AGS Top 25 - How They Fared - Week 5, Fall 2023

[Preferred Walk-On]

Well, it has been quite the day, and before I go to sleep it off, I present to you this week's How They Fared.

As has been noted in numerous social media outlets, there were a significant number of upsets. In fact, the AGS Top 25 were 11-9 today with three teams idle and two games left to finish. The ORV were 11-1 with two teams idle and one game left to finish.

I think I remember Professor Chaos saying somewhere that this was one of those weeks that appears it will be chalk, and then saying that because of that, it could be exactly opposite of that. Well, that's what happened.

CLICK HERE (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DcQoJr_WmP7XLq5mgDcjJczJW5_Xt2s6tOyyixaHNpQ/edit?usp=sharing) to see How They Fared, and as always, I'll finish updating the sheet early tomorrow morning.

Best of luck to all voters...may God have mercy on your souls.

[taper]

1 SDSU
2 MSU
3-25 irrelevant

NDSU is a lock for MSL and rightfully so, but look at W&M and Holy Cross. HC in particular is going to drop a ton, maybe out completely in my poll.. Their FCS wins are a combined 3-9 FCS, and none are good wins. A top 10 should easily handle a weak Boston College.

[SeattleCat]

Massacre Saturday. Top 25 had huge targets on them, few made it out unscathed

[caribbeanhen]

1 SDSU
2 MSU
3-25 irrelevant

NDSU is a lock for MSL and rightfully so, but look at W&M and Holy Cross. HC in particular is going to drop a ton, maybe out completely in my poll.. Their FCS wins are a combined 3-9 FCS, and none are good wins. A top 10 should easily handle a weak Boston College.

Drop Holy Cross out completely? That’s radical and Harvard is pretty good

[crusader11]

1 SDSU
2 MSU
3-25 irrelevant

NDSU is a lock for MSL and rightfully so, but look at W&M and Holy Cross. HC in particular is going to drop a ton, maybe out completely in my poll.. Their FCS wins are a combined 3-9 FCS, and none are good wins. A top 10 should easily handle a weak Boston College.

Idaho is very good and not far away from those top two.

[caribbeanhen]

I had Harvard at 22 last week

how high do they go?

[MR. CHICKEN]

TO THE MOON.....ALICE!

[Sitting Bull]

I don’t vote in this but to the eye, there looks like a real drop off after the 12 spot. I don’t see any in the top 12 slipping below that.

Teams that to me look most deserving of climbing:
Western Carolina
Elon
Harvard
South Dakota
UAlbany

[caribbeanhen]

TO THE MOON.....ALICE!

or just the playoffs

Ivy is down overall but Harvard looks good

[UNHWildcat18]

UNH about to drop from all rankings. They deserve it

[crusader11]

Very, very challenging week of voting.

How far does NDSU, HC, and W&M drop?

Conversely, how high does South Dakota, Harvard, and Elon rise?

Albany is a bit of an enigma. Kinda think they're the highest ranked CAA team, right?

What do you do with a team like Weber? Blown out at home against Montana St and barely got by hapless Northern Colorado.

Western Carolina gotta be a consensus top 10 team, right? They definitely leapfrog NDSU, HC, and W&M for me, at least.

[kdinva]

thanks for the spreadsheet.....and today's voting will be as widespread as it's been in a long time.....but as usual some of you will criticize others.....

[smallcollegefbfan]

I had Harvard at 22 last week

how high do they go?

I did not have them ranked in my poll but plan to have them in my top 20. I won't move Holy Cross out but they were 8th in mine last week and going to at least drop them to 21-25 range.

[smallcollegefbfan]

I don’t vote in this but to the eye, there looks like a real drop off after the 12 spot. I don’t see any in the top 12 slipping below that.

Teams that to me look most deserving of climbing:
Western Carolina
Elon
Harvard
South Dakota
UAlbany

I feel like WCU should be top 15 easily and Harvard has to be ranked. I almost ranked South Dakota last week but they are making my biggest jump now that I know Missouri is at least a top 30 team and possibly top 15. I might put South Dakota in my top 12. If Elon had just the Wake Forest loss I would put them top 15. They are going to be 23 to top 2 out of top 25 for me but if they beat NCCU I will put them in top 20 easily and if they beat Villanova as well I might push them into top 12-15 depending on the other ranked teams.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Very, very challenging week of voting.

How far does NDSU, HC, and W&M drop?

Conversely, how high does South Dakota, Harvard, and Elon rise?

Albany is a bit of an enigma. Kinda think they're the highest ranked CAA team, right?

What do you do with a team like Weber? Blown out at home against Montana St and barely got by hapless Northern Colorado.

Western Carolina gotta be a consensus top 10 team, right? They definitely leapfrog NDSU, HC, and W&M for me, at least.

I actually think South Dakota is legit so I won't drop NDSU out of top 15. I will just push South Dakota into the top 12 or so and have them a couple spots ahead of NDSU. HC drops out of my top 20 and W&M drops out of top 15 but not out of top 20 due to other losses.

It is hard for me to put WCU in top 10 considering they have not really been that good in over 25 years and it is appears Samford might not be top 15 like we thought. If Samford and WCU both win their next 2-3 games though I would put WCU in the top 7-8 for sure and Samford back in top 15-20.

[smallcollegefbfan]

or just the playoffs

Ivy is down overall but Harvard looks good

I agree Ivy League is not looking strong overall but there is some good individual talent in the league. I think there was some real talent in that HC vs Harvard game. There could be 2-3 players drafted from that game and there are at least 6-7 players who should get a shot in the NFL between both teams.

[MSUBobcat]

thanks for the spreadsheet.....and today's voting will be as widespread as it's been in a long time.....but as usual some of you will criticize others.....

A few may criticize. The rest of us.... fiercely debate. xlolx

[Chalupa Batman]

I actually think South Dakota is legit so I won't drop NDSU out of top 15. I will just push South Dakota into the top 12 or so and have them a couple spots ahead of NDSU. HC drops out of my top 20 and W&M drops out of top 15 but not out of top 20 due to other losses.

It is hard for me to put WCU in top 10 considering they have not really been that good in over 25 years and it is appears Samford might not be top 15 like we thought. If Samford and WCU both win their next 2-3 games though I would put WCU in the top 7-8 for sure and Samford back in top 15-20.

What WCU has been the last 25 years has very little, if anything at all, to do with where they should be ranked this year. Their win over EKU keeps looking better and better in my book, the Colonels beat a decent SEMO team the week following the Catamounts game and they have played Kentucky a lot closer than (soon to be formerly) ranked Florida did yesterday. EKU trailed by 4 points in the 4th quarter against Kentucky, while the Gators trailed by double digits for the final 50 minutes of the game. WCU is dismantling every other team the way you expect a top 10ish team would.

[MR. CHICKEN]

thanks for the spreadsheet.....and today's voting will be as widespread as it's been in a long time.....but as usual some of you will criticize others.....


"This might be a first for me. Weber got beat 40-0 and I think I'm going to move them up a spot in my poll because I have to move UNH down, but I'm not ready to move others that high.".....POSTER SHALL REMAIN ANONYMOUS!


33056

....YOUSE DESERVE TA BE CRITICIZED....WHEN DOIN' STUPID........LIKE DUH GUY....WHOM THREATEND......TA MOVE UP WEBER STATE AFTERAH MONTANA STATE BEAT DOWN.....BUT WAS WILLIN' TA DROP...NEW HAMPSHIRE...WHOM WAS AHEAD OF 'EM.....FO' UH 4 POINT LOSS......ON DUH ROAD...IN UH NOR'EASTER...TA DELAWARE.......xsighx....BRAWK!

[smallcollegefbfan]

What WCU has been the last 25 years has very little, if anything at all, to do with where they should be ranked this year. Their win over EKU keeps looking better and better in my book, the Colonels beat a decent SEMO team the week following the Catamounts game and they have played Kentucky a lot closer than (soon to be formerly) ranked Florida did yesterday. EKU trailed by 4 points in the 4th quarter against Kentucky, while the Gators trailed by double digits for the final 50 minutes of the game. WCU is dismantling every other team the way you expect a top 10ish team would.

I agree that it does not mean they can't be top 10 but my point is that they never have been really good like this so I want to see how they handle this early success. Will they choke or keep it up? I remember one season several years ago when they began hot and everyone had them ranked but then they faded and did not even finish the season ranked. This will be huge for them to go from not even being a top 40 caliber team to now a top 10 team in just one year. It is not like I have not ranked them or have them at 24-25. I do have them in the top 15. I have had them a good bit behind the polls so far this year but will gladly put them in top 10 next week if they win.

[caribbeanhen]

I did not have them ranked in my poll but plan to have them in my top 20. I won't move Holy Cross out but they were 8th in mine last week and going to at least drop them to 21-25 range.

I’m going a little easier on Holy Cross, I think 21-25 is to low in todays FCS

Also Harvard might be around 12 or so

have to see how it shakes out

[Catbooster]

thanks for the spreadsheet.....and today's voting will be as widespread as it's been in a long time.....but as usual some of you will criticize others.....
Isn't that why we post them? To get criticism? In the hopes we can end up with a better poll?

[caribbeanhen]

Isn't that why we post them? To get criticism? In the hopes we can end up with a better poll?

yes

[MR. CHICKEN]

....AN..IT MAKES MAH EGG-HOLE TIGHT.....WHEN AH'VE...TRIED MAH BEST...&...TAKEN MAH TIME....TA MAKE UH FAIR POLL.....AN' SOMEBODAH...COMES ALONG....WHIFF...OUTRAGEOUS.....REASON...TA EXPLAIN DEY'RE POLL....AWK!

[smallcollegefbfan]

I’m going a little easier on Holy Cross, I think 21-25 is to low in todays FCS

Also Harvard might be around 12 or so

have to see how it shakes out

The tough thing with Harvard for me is that I see some talent but the Ivy League is not very good so I don't want to push them too high early and see them fall off. I will say that there are a few future NFL players from their game so I don't think Holy Cross is bad at all but I definitely don't think they are top 15. I am leaning 17-20 range for Harvard and 20-25 for Holy Cross but if both teams win the impressively the next 2 weeks I would push Harvard close to 10 and Holy Cross back up to 15 range.

Keep an eye on Jalen Coker, CJ Hanson, and Dobbs for HC and Thor Griffith from Harvard out of that game. I would not be shocked if we see 1-2 combine invites and 1-3 drafted from that game. Hanson is getting huge NFL buzz now and you could start to see media catch up to the NFL buzz I have now been hearing for 3 weeks on him.

[WileECoyote06]

I’m going a little easier on Holy Cross, I think 21-25 is to low in todays FCS

Also Harvard might be around 12 or so

have to see how it shakes out

A home loss is problematic. But a +15 drop for a loss is a bit dramatic. Harvard might legitimately be good. Holy Cross still has players that helped them earn the top five ranking in the first place. I'm going to drop them somewhere between 13 - 15.

[caribbeanhen]

A home loss is problematic. But a +15 drop for a loss is a bit dramatic. Harvard might legitimately be good. Holy Cross still has players that helped them earn the top five ranking in the first place. I'm going to drop them somewhere between 13 - 15.

very reasonable, I’m stalling hard on starting my poll

[smallcollegefbfan]

A home loss is problematic. But a +15 drop for a loss is a bit dramatic. Harvard might legitimately be good. Holy Cross still has players that helped them earn the top five ranking in the first place. I'm going to drop them somewhere between 13 - 15.

Serious question. What win does Holy Cross have that makes you feel they are top 15? Is it just because they were ranked high in the preseason or do they have a game you watched that impressed you enough to vault Harvard up 15 slots and leave Holy Cross in the 13 range?

One big reason people complain about the early polls is many voters just simply slot teams. How many times have we seen a team start the year in top 10 and lose to an unranked team but many voters take the stance you did and the 1-0 team is ranked 5-6 slots behind the team they just beat at home? We have to totally forget the preseason and go by the resume that teams are putting out. If this was week 10 I would agree with you but it is early enough that big moves need to be made to get the rankings about where they deserve to be.

The only way I think you can argue not dropping Holy Cross out of the top 20 is if you put Holy Cross close to the top 10 and have Holy Cross in the 15 range but I feel that is too high because neither has the SOS that will warrant them being ranked in the top 5 at the end of the year and if they keep winning and voters just slot like you are suggesting then that could very easily happen with their schedules.

Harvard could be very good but I need to see them win by good margins in their league since it is weaker. They only beat Brown by 3 and I don't think Brown is a legit top 40 team.

[WileECoyote06]

One big reason people complain about the early polls is many voters just simply slot teams. How many times have we seen a team start the year in top 10 and lose to an unranked team but many voters take the stance you did and the 1-0 team is ranked 5-6 slots behind the team they just beat at home. We have to totally forget the preseason and go by the resume that teams are putting for. If this was week 10 I would agree with you but it is early enough that big moves need to be made to get the rankings about where they deserve to be.

The only way I think you can argue not dropping Holy Cross out of the top 20 is if you put Holy Cross close to the top 10 and have Holy Cross in the 15 range but I feel that is too high because neither has the SOS that will warrant them being ranked in the top 5 at the end of the year and if they keep winning and voters just slot like you are suggesting then that could very easily happen with their schedules.

Harvard could be very good but I need to see them win by good margins in their league since it is weaker. They only beat Brown by 3 and I don't think Brown is a legit top 40 team.

It's not slot voting. Also, we disagree on whether this is early. As of next week, many teams will have completed half of their schedule.

Despite Holy Cross being in my top-15; they may never get back to the top ten regardless of teams losing in front of them. Harvard may flame out the rest of the season and then it turns into a bad loss. Right now, it's a toss-up.

I'm not sure where i will rank Harvard. They may still be behind Holy Cross. Just like NDSU may still be ahead of South Dakota in my poll.

Interestingly enough, you know who may be around USD? Harvard. . . why? Because they've got a common opponent and similar results (32 point win/24 point win). And that's just one factor of many that goes into my evaluation of teams.

[smallcollegefbfan]

It's not slot voting. Also, we disagree on whether this is early. As of next week, many teams will have completed half of their schedule.

Despite Holy Cross being in my top-15; they may never get back to the top ten regardless of teams losing in front of them. Harvard may flame out the rest of the season and then it turns into a bad loss. Right now, it's a toss-up.

I'm not sure where i will rank Harvard. They may still be behind Holy Cross. Just like NDSU may still be ahead of South Dakota in my poll.

Interestingly enough, you know who may be around USD? Harvard. . . why? Because they've got a common opponent and similar results (32 point win/24 point win). And that's just one factor of many that goes into my evaluation of teams.

It is still early enough to make a big move, especially if a team does not have a key win and the meat of their schedule is later.

You said you are not slotting teams but if you keep USD behind NDSU and Harvard behind HC then that is EXACTLY what you are doing. There is no argument to have HC ahead of Harvard if you watched that game. Harvard was the superior team. HC is lucky Harvard did not try to score again. If could have been a 17 point game.

You just admitted that Harvard and Holy Cross could flame out and if they had a strong resume you would be confident they won't flame out. I try to avoid pushing teams too early who don't have quality wins, especially from bottom 5 leagues in FCS (Ivy, Patriot, MEAC, NEC, Pioneer).

I am evaluating based on the speed of the teams and how good teams are rather than just going by points. The transitive property is what you are talking about and I would only consider that with multiple common opponents. 1 game can be an outlier.

[crusader11]

Serious question. What win does Holy Cross have that makes you feel they are top 15? Is it just because they were ranked high in the preseason or do they have a game you watched that impressed you enough to vault Harvard up 15 slots and leave Holy Cross in the 13 range?

One big reason people complain about the early polls is many voters just simply slot teams. How many times have we seen a team start the year in top 10 and lose to an unranked team but many voters take the stance you did and the 1-0 team is ranked 5-6 slots behind the team they just beat at home? We have to totally forget the preseason and go by the resume that teams are putting out. If this was week 10 I would agree with you but it is early enough that big moves need to be made to get the rankings about where they deserve to be.

The only way I think you can argue not dropping Holy Cross out of the top 20 is if you put Holy Cross close to the top 10 and have Holy Cross in the 15 range but I feel that is too high because neither has the SOS that will warrant them being ranked in the top 5 at the end of the year and if they keep winning and voters just slot like you are suggesting then that could very easily happen with their schedules.

Harvard could be very good but I need to see them win by good margins in their league since it is weaker. They only beat Brown by 3 and I don't think Brown is a legit top 40 team.

Simply put, HC ended last season ranked inside the top ten and played SDSU better than anyone in the playoffs. They returned a bulk of their team and projected to be better this season. This was the reason for the high ranking this season. They backed it up the first four weeks by blowing out opponents in their three wins (one of which looked good on paper, Yale, the Ivy preseason favorites), and their one loss was by a field goal to an ACC team.

Right or wrong, rankings aren’t exclusively based on the current season’s performance in the first few weeks. If it was done that way, the rankings would be so out of whack the first few weeks.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Simply put, HC ended last season ranked inside the top ten and played SDSU better than anyone in the playoffs. They returned a bulk of their team and projected to be better this season. This was the reason for the high ranking this season. They backed it up the first four weeks by blowing out opponents in their three wins (one of which looked good on paper, Yale, the Ivy preseason favorites), and their one loss was by a field goal to an ACC team.

Right or wrong, rankings aren’t exclusively based on the current season’s performance in the first few weeks. If it was done that way, the rankings would be so out of whack the first few weeks.

I 100% understand the high ranking but it is a new year and nothing is guaranteed. We have seen teams finish top 5 and return a lot but tank. I believe both HC and Harvard are top 25 teams but my main argument is that HC has to drop a lot and behind Harvard. I think it is hard to argue they are both top 15 for sure this early but could put them back there in a few weeks.

Rankings are not only based on the season's performance early and that is why we honestly should not vote until after 5 or 6 weeks but we do so I try to adjust based on how the current season is going. I have always had a problem with slot voting and when Harvard beat you guys by a good margin I think it invalidates an argument to say Harvard could be behind you right now. Maybe by the end of the year HC looks to be better but I will take the undefeated team over the 2-loss when they have a head to head match-up at this point.

What do you think about Coker and Hanson? I am not sure if HC realizes it but those two could get drafted. I won't be shocked if Hanson ends up going in the 4th-5th round.

[crusader11]

It is still early enough to make a big move, especially if a team does not have a key win and the meat of their schedule is later.

You said you are not slotting teams but if you keep USD behind NDSU and Harvard behind HC then that is EXACTLY what you are doing. There is no argument to have HC ahead of Harvard if you watched that game. Harvard was the superior team. HC is lucky Harvard did not try to score again. If could have been a 17 point game.

You just admitted that Harvard and Holy Cross could flame out and if they had a strong resume you would be confident they won't flame out. I try to avoid pushing teams too early who don't have quality wins, especially from bottom 5 leagues in FCS (Ivy, Patriot, MEAC, NEC, Pioneer).

I am evaluating based on the speed of the teams and how good teams are rather than just going by points. The transitive property is what you are talking about and I would only consider that with multiple common opponents. 1 game can be an outlier.

Hard to disagree here.

Can I assume then that USD is ahead of NDSU?

Is Elon ahead of W&M?

The more the season progresses and bodies of work develop, head to head records take on less weight. For instance, if by some chance SDSU loses to Missouri St to end the regular season, we aren’t slotting the Bears ahead of the Bunnies.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Hard to disagree here.

Can I assume then that USD is ahead of NDSU?

Is Elon ahead of W&M?

The more the season progresses and bodies of work develop, head to head records take on less weight. For instance, if by some chance SDSU loses to Missouri St to end the regular season, we aren’t slotting the Bears ahead of the Bunnies.

Yes on USD. I have Elon slightly behind W&M because of their loss to Gardner-Webb and I don't think GWU is top 25 worthy now. I will put Elon in the top 15 though if they handle NCCU by 10 or more. I do want to see how Elon responds coming off such a big win. That is another reason why I won't put Harvard in my top 15 because I want to see how they respond. If both of them win next weekend then I will push them both up a good bit.

I fully agree on the head to head meaning less as you go. In the first 4 or 5 weeks it carries a ton of weight but by November it does not carry the same weight.

[Milktruck74]

....AN..IT MAKES MAH EGG-HOLE TIGHT.....WHEN AH'VE...TRIED MAH BEST...&...TAKEN MAH TIME....TA MAKE UH FAIR POLL.....AN' SOMEBODAH...COMES ALONG....WHIFF...OUTRAGEOUS.....REASON...TA EXPLAIN DEY'RE POLL....AWK!

Didn't realize MR. Chicken was a transgender!!!! I mean you do you!!!

[crusader11]

What do you think about Coker and Hanson? I am not sure if HC realizes it but those two could get drafted. I won't be shocked if Hanson ends up going in the 4th-5th round.

Luke Newman gets most of the attention on the OL, but Hanson has been right there dating back to the off-season. Rest assured HC fans know how good these two are.

Coker is playing at the wrong level. He’s a power five receiver. An incredible catch radius, route runner, and catches everything. Doesn’t have the burners that some guys who play power five have, IMO.

He was a user recruited guy who’s become the best receiver in the FCS, IMO. His draft measurables might not jump off the page so I could see him as an UDFA.

Be interesting to see what he decides to do with his extra year. Could come back to HC if he wanted, but feel like he transfers to FBS (a la Ayir Asante…but at a bigger school).

[smallcollegefbfan]

Luke Newman gets most of the attention on the OL, but Hanson has been right there dating back to the off-season. Rest assured HC fans know how good these two are.

Coker is playing at the wrong level. He’s a power five receiver. An incredible catch radius, route runner, and catches everything. Doesn’t have the burners that some guys who play power five have, IMO.

He was a user recruited guy who’s become the best receiver in the FCS, IMO. His draft measurables might not jump off the page so I could see him as an UDFA.

Be interesting to see what he decides to do with his extra year. Could come back to HC if he wanted, but feel like he transfers to FBS (a la Ayir Asante…but at a bigger school).

Newman is real good for the FCS level but Hanson has been so good this year I predict he will get a lot of NFL interest. I think he is going to attract directors from NFL teams this fall. I thought same for Coker. If he can run 4.55 that is a win for him. He is the type who I think gets drafted if he does well in an all-star game and has a good 40 but if he runs 4.65 or so he won't. I have him as a 4.6 guy so I don't project draft right now but I think he will at least make a practice squad. He has been fun to watch.

If Coker hits the portal he should end up in the ACC or SEC.

[bobcathpdevil56]

To quote my Upper Great Plains friends, "Oooooffffttttaa", that was a heck of an exercise to complete the poll this week. Well done to all you fellow pollsters in getting through that ***** storm!

[WileECoyote06]

It is still early enough to make a big move, especially if a team does not have a key win and the meat of their schedule is later.

You said you are not slotting teams but if you keep USD behind NDSU and Harvard behind HC then that is EXACTLY what you are doing. There is no argument to have HC ahead of Harvard if you watched that game. Harvard was the superior team. HC is lucky Harvard did not try to score again. If could have been a 17 point game.

You just admitted that Harvard and Holy Cross could flame out and if they had a strong resume you would be confident they won't flame out. I try to avoid pushing teams too early who don't have quality wins, especially from bottom 5 leagues in FCS (Ivy, Patriot, MEAC, NEC, Pioneer).

I am evaluating based on the speed of the teams and how good teams are rather than just going by points. The transitive property is what you are talking about and I would only consider that with multiple common opponents. 1 game can be an outlier.

Thus the use of the word 'may.' I hadn't done a deep dive into the ebb and flow of the game and after looking through it, maybe it's appropriate to rank Harvard higher. I try to avoid overreact to upsets. My argument is that dropping Holy Cross out of the top 20 is a bit of an overreaction. If you don't think that Holy Cross is still a top-20 team, then we disagree on that point.

Holy Cross doesn't have the 'signature win'; however, I saw them gash Boston College for 250+ yards rushing in a close game. I also saw that Holy Cross piled up the yards on Harvard and Sluka threw four TDs but gave up three interceptions. And Holy Cross lost two fumbles. Does this mean that Holy Cross beats Harvard in two out of three? No, but HC definitely had an 'Any Given Saturday' bad game. It happens to the best teams. To put things in context. . . suppose Auburn upset UGA yesterday. . .would you honestly put Auburn at #9 and drop Georgia outside the top ten? Or would you give Georgia the benefit of the doubt?

And that's how I arrive at my other argument for not ranking USD above NDSU. Like many posters, they were in my top 5: reflecting their finish last year; their dominance of the subdivision over the past 14 seasons and a healthy respect for their recruiting, style of play and strength program. Like I implied the 'transitive' property is just one of many factors that can influence how I evaluate teams. Scores, SOS, win-totals, personnel, offensive and defensive power ratings, home/away wins and losses, and various ratings help. And then there is the eye test. My eye test says that USD wasn't definitively a better team than NDSU. But should USD continue their winning ways, they'll get a "multiplier" in my rankings.

We can agree to disagree. Despite our different ways of evaluating and ranking teams, we're probably going to have a lot of alignment closer to the end of the season.

[taper]

The problem with Holy Cross is there's only 3 teams even remotely worthwhile on their schedule and they've already lost 2. Seriously doubt they beat Army later on. When your SoS is this bad you need to win.

[caribbeanhen]

The problem with Holy Cross is there's only 3 teams even remotely worthwhile on their schedule and they've already lost 2. Seriously doubt they beat Army later on. When your SoS is this bad you need to win.


Yes and probably 117 other FCS teams lose to Boston College and Harvard, maybe more

Holy Cross has something about them and even though my man Sluka had a bad game I’m still not sleeping on him…. Yet

[KPSUL]

I did not have them ranked in my poll but plan to have them in my top 20. I won't move Holy Cross out but they were 8th in mine last week and going to at least drop them to 21-25 range.

That's too low for the Cross. Have you watched Harvard play?

[Chalupa Batman]

Hot take time: If you aren't voting Eastern Kentucky in your top 20 you're doing it wrong. After a bad game against Cincinnati to start the season they have been very good. They played Kentucky pretty tough (the Wildcats are a top 20 team in FBS and their closest game so far is against the Colonels). They probably should've beat Western Carolina after dropping a pass in the end zone with under 10 seconds left, they beat a good SEMO team by a similar margin that Southern Illinois did, and just did as good or better against North Alabama as Mercer, Chattanooga, and UT Martin have.

[Preferred Walk-On]

Hot take time: If you aren't voting Eastern Kentucky in your top 20 you're doing it wrong. After a bad game against Cincinnati to start the season they have been very good. They played Kentucky pretty tough (the Wildcats are a top 20 team in FBS and their closest game so far is against the Colonels). They probably should've beat Western Carolina after dropping a pass in the end zone with under 10 seconds left, they beat a good SEMO team by a similar margin that Southern Illinois did, and just did as good or better against North Alabama as Mercer, Chattanooga, and UT Martin have.

I agree with you...see my last week's poll. However, I believe their exclusion has had more to do with a 1-3 record...now 2-3. There are simply voters that will not consider under .500 teams to be top 25, and so we wait.

[Chalupa Batman]

I agree with you...see my last week's poll. However, I believe their exclusion has had more to do with a 1-3 record...now 2-3. There are simply voters that will not consider under .500 teams to be top 25, and so we wait.

I think most people don't realize they played 2 FBS teams. The first one was bad but they have been very good since, and every team they've played qualifies as "decent" at minimum.

[Preferred Walk-On]

I think most people don't realize they played 2 FBS teams. The first one was bad but they have been very good since, and every team they've played qualifies as "decent" at minimum.

See, I think they do, as they have no problem mentioning that a team like Albany has lost to two FBS teams.

The people on this forum pay attention...very closely. The difference, Albany has an overall winning record. I am greatly simplifying, of course, but I think the team with the losing record is the better team, based on my interpretation of their schedules/performances thus far.

[wcugrad95]

EKU's QB is as good as WCU has played - and we have faced some good ones this season. I can understand people wanting to see the winning record, but to me that is just a matter of time. They have played a very tough opening to their season.

[caribbeanhen]

I think most people don't realize they played 2 FBS teams. The first one was bad but they have been very good since, and every team they've played qualifies as "decent" at minimum.

Harvard

[TheKingpin28]

Every week and every year we say the same ****, but damn, this week was the hardest one yet.

*waits for next week to say the same thing*

Sent from my SM-A546U1 using Tapatalk

[NY Crusader 2010]

The problem with Holy Cross is there's only 3 teams even remotely worthwhile on their schedule and they've already lost 2. Seriously doubt they beat Army later on. When your SoS is this bad you need to win.

Agreed. As I explained to a number of Holy Cross fans' and alumni who continue to talk about playoff seeding, when you're in the PL, the margin of error is super thin. You basically need to run the table against FCS competition. The Harvard loss would've been much easier to stomach had we been able to close out and clinch the historic upset against Boston College. Now, it really comes down to winning the PL. Within the next 3 weeks, we play Lafayette and Fordham. If we drop either one of those, then Army becomes a MUST WIN to have a chance at an at-large.

The spread against both Lafayette and Fordham should be less than a touchdown -- both will be tough games, depending on which version of Fordham shows up. If we were playing Lafayette in Easton right now, I'd have the Leopards as slight favorites.

[NY Crusader 2010]

or just the playoffs

Ivy is down overall but Harvard looks good

My early read is that the Johnnies are now the favorites in the Ancient 8, after having clocked in as pre-season #4. Right now, I'd say it's a coin flip between Yale and Brown for #2, even though both have a loss already in conference. Princeton doesn't look impressive at all, relative to where they've been but they seem to have Harvard's number. Can't get a read on Penn yet, they could easily wind up being in the race. Cornell's loss to Colgate smells pretty bad.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Short on votes this time around so you have an hour left to get in your ballot.