3rd MDIA Div. A Poll (3/23/05). Thoughts, Predictions, etc.

[ACE]

I do not see Texas A&M. Why not? Who have they played and lost too?
1. Colorado State
4. Brigham Young University
7. Colorado
9. Oakland University - there is no way that VTech should be ahead of them
12. Univ. of California, San Diego
16. Utah
21. New Hampshire
Texas Tech
St. John Fisher

Just to add to this, since A&M has played so many of the ranked teams this year, it makes for a good comparison team to help sort out the Top 25. Oakland is legit. UCSD should not be #12. Utah is for real and should be up some more. New Hampshire, not that good, think this showed with the Cal loss.

[Chris Larson]

C21

Just an interesting observation here.

Among the poll voters, there are 4 that I can immediately identify as having some link to the LSA.

Don't you think it's telling that even THEY, the teams that should know TAMU the best, could not find a reason to include TAMU on their polls?

[Kyle Berggren]

Now...before everyone say's well look how bad they lost to some of these teams...I'm not arguing the A&M is deserving a top 25 spot, yet, but I am arguing that they should at least be considered one of the bubble teams who could sneak in there with a win.
…show A&M some love just because…it seems to work for other teams.

The voters vote for a top 25 only. Those extra votes, of teams almost in, our teams that didn't accumulate enough points from all 30 voters to make it in..... Now knowing that, and looking at your post above about how they shouldn't be considered for the top 25, 30 pollsters agreed this week.

Congrats to them for playing such a tough schedule. We also play a tough schedule this year, and we don't benefit one bit when we get crushed 17-4... Could you move us up in the rankings for that? I hope not. OOC games really help establish teams and league dominance, but you've got to win or have some major extenuating circumstances, which will still move you down in the polls.

[CATLAX MAN]

Among the poll voters, there are 4 that I can immediately identify as having some link to the LSA.

Don't you think it's telling that even THEY, the teams that should know TAMU the best, could not find a reason to include TAMU on their polls?

Amen, Chris. The truth shall set you free. Hallelujah!

[CP18]

Among the poll voters, there are 4 that I can immediately identify as having some link to the LSA.

Don't you think it's telling that even THEY, the teams that should know TAMU the best, could not find a reason to include TAMU on their polls?

Maybe LSA coaches should lobby harder for their teams within the conference like other leagues do?

[LaxC21]

I never said that A&M should be in the top 25. I just thought it was a interesting observation that A&M, a team that has played a tough schedule is not even considered among teams they have already beat because of the tough schedule. Hope that is a little clearer.

"Among the poll voters, there are 4 that I can immediately identify as having some link to the LSA."

"Don't you think it's telling that even THEY, the teams that should know TAMU the best, could not find a reason to include TAMU on their polls?"

Yes...I do find this interesting...and it makes me question their intellectual honesty. I don't know who they are...they could be voting themselves undeservedly into the top 25...who knows.

Also, apparently playing a tough schedule and losing means something to most teams in a certain division. Again...not trying to put A&M in the top 25, just thought it was interesting that not one voter out of the 30 (including the LSA voters - Chris) thinks A&M is better than: Minnesota (43), Georgia (28), Texas Tech (23), Florida (18), San Diego State (13), Michigan State (12), Illinois (10), Indiana (9), Arizona State (9), Northeastern University (7), Vanderbilt (6), Southern Methodist (5), Oregon State (5), NC State (3), and Texas (1)...because of who they have lost too (CSU, Tech, UNH, CU, BYU, Utah, UCSD,Oak, St. John).

[onpoint]

Tony Scaz is a voter.

[LaxC21]

Yes I know and like SOME coaches, he rarely if ever votes for his own team.

[tamu33]

I'll admit it, that A&M doesn't belong in the top 25 nor should they have recieved votes. Recieving votes means that a voter thinks they are top 25 material. Sorry Dustin....it had happen sometime. This is not their year.

[LaxC21]

I'll try to wrap this discussion up with these final thoughts.

Ali, apparently you are even missing the point. I will say this for the third time so that it is clear. I do NOT think A&M is deserving of a top 25 ranking at this point. However, I think it is a shame that A&M is cast into the shadows of no man's land because of the losses to top teams. Meaning, I KNOW (because I have seen some of the other teams play) A&M is better than some of the teams that have earned at least one vote into the top 25 because they have played a "soft" schedule.

Let's use this analogy since it is basketball season. You have two teams, Georgia Tech and Sam Houston State. Georgia Tech loses to Kansas, UNC, NC State, Maryland, Duke, Gonzaga and Louisville, while Sam Houston plays a lesser schedule and comes out with a better record. Now all the sudden, Sam Houston State is a better team than Georgia Tech. I don't think so.

However, that is what the voters are saying...that is all I'm pointing out. It could also be said for a few other teams, I'm sure.

[Chris Larson]

I do NOT think A&M is deserving of a top 25 ranking at this point.

Voters only rank 25 teams in their poll. The problem is that if all voters share your feelings on this matter, which it seems evident that they do, then TAMU cannot get any votes.

If poll voters were asked to select 30 teams, your argument would have more merit.

Looking at the numbers of votes received, it seems that a number of voters didn't include Texas Tech, a team that defeated TAMU, in their poll. My guess is most of these votes are at or very near #25, so by extension, it makes mathematical sense that TAMU received no votes.