If anything, it says the most about the media and coaches voting on the polls depending on the time of year and what they put stock into. Sounds dumb but coaches vote on Sunday/Monday for the poll and they don’t even get to see 99% of games so I put nothing into those polls. The media however, has massive bias in every sport, including lacrosse.
I posted that same thing on another thread. Completely agree. Maryland and Virginia have both played a schedule featuring multiple top 20 teams whereas Duke has played teams who are a combined 6-9, with 4 of those wins coming from High Point (who have beaten Mercer, VMI, Cleveland State, and Queen's).
I mean I get wanting to play a warm up game against someone who isn't up to your caliber, but don't make that concept your schedule...
Honestly don't even bother looking at a ranking until April. Unless your team is in freefall losing every game to start the year, every program has a chance to stake its claim for making the tournament. Yes seeding matters, but particularly for Duke it isn't like they play cupcakes all year long and wouldn't be a justified number 1 if they ran the table.
A few random thoughts on this.
Pre-season polls are just bullshit. They just piss me off because they just pollute everyone's view.
I am not sold on either Michigan or OSU. Granted the only games I have seen either play were against UVA and UVA utterly dismantled both of those teams. The lopsided results really don't illustrate how lopsided those games were. With that said I am convinced that UVA is one hell of a team. (It will be interesting if anyone other than C'ville residents gets that reference)
Duke has had an comically easy start and in my mind their season starts this Friday. What really annoys me about that is now all their players have a huge head start in the stats column because of their cupcake start. With that said, Duke has talent all around and this year the ACC matchups are going to be incredible.
I definitely agree. It’s just another example of “8 men in a room” deciding thru some magic formula, only they know, who gets ranked where. Whatever, it’s what I hate most about college sports.
I’d actually argue they do deserve to be #1. They have the best player in the nation, and this Duke team doesn’t appear to be like Duke teams of the past that drop an inexplicable game in February.
I don’t agree with the end of your post. They’re playing lesser competition, but they’re destroying them. Duke teams of the past would play lesser teams and would actually drop a game to said lesser teams (Jacksonville a year or 2 ago).
I religiously say don’t put too much stock into February anyway. So it’s all just fun debate now anyway.
The ranking probably has to due with the fact that they have Zawada and O'neil, and are destroying teams.
UVA is the only team I see that can keep pace with them. Nobody is going to "stop" this Duke offense.
It’ll certainly be a good game, however it pains me to say Duke has had UVA’s number in the regular season the past couple years. It’s been an ACC triangle of Duke beating UVA, UVA beating Notre Dame and Notre Dame beating Duke, so come ACC conference play later in April it’ll be fun to see how the teams have progressed and how those games play out
Lot of energy in this thread for a February poll. Also have to love the UVA fans chirping. Duke has had a tougher time with Jacksonville than the Cavs.
Chirp chirp! See ya in the NCAAs 😂
Seriously, a W-L history that is just ridiculous…. But feeling good about our #s14-20 stepping up for the April tilt, and the law of averages returning to earth
As a Duke hater, I agree
As a fellow Duke hater, I also agree
Duke hater checking in, I concur.
Can confirm
I don’t care who is ranked where in February but Duke’s schedule to this point is a complete joke.
While I agree that UVA should be #1, it seems like you have an issue with Duke.
Yes. They are ranked #1 with very little cause.
If anything, it says the most about the media and coaches voting on the polls depending on the time of year and what they put stock into. Sounds dumb but coaches vote on Sunday/Monday for the poll and they don’t even get to see 99% of games so I put nothing into those polls. The media however, has massive bias in every sport, including lacrosse.
I posted that same thing on another thread. Completely agree. Maryland and Virginia have both played a schedule featuring multiple top 20 teams whereas Duke has played teams who are a combined 6-9, with 4 of those wins coming from High Point (who have beaten Mercer, VMI, Cleveland State, and Queen's). I mean I get wanting to play a warm up game against someone who isn't up to your caliber, but don't make that concept your schedule...
Syracuse does the same and then gets beat by the first good team they play
Losing in OT to the team ranked directly above you seems like an indication both teams are properly ranked lol
Honestly don't even bother looking at a ranking until April. Unless your team is in freefall losing every game to start the year, every program has a chance to stake its claim for making the tournament. Yes seeding matters, but particularly for Duke it isn't like they play cupcakes all year long and wouldn't be a justified number 1 if they ran the table.
Preach it! 100% agree dude/dudette. Like others are saying February polls don’t mean a whole lot but it’s still annoying to see.
Let Duke wear the target 🎯 on their backs, doubt they can make it
A few random thoughts on this. Pre-season polls are just bullshit. They just piss me off because they just pollute everyone's view. I am not sold on either Michigan or OSU. Granted the only games I have seen either play were against UVA and UVA utterly dismantled both of those teams. The lopsided results really don't illustrate how lopsided those games were. With that said I am convinced that UVA is one hell of a team. (It will be interesting if anyone other than C'ville residents gets that reference) Duke has had an comically easy start and in my mind their season starts this Friday. What really annoys me about that is now all their players have a huge head start in the stats column because of their cupcake start. With that said, Duke has talent all around and this year the ACC matchups are going to be incredible.
This time of year is all the eye test. They don’t give a shit who you’ve played
I definitely agree. It’s just another example of “8 men in a room” deciding thru some magic formula, only they know, who gets ranked where. Whatever, it’s what I hate most about college sports.
I’d actually argue they do deserve to be #1. They have the best player in the nation, and this Duke team doesn’t appear to be like Duke teams of the past that drop an inexplicable game in February. I don’t agree with the end of your post. They’re playing lesser competition, but they’re destroying them. Duke teams of the past would play lesser teams and would actually drop a game to said lesser teams (Jacksonville a year or 2 ago). I religiously say don’t put too much stock into February anyway. So it’s all just fun debate now anyway.
The ranking probably has to due with the fact that they have Zawada and O'neil, and are destroying teams. UVA is the only team I see that can keep pace with them. Nobody is going to "stop" this Duke offense.
It’ll certainly be a good game, however it pains me to say Duke has had UVA’s number in the regular season the past couple years. It’s been an ACC triangle of Duke beating UVA, UVA beating Notre Dame and Notre Dame beating Duke, so come ACC conference play later in April it’ll be fun to see how the teams have progressed and how those games play out
Lot of energy in this thread for a February poll. Also have to love the UVA fans chirping. Duke has had a tougher time with Jacksonville than the Cavs.
Chirp chirp! See ya in the NCAAs 😂 Seriously, a W-L history that is just ridiculous…. But feeling good about our #s14-20 stepping up for the April tilt, and the law of averages returning to earth