D3 Top 25 Fan Poll

[Ralph Turner]

My perspective on the HSU-McMurry game.

Congrats to HSU.

HSU defeated two top 25 opponents then had to go across town for the rivalry game vs. McMurry. The HSU game was the big one on the schedule for a McMurry season. The Cowboys did what they needed to do.

[Captainred81]

I like the top 25 this year, however, my biggest question marks are the lack UW schools in the top 10, and the inclusion of the Texas schools. 

[hazzben]

Thing is, the WIAC canibalized itself during the regular season, still got two teams into the tourney but then got bounced pretty early. They didn't have a Top 10 team last year, as good as the league was overall. What is different at this point in the preseason?

[Captainred81]

My opinion is that these UW schools have more pedigree year over than some of the schools that are in this top 10.  I think Hardin Simmons finishing the season with 2 wins over UMHB and then losing the one that matters in the playoffs takes them out for me.  Maybe UMHB should be in, but I'm not sure.  If some these matchups were to happen today, I'd bet on Lacrosse and Platteville to beat Cortland or Wartburg, or even Susquehanna

[hazzben]

That's a fair opinion. But there's some brand bias in the SEC sense with that. In the examples of ULAX and UWP, the former couldn't get past SJU, who wound up losing to Sus, and the latter did lose to Wartburg. Outside of them being WIAC schools (a league that's earned its rep) neither of those schools has beaten anyone of note in the playoffs or nationally recently. Doesn't mean they won't this year. But you gave examples of 3 schools with more recent success, deeper playoff runs, and more marque wins (multiple of them over the best of the WIAC). To say you'd favor UWLAX and UWP over Cortland, Wart, or Sus given what's happened the last two season is a fair opinion. But it's rooted in "the WIAC is just better" than in what's actually happened with all the schools mentioned on the actual field.

[Pat Coleman]

UWL was ranked lower than SJU and was playing on the road.
UWP was ranked a few spots higher than Wartburg ... but was playing on the road.

Neither of those losses actually says the WIAC is overrated. The poll worked perfectly in the first case, and home field advantage certainly had some impact on the second one.