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Friday, October 16, 2009

Homecoming - #16 JMU faces #5 Villanova

I like that we never play a soft team for our homecoming games. It's a tough game against another ranked opponent. We really need the win to keep playoff hopes alive.

The tough part is that Dudzik is gone for the year. He has already suffered a couple of concussions this year and probably shouldn't even have stepped on the field last week. He also had a stress fracture in his foot but continued to play. However, during the game last week the foot completely broke and he had surgery and screws were put in place. Dudzik appears gone for the year. I really don't know the guy but seeing a few games of him playing and now hearing about his toughness, I like the kid. Hopefully he comes back next year and has a great season. Until then, looks like we rely on redshirt freshman Justin Thorpe. There was a QB battle in camp so the guy was projected as a possible starter and he has seen time this year but I've only seen him play last week and he wasn't very good. Hopefully he steps up and plays better.

17 comments:

Rob said...

JMU is ranked #16 and they are 2-3? What kind of cockamamie system do they use for the FCS rankings?

Morgan State is leading the MEAC at 5-1 - their only loss was to Akron in week 1.

Ridiculous.

j, k, and s's d said...

JMU started the season ranked #7. We lost to FBS MD in OT after putting up 35 points on them. We were leading them twice in the 4th quarter. I believe we dropped a couple of spots. We won our next two games demolishing VMI and beating ranked Liberty by 14 points. I believe we were then ranked #6.

We took a tough loss to Hofstra where Dudzik suffered his concussion and fell to #12.

We played #1 ranked JMU who hadn't lost a game since the last time they had played JMU last year. We nearly won the game and frankly should have won the game so we fell to #16.

If you take on tough teams and barely lose, you are not going to fall much.

If you lose to a poor team, you will fall much harder.

Let me put it to you this way, if Florida took on UVA and somehow lost, they would fall hard as opposed to them taking on Alabama and barely losing.

Understand? Do you get it, Carnac?

Regarding Morgan State, who the F have they played? The opponents they have beaten are a combined 8-18. That includes 0-5 Winston-Salem and 2-3 Towson who was handed a 57-7 drubbing at the hands of CAA's New Hampshire and 1-4 Bethune Cookman.

Morgan State scrapes by these who care teams. Put them in the CAA and lets see how they fair. Chances are they would be lucky to win 1 or 2 games.

Seriously, Carnac, what is your problem?

Rob said...

How many losing teams are ranked in the top 25 in FBS? ZERO.

How many 3 loss teams are ranked in FBS? ZERO.

How many 2 loss teams are ranked in the FBS? ONE (Oklahoma).

Great, JMU loses to teams by just a little. Congratulations.

In the cockamamie FCS ranking system that earns them a #16 ranking. I never realized how silly the FCS ranking system was. Ridiculous.

j, k, and s's d said...

Hey, Carnac, I got news for you, by the end of the season, there are plenty of 4 loss teams in the FBS rankings. Go look at the final rankings from 2008.

By and large, many FBS teams don't play ranked opponents in the first several weeks of the season. It's not until later in the season when they start playing conference games and teams that are tougher.

Whereas JMU plays a ranked opponent pretty much every week.

deepie said...

Robs...If the Patriots lose this week, do they belong among the bottom teams for being 3-3 (potentially the same record as the 'Skins after this weekend)? No. They are known to be one of the best teams with a lot of talent. If JMU is still in the FCS rankings, it shows that the people responsible for the rankings understands the intangibles that the BCS (the real cockamamie system) ignores. At #16, I believe JMU would miss out on the FCS playoffs, so the system is working.

Regardless of how ridiculous your argument is, you really like to dispute anything and everything, don't you?

j, k, and s's d said...

Thank you for providing a little bit of reason, Deepie!

Rob said...

If the Patriots lose to Tennessee they are certainly not a top team in the NFL (I don't think they are anyway). There are only 32 teams - there is no way one could consider them an elite team and would fall somewhere in the mid-teens.

They are #10 in the ESPN power rankings right now. If they lose to Tennessee they will be at least 15. That means they are a middle of the road NFL team.

Would either of you consider them a top team? Really? If not, then you have no standing in your argument.

j, k, and s's d said...

I think it's fair to be where they are positioned in the ESPN power ranking.

I agree if they lose to the Titans it will change things.

That's my whole point of a Florida losing to a UVA. It would be a bad team beating a great team and you would expect Florida to fall hard.

j, k, and s's d said...

Florida narrowly losing to Alabama you wouldn't expect them to fall as far as a loss to a bad/mediocre team like UVA.

Get it, Carnac?

Rob said...

If Florida or Alabama win they still only have 1 loss.

We are talking Patriots. If the Patriots lose you agree that at 3-3 they would be about #15 don't you? If so, that means that they are not considered a very good team - they are an average team.

But according to the FCS rankings, 2-3 JMU is considered one of the best teams. That is why it is silly.

So basically JKSD, if you agree with the Patriots example that we are discussing and that Deeps brought up, you agree with me that the FCS rankings are ludicrous.

deepie said...

The power rankings are made by a bunch of fantasy football nerds and they have absolutely no impact on the football season. The FCS rankings determine which teams go to the playoffs. The rankings are intended to put the best teams in the post-season. There is a HUGE disparity between the top teams and the others in the FCS. If JMU is 2-3 and still is up there, it's because everyone who has a voice in the matter believes they belong there.

It doesn't matter what the Patriots' power ranking is. It has no bearing on anything. Last year the Cardinals were deservedly the 3rd seed in the NFC playoffs and they went to the Super Bowl. They were 13th in the ESPN power rankings going into the playoffs.

You've posted power rankings on your blog and you've said yourself they don't mean much. Why do they mean so much to you with your position here?

j, k, and s's d said...

Why does everything have to be so difficult with you, Carnac?

Listen, supposing the Pats start the season in the Power Rankings at 7. They play the the number 1 Giants and lose in OT, I expect them to fall a couple of spots. They come back and beat the Falcons badly and then beat the Ravens by 14 points, I could seem them approaching the top 5 again. Now suppose they lose to the Bears by a TD where Tom Brady gets knocked out of the game. The following week they almost beat and should have beaten number 1 ranked Colts, I would still think of them as a better NFL team.

I have no problem with the ranking system. It makes perfect sense to me. I am fine with JMU being at #16. It seems consistent with all other rankings. If JMU loses to a Morgan St., I expect us to fall hard.

Rob said...

You are defending the indefensible.

Don't make up silly scenarios. Deeps brought up the Patriots. Let's just use the team as it is. They are 3-2 right now and find themselves at #10. Deeps asked what I thought about them if they lost to 0-5 Tennessee this week. I say they would be ranked #15, which would make them an average team - certainly not one of the best teams. You either agree or disagree - there is no need to create a convoluted made up scenario when we have reality.

Look at Oklahoma in the FBS rankings. They are the only 2 loss team in the FBS rankings.

Their losses were to #20 BYU and #17 Miami and they find themselves ranked #20. If they lose this week to #3 Texas they will no longer be ranked.

Yet, you want to defend ranking 2-3 JMU at #16.

Neither the Patriots example that Deeps laid out, or the reality of Oklahoma should they lose to Texas fit your scenario.

If you truly are "objective" then you agree with me. If not, then you are defending a faulty system.

j, k, and s's d said...

Seriously, Carnac, what his your deal?

I don't really even get the Patriot example. I thought I was clear. If they lose to the Titans, I expect them to fall. Okay. What more needs to be said?

Regarding the OK example, they started the season ranked #3. They lost to #20 BYU and fell ten spots to #13. They then went to #12, #10, and #8 weekly until they lost to #17 Miami and fell back down to #19. They lost to teams ranked lower than them so they fell further. JMU lost two of its games to teams ranked higher than them (I am counting MD as a higher ranked team), including the #1 team in the country. If OK's losses came against Florida and Alabama, they would not have fallen as far.

Get it, Carnac?!

Rob said...

You really didn't follow the discussion.

j, k, and s's d said...

Enlighten me, Carnac.

Rob said...

I'll try one last time.

You believe the FCS ranking system is fair and that JMU deserves to be #16 at 2-3.

This would never happen in the FBS system and it does not happen with the NFL Power Rankings.

If OK lost to Florida, Texas, and Alabama and was 2-3, there is no way that it would be ranked. No 3 loss teams are ranked in the top 25.

Look at what happened to LSU. Last week they were #4 and lost to #1 Florida. This week they are #10. If they lost two other games they would not be ranked.

The Patriots example is also clear. At 3-3, the Patriots would not be considered a very good team. There are only 32 teams in the NFL. A #15 ranking would be pretty weak. Given that there are far more FCS programs, a #15 ranking in the NFL would translate to being unranked in the FCS.

JMU is going to lose this week and will probably be ranked #20 with a 2-4 record. You would probably be OK with that, but losing is losing. They should not be ranked at 2-3 in my opinion.