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Post by jt1265 on May 4, 2009 10:12:40 GMT -5
Underdog? really? They should be looked as the defending champs...
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Post by 84olympicsviewer on May 4, 2009 10:32:14 GMT -5
Underdog? really? They should be looked as the defending champs... Can't they be both? Similar to the Raiders vs Redskins in the 84 Super Bowl.....Redskins were defending champs from 83 AND the Underdog. Zottalotta!
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Post by vballguy2001 on May 4, 2009 10:37:07 GMT -5
I would have to go with UCI on this one, and not Penn State. Based solely off of one statistic. 1-2 against MPSF teams. The two losses going to BYU and LBSU, and their sole win against USC at the beginning of the season....apparently USC has gotten better. I will be very surprised if Penn State repeats. Not the same team as last year.
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Post by encule on May 4, 2009 10:48:16 GMT -5
Why is it so far fetched that UCI got the #1 seed? When they do the seeding for NCAA basketball do the #1 seeds ALWAYS win their conference tournament? No. They get the #1 seed based on what they have done over the course of the season. UCI has the best record of the 4 team remaining and best season of the 4 up until this point, so they get the 1 seed.
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Post by lionfalcon on May 4, 2009 10:48:51 GMT -5
maybe you cannot compare the usc of early in the season to the usc now.. but how about the penn state from early in the season and the penn state now.. they really struggled with their new freshman setter.. now they have had the whole season to get used to his new style of setting( in comparison to luke).. and it seems they really learned from their unsuccesfull west coast trip.. and are hitting their stride in the end of the season.. just at the right time.. i dunno but that sounds a little familiar to last season when psu got stunned by mason and all of a sudden the team hit its stride.. i believe psu will beat usc in 4 and uci in 4.. too many weapons and plenty of experience with penn state..
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Post by vballguy2001 on May 4, 2009 10:59:27 GMT -5
Of course Penn State is going to get better, but they will have to play UCI who has a lot of weapons also. UCI is no DII/DIII school. I am sure UCI has gotten better as the season progressed also, soooo the question is who is better now? I think the edge goes to Irvine. This is something that always hurts Penn State because they don't play a lot of "good" teams inside their conference schedule. Which is why they will always be considered an "underdog". They are like a mid-major in football and basketball. But yet we see teams like Utah, and Boise State shock the world, but the odds are against them just like this weekend. They will be good, but I doubt they beat UCI in four....i can see 5, but I think Irvine will come out on top.
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Post by imbetterthenu on May 4, 2009 11:02:36 GMT -5
I have to go with Irvine. Speraw is solid....surprised he wasn't named the National team coach, and his kids are good. Saw them against BYU both nights, and they made some great adjustments and saw a very very good volleyball team with "a lot of weapons."
I can't see USC beat Penn State, but I would love to see it
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Post by smash09 on May 4, 2009 11:58:46 GMT -5
I would have to go with UCI on this one, and not Penn State. Based solely off of one statistic. 1-2 against MPSF teams. The two losses going to BYU and LBSU, and their sole win against USC at the beginning of the season....apparently USC has gotten better. I will be very surprised if Penn State repeats. Not the same team as last year. Correction PSU was 2-2 vs. MPSF they beat Hawaii in 4 at their place. I agree it will be tough to beat USC and Irvine but they are the defending champions and have most of their team back so it should be exciting and I think Ryan Swietzer will have 2 huge matches for them from the Oppisite position!
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Post by vballguy2001 on May 4, 2009 12:02:52 GMT -5
my bad....2-2. Still I think I am going to go with Irvine, because beating Hawaii is hardly a solid win in the MPSF.
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Post by dzdncnfsd on May 4, 2009 12:12:33 GMT -5
If Penn State's passing holds up, I like their chances to win it all. They completely dismantled OSU a few weeks ago. Would definitely like to see a UCI/PSU final.
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Post by imbetterthenu on May 4, 2009 12:21:09 GMT -5
You talk like dismantling OSU is somekind of great accomplishment. Like Ohio State is something amazing.
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Post by jt1265 on May 4, 2009 12:49:30 GMT -5
maybe you cannot compare the usc of early in the season to the usc now.. but how about the penn state from early in the season and the penn state now.. they really struggled with their new freshman setter.. now they have had the whole season to get used to his new style of setting( in comparison to luke).. and it seems they really learned from their unsuccesfull west coast trip.. and are hitting their stride in the end of the season.. just at the right time.. i dunno but that sounds a little familiar to last season when psu got stunned by mason and all of a sudden the team hit its stride.. i believe psu will beat usc in 4 and uci in 4.. too many weapons and plenty of experience with penn state.. the setting situation was a matter of getting used to. It only took their Hawaii trip to get used to the new setting and after that Penn State has had no problems at the setting position. What was thought to be an irreplaceable setter in Luke (don't get me wrong; Luke is awesome) has been replaced by Goas without problems. U should have seen them this weekend. They were running what ever they wanted from wherever. They will be solid in Provo
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Post by Serendipity on May 4, 2009 13:11:26 GMT -5
I understand PSU's conference schedule is bad, but can they do anything about that? No. But what I don't get is knocking them for playing at Hawaii. Is it their fault that Hawaii wasn't good this year? PSU makes two trips across the country to play teams - I think it's about time these west coast schools fly out and play PSU at rec hall too. it seems to me that penn state, looking at old schedules, has gone to the west coast and hawaii every year and very rarely do those teams come to psu. it looks like psu does what they can do play mpsf competition. i know what the response is going to be - the west coast schools get their competion out there, they don't HAVE to fly all over to play. well, based on geography, it seems to me that psu does what it can and it's not their fault when their competition doesn't live up to their reputations from year's past. i'm looking forward to this weekend's matches, too bad the second match isn't live on espn2 but i'll take what i can get.
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Post by dzdncnfsd on May 4, 2009 13:30:04 GMT -5
You talk like dismantling OSU is somekind of great accomplishment. Like Ohio State is something amazing. Just saying PSU is peaking and is probably at the same level as UCI and USC. Those teams would have dismantled OSU, as well. We'll see Thursday.
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Post by ucsdfan on May 4, 2009 14:14:18 GMT -5
Underdog? really? They should be looked as the defending champs... Hello, and welcome to the board. Now that you have accrued your fourth post and have garnered the insights that such longevity warrants, I think you are absolutely correct that a defending national champion that lost a POY and their starting setter from last season should not be the underdog. Just because their 2-2 record against USC, Hawai'i, LBSU, and BYU would indicate that they'd be battling UCLA and UCSD to get the 8th seed in the MPSF tournament, you are correct that it's totally unfair that they are considered an underdog when playing a team with a higher national ranking. All of the experienced men and women who run the national poll and do the seeding do not necessarily have four posts here on VT, so how can their credibility be up to the watermark you have established? The bottom line is that is really doesn't matter that much. The only advantage is that the #1 seed gets a first round bye and automatic pass to the title game on Saturday after scrimmaging the club team from the midwest Thursday night. I'm glad the number 1 seed at least gets to have that scrimmage so that they can get used to the altitude effects. The USC-PSU match should be great. You have a team as hot as they have been all year facing a defending champ lead by a great coach. It should be a all around good game that will allow UCI to scout both teams.
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