Sports Network Poll

[TexasTerror]

Sports Network's I-AA College Football Poll
Team (First-place votes) 2004 Record Points Previous Rank
1. Southern Illinois Salukis (79) 2-0 2,817 4
2. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (4) 2-0 2,579 8
3. New Hampshire Wildcats (5) 1-0 2,445 7
4. Montana Grizzlies (8) 1-1 2,415 3
5. Eastern Washington Eagles (10) 0-1 2,338 6
6. Delaware Blue Hens (4) 1-0 2,291 10
7. William & Mary Tribe (1) 1-1 1,961 11
8. James Madison Dukes 1-1 1,926 1
9. Northern Iowa Panthers (1) 2-0 1,918 12
10. Furman Paladins 1-1 1,661 2
11. Montana State Bobcats (1) 1-1 1,601 16
12. North Dakota State Bison (1) 2-0 1,492 20
13. Hampton Pirates 2-0 1,491 13
14. Georgia Southern Eagles 1-1 1,311 5
15. Northwestern State Demons 1-1 995 9
16. Lehigh Mountain Hawks 1-1 939 14
17. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1) 2-0 919 NR
18. Cal Poly Mustangs 1-1 809 19
19. Harvard Crimson (1) 0-0 806 18
20. Texas State Bobcats 2-0 746 23
21. McNeese State Cowboys (1) 1-0 667 NR
22. Western Carolina Catamounts 2-0 661 NR
23. Hofstra Pride 1-0 518 24
24. Sam Houston State Bearkats 1-1 514 17
25. Massachusetts Minutemen 1-1 333 15
Others receiving votes: South Carolina State 317, Grambling State 276, Wofford 224, Lafayette 211, Appalachian State 137, Portland State 112, Idaho State 92, Maine 64, Penn 49, Youngstown State 47, Chattanooga 45, Jacksonville State 44, Bethune-Cookman 36, Rhode Island 24, Colgate 19, Gardner-Webb 19, Alabama State 13, Northeastern 12, Nicholls State 12, Brown 10, Delaware State 10, Villanova 10, Northern Arizona 9, Stephen F. Austin 9, Eastern Kentucky 6, UC Davis 6, Mississippi Valley State 5, South Dakota State 5, Western Illinois 5.

[TexasTerror]

Look at all those teams with first place votes AND of course, Harvard got their one weekly vote for 1st...

[bluehenbillk]

About 79 voters need to piss in a cup. Does Terry Bradshaw vote in this poll too?

[TexasTerror]

The Salukis don't have a history of doing so hot when they're at or near the top of the polls...

Then again with I-AA, no one knows who the heck is gonna take the top seat. Lots of parity near the top this year...

[rcny46]

This is a head scratcher.UNH #3,MSU and NDSU not in the top 10,Youngstown not in the top 25? Ridiculous.

[colgate13]

Lafayette still getting no respect and sitting out as "also". That's poor.

[89Hen]

Lafayette still getting no respect and sitting out as "also". That's poor.
Leaping Leopards, there's only so much room. Wins over Marist and 7-0 over Richmond aren't enough IMO. With FU not looking so hot, their first big test doesn't come until week 7 with Harvard.

[salukidean]

About 79 voters need to piss in a cup. Does Terry Bradshaw vote in this poll too?

What do you have against the Salukis? This team was #4, the top 3 teams all lost, and SIU won 82-7.....it's a natural progression for us to assume the top spot.

We have a tough matchup this weekend against a I-A team (WMU) which will tell a lot about our prospects for the weeks ahead. It's by far our biggest test of the season thus far and we hope to show strongly enough to maintain the top spot in the polls.

For now though, we definitely deserve the nod and I think the voters see that fact. Give the voters (and SIU) some respect....pass that piss cup in a different direction.

[Black and Gold Express]

I have a problem with one thing.

ASU goes to Kansas, loses 38-6, and drops 5 spots.

Montana goes to Oregon, gets hammered even worse, yet only drops one spot?

Where's the consistency?

[89Hen]

What do you have against the Salukis?
Delaware 48 - #4 SIU 7
EWU 35 - #1 SIU 31

I think it's a case of fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I have no trouble with somebody else voting them #1, but I'm still having trouble doing so.

[colgate13]

Leaping Leopards, there's only so much room. Wins over Marist and 7-0 over Richmond aren't enough IMO. With FU not looking so hot, their first big test doesn't come until week 7 with Harvard.

There's plenty of teams up there between 15-25 with a loss already. Are there wins so far so impressive? I think the Leopards are continuing to get a raw deal. Take all of those undeserved Colgate votes and throw them to Lafayette. We don't deserve any votes yet.

[colgate13]

Leaping Leopards, there's only so much room. Wins over Marist and 7-0 over Richmond aren't enough IMO. With FU not looking so hot, their first big test doesn't come until week 7 with Harvard.

There's plenty of teams up there between 15-25 with a loss already. Are their wins so far so impressive? I think the Leopards are continuing to get a raw deal. Take all of those undeserved Colgate votes and throw them to Lafayette. We don't deserve any votes yet.

[89Hen]

Take all of those undeserved Colgate votes and throw them to Lafayette. We don't deserve any votes yet.
Unfortunately I agree with your last statement so I don't have any to give LC.

[Go...gate]

Give the Harvard and Penn votes to LC as well. They haven't even played yet!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Leaping Leopards, there's only so much room. Wins over Marist and 7-0 over Richmond aren't enough IMO. With FU not looking so hot, their first big test doesn't come until week 7 with Harvard.

Why not kick out Hofstra, who only beat Albany?

[colgate13]

You know, I just realized it's the "other receiving votes" that gives the AGS poll more cred in my eyes. Who are the 10 voters giving Villanova a top 25 nod after losing to Rutgers? Or Northeastern starting out 0-2 and getting 12 votes in the top 25? You don't see that on the AGS poll because we'd call it out as the crap it is.

[blackfordpu]

I can not believe that they would drop Sam Houston 7 spots after a loss to a I-A team. Montana only dropped one slot but we drop 7?

[89Hen]

Why not kick out Hofstra, who only beat Albany?
Simple. Albany is better than Richmond. :p Plus, I'm totally digging Hofstra new helmets. They finally got rid of the Visa symbols! :p :p

http://www.hofstra.edu/images/sports_fb_Colston05ActAlbweb.jpg

[Killsback]

I believe that SIU was #1 10 weeks last year, so I don't want to hear anything about how they don't play well as the top team. Yes, we lost to Eastern Washington last year at home in the playoffs, but they turned right around and lost the next week. Upsets happen. The Delaware game was not an upset, the Hens were a far superior team two years ago. SIU did not ask to be number one...they can't help it if they have taken care of business so far. The publicity is great and we will take it as long as we can. Get over it.

[siugrad99]

Agree with the post above, SIU does not have the track record as do many of the teams in the Top 25 and until we put together a string of 5-10 years of this type of performance and WIN A PLAYOFF game people will continue to doubt us (rightfully so). Being # 1 in week 3 of the season means NOTHING, all it does on our end is give WMU a reason maybe to take us a bit more seriously then they would have if we were say still 4th. Unlike last season we will not be # 1 for 10 weeks and to be honest that is probably better. We hope we did our homework to better prepare for the potential of another playoff berth, but noone knows in week 3 and noone will know just how good SIU or any of the top 1AA teams will be for atleast 4-6 weeks. So if anyone else would like to take the paper ranking from us now i'm sure Coach Kill would be happy to give it to you in exchange for a playoff berth & win come December :)

[TexasTerror]

I can not believe that they would drop Sam Houston 7 spots after a loss to a I-A team. Montana only dropped one slot but we drop 7?

TSN poll never took a liking to the Bearkats...no respect!

[Sam Adams]

These early season polls are idiotic. For example: Harvard has not played yet and has not one a single game yet. How can they be ranked at all?

[putter]

I can not believe that they would drop Sam Houston 7 spots after a loss to a I-A team. Montana only dropped one slot but we drop 7?

I dropped the Griz and Katz 3 spots in my poll but they may look at the strength of the I-A team. Kansas couldn't do very well against the Ducks and, if you lose to A&M you won't drop much, at least in my eyes. I view A&M as a much better team than Houston, just my opinion.

[89Hen]

Harvard has not played yet and has not one a single game yet. How can they be ranked at all?
So nobody should have been ranked in the Preseason poll and nobody should have had UD in their poll after week one?

[kats89]

I dropped the Griz and Katz 3 spots in my poll but they may look at the strength of the I-A team. Kansas couldn't do very well against the Ducks and, if you lose to A&M you won't drop much, at least in my eyes. I view A&M as a much better team than Houston, just my opinion.

Personally I think that is a weak excuse, strength of I-A? UH only lost to Oregon by 14. Pretty much everyone that lost this weekend dropped at least 4-7 spots. Ya'll got strummed like a cheap guitar and lose one spot? :confused: Personally I think McNeese should have jumped way up in the polls after their win.

[eaglesrthe1]

I can not believe that they would drop Sam Houston 7 spots after a loss to a I-A team. Montana only dropped one slot but we drop 7?


I have a problem with one thing.

ASU goes to Kansas, loses 38-6, and drops 5 spots.

Montana goes to Oregon, gets hammered even worse, yet only drops one spot?

Where's the consistency?

You have to look at each one seperately. Montana did not drop far because everyone around them lost also. All three of the teams ahead of Montana went around them. The two teams that were ahead of them lost to lesser teams and dropped below them, and in effect boosted them back up. EWU was idle.

ASU and SHSU also had several teams that went around them due to some impressive wins, namely CCU, WCU, and McNeese.

[bobcatfan06]

I dropped the Griz and Katz 3 spots in my poll but they may look at the strength of the I-A team. Kansas couldn't do very well against the Ducks and, if you lose to A&M you won't drop much, at least in my eyes. I view A&M as a much better team than Houston, just my opinion.

Texas State plays Texas A&M. Sam Houston plays Texas Tech. Just a clarification. :)

[AZGrizFan]

You have to look at each one seperately. Montana did not drop far because everyone around them lost also. All three of the teams ahead of Montana went around them. The two teams that were ahead of them lost to lesser teams and dropped below them, and in effect boosted them back up. EWU was idle.

ASU and SHSU also had several teams that went around them due to some impressive wins, namely CCU, WCU, and McNeese.

Plain and simple: the voters are genius. ;) Especially the vote for Harvard. :confused:

[mainejeff]

I'm just not getting how Eastern Washington loses at lowly San Jose State and is idle this week.....yet is still in the Top 5 in every poll???

[mainejeff]

Is their QB injured now? Many thought Furman was stacked too.......

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I'm just not getting how Eastern Washington loses at lowly San Jose State and is idle this week.....yet is still in the Top 5 in every poll???

When 1-4 lose, buddy, that's what happens.

[kats89]

You have to look at each one seperately. Montana did not drop far because everyone around them lost also. All three of the teams ahead of Montana went around them. The two teams that were ahead of them lost to lesser teams and dropped below them, and in effect boosted them back up. EWU was idle.

ASU and SHSU also had several teams that went around them due to some impressive wins, namely CCU, WCU, and McNeese.

Well, I would agree with that assessment for the most part. I am not hating on Montana at all, just trying to figure out the logic.

I am still bummed out about the Univ of Houston game. Too many missed opportunities for the Kats.

[skinny_uncle]

Delaware 48 - #4 SIU 7
EWU 35 - #1 SIU 31

I think it's a case of fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I have no trouble with somebody else voting them #1, but I'm still having trouble doing so.
So you are saying we should vote on what teams did the last couple of years in the playoffs rather than what they are doing this year? Does that make James Madison #1 for the rest of this year? I don't think that is how it works.
:confused:

[mainejeff]

Geez ralph.....I know that there was a lot of pre-season respect for Furman and Eastern Washington, but they just haven't showed us much yet. Don't blame me!...... :(

[Paladin1aa]

Gee, that Sports Network poll looks familiar. 10 of 12 A-10 teams voted for including the one we whipped ( and who hasn't won a game YET).

Old Harrrrrrrrrrrrvard hasn't even played a game yet , much less won one !! :eek:

Then you have all the upsets and all the losses. :p :p :p :p :p

But the pollsters are "sharp" guys !! :D :D :D

[Gil Dobie]

Gawd sometimes I feel like I have to be the voice of reason...


D1B is the "Voice of Reason"


..........at least in the early mornings.

[BCisforBobcatTX]

I didn't vote for them but is there another team in D-I that hasn't lost since 2003?

USC is D-I and they haven't lost since a loss to Cal in 2003 I believe it was.

How 'bout the Texas State Bobcats, up to number 20? :D :D :D

[OL FU]

... thought Furman was stacked??? They are stacked!

That's right. I am sending my youngest in to help out this week she is proficient with building blocks that have become unstacked. :)

Furman is either a total mess this year or they will get over their foolishness in ths next two weeks. We shall see.

[89Hen]

So you are saying we should vote on what teams did the last couple of years in the playoffs rather than what they are doing this year? Does that make James Madison #1 for the rest of this year? I don't think that is how it works.
Past results do enter into the thinking. Take Texas State. They're 2-0 beating Delta State and Southern Utah. Looking at that snapshot, they look pretty good. But then you see that they've beaten two weak teams at the beginning of the season several times to go on to losing records. I'm not saying that in itself means Texas State isn't good or won't finish well, but it certainly puts an asterisk on 2-0 for me. It's not like I'm saying people shouldn't have SIU at or near the top of their poll, but I'm not ready to hand them the #1 ranking with their track record against highly ranked teams.

[Saluki_man]

I understand that thinking 89hen and I think the lack of playoff wins and a very weak schedule so far would bring a skeptic such a conclusion. What this teams needs to do is make the game vs Western Michigan a statement game and win impressively. This and winning a playoff game will be the only things that will quiet the skeptics.

[89Hen]

This and winning a playoff game will be the only things that will quiet the skeptics.
Agreed. And BTW, if they win and my teams in front of SIU lose, I will be moving them up my ballot, just like any other team. I just probably had them starting a little lower than others.

[LEHIGH61]

Delaware wins by 1 point in overtime after really being ouplayed for most of the game, and UD goes up to 6th (understandable). Lehigh goes to 16th - they should go up 4 places to #10. And this would be true if voters "actually saw the game"! To think that if Lehigh won, they would probably be ABOUT 8TH with Harvard and 8 other games ahead. They might have been No. 1 by midseason! If Delaware lost, would they move down to 16th? Somehow I don't think so.

[GannonFan]

Delaware wins by 1 point in overtime after really being ouplayed for most of the game, and UD goes up to 6th (understandable). Lehigh goes to 16th - they should go up 4 places to #10. And this would be true if voters "actually saw the game"! To think that if Lehigh won, they would probably be ABOUT 8TH with Harvard and 8 other games ahead. They might have been No. 1 by midseason! If Delaware lost, would they move down to 16th? Somehow I don't think so.

Well, since Lehigh didn't win we'll have no idea where they or UD would've gone - everything you say is just conjecture. Relax, it's a week 2 poll. Teams invariably end up where they should be as more and more games are played. And the beauty of IAA is that regardless of where you are in the polls, if you're one of the 16 to make the playoffs the polls mean absolutely nothing (oh, and the polls aren't used by the NCAA either). But if you're so jacked up on polls, then win if you want to go up - if you lose, the best you'll do is stay where you are.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Delaware wins by 1 point in overtime after really being ouplayed for most of the game, and UD goes up to 6th (understandable). Lehigh goes to 16th - they should go up 4 places to #10. And this would be true if voters "actually saw the game"! To think that if Lehigh won, they would probably be ABOUT 8TH with Harvard and 8 other games ahead. They might have been No. 1 by midseason! If Delaware lost, would they move down to 16th? Somehow I don't think so.


I wasn't too suprised Lehigh fell. I think they could have moved up just as easily as they dropped. If they keep winning things will take care of themselves. Beating a hopefully undefeated Harvard team will give them a boost as would victories over possible top 25 teams Colgate and Lafayette. If they beat Harvard that might move them back in the Top 10 figuring 4 to 7 teams ahead of them are going to lose in the next 2 weeks. They could easily get into the top 5 if they keep winning. But right now lets just worry about VMI.

[blukeys]

And this would be true if voters "actually saw the game"!


I think it is fair to say most of the voters did not see the game or read a synopsis. I think most of the SportsNetwork voters are AD's and SID's who are pretty busy most fall weekends. They may know a lot about their own teams and conferences but have sketchy knowledge about the rest of I-AA. Lehigh dropped because they are 1-1 and not 2-0. Not fair but it happens all the time.

[mlbowl]

I have a problem with one thing.

ASU goes to Kansas, loses 38-6, and drops 5 spots.

Montana goes to Oregon, gets hammered even worse, yet only drops one spot?

Where's the consistency?

Sagarin college football ranking:
#17 - 83.25 - Oregon
#62 - 70.37 - Kansas

apples and oranges ;)

[GannonFan]

Sagarin college football ranking:
#17 - 83.25 - Oregon
#62 - 70.37 - Kansas

apples and oranges ;)

Yup, year in and year out Kansas blows while Oregon consitently has decent, if not very good, teams. Big difference between the two.

[mlbowl]

Yup, year in and year out Kansas blows while Oregon consitently has decent, if not very good, teams. Big difference between the two.

UofKansas......the Duke Blue Devils of the Big 12 :nod:

[GannonFan]

UofKansas......the Duke Blue Devils of the Big 12 :nod:

The sad thing is I can't tell if that's a knock against Duke or Kansas (I know, it's against both!)

[mlbowl]

The sad thing is I can't tell if that's a knock against Duke or Kansas (I know, it's against both!)

It's really more of a comparison than a knock.....both teams are very valuable to their respective conferences from a b-ball standpoint....but both programs are sadly lacking when it comes to football

[primetime21]

What do you have against the Salukis? This team was #4, the top 3 teams all lost, and SIU won 82-7.....it's a natural progression for us to assume the top spot.

We have a tough matchup this weekend against a I-A team (WMU) which will tell a lot about our prospects for the weeks ahead. It's by far our biggest test of the season thus far and we hope to show strongly enough to maintain the top spot in the polls.

For now though, we definitely deserve the nod and I think the voters see that fact. Give the voters (and SIU) some respect....pass that piss cup in a different direction.


Tough matchup?? WMU?? Western Kentucky has Auburn and UNI has Iowa. Tell me again, how tough is that matchup?

[kardplayer]

I think it is fair to say most of the voters did not see the game or read a synopsis. I think most of the SportsNetwork voters are AD's and SID's who are pretty busy most fall weekends. They may know a lot about their own teams and conferences but have sketchy knowledge about the rest of I-AA. Lehigh dropped because they are 1-1 and not 2-0. Not fair but it happens all the time.

I completely agree with this. As Bill Parcells likes to say (paraphrasing) - "You're as good as your record says you are". That needs to be slightly modified here in I-AA because of the disparity in schedule strength, but the basis remains the same. Win and move up, lose and drop. There's no such things as moral victories.

The inability to win a close game that you were leading by 2 TD's with 10 minutes to go does make a statement about where you should be ranked.

[ISUMatt]

Is this a sports writers poll?

[Saluki_man]

Tough matchup?? WMU?? Western Kentucky has Auburn and UNI has Iowa. Tell me again, how tough is that matchup?


Any matchup that you go to a I-A team is a tough matchup. Well most teams and this game I belive was made two years ago when WMU was somewhat decent.

[GannonFan]

Any matchup that you go to a I-A team is a tough matchup. Well most teams and this game I belive was made two years ago when WMU was somewhat decent.

Come on, there's always Temple, Buffalo, UL-pick one - there are easy IA pickings out there, and WMU may very well be one of those.

[mikebigg]

Can't wait to see how high Grambling climbs in the polls after this week's game against Washington State. The GMEN will impress and who knows...just might amaze!

[skinny_uncle]

I hope the Salukis win today. Otherwise the Hilltoppers will probably take over the top spot without even playing.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

LoL

13 teams with a first place vote. Either they don't know what they are doing, or we are going to have a very exciting and unpredictable year in IAA. I'd go with the former.

Maybe AGS members should hold their own poll...I think we'd do a better job.

[Tribe4SF]

LoL

13 teams with a first place vote. Either they don't know what they are doing, or we are going to have a very exciting and unpredictable year in IAA. I'd go with the former.

Maybe AGS members should hold their own poll...I think we'd do a better job.

Uhhh....look around.