9-12-23 Men's Regional Rankings:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Can someone explain Bowdoin's ranking?
Bowdoin (3-0-0) started #6 in the nation in the preseason poll but was bounced from the Top 25 this week and placed at #6 in Region I??
Quote from: NESCACfan100 on September 13, 2023, 01:22:28 PM
Can someone explain Bowdoin's ranking?
Bowdoin (3-0-0) started #6 in the nation in the preseason poll but was bounced from the Top 25 this week and placed at #6 in Region I??
Interesting question, maybe not enough games to judge this season so far? Maybe not impressed with the wins against teams they played? Think I counted 11 teams that were not ranked last week but are now. Massie has Bowdoin at 13. Obviously, strong wins against other NESCAC teams and they will definitely rise.
Quote from: NESCACfan100 on September 13, 2023, 01:22:28 PM
Can someone explain Bowdoin's ranking?
Bowdoin (3-0-0) started #6 in the nation in the preseason poll but was bounced from the Top 25 this week and placed at #6 in Region I??
Bowdoin conceded a goal against UNE for the first time in a long time. That must be it. And then there's this from last week.... Emerson beat Bates 1-0. Bowdoin beat Bates 1-0. Emerson tied Husson 2-2. Bowdoin beat Husson 6-0. Emerson is ranked 19th. Bowdoin is out of the top 25. Makes total sense. Maybe it's just that these rankings are all worth about as much as the paper they are not printed on.
Quote from: WLCALUM83 on September 13, 2023, 01:15:21 PM
9-12-23 Men's Regional Rankings:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Thank you.
Quote from: NESCACfan100 on September 13, 2023, 01:22:28 PM
Can someone explain Bowdoin's ranking?
Bowdoin (3-0-0) started #6 in the nation in the preseason poll but was bounced from the Top 25 this week and placed at #6 in Region I??
They did not really "start" at #6. The first poll is just the final one from the previous season repackaged.
The Bowdoin ranking is a little perplexing.
The following points do not really provide a possible explanation for Bowdoin's ranking, but they may be worth mentioning for those still kind of new to the USC Rankings or yet unaware of how the USC Rankings work.
1. As already mentioned, the USC Pre-season Poll is NOT really a pre-season poll; it is just a re-posting of the final poll of the previous season. That is, the pre-season poll does not reflect a new vote of the coaches in the build-up to the new season. Why they continue this ruse, I have no idea.
2. Therefore, a team's position in the first poll of any season shouldn't really be compared to the "pre-season" poll as if that was their starting point. It wasn't.
3. For the weekly polls throughout the season, the USC is very committed to fairly equal regional representation in the national Top 25. Prior to the regional re-alignment that increased the number of regions from 8 to 10, almost without fail, seven regions had 3 teams ranked with an eighth region getting fourth team ranked. Additionally, most of the time each region got a team in the top 8, another in spots 9-16, and their third rep in spots 17-24. Now with 10 regions, such exact equal representation can't be achieved, but most of the time each region will have 2 or 3 representatives in the Top 25. It's fairly clear that Region 2 is the weakest region under the current alignment which splits New England in half numerically, but not in quality due to the strength of the NESCAC which is all in Region 1. Consequently, Region2 will sometimes get less representation which opens the door for a region to get a fourth rep.
4. In the final poll of the season (after the NCAA Tournament), the USC isn't concerned with equal regional representation in the Top 25 like they are in the weekly polls throughout the season. Rather the rankings very strongly reflect tournament finish with a few exceptions when a very strong team gets bounced early.
5. Thus, a region could have more teams in the final poll than during the season, but not all of them can remain ranked in the first poll of the following season when equal representation comes back into play. So, for example, Region I (i.e., NESCAC) could have 5 teams ranked in the final poll of one season which means 5 teams ranked in the following pre-season poll, but come the first poll of the new season, no matter how good those five teams started, at most four of them could be ranked and maybe only three.
6. From what I have heard, the USC has some "rules" for their rankings and how teams can and can't move relative to one another from one weak to the next. For example, I think that if a ranked team wins its games in the new week, they cannot be leap-frogged by another team or they cannot fall in the rankings or something like that. So this can sometimes explain why a Top 25 team didn't fall in the rankings after a poor performance (i.e., narrow win against a weak opponent) or why another team didn't climb ahead of someone on the strength of huge win against Top 25 opponent. I'm not 100% sure exactly what the "rules" are, but something along these lines.
A Weasel sighting....sweet.
Bowdoin's low ranking is most likely due to SOS. Admittedly a low sample size (duh), but their opponents' winning % so far is sub 40%
A comprehensive and well expressed explanation by Flying Weasel. Thank you!
9-19-23 Regional Rankings are now up:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
9-26h-23 Regional Rankings are now up:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Quote from: paclassic89 on September 13, 2023, 04:27:11 PM
Bowdoin's low ranking is most likely due to SOS. Admittedly a low sample size (duh), but their opponents' winning % so far is sub 40%
The Maine schools historically have had a worse SOS because their non-conference schedule is much weaker. Non-conference games are often midweek and scheduled to prioritize convenience (less travel). Also, Bowdoin just this season installed lights for soccer. It gets dark early in Maine and you need lights starting at around 5:00 in October. Going forward, the installation of lights should help scheduling teams outside Maine to improve SOS. Having two NESCAC double-header weekends also creates opportunities for non-conference games on weekends--Bowdoin travels to Wheaton this weekend.
10-3-23 Men's Regional Rankings are now up:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
10-10-23 Men's Regional Rankings are now up:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
10/17/23 Men's Regional Rankings up:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
Quote from: WLCALUM83 on October 17, 2023, 05:13:34 PM
10/17/23 Men's Regional Rankings up:
Region I: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-i/
Region II: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ii/
Region III: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iii/
Region IV: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-iv/
Region V: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-v/
Region VI: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vi/
Region VII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-vii/
Region VIII: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-viii/
Region IX: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-ix/
Region X: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men-x/
If they were up, they seem to have taken them down now.
UPDATE: Never mind. They're back up
This week provides a very clear example about the mechanics of the USC poll....Babson coming in at #8. Now Babson is a formidable team in the middle of a promising season but hardly anyone would think to place them at #8 right now. They're there solely because there is no one else from Region 2 to put in a top 8 or top 10 slot. Which explains why you see Tufts in RV. If five NESCACs belong in the top 10 you won't find them in this poll. That's why you see Midd at #3, then Conn at #9, followed by Amherst at #14. Then Tufts in RV....and Bowdoin doesn't even crack RV....and that's all because the whole thing is formulaic.
USC regional rankings at this point seem pretty pointless since we get the actual ones tomorrow.
Quote from: stlawus on October 17, 2023, 06:40:34 PM
USC regional rankings at this point seem pretty pointless since we get the actual ones tomorrow.
Imho they are pointless at all points....except for the value of schools posting on their websites and communicating to their fanbases that they "achieved" a regional and/or national ranking (and I will concede that there is some value in that at least for some).
But yes, the "real deal" stuff comes out tomorrow, and that will help newcomers realize the difference. Keep in mind though that the first week of the real regional rankings does not include RvR...and so there can be substantial changes from week 1 to week 2 even without significant changes in results.
I also believe the first week teams are listed alphabetically and that there is no actual "ranking", just a group of teams that are considered regionally ranked.
Quote from: stlawus on October 17, 2023, 06:50:18 PM
I also believe the first week teams are listed alphabetically and that there is no actual "ranking", just a group of teams that are considered regionally ranked.
I think that's right....and maybe last year was the first year when that started that?