We are in the polls!

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Like I said early in this thread, how could UND gain votes by being confused with NDSU? Why this week? It makes no sense. Bison fans, please tell me how it coud have happened, I honestly don't get it.

[FargoBison]

Like I said early in this thread, how could UND gain votes by being confused with NDSU? Why this week? It makes no sense. Bison fans, please tell me how it coud have happened, I honestly don't get it.

Well how do we mysteriously lose votes without having played a game? UND's ranking didn't really change in other polls and neither did NDSUs. Since the coaches poll only has 28 voters it is the most vulnerable to error affecting the results.

I know in the AGS poll a few votes that were supposed to go to NDSU, went to UND(the admin that runs that poll said a vote for UND at #5 slipped through last week) but since there are more voters those mistakes had less of an impact.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Well how do we mysteriously lose votes without having played a game? UND's ranking didn't really change in other polls and neither did NDSUs. Since the coaches poll only has 28 voters it is the most vulnerable to error affecting the results.

I know in the AGS poll a few votes that were supposed to go to NDSU, went to UND(the admin that runs that poll said a vote for UND at #5 slipped through last week) but since there are more voters those mistakes had less of an impact.

Could be, it is just so odd that it happened this week, after these same coaches have been voting for the right school, NDSU, in the previous years when you had a good squad and UND was in the quagmire known as early transition. Also, NDSU received votes in the previous polls this year, UND none. Anyway, I thought this was bison gopher week, you guys have better things to worry about. I think your squad should be considered a slight favorite over an awful gopher team.

[FargoBison]

Could be, it is just so odd that it happened this week, after these same coaches have been voting for the right school, NDSU, in the previous years when you had a good squad and UND was in the quagmire known as early transition. Also, NDSU received votes in the previous polls this year, UND none. Anyway, I thought this was bison gopher week, you guys have better things to worry about. I think your squad should be considered a slight favorite over an awful gopher team.

I'm not half as worked up about it as most people are. Just wanted to give my take on it, not sure why it would be a problem now unless maybe the people who run the coaches poll sent out info that inaccurate info and confused the voters somehow.

That said the Gopher game can't come soon enough, I'm optimistic but nervous since this Bison team hasn't really been tested yet. That said I think the bye week beforehand gives us a big advantage.

[jedi]

We're coming! We're coming!

[homer]

I recognize that by playing a competitive game vs Fresno is a good accomplishment but never in modern history has a team dropped 6 spots by virtue of a bye. I think the fact that the 4 Dakota schools were all in the Great West is the root of the confusion.

This is hilarious. You guys probably would have been ranked preseason #1 if all these voters would not have confused the two schools. Last year, you probably would have had home field advantage in the playoffs if not for all the confused voters. Just think of the confusion next week when these voters get confused by us beating a school from South Dakota and you guys possibly beating the gophers. How do any of these voters walk and chew gum at the same time?

The funny part is can you imagine how many e-mails lakes and his cronies have sent these voters? If their fans are sending as classy of e-mails as I heard at work today or any of the postings on this board they are representing themselves great right now. I love the crying though and the idea that everyone believes the to schools were confused for one week and one week only. This is free comedy.

[homer]

Funny thing is that all this "confusion" talk started with a tweet by Terry Vandrovec of the Argus Leader, who seemed miffed that SDSU was the lowest ranked of the four Dakota teams. Given their performance last Saturday night, perhaps that dubious distinction is deserved. And now, their starting quarterback has quit the team. It's looking like a potentially disastrous season in Brookings...

Kolpack proved how classy he is with his twitter response. I think his blog post was comical and I could sense the tears streaming down his cheeks while I was reading it. Than he gets someone to post on their public page what they their opinion on the blog and his response was straight class-

I expect it from fb fans, but now I'm getting !@#$ from an SID on a public domain.

So, he can share his views on his public domain, but when someone shares theirs, he cries even more. Jeff along with all bison fans had a pretty emotional day today and handled it with class . For a team they don't care about anymore they are sure up in arms about this. Look how many came out of the woodwork to post here.

[jacksfan29]

Funny thing is that all this "confusion" talk started with a tweet by Terry Vandrovec of the Argus Leader, who seemed miffed that SDSU was the lowest ranked of the four Dakota teams. Given their performance last Saturday night, perhaps that dubious distinction is deserved. And now, their starting quarterback has quit the team. It's looking like a potentially disastrous season in Brookings...

Did you really see the tweet by TV? I did, it said nothing about confusion and said nothing about his being miffed about SDSU. Instead it simply pointed out that as of now SDSU is considered the worst team of the 4 making for a bad day in Brookings.

[petey23]

Well Coaches ballots are not public until the final poll in FCS.....not sure about FBS.

I guess you would have to check and see how many ballots had both UND and NDSU on them. Obviously if NDSU was left off any ballots then you may have a story here.

I will stick to this. I think at the very least you have to realize that at least a few of UND's votes in the coaches rankings were probably intended for NDSU. Got a feeling our SID is gonna have egg on his face on this one. I would be happy if I was wrong.

[UND1983]

Did you really see the tweet by TV? I did, it said nothing about confusion and said nothing about his being miffed about SDSU. Instead it simply pointed out that as of now SDSU is considered the worst team of the 4 making for a bad day in Brookings.

You missed this one right after that:

"@FGOSPORTSWRITER my theory as the "San Diego State" beat writer: some voted for North Dakota thinking it was North Dakota State."

[UND92,96]

Did you really see the tweet by TV? I did, it said nothing about confusion and said nothing about his being miffed about SDSU. Instead it simply pointed out that as of now SDSU is considered the worst team of the 4 making for a bad day in Brookings.

To clarify, it was Kolpack who responded to Vandrovec's tweet with the theory that it had to be due to confusion by the voters. I apologize if my post was unclear about the true origin of the theory.

[star2city]

So a so-called sports journalist goes to press with a story about how coaches messed up on a poll - based not on evidence but based on the hot air of a notoriously poor, delusional, and misinformed message board?

Does the so-called journalist even have any source that any of the coaches messed up their ballots? None.

Yet he writes a news story - not an opinion piece - about how coaches confuse NDSU with UND.

Wow. That's really classy yellow journalism. Way to get some facts and sources, Kolpack.

[petey23]

My theory is UND got a few votes in the poll in the 20-25 range and that we probably got a few votes in the 5-8 range that were intended for NDSU...it would explain how SU lost over 100 points from last week unless you believe that every coach voted NDSU 12th on average. I don't think we go from getting no votes to having 28 coaches(sid, grad assistants, or whoever) all rank us on average 21st? My bet is 5 or 6 votes completely left SU out of the polls and we recieved their votes. remember votes are awarded as follows 1st-25 points, 2nd-24, 3rd-23 and so on. It's too bad they don't break down how many ballots a team was actually on or off.

[tnt]

It all evens out in the long run. I am sure that NDSU got credit for beating Northern Iowa when we were still Division 2.

[star2city]

This is hilarious. You guys probably would have been ranked preseason #1 if all these voters would not have confused the two schools. Last year, you probably would have had home field advantage in the playoffs if not for all the confused voters. Just think of the confusion next week when these voters get confused by us beating a school from South Dakota and you guys possibly beating the gophers. How do any of these voters walk and chew gum at the same time?

The funny part is can you imagine how many e-mails lakes and his cronies have sent these voters? If their fans are sending as classy of e-mails as I heard at work today or any of the postings on this board they are representing themselves great right now. I love the crying though and the idea that everyone believes the to schools were confused for one week and one week only. This is free comedy.

+++

Here we've been told by bison posters forever that they are a power in FCS and have name recognition. So much name recognition that coaches don't even know NDSU's name.

[JohnboyND7]

This is hilarious. You guys probably would have been ranked preseason #1 if all these voters would not have confused the two schools. Last year, you probably would have had home field advantage in the playoffs if not for all the confused voters. Just think of the confusion next week when these voters get confused by us beating a school from South Dakota and you guys possibly beating the gophers. How do any of these voters walk and chew gum at the same time?

The funny part is can you imagine how many e-mails lakes and his cronies have sent these voters? If their fans are sending as classy of e-mails as I heard at work today or any of the postings on this board they are representing themselves great right now. I love the crying though and the idea that everyone believes the to schools were confused for one week and one week only. This is free comedy.

Lakes is a man of mystery. He works alone.

[sultan]

It really doesn't matter whether we are ranked or not this year. It sure is funny though how people to the south are having a heart attack about the fact that UND might be ranked. They sure have gotten over us. This whole situation is way to funny.

[bincitysioux]

I'll say this......................

It sure was funny listening to Kolpack on WDAY radio tonight trying to explain why North Dakota cracked the poll today............................radio "gold" if you ask me. He was truly offended................................

[darell1976]

I say this whole mistaken identity stuff couldn't come at a better time. Muss should tell his players let's prove those NDSU fans wrong and that we have a right to be in the polls like everyone else. It would be a good motivational tool.

[WYOBISONMAN]

I say this whole mistaken identity stuff couldn't come at a better time. Muss should tell his players let's prove those NDSU fans wrong and that we have a right to be in the polls like everyone else. It would be a good motivational tool.

It likely is a case of mistaken identity.......but this statement is absolutely true......what great fodder for Mussman to fire the kids up. Heck....they will be up for that Black Hills State game.

[UND1983]

I'll say this......................

It sure was funny listening to Kolpack on WDAY radio tonight trying to explain why North Dakota cracked the poll today............................radio "gold" if you ask me. He was truly offended................................

Did "Pom Poms Kolpack" really go on the radio now to discuss this? What is his endgame in all of this - why is a Bison sports writer so worked up about this to the point where he is writing blog articles, tweets, and talking on the radio about it?

[WYOBISONMAN]

Did "Pom Poms Kolpack" really go on the radio now to discuss this? What is his endgame in all of this - why is a Bison sports writer so worked up about this to the point where he is writing blog articles, tweets, and talking on the radio about it?

Probably becasue a lot of sports fans in the Red River Valley are talking about it..............

[sultan]

On the radio yesterday Kolpack said it was hilarious that UND was ranked. He actually used the word hilarious. What a professional he is.

[UND1983]

Did "Pom Poms Kolpack" really go on the radio now to discuss this? What is his endgame in all of this - why is a Bison sports writer so worked up about this to the point where he is writing blog articles, tweets, and talking on the radio about it?

Now he added a full article in the Forum to his investigation:

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/334516/group/Sports/

[UND92,96]

On the radio yesterday Kolpack said it was hilarious that UND was ranked. He actually used the word hilarious. What a professional he is.

So I'm assuming then that if it's "hilarious" that UND entered the poll after taking a pretty decent Fresno State team to the wire, then it must have been even more "hilarious" when USD entered the poll last year after edging the hapless Gophers, right? Or were voters thinking they were voting for SDSU? Hmmmm...