Sagarin FCS Top 25

[jmufan999]

1. Georgia Southern
2. Wofford
3. North Dakota St.
4. Northern Iowa
5. Sam Houston St.
6. Montana St.
7. Maine
8. Appalachian St.
9. Harvard
10. James Madison
11. Towson
12. Samford
13. New Hampshire
14. Lehigh
15. Indiana St.
16. Montana
17. Liberty
18. Delaware
19. Chattanooga
20. Brown
21. Cal Poly
22. Norfolk St.
23. Massachusetts
24. Weber St.
25. Furman

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm

[Bogus Megapardus]

Lehigh >>>> Harvard

[UNH Fanboi]

Did Harvard's loss to Holy Cross somehow not count? I have no idea how they are so high.

[danefan]

Did Harvard's loss to Holy Cross somehow not count? I have no idea how they are so high.

Computer polls love the Ivys for some reason.

[JMUNJ08]

Did Harvard's loss to Holy Cross somehow not count? I have no idea how they are so high.

Agreed. Some decent wins but that was a loss to Holy Cross thrown in there....

[Mr. C]

Computer polls love the Ivys for some reason.

People who know football like the Ivies, too. You have always had a built-in bias against the Ivies, but you would see how good the Ivies are if those stupid presidents ever allowed their champions to play in the postseason. Talk to coaches who know just how good teams like Harvard and Penn are most years.

[Mr. C]

There has ALWAYS been a major problem with the Sagarin — it doesn't use results of any non-D-I game in its calculations, so things get easily skewed. Like a lot of computer rankings, Sagarin also puts way too much emphasis on strength of schedule, which bumps up even the worst teams in a given conference, because of what their opponents have done.

[danefan]

People who know football like the Ivies, too. You have always had a built-in bias against the Ivies, but you would see how good the Ivies are if those stupid presidents ever allowed their champions to play in the postseason. Talk to coaches who know just how good teams like Harvard and Penn are most years.

Can you honestly say that Harvard is a Top 10 team?

[Mr. C]

I didn't say Harvard was a top-10 team this year, though the Ryan Fitzpatrick-Clifton Dawson squad from a few years ago certainly was one of the top teams in the country. Penn had been one of the top teams in the country the past two years, too, and gave Villanova fits with its defense. I do think that Harvard could be one of the top 25 teams, however. Like I posted earlier, I am not a fan of Sagarin and never have been.

[danefan]

I didn't say Harvard was a top-10 team this year, though the Ryan Fitzpatrick-Clifton Dawson squad from a few years ago certainly was one of the top teams in the country. Penn had been one of the top teams in the country the past two years, too, and gave Villanova fits with its defense. I do think that Harvard could be one of the top 25 teams, however. Like I posted earlier, I am not a fan of Sagarin and never have been.


I stand by my point. The Ivy league is by and large overrated by computer polls.

[Twentysix]

I have harvard in my top 25. No where near top 10 though...brown however....nope...notta..

[danefan]

Just to be clear on my opinion, I do think both Harvard and Brown should be considered for the Top 25. Both are solid teams. I couldn't justify ever voting the above 20 though, as neither has any resume to support it.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

People who know football like the Ivies, too. You have always had a built-in bias against the Ivies, but you would see how good the Ivies are if those stupid presidents ever allowed their champions to play in the postseason. Talk to coaches who know just how good teams like Harvard and Penn are most years.

The Ivy problem is as it ever has been - too little interplay with other leagues, and no post season to develop a real reference. Aside from the PL and occasional regional NEC or in-state CAA matchup (which rarely goes in the Ivy team's favor) there is just no way to compare. Delaware looked like top tier BCS team against Delaware State, but then fell all over themselves in real competition against Maine.

The Ivies have earned the bias against them by their refusal to take part in the greater FCS ecosystem, as has the SWAC. That being said, I did include Harvard in my poll this week, but not near the top 10.

[jmufan999]

I did include Harvard in my poll this week, but not near the top 10.

Ditto.

[Jackman]

Harvard refuses to play 11 games, refuses to play anyone except the Ivy and Patriot, and refuses to participate in the playoffs. They are not a FCS team, and they do not belong in any ranking system except an Ivy-only poll.

[PantherRob82]

Harvard refuses to play 11 games, refuses to play anyone except the Ivy and Patriot, and refuses to participate in the playoffs. They are not a FCS team, and they do not belong in any ranking system except an Ivy-only poll.

I don't take quite this staunch a stance on the Ivies, but it is VERY hard to rank them. Had Nova been decent this year and Penn beat them, that would be respectable, but none of them have a schedule like that.

[OL FU]

There has ALWAYS been a major problem with the Sagarin — it doesn't use results of any non-D-I game in its calculations, so things get easily skewed. Like a lot of computer rankings, Sagarin also puts way too much emphasis on strength of schedule, which bumps up even the worst teams in a given conference, because of what their opponents have done.

I agree that strength of schedule is a problem in Sagarin. I think my school at 25 points that out pretty well.

[Wildcat80]

1. Georgia Southern
2. Wofford
3. North Dakota St.
4. Northern Iowa
5. Sam Houston St.
6. Montana St.
7. Maine
8. Appalachian St.
9. Harvard
10. James Madison
11. Towson
12. Samford
13. New Hampshire
14. Lehigh
15. Indiana St.
16. Montana
17. Liberty
18. Delaware
19. Chattanooga
20. Brown
21. Cal Poly
22. Norfolk St.
23. Massachusetts
24. Weber St.
25. Furman

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm

UNH losing to an unranked wm does NOT make me feel any better today! xbawlingxxbawlingxxbawlingx

[GaSouthern]

I wish Harvard would let us get a crack at them!

[CFBfan]

Harvard refuses to play 11 games, refuses to play anyone except the Ivy and Patriot, and refuses to participate in the playoffs. They are not a FCS team, and they do not belong in any ranking system except an Ivy-only poll.

You make a very good point......since the FCS: Champioship series by way of playoffs is ignored, shunned, blown off, how ever you want to phrase it by the Ivy League what are they doing in the FCS??? and Why??

[danefan]

You make a very good point......since the FCS: Champioship series by way of playoffs is ignored, shunned, blown off, how ever you want to phrase it by the Ivy League what are they doing in the FCS??? and Why??

Its simple really: They want to play football (at any level) and they want to play DI basketball.

The exact same reason most of the PFL teams are in the FCS.

[CFBfan]

Its simple really: They want to play football (at any level) and they want to play DI basketball.

The exact same reason most of the PFL teams are in the FCS.

I get that but, PFL teams "could" make the playoffs and would go if invited.
The Ivies can not make the playoffs and would not go if invited.
So, why are they playing in a CS league??

[danefan]

I get that but, PFL teams "could" make the playoffs and would go if invited.
The Ivies can not make the playoffs and would not go if invited.
So, why are they playing in a CS league??

I guess its fair to say they are FCS by default only. Same for the SWAC.

[CFBfan]

I guess its fair to say they are FCS by default only. Same for the SWAC.
seems that way.
were you in oradell saturday?

[danefan]

seems that way.
were you in oradell saturday?

No - up in Albany for homecoming.

I was surprised to see the score as close as it was. I guess SJR is pretty decent. They need to start playing more national opponents like BC and Bosco have done.

[CFBfan]

No - up in Albany for homecoming.

I was surprised to see the score as close as it was. I guess SJR is pretty decent. They need to start playing more national opponents like BC and Bosco have done.

wasn't as close as the score. BC ran on them all day and it was 30 - 13 with just mins left when SJR scored on a blown coverage that left a wide open recv for their final score.
They are good enough to win out though

[Bogus Megapardus]

Harvard is a very, very good team and deserving of a high ranking. In my opinion, Ivy teams are under-rated in polls, not over-rated. I just think Lehigh is better and belongs in the top 5.

I guess it's only the Patriot teams that know - we play a lot of Ivy teams, and we play CAA teams too. The best Ivy teams would stand up well against the best CAA teams. There's not question of this.

[PantherRob82]

Well when the Ivies only play themselves and the Patriot league it's really hard to gauge. If Harvard played Lehigh or Holy Cross this year we could have some sort of barometer.

[UNH Fanboi]

Well when the Ivies only play themselves and the Patriot league it's really hard to gauge. If Harvard played Lehigh or Holy Cross this year we could have some sort of barometer.

Harvard played Holy Cross and lost.

[GaSouthern]

GSU and Wofford are ranked higher than ALL of the Sun Belt and WAC

[chattownmocs]

GSU and Wofford are ranked higher than ALL of the Sun Belt and WAC

I suppose you believe that is legitimate?

[appfan2008]

I suppose you believe that is legitimate?

And I suppose that you believe that UTC is better than Alabama and LSU right?

[chattownmocs]

And I suppose that you believe that UTC is better than Alabama and LSU right?

No, just App State.

[bojeta]

Harvard played Holy Cross and lost.

I think Holy Cross has a decent team this year. They didn't quite make my top 25, but that's just more proof (at least for me) that Harvard DOES NOT belong anywhere near the top 10.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Can you honestly say that Harvard is a Top 10 team?

They're pretty damned close to one in my poll.

[danefan]

They're pretty damned close to one in my poll.

You really believe that there are less than 10-15 teams in the entire country that would beat Harvard?