Lindenwood University sure to make the poll

[beckner11]

Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO...basically St. Louis for those who don't know that area too well) has started out on fire. They are currently undefeated and this weekend have beaten a solid Illinois team in overtime then turned around today and beat #12 Duluth in another 1 goal game. They face-off against Miami (OH) tomorrow in another tough test. They have the tough schedule they need, and have proven that they have the talent to play with some of the best.
Anyone want to say where they think these guys should stand in the polls?

I personally would put them around #20 for now but watch for them to be on the move as the season goes on.

[oaklandlax]

Troy Hood is a great coach, he is really making the team play to a high level. Oakland played them in the fall and they were a soild team. They truly belong in the top 25

[Bluevelvet]

Lindenwood should be ranked in the top 25, but don't try to hype that powderpuff schedule.
Illinois is unranked and Lindenwood only won by 1 goal at home.
Usually overrated UMD is now 3-2 with no more ranked opponents on their schedule. They will most likely be out of the top 20 by the next poll.
The Texas teams are in free fall and should all be out of the top 20 in the next poll.
Missouri is already out of the top 25.
By the end of the year, Miami is probably the only top 20 opponent Lindenwood will have played.

[beckner11]

Keep in mind that Lindenwood also plays 3 opponents that are in the top 25, within the next 2 weeks. If they win those games I think they are more than deserving of being a top 20 team. The teams on that poll were put there for a reason, so I wouldn't start saying that those games mean next to nothing since the teams aren't doing as good as supposed to. They must still be very talented even to get that much respect. Even if every team on in the poll were to struggle this year, you SHOULD still say that they are very solid teams, regardless.

[Bluevelvet]

Lindenwood plays Miami #17, UMD #12, Texas #24, Texas Tech #23, and Missouri (unranked), Those are the only possible top 25 teams that Lindenwood plays.
As stated above, except for Miami, those teams will probably not be ranked by the time the next poll comes out.
You do not get credit for playing a top 20 team unless that team remains a top 20 team.
It sort of like a catch 22. If Lindenwood (or any other hypothetical team) defeats a #23 ranked team, that team may drop out of the top 25, partly because they lost to Lindenwood (or any other hypothetical team).
In reality now, the Texas teams (all of them) have been getting clobbered OOC and even in the LSA. Their rankings will surely drop significantly. UMD may hang on to a low top 20 spot, or move down further due to losing twice to lower ranked teams (Lindenwood and Miami). Missouri is already out of the top 25.
That leaves Miami. If Lindenwood beats Miami, 2 things happen Lindenwood's stock goes up and Miami's goes down. That is life in the 15-25 rankings. In order to get free of that bind, Lindenwood needs to play top 10 teams, but of course Missouri tried that and look what happened.
As I stated above, Lindenwood deserves to be ranked in the top 25 in the next poll. In order to be ranked in the top 15, Lindenwood needs to play some top 10 or at least some top 15 teams that remain in the top 10 or 15.
I congratulate Lindenwood on their fine season to date. But they do not have a tough schedule. No amount of board hype is going to change that.

[UVAlax15]

Lindenwood was a very solid program. I would say that they are comparable to an Oakland squad that we played last year in the CCLA finals.

Overall, their offense is pretty good and they dont have any weak players from what I noticed. I see them in the polls for the rest of the season and winning out the weak GRLC.

[LaxGuru]

This goes to show how teams get ranked based on recognition of the team or coach, the fact that Missouri was even ranked at all this year should be proof alone that the system needs to be fixed.

[Kyle Berggren]

and you're new system would be.....?

BCS?!?!

You're slighting a system because of how the first poll turned out. We play the games for a reason, spots change, and the only poll that really matters is the last one. I'm sorry no one knew LU was the real deal before they played any games.

[OAKS]

This goes to show how teams get ranked based on recognition of the team or coach, the fact that Missouri was even ranked at all this year should be proof alone that the system needs to be fixed.

That's just absurd. Preseason is essentially just what the team did the year before with a little emphasis on who graduated and any new players. They won the GRLC last year, and although only went 1-4 against top 25 teams, i think 19 is a pretty logical position for a team in their position. How else would you do preseason polls? Draw names out of a hat. It's not like they really matter anyway except to spark conversations.

[Hugh Nunn]

This goes to show how teams get ranked based on recognition of the team or coach, the fact that Missouri was even ranked at all this year should be proof alone that the system needs to be fixed.

How would you have ranked anyone outside the top ten or so this early?

This is not the BCS. There are not millions of dollars and the entire Div 1A alumni suicide rate to think of. This is however, a national organization governing the rank and file as best it can. The BoD is largely successful in its rulings. But not every rule or facet will always agree with everyone or every team.

If you really feel that you have an idea that will improve on the current system, them PM sonny. He will be more than happy to entertain ideas to help streamline or improve the efforts in the league. Otherwise, nihilistic statements like the one above do nothing but waste electrons.

[Danny Hogan]

This goes to show how teams get ranked based on recognition of the team or coach, the fact that Missouri was even ranked at all this year should be proof alone that the system needs to be fixed.

GRLC Division A
1. Mizzou
2. Illinois
3. Lindenwood
4. Wash U.
5. SMS
6. Illinois State
7. SLU
8. Iowa
9. KU
10. KSU

thats the GRLC pre-season poll. Can u think of anyone who would be more qualified to rank those 10 teams?

[Andy Sharp]

That's just absurd. Preseason is essentially just what the team did the year before with a little emphasis on who graduated and any new players.

Reading this statement made me think of Colorado State, isn't it interesting when you look at the significant guys missing from last year.

#7 Johnson, Kelten - Att - Sr - 1st Team All-American
#24 Disney, Matt - Att - Jr

#12 Koll, Derek - Mid - So - HM All-American
#14 Clark, Dave - Fogo - Jr - HM All-American
#19 Eichhorn, Phil - Mid - Sr
#22 Robinson, Thomas - Mid - Jr

#4 Greeson, Michael - Def - So
#17 Plonkey, Mark - LSM - Sr - 1st Team All-American

The season has only just begun, but in CSU's case it does not appear that that generalization is unwise.

[DG]

This goes to show how teams get ranked based on recognition of the team or coach, the fact that Missouri was even ranked at all this year should be proof alone that the system needs to be fixed.

How would you have ranked anyone outside the top ten or so this early?

This is not the BCS. There are not millions of dollars and the entire Div 1A alumni suicide rate to think of. This is however, a national organization governing the rank and file as best it can. The BoD is largely successful in its rulings. But not every rule or facet will always agree with everyone or every team.

If you really feel that you have an idea that will improve on the current system, them PM sonny. He will be more than happy to entertain ideas to help streamline or improve the efforts in the league. Otherwise, nihilistic statements like the one above do nothing but waste electrons.

Hugh,

The easiest answer is not to do any polls until weeks 4 or 5. The downside is that the west coast teams have a huge advantage in that system because they will have played several games by that time. Leagues like the Pioneer have not even really started yet (don't get mad at me UNH fan...you had a nice win...I'm just making a generalization).

This is my biggest problem with the BC$. Once a team gets a spot in the poll, it is difficult to justify them slipping if they don't lose. Undeserving teams get ranked highly based on the prior year's performance, and more deserving teams lose a shot at glory because everyone overlooked them at the beginning of the year.

DG

[CSUalum32]

Lindenwood is starting off strong, good work. i would have to agree with previous posts about the strength of schedule, they do have a couple of top 25 teams from the last poll on their schedule. after this past weekend and what is to come, they may not have another top 25 team for the rest of the season, or till the playoffs. this may prove to be set back later on in the season.

[Guest]

Alot of top notch teams would not schedule Lindenwood b/c of their showing last year. Not to name teams, but a few top 10 teams turned down Lindenwood's offer to come to there Invitational this year. Scheduling is not always the easiest thing to do, especially when they best teams are at least 12 hours away.