Rankings - Contrasting views

[The Cats]

Here we have two SoCon coaches talking about what national rankings means to their team going into the third week of the season.

- Lets see what the #1 ranked Georgia Southern Head Coach Jeff Monken says about his #1 ranking, “Those rankings don’t mean a thing,” Monken said Monday night after speaking to the Macon Touchdown Club. “They’re not good for anything, other than fans to have bragging rights. It doesn’t matter until the end of the season.

Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/09/13/1701204/monken-downplays-georgia-southerns.html#ixzz1XyAyt400

- Now lets see what #14 Chattanooga Head Coach Russ Huesman had to say about the Mocs' #14 ranking, "The FCS rankings are huge and we should put a lot of stock in them."

Read more: http://www.nooga.com/16762_mocs-hold-highest-ranking-in-19-years-so-what-does-that-mean/


I guess, the higher you are ranked, the less it means. For Chatty, they are dancing in the streets, including the head coach, but I guess the WCU fans would be doing the same if we were ranked #14. xrotatehx

[chattanoogamocs]

The real difference here is coach speak...Monken is speaking it, Huesman isn't (though I do agree, if you are there all the time, like ASU or GSU traditionally have been, you don't talk about it as much).

Huesman isn't conventional...he wants to talk about rankings and isn't afraid to talk about playoffs and expectations...because that is where he wants his program to be.

But you are wrong, no one is dancing in the streets in Chattanooga...the team and the coaches are focused, because the playoffs are the goal (not just being ranked after week 2...he knows, like the rest of us, that very few non-ranked teams are going to the playoffs, so this is the position you have to be in)

I give Russ credit for not giving the PC answer and actually admitting that being ranked is important (especially for a rising program). Rankings help with recruiting, they help with donations, they help sell tickets, they increase your media exposure.

[GeauxLions94]

I give Russ credit for not giving the PC answer and actually admitting that being ranked is important (especially for a rising program). Rankings help with recruiting, they help with donations, they help sell tickets, they increase your media exposure.

Ding! Ding! Ding! and Ding! Being ranked helps does help in all aspects, as does winning on a consistent basis (App State) and getting signature wins (App State over Michigan). It definitely helps in recruiting both potential students/future graduates/future alums and student-athletes.

[chattanoogamocs]

Plus...if you want to make the playoffs (or in particular, if you want a seed)...you want to be ranked as long as possible and as high as possible. Keep your team in the mind of the committee all season (which I think was Huesmans' main point).

Of course, the committee will tell you that rankings don't really matter much...uh, cough...Bull**** (just like most coaches will tell you that rankings don't matter much)

[The Eagle's Cliff]

I'll add that Coach Monken (and spectators) aren't completely happy with the way we've played at times and KNOW we'll have to play better to be number one when it counts. I don't think the team believes anyone on the schedule is a push-over, nor should they think so.

[Gringer1]

Monken's comments have more to do with the traditional GSU philosophy than a media relations game. He is simply not satisfied with the on-field product and knows that we need to improve in order to win the NC. Coaches like Monken and Paul Johnson are always going to push the team to be better and make one less mistake, even when we win big games. Monken does not care where we are ranked right now because in his philosophy we can't ever put a "good enough" label on our effort.

[MR. CHICKEN]

16083....DIFFERENCE..BETWEEN DUH LOMBARDI'S....ONE HAS BEEN DERE ALOT...AN'...ONE IS NEW TA DUH ATTENTION...xpopcornx...AWK!

[heath]

16083....DIFFERENCE..BETWEEN DUH LOMBARDI'S....ONE HAS BEEN DERE ALOT...AN'...ONE IS NEW TA DUH ATTENTION...xpopcornx...AWK!
What Foggy means is..........been there done that for one, but the other is the new kid on the block and has his stereo full blast so the neighbors will take notice of the new kid in town.

[MR. CHICKEN]

DING!...DING!...DING!....COULDN'T UH SAID IT BETTERAH.....AWK!

[GSU_Alum08]

Monken has his rings. He serisouly does not care ahout being ranked number one after two weeks.

[chattanoogamocs]

Monken's comments have more to do with the traditional GSU philosophy than a media relations game. He is simply not satisfied with the on-field product and knows that we need to improve in order to win the NC. Coaches like Monken and Paul Johnson are always going to push the team to be better and make one less mistake, even when we win big games. Monken does not care where we are ranked right now because in his philosophy we can't ever put a "good enough" label on our effort.

Any coach worth his starch is always going to strive to improve, no matter their record or ranking.

[chattanoogamocs]

Monken has his rings. He serisouly does not care ahout being ranked number one after two weeks.

Huesman has one of those fancy national championship rings too.

[Gringer1]

Any coach worth his starch is always going to strive to improve, no matter their record or ranking.

It is a little different with Paul Johnson-style coaches. I think the Elon/GSU game from last year is a good example. GSU was up at halftime and the sideline reporter went to interview Monken. He was all pissed off and saying the team wasn't doing enough. Cut to Pete Lembo whose higher ranked team is losing and says something like "shucks, we're almost winning and I'm just plum proud with our effort."

[MR. CHICKEN]

DUH CHATTY COACH......WILL SOON BE REMINDED...O' DUH LAND MINES..DAT AWAIT HIS SQWAD.......POLLS ARE FO' FANS.....GET YER TEAM BELIEVIN' DUH INK......CURTAINS.......WHEN YER RANKED..OPPONENTS...COME AT YA HARDERAH.........DOODLE-DOO!