2008 Lax World MCLA Division 1 Top 25 Poll (4/23/08) is out

[wheelz33]

wow if all he favs win then florida takes the last bid in so far imo!!!!!! man wow great stuff guys!

wouldnt florida be the first team out due to the grlc automatic bid?

yeah but they still have a small chance. Oregon still has two tough games left... and if they lose both (especially if they lose by a lot) then they'll be knocked down and flroda would move up to 15. Florida would also have to hope that there aren't any upsets in the next two weeks so that no one can jump them.

yeah, i wasnt saying they were out, just that right now they arent in. i definitely say have some fun practices. more scrimmaging then anything. if the seeding stays about the same the sec will have some tough first round games. if they manage to pull off a couple "upsets" they could make quite a statement.

[freddoi]

so is santa clara in just cuz of win over poly, and maybe their two one goal losses to ranked stanford and florida.... anyone have any reasons. i think the ranking is correct, just wondering if my reasoning is...?

[Zamboni_Driver]

so is santa clara in just cuz of win over poly, and maybe their two one goal losses to ranked stanford and florida.... anyone have any reasons. i think the ranking is correct, just wondering if my reasoning is...?

Wins over Cal, Central Florida (while ranked), and Cal Poly (ranked), with close losses to Sonoma (ranked), Stanford (now ranked). FSU is their only bad loss in my opinion. On paper they are playing very consistent, winning the ones they should, losing close to those that they shouldn't win. In this year, this is a good way to get into the T25.

[iDinosaur!]

No huge surprises here. Pretty much how most people thought it would shake out I think.

Looking at the point totals for teams, Oregon is teetering on the edge, only having 8 point lead over TAMU, and a 43 point lead over Florida. A lot can happen in that 14 through 17 range.

I stop at 17 because I don't think there is anyway that Utah picks up 201 points to jump to the 14 spot (assuming 14 will be the cut off for the tourney right now)

I still think Colorado is within striking distance (less that 100 away from the 14) and a big win against CSU would go far in helping them.

I love seeing TAMU jump into the top 16. I love seeing teams who, even when they win the AQ, would be in position to make the tourney anyway.

Good show.

[univduke21]

Michigan State blows out a varsity team (Davenport), blows out Western Michigan, beats Lindenwood, and puts a much better showing on the board against a very tough UM team than Colorado does, and they drop completely out, while Lindenwood and Colorado remain in.

Michigan 8 Colorado 0 goal diff +8
Michigan 13 Michigan St 5 goal diff +8

Western Michigan is 2-8
Lindenwood will not be in the tournament unless AQ

[gobblerlax05]

3 or 4 teams in nationals come may 5th lookin bright on the conferences future!

[wheelz33]

Michigan State blows out a varsity team (Davenport), blows out Western Michigan, beats Lindenwood, and puts a much better showing on the board against a very tough UM team than Colorado does, and they drop completely out, while Lindenwood and Colorado remain in.

Michigan 8 Colorado 0 goal diff +8
Michigan 13 Michigan St 5 goal diff +8

Western Michigan is 2-8
Lindenwood will not be in the tournament unless AQ

Bringing up the Michigan and Western games not the best argument. I would argue, however, that State has not done any less this season then teams such as Santa Clara, Stanford, and Cal-Poly. Not sure if i would rank State ahead of those teams, but I at least think they should be in the argument. I would even throw Colorado in there if I wanted to be bold. That being said I don't think State is too far off from where they should be. And it doesn't really matter, cause they haven't done enough to deserve an at-large bid. If they have a strong showing in the CCLA tourney (aka do well against Michigan) then we can talk.

Fun fact of the day: Not including BYU and Michigan, Michigan State has not lost to any team by more then one goal in the last two years. Talk about woulda coulda shoulda...

Fun fact #2: Michigan has not won the CCLA tourney in an even year since 2002. And the last time they entered the CCLA's as the #1 ranked team in the nation, they lost. Will the trend continue? (Sorry JP, I can't resist given Michigan a jab when I can.)

[Dan Wishengrad]

Bringing up the Michigan and Western games not the best argument. I would argue, however, that State has not done any less this season then teams such as Santa Clara, Stanford, and Cal-Poly. Not sure if i would rank State ahead of those teams, but I at least think they should be in the argument. I would even throw Colorado in there if I wanted to be bold. That being said I don't think State is too far off from where they should be. And it doesn't really matter, cause they haven't done enough to deserve an at-large bid. If they have a strong showing in the CCLA tourney (aka do well against Michigan) then we can talk.

Good points, wheelz. I will confess that as a pollster I found ranking the top 15 teams to be fairly easy this week, but that the #16-#25 spots were extremely difficult for me to slot. I had 29 teams I felt were worthy of serious consideration to be included in my Top 25 -- and Michigan State was one of these. Fortunately, this was NOT the final poll which will determine the national championship field. MSU has ample opportunities to move up in the rankings with a strong showing in the CCLA tourney. The Spartans can, of course, still capture the AQ and guarantee their berth in Dallas... and as you note this IS an even-numbered year!

[MidwestLaxer]

Michigan State blows out a varsity team (Davenport), blows out Western Michigan, beats Lindenwood, and puts a much better showing on the board against a very tough UM team than Colorado does, and they drop completely out, while Lindenwood and Colorado remain in.

Michigan 8 Colorado 0 goal diff +8
Michigan 13 Michigan St 5 goal diff +8

Western Michigan is 2-8
Lindenwood will not be in the tournament unless AQ

My point was more about MSU dropping OUT of the poll, or at least that is what I mean't it to be, but I obviously blew it in the presentation of the argument.

Why does a #24 team lose to an undefeated #1 team and drop out of the polls? And for Colorado, I don't mean to slam them, but getting shut out is not as good a showing (In my opinion).

I was at the UM vs MSU game, and I've seen film of the UM vs CU game, and I can tell you that MSU played them better (again IMO). CU is by no means a bad team, that's not at all what I'm trying to say. I just don't see how MSU drops out for a loss to UM in a rivalry game.

I agree, though, that MSU is NOT an at large team, no matter what way you look at it.

[Dan Wishengrad]

My point was more about MSU dropping OUT of the poll, or at least that is what I mean't it to be, but I obviously blew it in the presentation of the argument.

Why does a #24 team lose to an undefeated #1 team and drop out of the polls?

You have to look at the bigger picture, and try not to view things regarding your team with such a narrowness of focus. MSU was 24th in the April 9th poll. In the two weeks since that poll other teams may have done more to jump past the Spartans. One such team was clearly Cal, who had only 2 votes total in the 4/9 poll but beat ranked Oregon and ranked Stanford in the past two weeks. Auburn was another team which beat a ranked opponent since the previous poll. Most likely MSU's drop had less to do with anything negative that the Spartans did in the last two weeks than it did with other teams getting more love from the pollsters this time around. And as I said, the bottom 10 spots in the poll were very, very difficult for us pollsters to rank. Look not only at the Top 25, but at the total votes given to teams who wound up not being ranked.

I agree, though, that MSU is NOT an at large team, no matter what way you look at it.

This is probably a fact. But it also should not dismiss another fact that Michigan State is a solid team this year. And the AQ is still there for the taking!

[wheelz33]

Michigan State blows out a varsity team (Davenport), blows out Western Michigan, beats Lindenwood, and puts a much better showing on the board against a very tough UM team than Colorado does, and they drop completely out, while Lindenwood and Colorado remain in.

Michigan 8 Colorado 0 goal diff +8
Michigan 13 Michigan St 5 goal diff +8

Western Michigan is 2-8
Lindenwood will not be in the tournament unless AQ

My point was more about MSU dropping OUT of the poll, or at least that is what I mean't it to be, but I obviously blew it in the presentation of the argument.

Why does a #24 team lose to an undefeated #1 team and drop out of the polls? And for Colorado, I don't mean to slam them, but getting shut out is not as good a showing (In my opinion).

I was at the UM vs MSU game, and I've seen film of the UM vs CU game, and I can tell you that MSU played them better (again IMO). CU is by no means a bad team, that's not at all what I'm trying to say. I just don't see how MSU drops out for a loss to UM in a rivalry game.

I agree, though, that MSU is NOT an at large team, no matter what way you look at it.

they may have dropped out, but they received almost the exact same amount of points as last time (from 71 to 70 i believe). so im guessing that whoever thought they were worth voting before still thought the same, and those that did not didnt think they were worth voting for didnt see any reason to change their minds. i guess certain other teams did enough to receive more votes while state did not. its the way it works sometimes.

[gobblerlax05]

we shall wait and seee what next week brngs!

[gobblerlax05]

another good one! by whellez!! the selc with looks like3 lo teams is ok by me!! 2 ok!

[Highheat]

Can anyone give a little insight as to why Sonoma and UCSB switched spots especially considering their relatively recent head to head result?

[westcoastlax]

I'm no Albert Einstein but I think it has something to do with poll voters placing Sonoma ahead of SB when they submitted their votes.