Discuss upcoming games, report scores WCLL week 5

[Bluevelvet]

I tend to agree that BYU probably will turn it around, but, again playing devil's advocate, let's just suppose that they lose the games against the teams that are currently rated higher than them, Michigan, CSU & Sonoma. That gives them 5 losses. They would probably have to face CSU again in the playoffs and let's also assume they lose that since CSU is rated higher. That's 6 losses not counting the D3 games they have to play. That scenario might be tough for them to hold on to spot between 10-13 that they'll need to get an AQ.

Just for fun I looked up the 2002 season. These are the records of tournament teams. Each one lost a game in St. Louis (so they came in with one less loss than shown).
CSU 17-5
UCSB 16-6
BYU 17-6
Stanford 10-8
Arizona 16-5
Cal 15-6

It seems as though 6 losses was OK in 2002 but there is an additional conference now, GRLC, so there is one less at large berth. I think 6 losses is close to the cut off. Particularly if there is an upset in a weaker conference championship.
Maybe the era of the 5-7 super teams is over. Maybe we are returning to a more wide open era like 2001 and 2002.

[CATLAX MAN]

Just for fun I looked up the 2002 season. These are the records of tournament teams.

This was also the year that Auburn came in either undefeated or with 1 loss as the #2 seed. I think we know how that turned out.

[grinderpete]

For the most part the top 15 teams play each other almost exclusively. They have maybe one or two non-conference games against not top 25 teams. Each of these teams realizes that to win the NC they need to play the best schedule possible. No one is going to have a perfect record. Twice (that I can think of) Teams won it all with 1 loss on the season (CSU 03, and SSU 02 - I know, I know, it was to a NCAA team). Because the top 15 teams push themselves to play the best, no one goes to nationals with an unblemished record.

Now what you are describing about BYU has happened before. It happened to Arizona in 03. They even beat BYU that year, but lost to almost everybody else that was good. And the same thing happened last year, but AZ got in. I think it depends more on how other teams in the 10-20 range fare than how BYU plays.

[Bluevelvet]

UCSB 2004- 24-1. How quickly they forget.

[CATLAX MAN]

For the most part the top 15 teams play each other almost exclusively. They have maybe one or two non-conference games against not top 25 teams. Each of these teams realizes that to win the NC they need to play the best schedule possible. No one is going to have a perfect record.

I do agree that the top teams tend to schedule all the top teams, so it is very unusual for one of them to not to have some losses. That was the reason I brought up the 2002 Auburn tean as an example. It is the age old argument of scheduling difficult teams and getting tourney ready vs. scheduling lesser teams and building a good record.

[grinderpete]

UCSB 2004- 24-1. How quickly they forget.

I was thinking that they had losses to CSU and Sonoma. But alas I was wrong.

[grinderpete]

For the most part the top 15 teams play each other almost exclusively. They have maybe one or two non-conference games against not top 25 teams. Each of these teams realizes that to win the NC they need to play the best schedule possible. No one is going to have a perfect record.

I do agree that the top teams tend to schedule all the top teams, so it is very unusual for one of them to not to have some losses. That was the reason I brought up the 2002 Auburn tean as an example. It is the age old argument of scheduling difficult teams and getting tourney ready vs. scheduling lesser teams and building a good record.

In Auburn's defense they were the Conference champs so they would have been there for sure, but has there been a team who has come in with a pretty record that was not an AQ, that laid an egg? The voters in this league have tended to reward tough schedules with higher rankings than easy schedules with better results.

[CATLAX MAN]

The only one that comes to mind was a highly touted Colorado team in 2002 (?) that lost all 3 games they played.

[sohotrightnow]

Didn't BYU lay an egg against Cal in 1999 when they were the number 1 seed?

[grinderpete]

I guess what I was saying was, Has there been a team that has played an easy regular season schedule, and gone to the dance over someone who played a tougher schedule.

In defense of that BYU team, Robbie Warner played out of his mind that day, only to play a sub-par game in the semi's.

I remember that Colorado team, great talent, but didn't play well together.

[dtrain34]

Hello?

Rob Warner is only as good as the defensemen infront of him (whether that be the mandible Kreitz, the former Adonis sohotrightnow, or the derailed Train)...who never make the right slides, who should be able to stop every fast break and man down, and who take the ball away from their attackmen behind the goal and instead of goosing it back to him, try to clear it themselves through the crease, as he proceeds to yell disparaging remarks at them for ruining his saves. Although the man used to be able to hit middies all over the field in full stride, perhaps an outlet to one of his long poles every once in a while would have been appreciated...that or at least a thank you for having to carry his equipment around for him. "I can't hurt my hands. My hands are my life baby."
The guy has "62" saves in one game and has a plaque of himself erected in balboa park and he never thinks he should have to carry a bag again.

"Unbelievable. Goalie had the game of his life."

Zing. BANG. PIPE

[CATLAX MAN]

I remember that Colorado team, great talent, but didn't play well together.

Yes, as it turned out, Jumbo did very little crease-clearing and candy taking that year.

[3rdPersonPlural]

CSU beat UCSB 6-5

Sloppy game

[Saul C]

For the most part the top 15 teams play each other almost exclusively. They have maybe one or two non-conference games against not top 25 teams. Each of these teams realizes that to win the NC they need to play the best schedule possible. No one is going to have a perfect record.

I do agree that the top teams tend to schedule all the top teams, so it is very unusual for one of them to not to have some losses. That was the reason I brought up the 2002 Auburn tean as an example. It is the age old argument of scheduling difficult teams and getting tourney ready vs. scheduling lesser teams and building a good record.

All hail the mighty UCSB. Nice pompus attitude.

[sohotrightnow]

How is that pompous? It's the truth! Auburn was overrated and got destroyed by a lower-ranked UCSB team.