Well if calling me a "homer" is supposed to hurt my feelings, you're barking up the wrong tree, Chester. You bet I'm a homer, like a good 3/4 of the people who come here. If you're planning on purgng us all, you're going to be mighty lonely in here. Might want to bring a book to pass the time. None of that, however, is an argument. I'll stand by what I said: I think OSU was not a fluke last year, and Akron will be there not because they're in my back yard so much as because they're ALWAYS there.
Haha, I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings. That is why I said "you homer you." I figured that sounded cheesy enough to make it totally obvious that I was kidding. Plus, I have no intent to hurt feelings. I really could care less. I would be pretty sad if I sought out to hurt someones feelings because they disagreed with a post on a soccer forum. I have no interest in throwing around verbal insults like a high school girl, "chester" . All I was saying was that you were a bit to sharp and that rather than get upset because I didn't include your home team, I would rather you make a constructive point as to why I should have included your home team. Educate me on them. That is why I come on this board, to soak up info about college soccer that you can't get because there isn't a national desire for it. You have the opportunity to see Akron first hand, so I would expect you to know more about them than I, so show me that. Just as I will with a team I am familiar with.
I think people have overrated Portland here. More importantly, I think people need to pay attention to Oregon State, which cleaned house last year and started a bunch of underclassmen. They had a predictably bumpy season, but they got better along the way. But here's the thing. These kids are good. And Dana Taylor is an excellent coach who is outrecruiting everybody here in the PNW. I think they quietly contend for a top 2 spot in conference, and they'd make my top 15 national list. And Washington should be in anybody's top 25 list.
A great start at a preseason pool. I'll post mine later today. Where are you going to school again, and did you make your own pool?
I'm new around here. I'm curious as to how folks make their rankings. Personal knowledge, fan, player weighting, previous results, or what. Are there true indicators of what a program's potential might be. I ask cause my kid is in the process of choosing a school.
I made my own pool from what limited knowledge I have gathered as a player. I would rather not say the exact school I go to, I would rather stay a bit more inconspicuous than that. However, I will say that I did give a little bit of love to my school...
Actually you are massaging the numbers all wrong. UVA is losing 100% of their Starting Backline. UVA is also losing their main playmaker in Hunter Freeman who was involved in nearly 50% of UVA's goals in 2004. You mention Dane Murphy as the replacement for Freeman yet Murphy was less productive than the departed Hill. Hill tallied 1 goal and 1 assist and Murphy went scoreless. You refer to Hill as an unimportant player. Huh? Hill started 33% of UVA's games. If Hill is an insignificant player than so was/is Murphy. Heck if Hill is insignificant than so is Joe Vide who started one less game than Hill. Of course I happen to know that Joe Vide is a pretty gawd dang good player as is Hill and Littlefield... Make up your mind as your mileage may vary. Personally I think all of them are fine midfielders including Dane Hill and Zane Murphy and Kirk Dinnal. By the way who names their boys Zane and Dane? Littlefield whom you pooh pooh as insignificant was in my mind one of Virginia's top players. Finally you mention that UVA is a squad of 35 players. Please. Even considering the very liberal substitution and rotation pattern that Gelnovatch has employed in recent years, UVA will only employ about 20 field players at most. So guess what? Your numbers are all screwed up! You should be looking at the 11 starters from last year and see that as many as 4 or 5 of them will need to be replaced and that to me is cause for concern. Will UVA be good? Yes. Of course. They always are for the most part. However they will be challenged this year and I feel that a # 3 Preseason National Ranking is too high. Time will tell who is correct but I slot UVA around 20th or so.
I can see how you feel a three might be a bit high, as preseason rankings are almost entirely speculation. But I guess we will have to agree to disagree. One thing both of us agree upon is that New Mexico has a shot at making a serious run at a national title.
FYI....do your research IU didn't lose to Ohio State. IU lost to Northwestern in the regular season. IU lost to Mich. State in the B10 tourney. Penn State beat Akron last year 4-0. Point made!
What's misleading ? Preseason counts for nothing in the regular season. Lost to Tulsa, lost to Coastal a win in the tournament as usual and a loss in the 2nd round as usual. What is misleading about that ? As I said, can play with anyone but until they branch out and play better teams in the season they shouldn't be a top 25.
A fair amount of e-mail and phone calls. At last check about 3 D1 schools, that showed more than passing interest, that also fit academics. I think I'm just trying to understand how strength of schedule and conference equates to ranking. Trying to figure out college program potential is far more complicated than youth club soccer.
Out of curiosity, how many non-seeded top 25 teams made it to the 2nd round of the tournament last season, and/or took runner-up UCSB to their closest game of the tournament (IU notwithstanding)? UW-M finished the season at 24th in the NSCAA rankings (and 33rd in soccerratings.com, where San Francisco was ranked 15th). Like I said, don't put too much store in schedule strength.
If I were you, I would select the school first, which it seems like you have in selecting schools which fit academically. Judging the soccer side of things, I would try to figure out where your son would fit in. Is there a particular position he wishes to play (center-mid, sweep, ect)? And if so, make sure that someone didn't just make all-conference as a freshman at that position. Personally, I would rather play on a bad team in the ACC than on the best team in the Sun Belt, or even c-usa. The higher level of competition forces you to play at an even higher level. As far as judging how good a team will be, look at the programs history. You can pretty much tell that NC State probably isn't going to win the ACC and that Maryland is going to do well. A team with a history of winning is a much safer bet than one that just had one good season. But most importantly, as a player I just want to know I am playing the best teams, so pick a team that plays a rough schedule. It wouldn't be fun to go out there, whip some cupcakes, and lose in the first round of the tourny every year because you are in a soft conference. But pick the school over the program, it is going to be your son's home for the next 4 years.
Still no love or respect for TULSA, even though they been making a lot of noise the last 3 years. They are returning Kyle Brown, out in 04'05 ACL, James Dabney out 04'05 Hamstring, Joseph Wear out 04'05 Visa, plus are returning an exciting class that took them to the elite 8, not to mention they have recruited to the Jamaican forward on the U20 national team and another forward from the U18 Salvadorian Team, + 2 D1 transfers.... Show some luv
Actually they played 4 tournment teams last year. They got trounced by Tulsa 4-1 at home.( i'll give you this one) Coastal Carolina they lost 0-1 in a tropical strom away San Fransisco they beat 3-2 away #1 UCSB beat them 2-1 in (2OT) away yeah they got destroyed by every tournment team last year They should get a better schedule but its not easy to do..the other schools have to want to play you too and the top schools have a pretty full slate of offers..they have been trying to get Indiana and other Big Ten teams to play them every year. But lets not let facts get in the way of your well researched and accurate analysis.
I love preseason rankings, and how fired up everyone gets. It's fun to talk about, let's just be glad that rankings don't come into play like the BCS. That's a slam-dunk of a topic! Anyway, here's a top 10. Any more and I think I'd be stretching myself. 1. IU (so much returning, it's almost illegal) 2. UCLA (talent, talent, talent...) 3. Duke (if they continue to improve with age, will be tough) 4. UCSB (some gaps to fill, but let's throw the Gauchos some love after fighting for respect all of last season... literally, fighting for it -- just kidding Gauchos, calm down) 5. Maryland (seven starters still return) 6. New Mexico (keeps making the climb up the national ladder) 7. Creighton (sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, just a solid team every year) 8. Notre Dame (see the Irish battling with St. John's [and UConn] for Big East supremecy 9. St. John's (always finds a way to compete at the end of the season) 10. UVa (people knock their shortcomings, but two ACC titles over the last two years is tough to argue with... I wonder if they can hold that kind of peak through the NCAA Tourney) I know, I know, not really going out on a limb...
Academics is the most important thing here...find a school that has a major that you son is interested in. I have no idea the level of talent your son is but if D1 schools are interested he must be fairly good. If it were me, after academics I would look at playing time and whether or not the school I choose has a chance to make the Tourney at the end of the year. one guy said, better a bad ACC than a good Sunbelt team,,I disagree. If I am going to walk into a starting spot at a team like Colgate or Umass or where ever, to me that is much better than getting 5 minutes a game playing for Duke or wake forrest. the competion level might not be the same but most kids know they are not going from college to the pros. get the education and play as much as you can, at the highest level you can. my two cents
Please, enlighten me as to when OSU last beat IU. Not in this century.... Certainly not last year (2000, Big Ten Tourney @ OSU???). BRF
Slightly OT. IU plays UCLA at a preseason tournament at IPFW (Ft. Wayne, IN) in Aug. I CAN'T WAIT!! BRF