BisonFan
11-15-2003, 02:00 PM
http://www.in-forum.com/columnists/index.cfm?page=article&id=44045&columnist=jeffkolp ack
Jeff Kolpack column: Pollster enduring hectic days
By Jeff Kolpack
The Forum - 11/14/2003
Brad Dopke was a student at Northern Illinois University in the 1980s when he became fascinated with college football polls. Those were they days when the Web sounded more like a science fiction book.
Yet, using prehistoric means like phone calls and mail, the Dopke poll ranked every Division I-A team. A few years later, he added I-AA. Based out of West Chicago, Ill., the Dopke.com College Football Report now includes a full-fledged Division II poll.
With the end of the regular season one day away, it’s getting to be a mess.
“Pretty hectic at the end of the season,” Dopke said. “But I’ve been doing it so long that it comes pretty natural.”
If Dopke thinks his poll is hectic, you should see the NCAA Division II region rankings. Whereas Dopke takes strength of schedule into account in his poll, the NCAA appears to be inconsistent with its system.
The Midwest and West regions appear to put more value on strength of schedule than the Northeast and the South regions.
Take the case of Bentley College (Mass.). The Falcons are 9-0 and ranked second in the Northeast Region.
The Falcons have also not played a ranked opponent. Nor have the Falcons’ opponents played any ranked opponents.
About the best Bentley can do for strength-of-schedule argument is a 38-3 win over Saint Anselm College and a 32-28 victory over C.W. Post College. Saint Anselm defeated I-AA Siena -- the same Siena that is 0-9 and ranked 123rd out of 123 teams in the Division I-AA power index. And C.W. Post lost 42-7 to I-AA Fordham, which is having a fine season at 7-2.
Otherwise, victories over Merrimack, Assumption, American International, Southern Connecticut, Plymouth State, Pace and Stonehill -- teams with a combined 27-37 record -- must be good enough for the Northeast Region committee.
On the other end, Tusculum College (Tenn.) has played a tough schedule with losses to NDSU and 8-2 Catawba College (N.C.). Tusculum has beaten
I-AA teams Elon and Charleston Southern.
But the Pioneers are still only seventh in the South region.
“I think they’re creeping into problems in the South Region,” Dopke said.
That philosophy differs with the Midwest and West. NDSU is 7-3 and ranked fifth. Tarleton State (Texas) is
7-3 and rated fourth.
The inconsistency of it all is why Dopke got involved in the rankings business in the first place. He remembers the frustration of not seeing a Mid-American Conference team getting ranked, despite an unbeaten record.
“It was unfair,” Dopke said.
If the current standings hold, Bentley will not be crying that theme. Indiana University (Pa.), ranked fifth in the Northeast at 9-1 with wins over two ranked teams, including Nebraska-Omaha, and a possible third on Saturday, will be the one carrying the Unfair Flag.
Readers can reach Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546 or jkolpack@forumcomm.com
Jeff Kolpack column: Pollster enduring hectic days
By Jeff Kolpack
The Forum - 11/14/2003
Brad Dopke was a student at Northern Illinois University in the 1980s when he became fascinated with college football polls. Those were they days when the Web sounded more like a science fiction book.
Yet, using prehistoric means like phone calls and mail, the Dopke poll ranked every Division I-A team. A few years later, he added I-AA. Based out of West Chicago, Ill., the Dopke.com College Football Report now includes a full-fledged Division II poll.
With the end of the regular season one day away, it’s getting to be a mess.
“Pretty hectic at the end of the season,” Dopke said. “But I’ve been doing it so long that it comes pretty natural.”
If Dopke thinks his poll is hectic, you should see the NCAA Division II region rankings. Whereas Dopke takes strength of schedule into account in his poll, the NCAA appears to be inconsistent with its system.
The Midwest and West regions appear to put more value on strength of schedule than the Northeast and the South regions.
Take the case of Bentley College (Mass.). The Falcons are 9-0 and ranked second in the Northeast Region.
The Falcons have also not played a ranked opponent. Nor have the Falcons’ opponents played any ranked opponents.
About the best Bentley can do for strength-of-schedule argument is a 38-3 win over Saint Anselm College and a 32-28 victory over C.W. Post College. Saint Anselm defeated I-AA Siena -- the same Siena that is 0-9 and ranked 123rd out of 123 teams in the Division I-AA power index. And C.W. Post lost 42-7 to I-AA Fordham, which is having a fine season at 7-2.
Otherwise, victories over Merrimack, Assumption, American International, Southern Connecticut, Plymouth State, Pace and Stonehill -- teams with a combined 27-37 record -- must be good enough for the Northeast Region committee.
On the other end, Tusculum College (Tenn.) has played a tough schedule with losses to NDSU and 8-2 Catawba College (N.C.). Tusculum has beaten
I-AA teams Elon and Charleston Southern.
But the Pioneers are still only seventh in the South region.
“I think they’re creeping into problems in the South Region,” Dopke said.
That philosophy differs with the Midwest and West. NDSU is 7-3 and ranked fifth. Tarleton State (Texas) is
7-3 and rated fourth.
The inconsistency of it all is why Dopke got involved in the rankings business in the first place. He remembers the frustration of not seeing a Mid-American Conference team getting ranked, despite an unbeaten record.
“It was unfair,” Dopke said.
If the current standings hold, Bentley will not be crying that theme. Indiana University (Pa.), ranked fifth in the Northeast at 9-1 with wins over two ranked teams, including Nebraska-Omaha, and a possible third on Saturday, will be the one carrying the Unfair Flag.
Readers can reach Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546 or jkolpack@forumcomm.com