Men College Top 25 Sept. 21
Monday Sep 21, 2009 in Amateur Competitions Division I Colleges
(Ed Hagerty photo.)
Among the tools we use to rank college teams is a mathematical formula, which rewards college teams for beating ranked squads, or even having close losses to ranked squads. They also get credit for beating good Canadian teams.
This week, if we were to rank teams based solely on that formula, the top-ranked team in the nation would be Delaware. Their 20-13 defeat of previous #10 Kutztown gave them just enough to out-point everyone else. Second, by the way, is Syracuse (who have lost to Brockport but have some club and Canadian victories as well). You see how formulas can be flawed.
So we use the formula as a guide, but not blindly.
Formula or no formula, the top-ranked teams all did as expected, and therefore not quite enough to unseat idle Army (whose C side, by the way, crushed #25 King’s Point).
Delaware does move into the Top 25, and Kutztown moves down. As is usual, we tend not to overreact to big upsets. We wait a week or two to see if that team has staying power.
The biggest game of the weekend, #5 Utah against #23 Air Force resulted in a good win for Utah. Air Force have earned a check next to their name as they look like they might move up. It’s an early-season loss, but if they continue on the upward path they will be rewarded in the rankings.
Same, sort of, goes for New Mexico, who kept it close with #4 Colorado. We don’t respond yet, but another game like that, and a win or two, and we will.
ERugbyNews Men DI College Top 25
September 21, 2009
1. (1) Army 0-0
2. (2) Navy 2-0 24-15 over Rutgers
3. (3) Arkansas State 0-0 (1-0) Defeated Atlanta Renegades
4. (4) Colorado 1-0 (4-1) Defeated New Mexico
5. (5) Utah 2-0 Defeated Air Force (23)
6. (7) Penn State 3-0 Defeated Virginia Tech (21)
7. (8) Dartmouth 3-1 Defeated Cornell & Columbia
8. (9) Colorado State 2-0 (4-1) Defeated Truman State, Kansas State
9. (8) Ohio State 0-2 (1-2) Defeated Scioto Valley B
10. (11) LSU 0-0
11. (12) Wyoming (1-1)
12. (13) Central Washington 0-0
13. (14) Rutgers 1-1 (1-2) Lost to Navy (2)
14. (15) Texas A&M 0-0 Cherrybone Tournament
15, (Unr) Delaware 2-0 (3-0) Defeated Kutztown (10)
16. (16) Bowling Green 3-0 Defeated Michigan State
17. (17) Minnesota 0-0
18. (18) Boston College 0-2 (0-3)
19. (10) Kutztown 1-1 Lost to Delaware
20. (19) Brockport 2-0 Defeated Cortland
21. (20) Syracuse 3-1 (4-1) Defeated SUNY Albany
22. (21) Virginia Tech 0-1 (1-1) Lost to Penn State (7)
23. (23) Air Force 1-1 (1-2) Lost to Utah (5)
24. (22) Washington State 1-0
25. (24) North Carolina 0-0
Not playing fall rugby and therefore not ranked in the fall: California, St. Mary’s, San Diego State, BYU, UC Davis, Cal Poly, UCSB, UCLA, Arizona, Sacramento State
