Polls

[KTF]

What does this win over the Griz do for our rankings? Even though we are coming off a 2-8 season, we are showing so far that it was a fluke. Not that polls really count but...

[Bisonguy]

The Bison should be getting a few rankings. I'm guessing NDSU will be between 15-20 on the D2football.com poll. 10-15 on the Don Hansen poll, and we should break into the AFCA poll between 15-20.

A convincing win against UC-Davis could land the Bison into the top 10.

Anyhow, there's a lot of football left to be played, and the only poll that counts is the regional playoff selection committee's.

[tony]

I'm going to try to emulate the players and coaches and give myself just a couple more hours of enjoying this win before looking forward to UC Davis.

NDSU beat Tusculum, Tusculum beat DI-AA Elon. NDSU beat #3 Montana, Montana beat #20 Maine (Maine beat DI-AA Hofstra yesterday too). My prediction is that NDSU will be ranked higher in the Sagarin rankings (DI-AA schools only, of course) than they are in either DII poll.

Edit: bad prediction on my part. Sagarin isn't showing DII teams this year (usually he shows DII teams if they play a couple DI teams but not this year). However, the Massey Rating does show all teams and NDSU would be ranked #12 in DI-AA right now on that - and the interesting thing is that Montana is still ranked #6 and Maine is ranked #11.

But wait, it gets better. In DII, this rating system's top 10 is:

1 Grand Valley St
2 North Dakota St
3 Valdosta St
4 N Colorado
5 UC Davis
6 North Dakota
7 South Dakota St
8 St Cloud
9 Saginaw Val
10 Carson Newman

NDSU and SDSU, by playing good teams and winning have elevated the whole conference.

[BisonInTexas]

I'm going to try to emulate the players and coaches and give myself just a couple more hours of enjoying this win before looking forward to UC Davis.

NDSU beat Tusculum, Tusculum beat DI-AA Elon. NDSU beat #3 Montana, Montana beat #20 Maine (Maine beat DI-AA Hofstra yesterday too). My prediction is that NDSU will be ranked higher in the Sagarin rankings (DI-AA schools only, of course) than they are in either DII poll.

Edit: bad prediction on my part. Sagarin isn't showing DII teams this year (usually he shows DII teams if they play a couple DI teams but not this year). However, the Massey Rating does show all teams and NDSU would be ranked #12 in DI-AA right now on that - and the interesting thing is that Montana is still ranked #6 and Maine is ranked #11.

But wait, it gets better. In DII, this rating system's top 10 is:

1 Grand Valley St * *
2 North Dakota St
3 Valdosta St
4 N Colorado *
5 UC Davis
6 North Dakota
7 South Dakota St
8 St Cloud
9 Saginaw Val
10 Carson Newman *

NDSU and SDSU, by playing good teams and winning have elevated the whole conference.

Why is Northern Colorado still in the DII poll? Aren't they in their first year of DI-AA? How about UC Davis? Are they still in DII or is this their first year in DI-AA?

Craig

[Bisonguy]

BisonInTexas,

I'll second that. UNC and UCD both showed up on the tickers and are listed as a I-AA on the ESPN website. UNC' Women's Volleyball, however is ranked in the DII polls. What's up with that? I don't think their volleyball team is eligible for postseason. Why would they be ranked in a DII poll?

[tony]

UC Davis and Northern Colorado are in limbo right now and are neither DII or DI-AA. The 2003 NCAA Record Book shows both as DII teams but they are provisional DI-AA teams who have to comply with DI rules and such.

I think of them as playoff ineligible DI teams.

[Bisonguy]

That kinda makes sense. About as much as the NCAA can. I think if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, has the same number of scholarships as a duck, follows duck rules, it's probably a duck. I guess the NCAA calls it a goose.




Tony,
UNC and UCD can fund scholies at the DI level or at least beyond the DII level this year, can't they?

[GoAgs]

UCD and UNC can go up to the 63 scholie mark. I am unsure about the level of scholarships at UNC but at Davis there are currently 18. UCD was a non-scholarship D2 for a very long time. The plan is to be up to 63 by 2007 when Davis is eligible for the I-AA playoffs.

[Bisonguy]

Here's Don Hansen's poll for the week. Notice NDSU moves up three spots. Also note SDSU jumping into the *middle and NWMSU dropping like a rock:

September 7, 2003
NCAA II Top 40
1 GRAND VALLEY STATE MI 1-0 * *21 NORTHWEST MISSOURI 0-1
2 VALDOSTA STATE GA 2-0 * *22 TUSKEGEE AL 1-1
3 CARSON-NEWMAN TN 2-0 * *23 CHADRON STATE NE 1-0
4 TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE 0-1 * *24 FINDLAY OH 1-0
5 INDIANA PA 1-0 * *25 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 1-0
6 SAGINAW VALLEY MI 1-0 * *26 WEST GEORGIA 1-0
7 CENTRAL MISSOURI 1-0 * *27 TARLETON STATE TX 0-1
8 MINNESOTA-DULUTH 1-0 * *28 EMPORIA STATE KS 1-0
9 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 1-0 * *29 OUACHITA BAPTIST AR 1-0
10 NEBRASKA-OMAHA 1-1 * *30 PRESBYTERIAN SC 0-1
11 CENTRAL WASHINGTON 1-1 * *31 NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 1-1
12 CATAWBA NC 1-0 * *32 BENTLEY MA 1-0
13 ST. CLOUD STATE MN 2-0 * *33 ALBANY STATE GA 1-1
14 HARDING AR 1-0 * *34 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 1-0
15 BLOOMSBURG PA 1-0 * *35 SLIPPERY ROCK PA 0-1
16 FAYETTEVILLE NC 1-0 * *36 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 1-0
17 PITTSBURG STATE KS 1-0 * *37 EASTERN NEW MEXICO 1-0
18 EAST STROUDSBURG PA 2-0 * *38 WINSTON-SALEM NC 1-1
19 NORTH DAKOTA STATE 2-0 * *39 WESTERN WASH. 0-1
20 WINONA STATE 2-0 * *40 SHIPPENSBURG PA 1-0

[Bisonguy]

Here's the D2football.com poll (probably a little more accurate):

D2Football.com Poll

Rank Team Last Week
1 Valdosta State (2-0) 1
2 Grand Valley State (1-0) 2
3 Carson-Newman (2-0) 4
4 Saginaw Valley State (1-0) 6
5 IUP (1-0) 7
6 Catawba (1-0) 8
7 St. Cloud State (2-0) 9
8 Central Missouri (1-0) 10
9 Texas A&M-Kingsville (0-1) 5
10 Pittsburg State (1-0) 11
11 Minnesota-Duluth (1-0) 12
12 Central Washington (1-1) 14
13 Bloomsburg (1-0) 15
14 Northwest Missouri (0-1) 3
15 North Dakota State (2-0) NR
16 Chadron State (1-0) 16
17 Fayetteville State (1-0) 19
18 Central Arkansas (1-0) 20
19 Southern Arkansas (1-0) 21
20 Emporia State (1-0) 22
21 Nebraska-Omaha (1-1) 18
22 Tuskegee (1-1) 17
23 Winona State (2-0) 23
24 Harding (1-0) 24
25 Tarleton State (0-1) 13

[BisonInTexas]

UC Davis and Northern Colorado are in limbo right now and are neither DII or DI-AA. The 2003 NCAA Record Book shows both as DII teams but they are provisional DI-AA teams who have to comply with DI rules and such.

I think of them as playoff ineligible DI teams.

Thanks for the clarification. If they aren't following DII rules, they shouldn't be ranked in the DII polls though. Just my opinion.

Craig