What will the 4/11 Division A Poll look like?

[univduke21]

I like it with the exception of ASU and CU, the CU win over ASU was too recent to move them above CU

[CATLAX MAN]

On the other hand, you appear to be ignoring that CU lost to UCSB while ASU beat 2 #1s during the same period.

[univduke21]

Since the last poll

Have I? CU lost 2 games, UCSB and BYU. CU won 4 games, Utah, Chapman, UCSD and Utah State (all easily). CU moves no where in the polls, stays at #5.

ASU, won 3 games, Michigan, Eastern Michigan & Cal. They have lost 0. Yet they should move up 7 positions in the poll? I think we both know that you have a WCLL bias and I have a RMLC bias, but the fact remains that two days before the last poll came out CU beat ASU @ ASU. I find it hard to believe that they should jump 7 spots and take over Colorado in the polls after recently losing to them.

[CP18]

For a few reasons.

One, they have a quality win, not "wins."

Two, the second best team in the LSA, Texas, lost to Santa Clara and UCLA, two WCLL teams that will not make the playoffs and have losing records.

Three, their defense does not look that great. 10 goals to UCLA? 12 to Santa Clara?

They were ranked 17th in the last poll. They are on the verge of cracking the top 15. It's not as if they are unranked.

-------------------
1. A quality win is a quality win. Enough said.

2. What does Texas have to do with where A&M is ranked? Granted, if A&M loses to Texas than that should effect their poll position, but UT's losses mean nothing to where A&M should be positioned? FSU keeps winning in their conference and nobody is dropping their ranking based on what other teams in their league do.

3. Some teams out score others to win, and use a potent offense to pick up W's, as opposed to relying on a stellar defense. Also, from first hand information the Aggie bench was unloaded against UCLA...........Wins are wins.

4. Yes, they were ranked 17th, and I believe they should be included in the 10-15 mix conversation because it will have an effect on where you go into the tournament possibly.............

[CATLAX MAN]

CU lost 2 games, UCSB and BYU. CU won 4 games, Utah, Chapman, UCSD and Utah State (all easily). CU moves no where in the polls, stays at #5.

I understand your point, but I'm not buying the fact that the #5 team loses to the #12 team and doesn't move down, while at the same time, the #11 team beats a #1 for the second time in less than a week and they don't move up quite a few spots. It really does not make any sense to me. But then, I'm not a voter, so it really doesn't matter.

[sohotrightnow]

1. A quality win is a quality win. Enough said.

2. What does Texas have to do with where A&M is ranked? Granted, if A&M loses to Texas than that should effect their poll position, but UT's losses mean nothing to where A&M should be positioned? FSU keeps winning in their conference and nobody is dropping their ranking based on what other teams in their league do.

3. Some teams out score others to win, and use a potent offense to pick up W's, as opposed to relying on a stellar defense. Also, from first hand information the Aggie bench was unloaded against UCLA...........Wins are wins.

4. Yes, they were ranked 17th, and I believe they should be included in the 10-15 mix conversation because it will have an effect on where you go into the tournament possibly.............

1. No doubt, but it is just one quality win.

2. Um, everything. It speaks to the relative strength of the conference. Usually, the LSA has 2 ranked teams, sometimes even 3. When the second best team in your conference is losing to teams that have losing records that is a problem. Has A&M dropped much? What were they ranked in the pre-season? Yes, FSU keeps winning, but are they moving up in the polls significantly?

3. Yes, wins are wins against inferior competition. How has this high-powered offense worked for A&M when they have gone to the tournament and faced a good defense?

4. Well, considering the LSA is not strong this year, it will be hard for them to move up more. Not A&M's fault obviously, but facts are facts.

[wingman3227]

univduke21,
First off let me say that I understand what you are saying, Colorado did beat ASU in Arizona, first off no excuse, but it wasn't at home, it was on a high school field in Arizona, home field advantage lost, more Colorado fans at the game then ASU fan's...however, they did lose a head to head game. I think CU deserves a top five ranking...
The reason that ASU deserves to "jump so many spots" is they shouldn't have been 11 in the last poll in the first place. They should have been in the top ten after losing in the waning seconds to a solid CU team and being on the second team to beat Oregon. As I stated earlier it was obvious that at least 7 people (7 first place votes for Oregon) voted before the games were over on that Tuesday, so ASU could have been as high as 7 or 8 in that last poll, if that were the case a "jump" to the top five would not have been a stretch after becoming only the second team in the MCLA to beat Michigan @ Michigan. And although Michigan has historically been a perennial powerhouse, they have never been as good on the road as they are at home, everyone knows that, so a win over them at home, should be given quite a bit of credit.
Now that is mostly opinion, and I do have a WCLL/RMLC bias, but the fact is that the teams that ASU has lost to, including CU are simply better than the teams that CU has lost to, therefore they have a better resume, head to head should factor in, however, since the last poll...for all voters, ASU is 4-0 including a win over @1 Michigan in Michigan, and CU is 4-2, two losses one to a team outside the top ten. To some voters, ASU is 5-0 with two wins over #1 ranked teams...that is a pretty big deal,
That being said, it would not suprise me if some voters still have ASU low based on past season performances( don't know why that should be the case, but it may very well be) I think ASU and CU are top five teams in the end, but right now, ASU has done more to prove they belong...ie...not losing to teams outside the top ten, playing more consistent since the bad loss in the beginning of the year...Just hope a majority of the poll voters see it the way I do...ASU should be between 3-6, hoping 3, happy with 6...
That is just my opinion I could be wrong...

[wingman3227]

I think Ravaging Beast has it right on...Cu is below a few teams they beat, but so is ASU, I love talking about this, but I think it will all sort it self out in the end...good job RB, I think that is a good unbiased look at the Top 15...I still don't know what Duluth has done to stay so high...agin my opinion...

[univduke21]

Let's take a look at a CU/ASU:

Common Opponents:
BYU- ASU (-15) CU (-4)
Utah- ASU (+1) CU (+6)
Chapman- ASU (+1) CU (+4)
Texas A&M- ASU (+6) CU (-1)
Oregon- ASU (+1) CU (+1)
Colorado 10 Arizona State 9

It seems pretty obivious to me that CU looks better with the head to head win, and an advantage in every game but Texas A&M.

I understand that ASU beat Michigan but again I think we all saw how human Michigan was against CSU this last week end. My vote, CU over ASU but hey that's just my opinion right?

As I stated earlier it was obvious that at least 7 people (7 first place votes for Oregon) voted before the games were over on that Tuesday,

Do you acutally know this? I think that there may of been a lot people that still would of voted Oregon #1 even after the two losses. I think that this is speculation on your part and can not be proved. Plently of teams that lose still receive first place votes.

[Ravaging Beast]

I think Ravaging Beast has it right on...Cu is below a few teams they beat, but so is ASU, I love talking about this, but I think it will all sort it self out in the end...good job RB, I think that is a good unbiased look at the Top 15...I still don't know what Duluth has done to stay so high...agin my opinion...

I have had trouble with UMD all year, but I just can't figure out where to put them. I know they are top ten, but where. So I just close my eyes and point to a spot. A note on Texas A&M...the LSA is probably the weakest conference this year. Only one team should make it to the tourney. So whoever gets the AQ should go. I would hate to see Texas A&M taking up a spot in Dallas if they loose in the LSA playoffs (But I do think they should go). I think the same can be said of Northeastern in the PCLL, FSU in the SELC, and Lindenwood in the GRLC. Michigan and UMD are a little different. I think both should go regardless of being upset in their conference tournaments.

And I am very biased. I am just biased in favor of the WCLL then the RMLC.

[JerzWB]

For what it's worth.

1. BYU
2. CSU
3. Oregon
4. ASU
5. Michigan
6. Colorado
7. UCSB
8. Northeastern
9. Arizona
10. Sonoma
11. UMD
12. Utah
13. FSU
14. TAMU
15. Cal Poly

[bullhighutewoozgriffclam]

1. BYU (elliott grow is a bad mo fo, i coached him in vail)
2. CSU (back to csu form with thier last loss against byu)
3. Oregon (tough zona trip but still gangters. they beat the y, remember)
4. Michigan (we'll see. i'm skeptical)
5. CU (hit or miss but thier lack of mistakes and physicality on d is key)
6. ASU (huge wins, congrats t-nasty)
7. UMD (that three loss stretch was brutal, they'd be top 3 if not for that)
8. Sonoma (good finish. only reason they dropped was cause asu jumps)
9. UCSB (good win in boulder)
10. Arizona (couple of real close loses otherwise they'd be higher)
11. Utah (frustration city!!! but key wins against my #7 and #9 they'd be lower from the chapman loss but those below them don't have the resume to jump above. common boys. finish strong.)
12. Northeastern (nice win against az, i'd like to see them get some real comp. I'll bet the players would like to play some real comp)
13. Lindenwood (yeah so hmmm. are they just banking on the aq?)
14. Cal Poly (close loss to noma but close loss to cal as well)
15. FSU (close wins to medocre teams)
16. Texas A&M (they could maybe be ranked higher but hard to tell from one good win)

what d'ya think?

[Timbalaned]

I really have to agree with what RB just said. It is sad to say, but I don't see more than one team from the LSA being worthy to go to the dance this year. That is why if I were a voter I would have a hard time really putting A&M super far up in the rankings because if they do get upset in the conference tournament, you are sending two teams and someone else is getting left out that might be more worthy. I think maybe a similar case could be made for a few other conferences, but that is just my opinion and once again, I am not a voter, so it doesn't mean much.

[LaxTV_Admin]

Michigan and UMD are a little different. I think both should go regardless of being upset in their conference tournaments.

Just for clarification, UMD competes in the UMLL and Michigan in the CCLA. So they would not be competing for each other's spots in the tournament unless they both lose in their respective conference playoffs in which case they would be competing on an At-Large level. I also agree that both should end up in the tournament.

[wingman3227]

Come on Duke,
You know that you can't use comparitive scoring, they played the games on different days, and that is never an indication of how games go,
ie...
BYU beat ASU by 15
Oregon Beat BYU by one
Oregon would obviously beat ASU by 16 right...well we all know the answer...that is silly, as I said a loss is a loss, a close loss sould be taken into consideration, but it is obvious that both teams have come a long way since the first weekend of their respective seasons. BYU also mopped up two other top ten caliber teams in that two week span at the begining of the season, they were far more along in the begining of the year, A&M snuck up on everyone, if it wasn't CU then it could have been ASU or U of A, Cu just had to play them first, like I said though, CU is a top five team, I think it works best for the CU/ASU think if Michigan is five and ASU is four, however, the fact still remains that BYU, ASU, CU, and Oregon are four teams that have beaten more than one team within the top five or six, so they all belong there, I think there should be a big dropoff after the top six, with 7,8,9,10 all being very close...Don't lose sight of the fact that I think CU is a top five team, I just think it is justified for ASU to be ahead of them, I think it is justified for them to be ranked behind them as well, just not more than one spot...we will see...soon enough...
#1 BYU
#2- CSU
#3- Oregon
#4- ASU
#5- CU
#6- Michigan
#7-Sonoma State
#8- UMD
#9-UCSB
#10- U of A
#10- Northeastern
#12- FSU
#13- Utah
#14- Texas A&M
#15- Virginia Tech
I know it is different than before, but this is what being a pollster is all about...thinking and rethinking...
should be fun on Wednesday...
Just my opinion...I could be wrong...