IdaGriz01
Well-known member
With five ranked-vs-ranked matchups on Saturday, there had to be that many ranked teams losing. Throw in the money game at Tennessee and you get to six. Beyond those, one ranked team lost to an unranked opponent. Still, I’m guessing that no currently ranked team will drop out of the top-25. But the pot will certainly get stirred.
Poll Guess, Team (Record), [Current Rank]
#1 SDSU (7-1) [1]
#2 Sac State (7-0) [2]
#3 Montana State (7-1) [3]
#4 North Dakota State (5-2) [4]
#5 Holy Cross (7-0) [6]
#6 Incarnate Word (7-1) [8]
#7 Jackson State (7-0) [9]
#8 Weber State (6-1) [5]
#9 Chattanooga (6-1) [10]
#10 Montana (5-2) [7]
#11 William & Mary (6-1) [12]
#12 Delaware (6-1) [13]
#13 Samford (6-1) [15]
#14 SE Missouri State (6-1) [16]
#15 Idaho (5-2) [17]
#16 Mercer (6-2) [11]
#17 Richmond (5-2) [19]
#18 UT Martin (4-3) [18]
#19 Rhode Island (5-2) [22]
#20 Fordham (6-1) [23]
#21 Austin Peay (5-2) [24]
#22 Southern Illinois (5-3) [14]
#23 New Hampshire (6-2) [25]
#24 North Dakota (4-3) [20]
#25 Elon (5-3) [21]
We’ll start with Weber State. The pollsters generally go fairly easy when a ranked team loses on the road to a higher-ranked team. A drop of three or four spots has been normal, unless something strange has happened. Well, that was definitely an odd, ugly game. I’ve guessed that the pollsters will drop the Weebs four spots, but I could easily see them going down a couple more.
Of course, for us, the number one question is: How far will UM fall? I’ve read a few of the comments on eGriz. For those who say the Griz barely deserve to be ranked (or worse), I say: “You need to get out more.” You think the top-25 is filled with teams that have no flaws and always play perfectly? No … and I’ll just leave it at that.
The Griz lost on the road to the #2 team in the FCS … in overtime. Unless the pollsters deviate from their “normal” reaction, the Griz should not drop more than four spots. Because it was an OT loss, I’m guessing three down … staying barely in the top-10.
The next to go down was #11 Mercer, which lost at #10 Chattanooga. I’m guessing the pollsters will nudge them down an “extra” spot because the Mocs’ dominated the Bears, zooming out to a 17 point lead in the first quarter. The final was 41-21. That’s bad enough that a drop of a couple more spots would not surprise me at all.
Southern Illinois was the one ranked team that lost to an unranked FCS opponent. Even with that loss, the Salukis are still tied for second in the MVFC. However, they did not lose to just any unranked opponent. They lost to a South Dakota team that had won only one game this season. (And that one win was over pitiful Cal Poly.) I suspect the pollsters will hammer them down pretty bad.
I’m calling the UT Martin loss a wash since Tennessee is ranked #3 in the FBS. In fact, with Southern Illinois dropping so far, it’s not impossible that the Skyhawks could move up a spot.
Next up (down actually
) was #20 North Dakota, which lost to #1 SDSU. The Hawks held their own for awhile and even led at the half. But the Jacks blew it open in the third quarter. With my usual expectations, the pollsters might only drop them to #23. I went with #24 because that (4-3) record looks out of place. In fact, it’s not out of the question that the pollsters could drop the Hawks out of the top-25, just because of that record.
That gets us to #21 Elon, which lost to #25 New Hampshire. This one has me worried a bit, mainly because the Phoenix were never really in this game. They fell behind 23-7 in the first half and lost more ground in the second (final was 40-22). I’m going with the usual “down four spots,” but could easily see them dropping out of the top-25. That would likely open a spot for Villanova to move in.
At this point in the season, with most teams having played seven (or even eight) games, my “historical” rules of thumb seem to work better and better. Thus, if the pollsters choose to go away from their usual behavior, I’m going to have egg all over my face. Oh well, that’s why I use a generous dose of weasel words. :lol:
Poll Guess, Team (Record), [Current Rank]
#1 SDSU (7-1) [1]
#2 Sac State (7-0) [2]
#3 Montana State (7-1) [3]
#4 North Dakota State (5-2) [4]
#5 Holy Cross (7-0) [6]
#6 Incarnate Word (7-1) [8]
#7 Jackson State (7-0) [9]
#8 Weber State (6-1) [5]
#9 Chattanooga (6-1) [10]
#10 Montana (5-2) [7]
#11 William & Mary (6-1) [12]
#12 Delaware (6-1) [13]
#13 Samford (6-1) [15]
#14 SE Missouri State (6-1) [16]
#15 Idaho (5-2) [17]
#16 Mercer (6-2) [11]
#17 Richmond (5-2) [19]
#18 UT Martin (4-3) [18]
#19 Rhode Island (5-2) [22]
#20 Fordham (6-1) [23]
#21 Austin Peay (5-2) [24]
#22 Southern Illinois (5-3) [14]
#23 New Hampshire (6-2) [25]
#24 North Dakota (4-3) [20]
#25 Elon (5-3) [21]
We’ll start with Weber State. The pollsters generally go fairly easy when a ranked team loses on the road to a higher-ranked team. A drop of three or four spots has been normal, unless something strange has happened. Well, that was definitely an odd, ugly game. I’ve guessed that the pollsters will drop the Weebs four spots, but I could easily see them going down a couple more.
Of course, for us, the number one question is: How far will UM fall? I’ve read a few of the comments on eGriz. For those who say the Griz barely deserve to be ranked (or worse), I say: “You need to get out more.” You think the top-25 is filled with teams that have no flaws and always play perfectly? No … and I’ll just leave it at that.
The Griz lost on the road to the #2 team in the FCS … in overtime. Unless the pollsters deviate from their “normal” reaction, the Griz should not drop more than four spots. Because it was an OT loss, I’m guessing three down … staying barely in the top-10.
The next to go down was #11 Mercer, which lost at #10 Chattanooga. I’m guessing the pollsters will nudge them down an “extra” spot because the Mocs’ dominated the Bears, zooming out to a 17 point lead in the first quarter. The final was 41-21. That’s bad enough that a drop of a couple more spots would not surprise me at all.
Southern Illinois was the one ranked team that lost to an unranked FCS opponent. Even with that loss, the Salukis are still tied for second in the MVFC. However, they did not lose to just any unranked opponent. They lost to a South Dakota team that had won only one game this season. (And that one win was over pitiful Cal Poly.) I suspect the pollsters will hammer them down pretty bad.
I’m calling the UT Martin loss a wash since Tennessee is ranked #3 in the FBS. In fact, with Southern Illinois dropping so far, it’s not impossible that the Skyhawks could move up a spot.
Next up (down actually
) was #20 North Dakota, which lost to #1 SDSU. The Hawks held their own for awhile and even led at the half. But the Jacks blew it open in the third quarter. With my usual expectations, the pollsters might only drop them to #23. I went with #24 because that (4-3) record looks out of place. In fact, it’s not out of the question that the pollsters could drop the Hawks out of the top-25, just because of that record.That gets us to #21 Elon, which lost to #25 New Hampshire. This one has me worried a bit, mainly because the Phoenix were never really in this game. They fell behind 23-7 in the first half and lost more ground in the second (final was 40-22). I’m going with the usual “down four spots,” but could easily see them dropping out of the top-25. That would likely open a spot for Villanova to move in.
At this point in the season, with most teams having played seven (or even eight) games, my “historical” rules of thumb seem to work better and better. Thus, if the pollsters choose to go away from their usual behavior, I’m going to have egg all over my face. Oh well, that’s why I use a generous dose of weasel words. :lol:
