HERO Sports 2018 Pre-Season Top 25

[WestCoastAggie]

https://herosports.com/fcs/hero-sports-2018-fcs-preseason-top-25-poll-ajaj

Personally, A&T is way too low. We still have quality OL talent in Greensboro.

But whatever...

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Colgate with 1 vote.

At this point the question is can the Patriot League produce a Top 30-40 team.

[CassBison]

I'm all for NDSU being in their proper spot on top of the FCS, but with only three voters why would anyone care what this poll says? I don't usually pay much attention to HERO Sports, and this proves that nobody should.

[OhioHen]

A "poll" of three staff members. xsmhx

[Redbird 4th & short]

Correct in recognizing ISUr offense has a lot coming back and should be very strong. Jury still out on whether defense will fully reload by game 4 MVFC season .. technically, it is rebuilding year on defense with loss of 9 starters. Spack hit 2 other low points on defense, and he built it right back up very quickly. So I would not have us at #12 to start year .. though would not rule it out by end of year.

Biggest drop surprise .. why is Weber St so low after year they had .. are they losing a lot of seniors ??

[Professor Chaos]

I'm all for NDSU being in their proper spot on top of the FCS, but with only three voters why would anyone care what this poll says? I don't usually pay much attention to HERO Sports, and this proves that nobody should.
I'd disagree that no one should pay attention to them. Brian McGlaughlin is a pretty frequent guest on both local shows on Bison 1660 and he doesn't just throw **** against the wall, he actually knows what he's talking about when it comes to the FCS national landscape which is more than you can say about most FCS pundits, the Bison 1660 guys included. I think they've got 3 FCS writers so I'm sure that's why there are 3 voters. Whether it's a personal ranking or a poll with 100+ voters like STATS is it's still not something you should put too much stock in since it's still 2.5 months to kickoff. It's good for conversation and clicks which is better than nothing in this time of year known as the college football abyss.

[IBleedYellow]

Hero Sports is up and coming and does good work - I can see why SHSU fans think they are worthless because they state facts about your team, though :)

[PaladinFan]

Colgate with 1 vote.

At this point the question is can the Patriot League produce a Top 30-40 team.

Colgate faces two (arguably) top 15 teams out of the gate. They'll have their shot.

[FUBeAR]

HERO Sports is doing a great job & all FCS Fans, IMO, should be extremely grateful for their coverage of the highest level of (real) COLLEGE Football. That said, the 2 other writers are an NDSU Fan & a JMU Fan...and look who’s at #1 & #2 in their poll. TOTALLY RIGGED!

Just kiddin’...both of them deserve to be there.

Here’s a breakdown of Teams in the HERO Sports pre-season rankings by Conference (unless I screwed up the math - can never remember which Dakota is not in the MVFC)

5 MVFC Teams in the Top 25, 2 in “Others Receiving Votes” (7 of 10 / 70%)
6 CAA Teams in the Top 25 (6 of 12 / 50%)
4 Big Sky Teams in the Top 25, 4 in “Others Receiving Votes” (9 of 14 / 50%)
3 SoCon Teams in the Top 25 (3 of 9 / 33%)
2 OVC Teams in the Top 25 (2 of 9 / 22%)
2 Southland Teams in the Top 25 (2 of 11 / 18%)
1 MEAC Team in the Top 25, 1 in “Others Receiving Votes” (2 of 11 / 18%)
1 Big South Team in the Top 25 (1 of 6 / 17%)
1 Patriot Team in “Others Receiving Votes” (1 of 7 / 14%)
1 Ivy Team in the Top 25 (1 of 8 / 13%)
1 SWAC Team in “Others Receiving Votes” (1 of 10 / 10%)
1 PFL Team in “Others Receiving Votes” (1 of 11 / 9%)

Thoughts?

[ST_Lawson]

So....they're thinking we're finishing 8th?

https://i.imgur.com/qRvO142.jpg

[POD Knows]

This poll is ****ty, outside of the top 2 it is pretty weak, Delaware at #9, I don't think so,

[katss07]

Hero Sports is up and coming and does good work - I can see why SHSU fans think they are worthless because they state facts about your team, though :)
I’m not against Hero. I get why some SHSU fans are, last year Hero predicted us to be out in the second round. Also, they predicted the Kats to not get a seed before the playoffs. Then when Sam rolled on to the semis it was a “surprise”. Those are my only gripes against this particular outlet. Overall, they put out a consistent product and it’s usually one of the better FCS news outlets. Sometimes it seems like they are a bit of MVFC homers, but I can’t say there wrong.

This list is okay (despite the fact THREE people participated). IMHO, Sam is too high. If it was me, the Kats would be at 10 or 11. I get JB is gone, but the Kats still have the weapons. Should be a playoff team, but 8 is a bit high. I don’t like Kennesaw at 3. KSU had a good year, but how far will that TO really take them? They couldn’t get past Sam’s average D last year. EWU too high for a team that missed the playoffs. Also think they need to move up Weber, Youngstown and Elon. Move down UCDavis and Austin Peay.

[McNeese72]

"Oh, no!!! We suck again!!!" ;)

Doc

[Redbird 4th & short]

So....they're thinking we're finishing 8th?

https://i.imgur.com/qRvO142.jpg

WIU is one of the most glaring omissions from list .. finished 8-4, despite playing 8 of 12 on road against the 5th ranked SOS. Not sure how much you guys lost but I doubt Hero's intended to infer you guys would finish 8th, I think they just didn't know what to do with teams like YSU, USD, and SIU .. I think all 3 have very big ranges around their "expectations" for 2018. WIU has been a fixture in top 4 or 5 of MVFC the last 3 years.

In general I think MVFC is down a bit in 2018 with SDSU and USD likely falling off a bit, and then YSU, ISUr, SIU all being hard to predict. WIU might fall off a bit too, but should still be clearly in top 20 discussion of any debate.

Here is my prediction as of June for MVFC: NDSU, UNI, SDSU, ISUr. Then put WIU, YSU, SIU in a hat and pick any of them for 5,6, 7 .. then USD is close behind that group. YSU had to have the best 4 losses in history of FCS last season before we steamrolled a depleted team .. so I have no idea what to expect from them in 2018. Same for USD .. they looked like a one man offense last year but I think they have more going than people think. Then MoST and InSU will pull up the rear.

I'm waiting for my favorite new toy to show up with their data .. not yet updated as of today: http://www.keepratings.net/

[ST_Lawson]

In general I think MVFC is down a bit in 2018 with SDSU and USD likely falling off a bit, and then YSU, ISUr, SIU all being hard to predict. WIU might fall off a bit too, but should still be clearly in top 20 discussion of any debate.

That seems much more reasonable to me, I think. We might be down a little this year, but our schedule sets us up really well. We drop SDSU from the schedule and add YSU, which I think should be a bit of an easier game for us (not saying that YSU is "easy"...just easier than SDSU right now). Massey actually has us favored in all but one game this season (NDSU), but I think that 10-1 is a bit too much to hope for in the MVFC for us: https://www.masseyratings.com/team.php?t=8754&s=300937
We went 8-3 last season...with the new HC (but mostly same coaching staff) and losing a few good players, but with a slightly easier schedule, I think my "reasonable" goal for this season is 7-4.
Depending on who the wins/losses are against, we should be somewhere around where you're projecting or maybe a little higher with that record.

[WileECoyote06]

Is Central Arkansas really expected to fall that far? UCA fans speak on it. xdontknowx

[FUBeAR]

Is Central Arkansas really expected to fall that far? UCA fans speak on it. xdontknowxWondered the same thing. What up wit dat, Bears fans?

[Corn_3024]

I’m not against Hero. I get why some SHSU fans are, last year Hero predicted us to be out in the second round. Also, they predicted the Kats to not get a seed before the playoffs. Then when Sam rolled on to the semis it was a “surprise”. Those are my only gripes against this particular outlet. Overall, they put out a consistent product and it’s usually one of the better FCS news outlets. Sometimes it seems like they are a bit of MVFC homers, but I can’t say there wrong.

This list is okay (despite the fact THREE people participated). IMHO, Sam is too high. If it was me, the Kats would be at 10 or 11. I get JB is gone, but the Kats still have the weapons. Should be a playoff team, but 8 is a bit high. I don’t like Kennesaw at 3. KSU had a good year, but how far will that TO really take them? They couldn’t get past Sam’s average D last year. EWU too high for a team that missed the playoffs. Also think they need to move up Weber, Youngstown and Elon. Move down UCDavis and Austin Peay.


Hard to say Kennesaw deserves to be #3. Still a lot of unknowns, and even with a lot returning, it takes new programs time to get footing from a depth perception. However they did have 450+ yards, and 27 points in that game against SHSU. The offense didn't cost them the playoff game.

[TheKingpin28]

Hard to say Kennesaw deserves to be #3. Still a lot of unknowns, and even with a lot returning, it takes new programs time to get footing from a depth perception. However they did have 450+ yards, and 27 points in that game against SHSU. The offense didn't cost them the playoff game.

To be fair, SHSU hasn't had a defense since the 2011 season. :D

That said, your TO offense is high flying but it will only go so far, especially against a team that has a solid to stout run defense. I have been getting my poll ready for the pre-season, which we know means about nothing as they do not become accurate until we get closer to week 6 or so, and I had your team at #6 to end the season and I can see anywhere between 2-10 since as of right now, no team is in the solid #2.

(I am just putting forth a few big time play makers otherwise this will turn into a long post)

With JMU losing Schor, Alls, Ankrah, Robinson, Brown; SDSU losing Wieneke (a top 3 WR in the FCS) and Goedert (who was the best TE in all of college football IMO); WSU losing Cantwell, Johnson (DPOY), Vollert; SHSU losing Briscoe (OPOY lol btw), Louis, Webb, Hall; WIU losing Acklin and Taylor (Top 3 LB in the FCS); USeD losing Streveler (True OPOY without a doubt) etc... you see what is happening.

I see it like this:

#1: NDSU


#2-10 (No order): JMU, SDSU, WIU (I think they will push for a top 3/5 in the Valley/Nation with McShane and McGuire coming back), KSU, SHSU, Samford (Hodges will push for OPOY), WSU, EWU (they got snubbed IMO), SBU/UNH/Furman (yes I know they "suck").

It is very tough right now with no fall camp and spring ball only telling so much, but as of right now, I'd put your team in my top 5, but as we know, fluidity will occur up until around week 6 or so. If your team does what it needs to and wins their first 4, which they should, your match-up against a probable 3-1 and slightly possible 4-0 Samford, who will be at your stadium, will give the rest of AGS the ability to see if you are a legit team or a pretender team.

Damn, I need football to come back. 60 more days until camp starts and 75 more days until we can watch our teams.

[Corn_3024]

To be fair, SHSU hasn't had a defense since the 2011 season. :D

That said, your TO offense is high flying but it will only go so far, especially against a team that has a solid to stout run defense. I have been getting my poll ready for the pre-season, which we know means about nothing as they do not become accurate until we get closer to week 6 or so, and I had your team at #6 to end the season and I can see anywhere between 2-10 since as of right now, no team is in the solid #2.

(I am just putting forth a few big time play makers otherwise this will turn into a long post)

With JMU losing Schor, Alls, Ankrah, Robinson, Brown; SDSU losing Wieneke (a top 3 WR in the FCS) and Goedert (who was the best TE in all of college football IMO); WSU losing Cantwell, Johnson (DPOY), Vollert; SHSU losing Briscoe (OPOY lol btw), Louis, Webb, Hall; WIU losing Acklin and Taylor (Top 3 LB in the FCS); USeD losing Streveler (True OPOY without a doubt) etc... you see what is happening.

I see it like this:

#1: NDSU


#2-10 (No order): JMU, SDSU, WIU (I think they will push for a top 3/5 in the Valley/Nation with McShane and McGuire coming back), KSU, SHSU, Samford (Hodges will push for OPOY), WSU, EWU (they got snubbed IMO), SBU/UNH/Furman (yes I know they "suck").

It is very tough right now with no fall camp and spring ball only telling so much, but as of right now, I'd put your team in my top 5, but as we know, fluidity will occur up until around week 6 or so. If your team does what it needs to and wins their first 4, which they should, your match-up against a probable 3-1 and slightly possible 4-0 Samford, who will be at your stadium, will give the rest of AGS the ability to see if you are a legit team or a pretender team.

Damn, I need football to come back. 60 more days until camp starts and 75 more days until we can watch our teams.


Pretty much agree with everything here. We were competitive with Samford twice last year (1-1 in those games), and it will likely be a close game again this year. We will have a clear understanding of what we are at the end of this regular season. Last season was difficult to know with the struggles of CSU and Liberty. Our only loss was Samford and it was a very unusual game. Georgia State, Samford, and Jacksonville State OOC, and then seeing where CSU and Monmouth are this year in conference.

[FUBeAR]

We were competitive with Samford twice last year (1-1 in those games).

So, KSU split a pair of games with one of the top 3 Teams in the SoCon & they are now ranked in the Top 3 nationally. Sounds about right. I’m good with that.