|
Post by SuperSpike on Oct 28, 2015 22:31:19 GMT -5
I see Minnesota coming back down a level or two. I don't really see that happening. I think they are at their level. The rest of the B1G will have to deal with it. I had my doubts about them, just because of the memory of last year. MN has Santana, SSS and Rosado who are three of the most consistent players in the conference. They have great block/defense and transition attack. USC has Bricio, MN has Santana, PSU has Courtney... There are other great pins but these are solid. MN, USC and Wisconsin have great transition setting. Every team is susceptible to 'off' nights to a degree but I think MN is less likely than some others to have those nights. If you have defense, a great setter, and a consistently strong OH1 you're going to weather a bad reception night just a little better I think.
|
|
|
Post by badgerbreath on Oct 28, 2015 22:43:47 GMT -5
I don't really see that happening. I think they are at their level. The rest of the B1G will have to deal with it. I had my doubts about them, just because of the memory of last year. MN has Santana, SSS and Rosado who are three of the most consistent players in the conference. They have great block/defense and transition attack. USC has Bricio, MN has Santana, PSU has Courtney... There are other great pins but these are solid. MN, USC and Wisconsin have great transition setting. Every team is susceptible to 'off' nights to a degree but I think MN is less likely than some others to have those nights. If you have defense, a great setter, and a consistently strong OH1 you're going to weather a bad reception night just a little better I think. That's my thinking. They seem built for the long haul. That defense will always keep them in games. And the speed at which SSS sets makes them hard to defend. And they execute so well at key moments. They just keep the pressure on you to execute. The only issue I see is the heavy reliance on Santana. If she has an off night its a problem, or if some team manages to make them one dimensional through tough serving so they can really focus on defending Daly. But their passing and setting has been so solid, and their defense so sting, it's hard to see that happening enough to beat them.
|
|
|
Post by akbar on Oct 29, 2015 5:31:24 GMT -5
It's a little time consuming but I started at the top and went through every match up and worked my way down to the weaker teams. Michigan did have a chance. Unfortunately they have a slim to none chance to make this year imo. Hopefully, and I mean it, I'm wrong. PSU can drop 1 and still win the B1G if I figured it right. Hopefully OSU will recover after this weekend and pull a couple wins that I project them having. ILL has an easy road imo. Wisconsin will be a difficult match up come tourney time. I see Minnesota coming back down a level or two. Slim to none chance of making the NCAA tournament? You're kidding, right? Michigan is 15-6. Even if they go 2-8 as you suggest, and I'm confident they will fare better, they end up 17-14. Given their RPI and SOS, they will be back in the tournament and will cause problems for someone. Sleep on the Wolverines all you'd like. They can't wait to play Stanford! Going 7-13 in conference play can Michigan still make it in? Im asking , not trying to be disrepectful. I DO hope they make it but that's why I stopped at top 8
|
|
|
Post by Wiswell on Oct 29, 2015 8:45:21 GMT -5
Ok, I'll play:
*Note: within tiers I did not/was unwilling to rank.
Tier 1: Minnesota - have to be here Penn State - same Nebraska - yeah, you lost to Wisconsin. You're still really good.
Tier 2: Ohio State - a little polish came off with the MSU loss, but let's not have the PSU loss diminish the team. That wouldn't be fair
Tier 3: Purdue - ok, you beat Illinois and Michigans. Sometimes you look good. Tough, er, nut to rank. Will know after this weekend. Wisconsin - nice job against the Huskers, but haven't proven you can knock off top teams with consistency (see OSU/UMN in 5). Will also know better after this weekend.
Tier 4: Illinois - Come on, you're better than your record. You can move up to Tier 2 if you get a couple of Ws. Mich St - Nice job taking out OSU, what else you got? Michigan - you had to do it, didn't you? Blow an almost sweep of PSU. *sigh.* Still a threat, and also a mystery.
Tier 5: Northwestern - every year you are almost good. And every year, you fail. Indiana - I've only seen you once. You beat NW who beat PSU. You were not good against UMN. Iowa - you aren't that bad. You just can't win matches.
Tier 6: Maryland - enjoy your time here. It will be a while. But you've got some athletes and while positionally you might not move for a few years, your competitive will. Definitely see you with IA/IN in 2 years (damning you with faint praise?). Rutgers - yay, you won a Big Ten match. Maybe in 5 years you'll win another. Poor things.
|
|
|
Post by firedup on Oct 29, 2015 9:55:39 GMT -5
Slim to none chance of making the NCAA tournament? You're kidding, right? Michigan is 15-6. Even if they go 2-8 as you suggest, and I'm confident they will fare better, they end up 17-14. Given their RPI and SOS, they will be back in the tournament and will cause problems for someone. Sleep on the Wolverines all you'd like. They can't wait to play Stanford! Going 7-13 in conference play can Michigan still make it in? Im asking , not trying to be disrepectful. I DO hope they make it but that's why I stopped at top 8 Yes, I believe a team that goes 7-13 in the toughest conference in the nation, with your projected 17-14 overall record, gets in. Countless times teams from the B1G with 8-12 conference marks have made it and fared well. Resume building begins Friday night at NW. Go Blue.
|
|
|
Post by akbar on Oct 29, 2015 10:04:30 GMT -5
Going 7-13 in conference play can Michigan still make it in? Im asking , not trying to be disrepectful. I DO hope they make it but that's why I stopped at top 8 Yes, I believe a team that goes 7-13 in the toughest conference in the nation, with your projected 17-14 overall record, gets in. Countless times teams from the B1G with 8-12 conference marks have made it and fared well. Resume building begins Friday night at NW. Go Blue. Good luck. Hope it works out.
|
|
|
Post by dorothymantooth on Oct 29, 2015 10:44:35 GMT -5
Ok, I'll play: *Note: within tiers I did not/was unwilling to rank. Tier 1: Minnesota - have to be here Penn State - same Nebraska - yeah, you lost to Wisconsin. You're still really good. Tier 2: Ohio State - a little polish came off with the MSU loss, but let's not have the PSU loss diminish the team. That wouldn't be fair Tier 3: Purdue - ok, you beat Illinois and Michigans. Sometimes you look good. Tough, er, nut to rank. Will know after this weekend. Wisconsin - nice job against the Huskers, but haven't proven you can knock off top teams with consistency (see OSU/UMN in 5). Will also know better after this weekend. Tier 4: Illinois - Come on, you're better than your record. You can move up to Tier 2 if you get a couple of Ws. Mich St - Nice job taking out OSU, what else you got? Michigan - you had to do it, didn't you? Blow an almost sweep of PSU. *sigh.* Still a threat, and also a mystery. Tier 5: Northwestern - every year you are almost good. And every year, you fail. Indiana - I've only seen you once. You beat NW who beat PSU. You were not good against UMN. Iowa - you aren't that bad. You just can't win matches. Tier 6: Maryland - enjoy your time here. It will be a while. But you've got some athletes and while positionally you might not move for a few years, your competitive will. Definitely see you with IA/IN in 2 years (damning you with faint praise?). Rutgers - yay, you won a Big Ten match. Maybe in 5 years you'll win another. Poor things. Is Illinois better than their record?
|
|
|
Post by vbprisoner on Oct 29, 2015 10:51:19 GMT -5
Ok, I'll play: *Note: within tiers I did not/was unwilling to rank. Tier 1: Minnesota - have to be here Penn State - same Nebraska - yeah, you lost to Wisconsin. You're still really good. Tier 2: Ohio State - a little polish came off with the MSU loss, but let's not have the PSU loss diminish the team. That wouldn't be fair Tier 3: Purdue - ok, you beat Illinois and Michigans. Sometimes you look good. Tough, er, nut to rank. Will know after this weekend. Wisconsin - nice job against the Huskers, but haven't proven you can knock off top teams with consistency (see OSU/UMN in 5). Will also know better after this weekend. Tier 4: Illinois - Come on, you're better than your record. You can move up to Tier 2 if you get a couple of Ws. Mich St - Nice job taking out OSU, what else you got? Michigan - you had to do it, didn't you? Blow an almost sweep of PSU. *sigh.* Still a threat, and also a mystery. Tier 5: Northwestern - every year you are almost good. And every year, you fail. Indiana - I've only seen you once. You beat NW who beat PSU. You were not good against UMN. Iowa - you aren't that bad. You just can't win matches. Tier 6: Maryland - enjoy your time here. It will be a while. But you've got some athletes and while positionally you might not move for a few years, your competitive will. Definitely see you with IA/IN in 2 years (damning you with faint praise?). Rutgers - yay, you won a Big Ten match. Maybe in 5 years you'll win another. Poor things. You were too tough on Wisconsin (tough love?). I would have them in tier 2 with tOSU. Yes they have lost several, but they are playing better each match now and at this particular week are tier 2 material.
|
|
|
Post by whowasthat on Oct 29, 2015 10:54:54 GMT -5
Ok, I'll play: *Note: within tiers I did not/was unwilling to rank. Tier 1: Minnesota - have to be here Penn State - same Nebraska - yeah, you lost to Wisconsin. You're still really good. Tier 2: Ohio State - a little polish came off with the MSU loss, but let's not have the PSU loss diminish the team. That wouldn't be fair Tier 3: Purdue - ok, you beat Illinois and Michigans. Sometimes you look good. Tough, er, nut to rank. Will know after this weekend. Wisconsin - nice job against the Huskers, but haven't proven you can knock off top teams with consistency (see OSU/UMN in 5). Will also know better after this weekend. Tier 4: Illinois - Come on, you're better than your record. You can move up to Tier 2 if you get a couple of Ws. Mich St - Nice job taking out OSU, what else you got? Michigan - you had to do it, didn't you? Blow an almost sweep of PSU. *sigh.* Still a threat, and also a mystery. Tier 5: Northwestern - every year you are almost good. And every year, you fail. Indiana - I've only seen you once. You beat NW who beat PSU. You were not good against UMN. Iowa - you aren't that bad. You just can't win matches. Tier 6: Maryland - enjoy your time here. It will be a while. But you've got some athletes and while positionally you might not move for a few years, your competitive will. Definitely see you with IA/IN in 2 years (damning you with faint praise?). Rutgers - yay, you won a Big Ten match. Maybe in 5 years you'll win another. Poor things. Is Illinois better than their record? On the paper they looked to be. But, after watching few of their matches, they may have been over-estimated at the begiining of the season. They may still have potential to be a force before the end of the season
|
|
|
Post by Wiswell on Oct 29, 2015 11:00:01 GMT -5
Well, I always see Illinois as a threat. Maybe I buy into the fan love too much. What I've never understood about Illinois is that they tend to slightly underperform (or so it seems) in the Big Ten season, and then get to the post-season and decide it is time to play up to their potential. The loss to Purdue though did them no favors in the respect category.
|
|
|
Post by c4ndlelight on Oct 29, 2015 11:06:33 GMT -5
Slim to none chance of making the NCAA tournament? You're kidding, right? Michigan is 15-6. Even if they go 2-8 as you suggest, and I'm confident they will fare better, they end up 17-14. Given their RPI and SOS, they will be back in the tournament and will cause problems for someone. Sleep on the Wolverines all you'd like. They can't wait to play Stanford! Going 7-13 in conference play can Michigan still make it in? Im asking , not trying to be disrepectful. I DO hope they make it but that's why I stopped at top 8 7 wins will have them just inside the RPI cutline, based on the RPI Futures by Bluepenguin. They have enough in the resume to get in with that. 6 wins would put them out of the tournament.
|
|
|
Post by Wiswell on Nov 1, 2015 17:28:25 GMT -5
We're through the weekend slate, now for new rankings.
*Note: within tiers I did not/was unwilling to rank.
Tier 1: Minnesota - is the match with PSU the Big Ten championship Penn State - Looking like the Big Ten team we are used to seeing. Nebraska - couple of scrimmages this weekend.
Tier 2: Ohio State - unlucky travel partner. Wisconsin - you get a promotion after Purdue victory
Tier 3: Purdue - settling into where many thought. Illinois - Nice weekend taking out the Michigans, promotion for you.
Tier 4: Mich St - NW looked awful in that first set, and then the cleaned it up. Michigan Northwestern - Ok, back to being the team that sometimes has good wins.
Tier 5. Indiana - Nowhere to demote you too. But I would if I could. Maryland - you beat a winless team. Do you deserve my promotion? Tier 6: Iowa - you lost to Maryland. Which lost to Rutgers. Good news for Maryland though, they get a promotion, but let's face it: you all should be here together. Rutgers -
|
|
|
Post by SuperSpike on Nov 1, 2015 19:32:17 GMT -5
I'm just doing the top tiers, hope that's ok. I pretty much agree with you on the bottom.
Tier 1: MN - Santana, SSS, the twins, Rosado... Best passing team in conference? Maybe second best at setting. OH1 knows how to finish matches.
PSU - Quality front-row highlighted by the best middle duo in conference. Good block/def/serve but so-so pass and set. Confidence and reputation and intangibles..
WI - Solid in all areas with an offense that is tough to contain.
Tier 2: NE - Great floor defense, solid blocking, big hitters. Passing is so-so. Setting is so-so. Pins have to be better than pins for better control teams to compensate for 1st-2nd contact. This is the wildcard team. Just like their run in the tourney last year showed, they have the talent.. OSU - Technically a solid team in most respects, talented setting. Do they have the mentality?
Tier 3: Illinois - Regardless of what people think I say this team is good. Tons of talent to manage and lineup is a question that must be answered, but talent is tier 1. Great block, poor ball control, excellent out of system team, poor in-system offense. Not enough diversity on offense to excel.. Yet.
Purdue - Always has a 40-50% chance to score by tossing a ball to RH. Fast high flying MB's with so-so shoulders. Error prone OH's. So-so ball control and setting. Hm... I guess tier 3 because of Drews and offense potential. Got some good athletes but OH2 is a hole. OH1 is in-system only.
|
|
|
Post by dcvolleyball on Nov 1, 2015 19:34:49 GMT -5
Tier 1 MN PSU
Tier 2 NEB WIS OSU
TIer 3 PUR ILL
TIer 4 MICH MSU
|
|
|
Post by dcvolleyball on Nov 2, 2015 15:50:42 GMT -5
Intersting how the teams have done in polls so far (rankings include RV) Pretty amazing that 11 teams were ranked or RV at one point)
started-high-current
Illinois-8-6-18 Indiana-Never Ranked Iowa-NR-31-NR Maryland- Never Ranked Michigan-37-20-25 Michigan State-19-19-NR Minnesota-31-4-4 Nebraska-5-3-8 Northwestern-NR-38-NR Ohio State-14-6-12 Penn State-1-1-1 Purdue-27-16-16 Rutgers-Never Ranked Wisconsin-5-5-13
|
|