Smart Dog's Top Ten (Finale)
This is the opportunity for coaches to determine who are the top ten teams currently in Rockne DII. The top ten will start each season following the five out-of-conference games and continue until the playoffs start. All you have to do is site mail your top ten teams to me by 8 PM CST. Each evening the votes will be computed and the updated top ten will be posted.
Thanks to the additional coaches that submitted their votes today. It was great to see. I appreciate them and will gladly take them and may use them. Unless given the OK by the coach, I am not going to identify who wrote the comments. Again coaches can submit their rankings without comments.
This will be the final top ten for this season, but it will be back next season. I hope you all enjoyed it and I thank those coaches that took the time to vote one, twice, or many times.
Like Akua predicted a couple of seasons ago, playoffs are going to be wild. There are outstanding teams that will be fifth seeds or worse. There are going to be some great coaches with rebuilding teams that won't make the playoffs yet...but they are coming. When they do, other coaches will need to step up their games or they will be the ones departing. When the games begin, how many upsets (as determined by the rankings) will there be? Out of 35 games, I put the over/under at 14.
#9 - Humboldt State - previously #10 - Won 62-6 over SIM. "Great coach. They won't be easy to knock out of the playoffs." #3 seed and makes it to the third round.
#8 - Winona State - previously #9 - Won 59-10 over SIM. "Great talent." #4 seed and early 2nd round exit.
#7 - Long Island - previously #7 - Won 59-7 over #141 Bentley. #2 seed and makes it to the third round.
#6 - Bloomsburg - previously #5 (tied) - Won 40-0 over SIM. "I like their scheduling. They will take challengers." I like them more than others. #2 seed and final four participant.
#5 - Cheyney - previously #5 (tied) - Won 49-6 over #17 Missouri-Rolla. Top one-loss team. "Legit contender." #1 seed and will make it to the third round.
#4 - Virginia State - previously #4 - Won 67-7 over SIM. "Pretty tough schedule but they cruise along. These guys won't be an easy out." #1 seed and makes it to the third round.
#3 - Texas A&M-Commerce - previously #3 - Won 91-7 over SIM. #1 seed and final four team and possibly makes it to the title game, depending upon the brackets.
#2 - Ferris State - previously #1 - Won 51-0 over SIM. Will go into the playoffs as a 2nd seed and makes it to the third round.
#1 - Morehouse - previously #2 - Won 87-3 over SIM. Not changing my prediction from earlier. #1 seed and will win the NC.
Disclaimer: my prediction for you is off if you face Hillsdale. The fourth final four team is Northern Michigan. This is probably is last season and I think he has been on cruise so far. If he get involves like he has in the past, then watch out since NMU has probably the top roster.