a poll every week, I 100% agree. My advice to the pollsters is to have your own poll every week. Don't wait until the last minute to do a poll. I'm sure that's what most of them do. I think the polls are very accurate this time around. Good job pollsters.

[Ravaging Beast]

5. BC has a pretty strong case to be in the top 10. If you get rid of their first season lose to GA, they are looking very strong. Wins over FL and FSU. They do have loses to CSU and Duluth (add in GA as well) If anything they could be above FSU. I put them at 11 not 12.

I have also been thinking that BC should be higher. They have put together a pretty good season except for the loss to GA at the beginning.

[Danny Hogan]

There are a couple arguments you can have for UCSB being where they are.
1. The beat Sonoma pretty good. I know the game was close for 3 qtrs but it doesn't matter. UCSB opened it up in the 4th and blew them out.

enough to forget the 2 losses to teams ranked below them? (i would say their game with ASU doesn't reflect negatively on them)

BC should be higher, UF should be higher. They got penalized (dropped to like 19 or 20) from the LMU loss already. Have done nothing but win since then.

[freddoi]

how much higher are you talking...past FSU and UO i could agree, but more than that???

[StrykerFSU]

There are a couple arguments you can have for UCSB being where they are.

2. All FSU had to do was beat V.Tech and BC and they would be sitting in the top 10 but that didn't happen. They end up losing to both of them. That hurt.

3. Fl. could be in the top 10 but they have losses to LMU and BC from earlier in the year. The game between Florida and FSU this weekend is huge.

So, everyone is wondering why UCSB is at #8 and that's not the question.

All UCSB had to do was beat FSU and UF and they would warrant their poll position but they didn't do it. So because the SELC teams are beating up on each other, UCSB gets excused for a pretty disastrous trip to the Sunshine State? Arguably the SELC teams are playing better now than UCSB judging by who's winning games since the last poll.

[Tim Gray]

There are a couple arguments you can have for UCSB being where they are.
1. The beat Sonoma pretty good. I know the game was close for 3 qtrs but it doesn't matter. UCSB opened it up in the 4th and blew them out.

enough to forget the 2 losses to teams ranked below them? (i would say their game with ASU doesn't reflect negatively on them)

BC should be higher, UF should be higher. They got penalized (dropped to like 19 or 20) from the LMU loss already. Have done nothing but win since then.

I agree both of those teams should be higher. Luckily, UF has it's chance to add to their claim with FSU game.

BC however needs to keep taking care of business as their biggest games left are PCLL rivals UNH (2-0) and NU (obviously we're having a bit of a down year right now). They really need people to realize that they only lost to CSU by 2, and have since been undefeated, including the FSU comeback win.

[Danny Hogan]

how much higher are you talking...past FSU and UO i could agree, but more than that???

i don't know...it all goes back to the "who would you put in their place arguement"

UCSB has 3 tough games left. 2 of them they will not be the favorite...if they lose to who they are supposed to and win over who they are supposed to, go 1-2....do they stay at 8?

[Danny Hogan]

and i think a weekly poll would absolutely benfit the voters, while it may be a little more work, the work won't make you pull out your hair quite* as much.

[FLALAX]

To StrykerFSU comments:

I think the leniency with UCSB is that they "traveled" to play those games. Going coast to coast to play top tier competition is not easy. We saw UF, UCSB, Cal and others make some huge trips and on those trips the home team has a definite advantage. Be it 2-3 goals, or 4-5 goals, there is an advantage.

The UF v FSU game has a lot riding on it. It is great for those programs and the SELC that we are debating how "good" they are. Both have talent and can make a run in the nationals. Good luck to both.

[Danny Hogan]

i dont' necessarily agree...sometimes road trips take you away from distractions (similar to college football teams staying out of town for a home game), though i bet most players prefer their home field.

And every arguement made about UF or FSU not being top 10 worthy quoted above is out the window because if UCSB is top 10 worthy then how would teams that beat them not be?

[EvanFSU]

Here's a question:

If neither UCSB or Sonoma do anything extraordinary for the rest of the season, and Chapman or ASU wins the WCLL, do you think voters will be hesitant to knock those 2 traditional powers out of the national tournament in favor of the SELC teams?

Based on everything I've seen and read as of today, the SELC should have 3 teams in the national tournament and the WCLL should only have two.

However, I still believe it is far more likely to see a 3 team mix of UCSB/Sonoma/Chapman/ASU at nationals then a mix of FSU/Georgia/UF/Va Tech, and I think that would be a travesty.

Of course, there are still many games to be played.

[1one]

Neither FSU or FU should be considered top 10. FU lost to BC, LMU and lost by 11 to chapman. FSU has one win in the top 10 and THREE loses to teams in the 12-15 range. Sorry no top 10 for either.

[Danny Hogan]

Neither FSU or FU should be considered top 10. FU lost to BC, LMU and lost by 11 to chapman. FSU has one win in the top 10 and THREE loses to teams in the 12-15 range. Sorry no top 10 for either.

evaluate UCSB please, keeping in mind UF and FSU beat them in the last polling period....