PairWise Rankings

[UND-RedSox fan]

16 minutes ago, GFG said:

Wisconsin hasn't won 3 games in a row all year, so winning 3 games in the B1G tournament when they've only won 2 conference games all year would be pretty impressive for them. Penn State is solidly the 3rd best team in the B1G this year. They're not quite as good as Minnesota or Michigan, but they're very well coached and are capable of beating anyone on a given day. They're without a doubt better than Wisconsin, MSU and OSU. Their series with Michigan this weekend will be interesting because since they joined the B1G they've kind of been Michigans kryptonite. 

They still have the talent to beat anyone in the country on a given night, and that's all it takes in the NCAA tournament. If you think RMU is better than Minnesota you're delusional.

Ohio State seems to be their kryptonite this year. Michigan hasn't held them to fewer than 5 goals in a game yet. Ohio State also stole a game from BC, granted they were missing White. 

I agree it is very unlikely that either Wisconsin or Michigan State win the Big 10 but it is more likely than a bottom team taking the NCHC tournament. And my response was to someone saying I was using a tired cliche of anyone can beat anyone in a conference. Michigan and Minnesota have both shown they are capable of losing to anyone.

[GFG]

14 minutes ago, UND-RedSox fan said:

Ohio State seems to be their kryptonite this year. Michigan hasn't held them to fewer than 5 goals in a game yet. Ohio State also stole a game from BC, granted they were missing White. 

I agree it is very unlikely that either Wisconsin or Michigan State win the Big 10 but it is more likely than a bottom team taking the NCHC tournament. And my response was to someone saying I was using a tired cliche of anyone can beat anyone in a conference. Michigan and Minnesota have both shown they are capable of losing to anyone.

I agree, but not necessarily because of the lack of strength of the conference. I agree because the B1G is a one weekend, single elimination tournament. In comparison, it's very hard for the bottom NCHC teams because they have to win the first round best of 3, which Wisconsin, MSU and OSU would all have trouble accomplishing if the B1G had the same format. There's a reason the top 3 B1G teams are so far separated from the bottom 3 in the conference standings. Whenever they add 2 teams they'll have the same format.

[stoneySIOUX]

27 minutes ago, UND-RedSox fan said:

RPI says Minnesota is better. KRACH says Minnesota is a lot better. Minnesota has a better record in the Big 10 than Robert Morris has in Atlantic Hockey. Robert Morris lost to AIC this year. AIC finished behind Arizona State. Put Kloos, Fasching, and Bristedt in Atlantic Hockey and they would put up Johnny Gaudreau numbers. As GFG says, if you think RobMo is better than Minnesota, you are lying to yourself.

Btw, I never actually said RMU is better. I just don't think Minny is much better, if at all. Bristedt? Meh... the other two would definitely light it up, but again, not much is separating AHC and the Big 10 this year.

Maybe Minny can take their paper talent all the way into the paper tournament and win a paper natty?

I find it comical that Minny is getting this much respect from this board lol.

 

[scpa0305]

1 hour ago, stoneySIOUX said:

 

Where are you guys seeing this talent?? I haven't seen much outside of Fasching or Kloos this season.

On paper.... ugh. Makes no sense to give them this kind of credit. Whether if they should be good or not is so irrelevant because they aren't. Last year, they shoulda won a title, right?

Just because we have heard more about these kids before they played for Minnesota, doesn't mean they are better. Numbers are real.

We're giving Minny credit for what they "should" be and not what they are.

All this being said, it's easy to say we'd rather play RMU because we know Minny very well and we know what the rivalry does to these games. But, simply put, Minnesota isn't very good.

Oh, and btw, Minny isn't going to make the tournament.... making the call

I am talking about the players on their team....most of them.  Even Ryan Norman was supposed to be better than he has been so far.  They just aren't producing.  Many of the players on their team were great college prospects, it just hasn't materialized this year.  Minny has the pick of the litter (in almost all cases) and their kids were all were good players before heading to college.  Most of them could have gone to any other college in the country.  The problem with MN is not talent, it's that they don't play the game the right way.  Kids on their lowers lines won't accept that they are lower line players.  For the past two years their locker room has been non stop drama.

Back to the point, all I was saying is that their roster has many talented individuals.  In a one and done tourney, that can sometimes cause problems.  I do agree with you on one thing though, I too don't think they'll make it.

[stoneySIOUX]

3 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

I am talking about the players on their team....most of them.  Even Ryan Norman was supposed to be better than he has been so far.  They just aren't producing.  Many of the players on their team were great college prospects, it just hasn't materialized this year.  Minny has the pick of the litter (in almost all cases) and their kids were all were good players before heading to college.  Most of them could have gone to any other college in the country.  The problem with MN is not talent, it's that they don't play the game the right way.  Kids on their lowers lines won't accept that they are lower line players.  For the past two years their locker room has been non stop drama.

Back to the point, all I was saying is that their roster has many talented individuals.  In a one and done tourney, that can sometimes cause problems.

So can talented players (Lynch, Gibson), playing on a full team. Ie. Union and The Ghost.

I'm beating my head against a wall just to slight the Gophers. I thought more would be on board with me

Wrapping all this up. simply put, I am not afraid of either and there is no reason we shouldn't handle either.

[scpa0305]

Ghost just didn't come out of no where...he was a 3rd rounder who played on the US U-20 team.  He was well known. There were also others from the Union team who were good.  I also believe they were one of the top ranked teams in the country that year.  RMU is not, and they won't win the tourney this year.

Ok, I'm done.  Gophs suck.

[SiouxFanatic]

GFG, you need to quit being a level-headed Minnesota fan. Where's Mariucci or whatever username he's using now to come defend Minnesota's honor in a irrational/incoherent manner!? 

[stoneySIOUX]

17 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Ok, I'm done.  Gophs suck.

This was my point the whole time!! Everyone just took longer to catch on haha.

Minny won't win it, either. Unless the tourney is played on paper

[The Sicatoka]

We know the #16 PWR slot is poison; it is gone to the AHA tournament champion. 

I'm going on record now saying expect the #15 PWR slot to be poison also. Why? I only see MTU from the WCHA in the PWR top 16. Odds are someone other than MTU wins that autobid (think: Purple Cows or BSU Beavers). 

If you're sitting at #17 PWR right now, you legitimately need to jump three PWR (to #14) slots to be safe. That's a tall order unless you're playing (and winning) games against team higher than you in RPI/PWR. 

Now imagine all that plus #18 PWR Penn State winning the B1G autobid. I'd argue that #14 PWR just turned poison. 

[GFG]

38 minutes ago, SiouxFanatic said:

GFG, you need to quit being a level-headed Minnesota fan. Where's Mariucci or whatever username he's using now to come defend Minnesota's honor in a irrational/incoherent manner!? 

I always try and look at things for how they really are. I think the B1G will be just fine whenever they add 2 more teams. They won't be the deepest conference but I'd bet money that they'll get 2-3 at-large bids in the NCAA tournament every year with an 8 team conference. One of those at-large bids can certainly turn into the auto-bid if they win the tournament, but I think the conference will be sitting fine.

Judging by some of Rick Pizzo's tweets today I'd expect the B1G announces ASU as an affiliate member whenever they're ready to make the announcement ("very soon") and then they'll announce someone else. So I'm going to say the B1G is an 8 team conference for the 2017-2018 conference. Just one more year of this 6 team crap 

[UNDBIZ]

55 minutes ago, GFG said:

I always try and look at things for how they really are. I think the B1G will be just fine whenever they add 2 more teams. They won't be the deepest conference but I'd bet money that they'll get 2-3 at-large bids in the NCAA tournament every year with an 8 team conference. One of those at-large bids can certainly turn into the auto-bid if they win the tournament, but I think the conference will be sitting fine.

Judging by some of Rick Pizzo's tweets today I'd expect the B1G announces ASU as an affiliate member whenever they're ready to make the announcement ("very soon") and then they'll announce someone else. So I'm going to say the B1G is an 8 team conference for the 2017-2018 conference. Just one more year of this 6 team crap 

Wait, you think adding ASU and UCONN is going to improve the conference? 

[Cratter]

7 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

Wait, you think adding ASU and UCONN is going to improve the conference? 

This way the conference can get splits with ASU and UConn instead of getting swept by UMD and SCSU.

[GFG]

17 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

Wait, you think adding ASU and UCONN is going to improve the conference? 

Overall, no. What it does is add more teams. It allows the top programs like Minnesota and Michigan to record extra wins, similar to CC and Western Michigan in the NCHC, to bump them up and will help make for more 'average' teams, rather than a clear cut top 3 and a bottom 3. 

[Cratter]

20 minutes ago, GFG said:

Overall, no. What it does is add more teams. It allows the top programs like Minnesota and Michigan to record extra wins, similar to CC and Western Michigan in the NCHC, to bump them up and will help make for more 'average' teams, rather than a clear cut top 3 and a bottom 3. 

But the same number of hockey games will be played. Currently the Big Ten could schedule any cupcake they wanted. All this does is take those nonconference games and turns them into guarantee games every year.

If CC and Western wasn't in the NCHC, UND would just schedule Uconn and Anchorage instead. 

What I'm hearing is it'll make the Big Ten "look more respectable."

[GFG]

Just now, Cratter said:

But the same number of hockey games will be played. Currently the Big Ten could schedule any cupcake they wanted. All this does is take those nonconference games and turns them into guarantee games every year.

That's what the NCHC has with Western Michigan and CC this year. They're basically guarantee games. The B1G can't keep it the same because there's almost no way they could make a 28 game conference schedule work, which is what would happen if they added 2 teams and kept everybody playing each other 4 games per year. Doesn't leave enough for non-conference. They'd likely make it like the NCHC schedule, where you have 24 conference games and have 2 teams you only see once per year. So it would take away 4 nonconference games

[Cratter]

3 minutes ago, GFG said:

That's what the NCHC has with Western Michigan and CC this year. They're basically guarantee games. The B1G can't keep it the same because there's almost no way they could make a 28 game conference schedule work, which is what would happen if they added 2 teams and kept everybody playing each other 4 games per year. Doesn't leave enough for non-conference. They'd likely make it like the NCHC schedule, where you have 24 conference games and have 2 teams you only see once per year. So it would take away 4 nonconference games

So all you did was agree with me and describe how schedules usually work in college hockey (which I'm aware of)?

[Cratter]

Here's what you should have said: The Big Ten sucks (and not just competitively) because no one wants to only play five other teams all year long, with each one a guaranteed four games against each. 

If the NCHC can get six out of eight teams in the national tournament (last year), the Big Ten could get four (in the current format). Its about winning games not how many teams are in the conference. 

[GFG]

36 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Here's what you should have said: The Big Ten sucks (and not just competitively) because no one wants to only play five other teams all year long, with each one a guaranteed four games against each. 

If the NCHC can get six out of eight teams in the national tournament (last year), the Big Ten could get four (in the current format). Its about winning games not how many teams are in the conference. 

I don't disagree, but don't forget the NCHC was very close to only having one team in the NCAA tournament 2 years ago (B1G very close to 3) and only ended up getting 3 in because Wisconsin won the B1G championship game and allowed UND to back-door in. The B1G will probably never get 6 teams in but it's not at all out of the question that they could consistently have 3-4 in once some of the programs recover a bit (Fire Eaves and Anastos). 

[ClassB]

Okay Okay Okay can we move on from the B1G. 

[stoneySIOUX]

DDC's final Roses and Thorns column of the 2015-16 regular season!

bit.ly/1pd8THN

[Fetch]

If ASU ends up in PIG 10    

I might actually go to a game someday ........In Arizona 

Otherwise no way I want anything to do with them

[jimdahl]

Though they're not quite yet a mathematical lock, I'll make the call for Denver...

College Hockey Ranked - One more team you should expect to see in the NCAA tournament

 

[Vegas_Sioux]

So the latest uscho bracketology has Denver as a 6 in the UND region is that right having the second 2 seed in the overall 1 bracket  

[The Sicatoka]

Uh ... folks ... the "bracketology" experts before Sunday, March 20, 2016, matter as much as the points on "Whose Line Is It Anyway". 

There are a lot of games to be played yet and the PWR will shift around. Tell me what the PWR looks like, and start making bracketology guesses, after the last conference tournament game is done. 

Until then, why worry about it. 

[sprig]

1 hour ago, Vegas_Sioux said:

So the latest uscho bracketology has Denver as a 6 in the UND region is that right having the second 2 seed in the overall 1 bracket  

Should be #8, but swaps are made for attendance, so Michigan is moved to Cincinnati, which brings Denver to St. Paul, if the season was over. They will make swaps like this for attendance, they have every year. But like Sic says, positions will change by a week from Sunday.