Week 5 Polls

[Bison06]

Only poll that matters to me is the not human bias massey ratings. UND is #12 in the country.

I think UND should be ranked, but 12 seems a bit high at this point IMO. I would say 21-23 sounds right.

[Jheria]

UND's next five games are flat out a total meat grinder. I saw the Griz play...like most teams they have issues, but they are more than solid. If UND wins the 3 home games at a minimum, I think they are easily at top 20 team at 6-3 after 9 weeks.

Agreed and I say 7-2 after 9 weeks

[Cratter]

I think UND should be ranked, but 12 seems a bit high at this point IMO. I would say 21-23 sounds right.

Doesnt the other computer ranking Sagarin have UND 18? Seems a lot more accurate than polls based on Coaches and media. UND has never been playoff eligible before. You dont generally vote for those newcomers.

[Cratter]

UND realistically is the 15th FCS team in the country right now. Soon after the playoffs, they will be #1.

[krangodance]

pretty surprised UND didn't enter the top 25 this week.

i don't expect UNI to drop much after losing to NDSU. If they lose to SIU they will not be ranked, or receive votes. UNI is getting a lot of leeway to lose games that they should lose and were expected to lose, because they were supposed to lose those games. UNI has done exactly what was expected of a top10 team facing their schedule.

On the other hand UND had gotten thrashed by idaho, won ugly against drake, and lost to a fresno state team that was so bad last year their renowned, likely future hall-of-famer coach got canned. Not exactly parallel scenarios.

I'm trying to figure out where I compared 2012 Northern Iowa to 2011 UND.

Or suggested UNI would still be ranked if they lost to SIU.

[Herd]

I have nothing against Northern Iowa but their only win is against a D2 school. Granted they played some upper level teams. It was just seem that a team would need to have at least one win against an FCS team to be ranked. There are a lot of strange rankings in the Coaches poll. The bottom line is we need to keep winning and it will take care of itself.

UND or NDSU would likely be 1-3 also or 2-2 at best with that schedule . . . are you kidding me? Iowa and WI would be L's, and Youngstown on the road would likely be an L also. UND would have no DI wins with UNI's schedule. Why UNI scheduled themselves virtually out of the playoffs is a head scratcher. They are not out of it yet though. Don't be fooled by their record.

If YSU is a top 3 team, then UNI's performance thus far this year is top 10. Name another FCS that plays WI and IA to the end? Not many, not many.

[UND1983]

UND or NDSU would likely be 1-3 also or 2-2 at best with that schedule . . . are you kidding me? Iowa and WI would be L's, and Youngstown on the road would likely be an L also. UND would have no DI wins with UNI's schedule. Why UNI scheduled themselves virtually out of the playoffs is a head scratcher. They are not out of it yet though. Don't be fooled by their record.

And we would be saying that neither of them should be ranked because they are 1-3. Don't understand why Bison fans keep trying to give them credit for LOSING. Three times.

[krangodance]

UND or NDSU would likely be 1-3 also or 2-2 at best with that schedule . . . are you kidding me?

I agree. And I wouldn't expect them to be ranked.

[UND1983]

I agree. And I wouldn't expect them to be ranked.

Exactly, well put.

[mg2009]

I'm trying to figure out where I compared 2012 Northern Iowa to 2011 UND.

Or suggested UNI would still be ranked if they lost to SIU.

sorry, I lumped my reply to you with a reply to someone else, then forgot the quote.

1-3 is 1-3, even if they are a really good team.

and that if that team is 1-3 and looks like a better team than say, everyone ranked 12th and below, shouldn't you ranked them above those teams? UNI is a better team than most of the top 25, and as such they should be ranked like it. If a team is ranked 9th preseason, is expected to lose a couple games off the bat, and does so, why would you drop them when they did exactly (or in this case, better) than you expected?

You can't be logically consistent and punish a team for performing exactly as expected, unless you decide that rankings should have no predictive capacity. Who is better than who? the argument from those opposed to a high ranking for UNI would be 'who gives a !@#$?'

UNI will start 1-4 and will be a top10 team, even if some people can't wrap their heads around it.

[Herd]

And we would be saying that neither of them should be ranked because they are 1-3. Don't understand why Bison fans keep trying to give them credit for LOSING. Three times.

And I'm saying that your team would be 1-3 with that schedule also. If you are saying that UNI is a bad team, or that you should be ranked ahead of them, you would be wrong on both counts.

[bincitysioux]

Don't understand why Bison fans keep trying to give them credit for LOSING. Three times.

Because they play them next week................

[bincitysioux]

I vote on AGS, and I had UNI in my Top 10 the first 3 weeks. I don't have them in my poll this week. Do I think UNI is a bad team? No. But they don't have a DI win and it is now week 4. I understand that they have had arguably the toughest schedule in all of FCS thus far................ But when I fill out my ballot, I'm thinking of what teams will be playoff teams. Right now, UNI has a tough road to hoe as far as making the playoffs. UNI would likely throttle the OVC, NEC, and Big South leaders, but right now those schools have a better chance of participating in the playoffs than does Northern Iowa.............................

[The Sicatoka]

Why UNI scheduled themselves virtually out of the playoffs is a head scratcher.

Why? Easy. Follow the Benjamins.

Their athletic department needed the money because the State of Iowa has fiscal issues.

UNI played UW and Iowa and came home with checks totaling $950,000.

[UND1983]

And I'm saying that your team would be 1-3 with that schedule also. If you are saying that UNI is a bad team, or that you should be ranked ahead of them, you would be wrong on both counts.

Did you read what I wrote? I simply said that neither UND or NDSU or ANYONE in the country should be ranked if they are 1-3. This has nothing to do with UND but Yes, I agree 100% that UND would be 1-3. And UNRANKED.

Everyone on here is stating that UNI should not be given praise for LOSING. Maybe after 1 loss but now they have lost 3 times.

Their own fans are saying they should not be ranked, but of course expert Bison fans think they should.

[UNDColorado]

I couldn't agree more 83, well said.

[UND1983]

The other comment I love is how the MVFC calls themselves the "SEC of FCS"...

By all the National Championships you have won in a row? I believe the SEC won 6 in a row and is completely dominant, MVFC has 2 in the past 12 years, with one of the teams not even in the league anymore.

By how dominating they all are in the playoffs? We saw how that has gone.

If anything the CAA can call themselves the SEC if they really want to, based on NC's and playoff participants. But they don't because it sounds so incredibly lame.

[krangodance]

I vote on AGS, and I had UNI in my Top 10 the first 3 weeks. I don't have them in my poll this week. Do I think UNI is a bad team? No. But they don't have a DI win and it is now week 4. I understand that they have had arguably the toughest schedule in all of FCS thus far................ But when I fill out my ballot, I'm thinking of what teams will be playoff teams. Right now, UNI has a tough road to hoe as far as making the playoffs. UNI would likely throttle the OVC, NEC, and Big South leaders, but right now those schools have a better chance of participating in the playoffs than does Northern Iowa.............................

Exactly. UNI could still earn their way back into the top 25 but right now they have no business being there.

[krangodance]

And I'm saying that your team would be 1-3 with that schedule also. If you are saying that UNI is a bad team, or that you should be ranked ahead of them, you would be wrong on both counts.

It's clear that he knows exactly what you're saying. What's just as clear is he said nothing about UNI being a bad team or UND being better than UNI, which can't be stated definitively either way at this point. What he is saying is whether it be UNI, UND or any other team, a 1-3 team should not be ranked #14 in the country when their only win is over a DII team.

You'd never see this at the FBS level. If Cal beat Maine then lost to Alabama, LSU and Stanford they would not be in the top 25 because, even though those are highly ranked teams, there's nothing to suggest that Cal is worthy of a top 25 spot in this hypothetical scenario. If, however, they went on to win the rest of their games including wins over USC and Oregon then they'd likely be a 20 - 25 team in the rankings since their only losses would be to teams ranked above them and they'd have quality wins to show they're worthy of top 25 consideration. So, just like UNI could eventually make a case for a #14 ranking, they haven't done that yet while other teams have made such a statement. Those other teams should have earned the right to hold those higher rankings until future games prove otherwise. I simply don't see any objective way somebody can argue against this.

What seems to be lost here is that it's up to each team to decide how tough they want their non-conference schedule to be. Scheduling a bunch of cupcakes will make it easier to get wins but you don't get the attention of voters that way. Scheduling a bunch of tough matchups, on the other hand, does give a team the chance to prove they're a top tier team but it also puts them at risk of starting off, say, 1-3. It's up to the team to decide where the right balance of risk and reward lies for their team. If losses in tough matchups mean nothing then basically a team can schedule four FBS teams from AQ conferences knowing that a win will get them noticed but a loss carries no risk at all. That's just plain illogical.

None of this really matters since UNI will eventually have to prove themselves but this calls into question the integrity of the voters.

[krangodance]

Why? Easy. Follow the Benjamins.

Their athletic department needed the money because the State of Iowa has fiscal issues.

UNI played UW and Iowa and came home with checks totaling $950,000.

This is a fair argument. As they said in one popular 80s show though: "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life".

You want that big payday? Hey, I don't blame you. You want two big paydays in one season? Go right ahead. But understand that if you put those tough games on your schedule and you end up 1-3 through four games then we can't make a statement that you're worthy of being ranked. That's the risk / reward you have to weigh. Fortunately it's a long season so the world isn't crashing down around you yet but you get what you sign up for. Unless you're UNI apparently.

[mnbison]

The other comment I love is how the MVFC calls themselves the "SEC of FCS"....

That's interesting 83, care to share a link where anyone from the MVFC has said what is quoted above since I haven't seen it. Now if you said some fans or even media said that then I wouldn't be surprised at all but since you said the MVFC calls themselves the SEC of FCS, well then I'd like to read where Patti V or someone else with the conference said it. I don't think MVFC is like the SEC. I would say right now it appears the conference is pretty good but it's still early in the season.

[UND1983]

That's interesting 83, care to share a link where anyone from the MVFC has said what is quoted above since I haven't seen it. Now if you said some fans or even media said that then I wouldn't be surprised at all but since you said the MVFC calls themselves the SEC of FCS, well then I'd like to read where Patti V or someone else with the conference said it. I don't think MVFC is like the SEC. I would say right now it appears the conference is pretty good but it's still early in the season.

Nice way to dance around it by pigeon holing it to only Patty V. Weak. Of course she isn't going to say it, she never says anything.

Several media members, including your own, and SIU coach Dale Lennon have said it. That is multiple people who work in the league and are the media for the league that are trying to put it out there for people to believe.

http://m.thesouthern.com/sports/college/football/dawgs-to-be-tested-in-sec-of-division-i-aa/article_33f494dc-014a-11e2-803b-0019bb2963f4.html

[UND-FB-FAN]

Did you read what I wrote? I simply said that neither UND or NDSU or ANYONE in the country should be ranked if they are 1-3. This has nothing to do with UND but Yes, I agree 100% that UND would be 1-3. And UNRANKED.

Everyone on here is stating that UNI should not be given praise for LOSING. Maybe after 1 loss but now they have lost 3 times.

Their own fans are saying they should not be ranked, but of course expert Bison fans think they should.

Interesting...makes you wonder

[Bison06]

It will all work itself out in the wash. I honestly don't understand the emphasis people are putting on the rankings in week 3? A large portion of people vote in the first half of the season based on the past season as well unfortunately. No doubt UNI is enjoying the good will they built for themselves at the end of last season right now. Ultimately the only time that rankings matter is come playoff time.

Is NDSU really the #1 team in the country right now? Who the hell knows we haven't beaten anyone in the FCS worth a damn yet. Nobody has earned their ranking in week 3 or week 4 I guess it would be. There just isn't a large enough sample size to make good decisions so people are voting with last season in mind.

[UND-FB-FAN]

Right now if you use the Sports Network Polls, the MVFC has an average position of 11th with 5 top 25 teams: 1) NDSU 3) Youngstown St. 13) Illinois State 14) N. Iowa and 25) South Dakota St.

The Big Sky has an average position in the polls of 15th with 5 top 25 teams: 2) Montana State 7) Eastern Washington 21) Montana 22) Northern Arizona and 23) Cal Poly

If you included the next two teams (1 per conference) you would have UND at 30th and Indiana State at 32nd, which would put the positioning closer with the MVFC avg. place 15 and Big Sky avg. place at 17.5

The major argument for both conferences would be N. Iowa in the MVFC and Montana in the Big Sky. N. Iowa is 1-3 and simply should not be in the polls. This isnt the final season poll, they should be allowed to win themselves back into the poll but not be babied and allowed to stay in the poll just because they scheduled tough - thats just poor logic. As far as Montana goes, I think NAU should at least be ahead of them. There only D1 wins so far have been Liberty and South Dakota, both at home. But, if you compare the two swing teams (Montana and N. Iowa), I'd say hands down Montana is the better team (IMO).