FCS Coaches Poll 9/24/07

[EmeryZach]

FCS Coaches Poll (Sept 24, 2007)



1. Montana (3-0) (20) 661 2

2. Massachusetts (4-0) (4) 657 3

3. North Dakota State (3-0) (3) 640 4

4. Northern Iowa (4-0) 614 5

5. Appalachian State (3-1) 546 1

6. Southern Illinois (4-0) 536 6

7. McNeese State(3-0) (1) 521 8

8. Wofford (3-1) 509 12

9. James Madison (3-1) 492 9

10. Youngstown State (3-1) 488 7

11. New Hampshire (2-1) 424 10

12. Delaware (4-0) 388 11

13. Hampton (3-0) 334 13

14. Hofstra (3-0) 295 16

15. Sam Houston State (2-1) 240 15

16. Illinois State (2-2) 218 14

17t. Montana State (2-1) 212 18

17t. Western Illinois (3-1) 212 19

19. Furman(1-2) 184 17

20. Yale (2-0) 152 21

21. Eastern Illinois(2-2) 140 22

22. Nicholls State (3-1) 103 20

23. Eastern Washington(3-0) 101 NR

24. Cal Poly (2-2) 72 24

25. Richmond (2-1) 44 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Villanova (31), Lafayette (29), UC Davis (22), Grambling St. (21), San Diego (21), Missouri St. (20), Elon (17), Holy Cross (17), South Dakota St. (15), Delaware St. (13), Georgia Southern (13), South Carolina St. (13), Southern (13), Alabama St. (12), The Citadel (12), Tennessee Tech (9), Lehigh (8), Alabama A&M (7), Texas St. (7), Drake (5), Princeton (5), Butler (2), William & Mary (2), Chattanooga (1), Eastern Kentucky (1), Northern Arizona (1).

[walliver]

Furman stomped BYE but fell 2 spots.

And Georgia Southern received more votes than Citadel.

[bisonguy]

UNI without a single first place vote? xsmhx

[GtFllsGriz]

But the coaches can't be right because Montana hasn't played anybody! They are nothing, the Bison are truly the best!

There BB, I saved you the time.

[citdog]

Furman stomped BYE but fell 2 spots.

And Georgia Southern received more votes than THE Citadel.

made me say hmmmmmm too! and i fixed it for ya! neg pts start with the next infraction

[mlbowl]

But the coaches can't be right because Montana hasn't played anybody!



xnodx xnodx xnodx STUPID coaches!!!xnodx xnodx xnodx

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

Just goes to show you, they are working, not watching the games...

UNI without a (1) vote is ridiculous.

Illinois schools getting lots of love right now in the polls. We shall see how long that lasts with the conference games coming up in the Gateway...

[Anovafan]

xnodx xnodx xnodx STUPID coaches!!!xnodx xnodx xnodx

I'd love to know how many coaches actually fill out a ballot. My guess is there are a lot of SIDs out there punching in the ballots, not that this poll really matters much, but it is interesting to check out each week.

[Ronin]

Montana??? xlolx

You have to be joking. They haven't beaten anyone of note.

Would have to think UNI should be higher with a 4-0 record and a win over a FBC school.

[walliver]

I'd love to know how many coaches actually fill out a ballot. My guess is there are a lot of SIDs out there punching in the ballots, not that this poll really matters much, but it is interesting to check out each week.

None of the polls matter, it is the RPI, and RPI alone, that determines our Championship tournament field.:D

[mlbowl]

Montana??? xlolx

You have to be joking. They haven't beaten anyone of note.

Would have to think UNI should be higher with a 4-0 record and a win over a FBC school.

First of all, what is an FBC school? Secondly, I believe we've beaten every team on our schedule.xnodx Thirdly, who gives a crap, we're 4 weeks into the season!!!

[blukeys]

xnodx xnodx xnodx STUPID coaches!!!xnodx xnodx xnodx

I have had this debate before when defending our very own AGS Poll against those who believe the coaches are the most knowledgeable regarding rankings.

Coaches work an 80+ work week preparing their team for next week's game. They know their own team and it's strength and weaknesses VERY WELL. They also have the book on the team they just played and know their upcoming opponent almost as well as their own team. In all of this time consuming intense preparation they don't have the time or resources to study a team 3,000 miles away who they will never see in a regular season game. If they are really ambitious they may make a couple of phone calls to friends that they trust but in the end their opinion of teams outside their conference is a Wild A** Guess.

Sunday is the day coaches break down game film of their own team and the opposition. It is also the day for game planning next week's game.

It is an all day affair for most staffs. Monday has practice and of course on Saturday they played. Since the coaches voted today, how much research did they do on OOC teams???

I'm sure the Southland coaches are right up to speed on the PL and the IVIES. xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[Ronbo]

I don't know. I heard Bobby Hauck warn about App. State during the 2005 season. They hadn't even won anything yet and he was saying on his Coache's Show watch out for the school in North Carolina. First I heard that they were that good.

[Cap'n Cat]

Montana??? xlolx

You have to be joking. They haven't beaten anyone of note.

Would have to think UNI should be higher with a 4-0 record and a win over a FBC school.



Ronin,
Don't worry. What's important is the end of the season. One game at a time, bud.

Montana's good. So are we. No big deal.

xnodx

[Tod]

UNI without a single first place vote? xsmhx

Absolutely ridiculous. xmadx

[BisonBacker]

But the coaches can't be right because Montana hasn't played anybody! They are nothing, the Bison are truly the best!

There BB, I saved you the time.

You didn't even need to say it, everyone already knows itxlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xnodx

[DetroitFlyer]

How about Butler receiving a couple of votes? Butler receives votes, but Dayton receives none.... Interesting.

[USDFAN_55]

Does any of this really matter right now? There is still a lot of football to be played this year. The good teams will shine through at the end of the year. Everything is always a little murky this time of year. Take this for what it is, a poll that means nada (translation for you non-spanish speakers.... nothing)xcoolx

[Ronbo]

You didn't even need to say it, everyone already knows itxlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xnodx


Blah, blah, blah, if we aren't that good someone will take us down and that will be that.

Good luck with these guys Gateway, what a bunch of whiners. Look for that for many many seasons to come. Oh boy! xlolx xlolx

[CSUBUCDAD]

I'd love to know how many coaches actually fill out a ballot. My guess is there are a lot of SIDs out there punching in the ballots, not that this poll really matters much, but it is interesting to check out each week.

Any coach doing his job has not time for polls. Looking at them or filling one out.

[JohnStOnge]

But the coaches can't be right because Montana hasn't played anybody! They are nothing, the Bison are truly the best!

There BB, I saved you the time.

This is an example of why I personally give more credibility to power ratings than I do to polls. There's now way anybody can seriously argue that Montana's had the #1 performance among FCS schools at this point.

Now, it could be that as the season goes on Montana will prove itself to be the best. But if you're being objective, looking at what teams have actually accomplished on the field...there's just no way as of today.

[Col Hogan]

This is an example of why I personally give more credibility to power ratings than I do to polls. There's now way anybody can seriously argue that Montana's had the #1 performance among FCS schools at this point.

Now, it could be that as the season goes on Montana will prove itself to be the best. But if you're being objective, looking at what teams have actually accomplished on the field...there's just no way as of today.

To add, on the field, there is no way UMass has performed better than UNI...and NDSU...

[EmeryZach]

Yeah, UMass's final scores have been deceiving. We haven't played well at all on defense. We've gotten pretty lucky so far. The game against BC this weekend will show how susceptible we are to a good passing offense.

#1 UNI
#2 UMASS
#3 NDSU
#4 Griz
#5 App State

[cats2506]

I have no idea what the other coaches do but I remember that coach Ash (who is a voter in this poll) was asked about this and if it added to his workload. He said that he would assign different conferences to his assistants and that they could take a few minutes sunday during the coaches meetings and hash it out and he would submit his vote based on that discussion. He didnt really think it was to much trouble at all. I'm paraphrasing here but I remember him being asked about it.

[katstrapper]

Blah, blah, blah, if we aren't that good someone will take us down and that will be that.

Good luck with these guys Gateway, what a bunch of whiners. Look for that for many many seasons to come. Oh boy! xlolx xlolx

Got to schedule someone good and get away from mommy's home cooking. 5 home games to start the season vs winless team isnt proving anything.

S. Utah 0-4
Ft Lewis 0-3 DII
Albany 1-3

Up next; winless Weber St.xeekx xlolx

[Tod]

[B]

Got to schedule someone good and get away from mommy's home cooking. 5 home games to start the season vs winless team isnt proving anything.

S. Utah 0-4
Ft Lewis 0-3 DII
Albany 1-3

Up next; winless Weber St.xeekx xlolx

Weber State is a conference game, katsucker. Not much we can do about that, is there?

Or, should we start tearing apart the (weaker) Southland Conference?

xrolleyesx xrolleyesx xrolleyesx

[Tod]

This is an example of why I personally give more credibility to power ratings than I do to polls. There's now way anybody can seriously argue that Montana's had the #1 performance among FCS schools at this point.

Now, it could be that as the season goes on Montana will prove itself to be the best. But if you're being objective, looking at what teams have actually accomplished on the field...there's just no way as of today.

But you assume rankings go by only performance and not expectations.

How many people on AGS have said that you should rank based on where you see a team finishing?

That said, I wouldn't have the Griz at #1, either. But they have done what has been expected of them so far; dominate their opponents.

What's wrong with that?

xconfusedx

[ngineer]

Furman stomped BYE but fell 2 spots.

And Georgia Southern received more votes than Citadel.

That makes not sense. But then, most of the coaches don't even vote but let their SID's cover for them. The coaches don't have enough time to follow the doings of all these teams.

[DetroitFlyer]

ALL polls are simply voters expressing their opinions. There is simply no way for any poll voter to have intimate knowledge about every team in the land and to be "objective" in the evaluation. Polls are now and always will be 100% subjective. I know a whole lot more about my conference than most here on AGS and I firmly believe that one or more of my conference's teams should be in the top 25. That is simply my subjective opinion. Other fans, coaches, "media members" etc., all have varying levels of knowledge about FCS teams and all vote their subjective opinion. The major "advantage" to computer power ratings is that they are much more objective. The subjectivity comes in via whatever ever algorithm is designed to calculate the result. Once that is set in stone, however, and assuming it does not change over time, the results are 100%objective for that particular power rating's program. The computer does not have an opinion, it simply calculates what is was told to calculate. So, year in and year out, assuming that he does not change his program, Sagarin is going to provide the exact same evaluation of your team week to week, month to month, year to year. Polls, not so much....

In looking at my team, Dayton, our highest ranking is by Don Hansen, ( #34 ). TSN has us at #51. Other polls do not have us receiving any votes. Sagarin has us at #60. As I mentioned, in the AGS poll, I have had the Flyers ranked from 20 to 25 in my weekly votes. So who is right? Good question, maybe we should have a playoff to decide such things, ( LOL )!! And by the way, the PFL Champion should be in those playoffs EVERY year!

[NDB]

I thought rankings were supposed to capture a number of individuals opinions on which team is the best.

I don't know where this best-schedule argument came in. Montana was ranked high to start the season, others have faultered. I don't see how their poor schedule can be used to catapault others over them.

We're about a month into the season, nobody knows which team is the best now (or ever).

[mlbowl]

[B]

Got to schedule someone good and get away from mommy's home cooking. 5 home games to start the season vs winless team isnt proving anything.

S. Utah 0-4
Ft Lewis 0-3 DII
Albany 1-3

Up next; winless Weber St.xeekx xlolx

LMFAO - you're kidding rightxlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

SHSU's first 2 games......

The mighty 1-3 Angelo State Rams followed by.......
the equally mighty 1-3 Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils......Pleasexlolx xlolx xlolx You're too much!!!...seriously....stop....my sides are aching!!!xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[srgrizizen]

I thought rankings were supposed to capture a number of individuals opinions on which team is the best.

I don't know where this best-schedule argument came in. Montana was ranked high to start the season, others have faultered. I don't see how their poor schedule can be used to catapault others over them.

We're about a month into the season, nobody knows which team is the best now (or ever).

NDB is going to make himself mighty lonesome by coming on here and making sense. The majority here seems to regard polls as a reward for good performance rather than a person's best guess as to which team might be the strongest. Therefore, because so many teams have more impressive wins than UM, they find it inconceivable that the Griz could be voted #1. However, if one sincerely harbors the belief that Montana could very possibly beat all those teams with those impressive wins, then it's a perfectly reasonable vote. It may be wrong, but it simply shows a fundamentally different idea as to the purpose of the poll. Obvious the Sports Network and coaches do not share the dominant view of AGS that no team without the opportunity to score an impressive win thus far can ever be ranked ahead of teams that have won against tougher competition. The idea that a poll represents an opinion or informed guess about the strength of a team rather than a reward for a tough win is what 95% of fans have always believed, I think, but it is utterly foreign to this site.

[pantherfan]

Folks, voting is SUPPOSED to be based on performance once the season starts; period. You are SUPPOSED to vote who you think is the best team and then down the line, that does not mean that you have to stick with your preseason order if they win...it also does not mean you must change the order of things when certain teams win. Montana is number 1 on several ballots in a lot of the polls, therefore one could surmise that they may be deserving of said ranking. Looking back at the BCS in the past, there have been some teams screwed because of starting too low and not being voted on based on their performance, if THAT happens we can have this discussion at the end of the season...but I doubt it will seeing as we have a playoff system.xthumbsupx

[srgrizizen]

No argument with pantherfan. My only complaint was with people who argue that one could not POSSIBLY vote for Montana considering their record (schedule!) thus far. You can if you think they are the best team, however mistakenly. I also agree that teams ought to be able to move up based on impressive performance, but if UM really is overrated, they'll lose and prove it. Anyway, as pantherfan says, it's not really much of a problem in the FCS because it will settle out through the playoff system, albeit with the possibility of mistakes in the seedings.

[placidlakegriz]

Montana??? xlolx

You have to be joking. They haven't beaten anyone of note.

Would have to think UNI should be higher with a 4-0 record and a win over a FBC school.

But we always beat UNI.

[skinny_uncle]

But we always beat UNI.
You haven't this year.