SI I-AA Rankings...

[Obzerver]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/specials/preview/2005/08/08/lower.divisions0815/

[DuckDuckGriz]

This is surprisingly a pretty good Top 5. SI did their research this time. I don't know about Southern Illinois. Montana might also be a little high but we shall see. :nod:

[Saint3333]

Don't you just love the way 1AA polls are usually lumped in with D2 and D3.

[JMU2004]

no way that Montana, GSU, or Southern Ill. should be ahead of JMU......

[DuckDuckGriz]

no way that Montana, GSU, or Southern Ill. should be ahead of JMU......

The five starters gone will be killer. But, number 1 until proven otherwise. I usually don't invest too much into these.

[Hoo-ah]

no way that Montana, GSU, or Southern Ill. should be ahead of JMU......

I agree--till proven otherwise.

[Ronbo]

no way that Montana, GSU, or Southern Ill. should be ahead of JMU......

Probably the fact that Montana has 15 starters back and you have 10. :nod:

[JohnStOnge]

no way that Montana, GSU, or Southern Ill. should be ahead of JMU......

Well, we'll see. Matters not at all. I gotta tell ya, though...if JMU and GSU were playing on a neutral field to open the season and I had to bet...I'd bet on GSU. I'll admit that part of that is just the history...but I'd start off thinking it likely JMU would have a lot tougher time adjusting to and dealing with GSU's offense than visa versa.

[JMU2004]

Well, we'll see. Matters not at all. I gotta tell ya, though...if JMU and GSU were playing on a neutral field to open the season and I had to bet...I'd bet on GSU. I'll admit that part of that is just the history...but I'd start off thinking it likely JMU would have a lot tougher time adjusting to and dealing with GSU's offense than visa versa.


Tough to tell.....

My point is this.....

yes, JMU loses 3 OL....what nobody ever seems to realize is we have a consensus all american back. Our starting tackle is a likely all-american. Our other tackle started for 2 years before being beat out narrowly last year. So that means we have 3 quality OL coming back.

We also have our 3 headed TB monster coming back. Oh yeah, and our play making QB. And our 3 top receivers. And 2 TE's that have both been starters in the past.

JMU returns everybody on the DL except Sid Evans (who is a big loss). Our LBs will be our weak point, as one probable starter was suspended for the year, and the other is recovering from foot surgery. Our secondary returns Lezotte, Johnson, Dottin-Carter, and Clint Kent. The CB's will be new though. The D should be good once again, but will depend heavily on some younger guys.

All of our special teams are back.

We do not lose as much as many people seem to think. If we drop off this year, it will not be because of our starters. It will be because we didn't have a lot of depth.

It is still way too early to tell, but based on observations of practices in Spring and early Summer, depth will not be a problem.

[Killtoppers90]

WOW! 3 Gateway teams in top 10 - nice! Now let's see how long it lasts. See you in the playoffs (I hope)!

[Mr. C]

Tough to tell.....

My point is this.....

yes, JMU loses 3 OL....what nobody ever seems to realize is we have a consensus all american back. Our starting tackle is a likely all-american. Our other tackle started for 2 years before being beat out narrowly last year. So that means we have 3 quality OL coming back.

We also have our 3 headed TB monster coming back. Oh yeah, and our play making QB. And our 3 top receivers. And 2 TE's that have both been starters in the past.

JMU returns everybody on the DL except Sid Evans (who is a big loss). Our LBs will be our weak point, as one probable starter was suspended for the year, and the other is recovering from foot surgery. Our secondary returns Lezotte, Johnson, Dottin-Carter, and Clint Kent. The CB's will be new though. The D should be good once again, but will depend heavily on some younger guys.

All of our special teams are back.

We do not lose as much as many people seem to think. If we drop off this year, it will not be because of our starters. It will be because we didn't have a lot of depth.

It is still way too early to tell, but based on observations of practices in Spring and early Summer, depth will not be a problem.
JMU has three players on the I-AA.org preseason All-America team, guard Matt Magerko, tackle Corey Davis and safety Tony LeZotte. The offensive line may be replacing three players, but all three of the new starters played a lot of football last season, so it's not like JMU is vastly inexperienced there. The Dukes also have probably the most backfield depth in I-AA, with Raymond Hines, Alvin Banks and Maurice Fenner all back. The biggest question is how well the linebackers will perform in keeping the defense as tough as it was last year. I don't know if I'd rate JMU No. 1, but they should be right in the thick of the A-10 race and in the hunt for a playoff berth again this season.

[blukeys]

WOW! 3 Gateway teams in top 10 - nice! Now let's see how long it lasts. See you in the playoffs (I hope)!


Just shows the power of MIdwest bias. SiU 3rd with the same crew that cannot win a playoff game in the last 2 years??????? Any poll that puts a Gateway team in front of a Southern Con. Team or A-10 team is suspect in my book. SIU is consistently overrated as demonstrated by PERFORMANCE in the playoffs. 3 Gateway teams in the top 10 GIVE ME A BREAK!!!

[Umass74]

I still gotta go with JMU. The core of the team that won the National Championship is still there.

Until someone beats them on the field, I have to say that they are still #1

[Husky Alum]

Midwestern bias? At Sports Illustrated? Where you getting that one from?

The College Sports Editor for Sports Illustrated is a Northeastern Alumni, and several of his staffers are from east coast colleges.

[bluehenbillk]

3 Gateway teams? I almost fell out of my chair. I'll go on record again, that SIU is the most overrated team in 1-AA. How many playoff wins in the past 2 years do they have?

I'll even go further, let may lay this bet out on the line, if SIU wins a playoff game I won't post on this board for 3 months from the day of the win. When they fail to make the playoffs or lose in the 1st round again, the loser doesn't post for 3 months. Any takers?

[Killtoppers90]

Is it me or is this a poll of the strongest teams in 1-AA THIS SEASON? Last season is past, so there is no way of knowing that the Gateway could be much improved and even win in the playoffs this season. But I will hold all comments on that until the playoffs arrive. But I do beleive that UD, JMU, GA Southern or any other team you would like to include wouldn't cakewalk through the conference.

[OL FU]

no way that Montana, GSU, or Southern Ill. should be ahead of JMU......

I would add Furman to that list also.

[JMU2004]

I wouldn't

[OL FU]

I wouldn't

Reverse Homerism :)

[89Hen]

I don't think you can throw out a conference for past playoff performance, but I do have to single out SIU from the Gateway. I really don't know what to make of a team that has been very highly ranked and lost in the first round two years in a row. Putting my Hen bias aside, as it turned out, they had an impossible draw in 2003. Nobody was going to beat UD in the playoffs, they just gelled at the right time. EWU was a very strong team last year too and losing to them is no embarrassment. But if SIU wants to make my top 5 they HAVE to beat somebody outside of the Gateway. The Gateway is an extremely good conference but SIU has done NOTHING outside of it. Their OOC wins in the last two years are SEMO (2x), Murray, DelSt, Saint Joseph's, Quincy and William Penn. No offense to SE Missouri or Murray States, but that's not a very impressive list.

[GSUBass]

as much as it hurts me to say this...GSU hasn't won a playoff game in the past 2 years either....in fact, their last win was the game before western kentucky in 2002. :bang:

[Chi Panther]

I would agree with 89Hen's post. SIU has looked less than spectacular when they should have came through....

I am a very biased panther fan....and I think it speaks volumes about the Gateway this year that UNI is expected to finish 3rd. UNI will field the best team since 96 in my opinion this year.

[Killtoppers90]

I am thinking that WKU and UNI will split the title this year. They have an awfully good team this season.

[Husky Alum]

Qunicy? Come on, I thought Jack Klugman passed away.

What's their nickname, the Menacing Medical Examiners?


(just kidding, NU's former "basketball coach" Rudy Keeling went to Quincy)

[FightinBluHen51]

Where are the other 15 schools out of the top 25. A #1 coverage from SI yet again :rolleyes:

[89Hen]

Don't you just love the way 1AA polls are usually lumped in with D2 and D3.
Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, but so they really need to call us and D2 and 3 "lower divisions"? Can't they just say "other divisions"?

[SpiritCymbal]

GSU shouldn't be ranked that high. A lot of talent but too much inexperience in some of the key positions.

[skinny_uncle]

Is it me or is this a poll of the strongest teams in 1-AA THIS SEASON? Last season is past, so there is no way of knowing that the Gateway could be much improved and even win in the playoffs this season. But I will hold all comments on that until the playoffs arrive. But I do beleive that UD, JMU, GA Southern or any other team you would like to include wouldn't cakewalk through the conference.
Amen.
The Salukis lost the last 2 years but that doesn't serve as a predictor for this year. They return 7 starters from the top ranked defense in the Gateway from last year. They also return both kickers, the QB and all their top receivers. The last 2 years were just experience for these guys. This is the year they could really be dangerous.

[89Hen]

They also return both kickers, the QB and all their top receivers. The last 2 years were just experience for these guys. This is the year they could really be dangerous.
I've heard this somewhere before. :confused:

[GannonFan]

Hasn't SIU primarily relied on running the ball and didn't they lose 4 of 5 starting offensive linemen? I see this as more of a dip year for SIU rather than their culmination year.

[igo4uni]

I am thinking that WKU and UNI will split the title this year. They have an awfully good team this season.

Killtoppers, as you know, the Gateway is always tough. You guys have beaten us the last few times that we have met. I hope we can sneak a w out of you guys this year. :)

peace

igo4uni

[Toppermaniac]

And come September 10, they'll be sucking air watching our offense move up and down the field.

[Toppermaniac]

As far as I'm concerned, it's the Topper's to lose. We host both UNI and SIU and should win both games at home. If we do, barring a let down somewhere on the road, we should win the title. But, that's why they play the game. We return 17 starters, which should be enought to get the job done.