I know there have been many posts comparing the East vs West this season. I understand that WMU has compiled a 6-2 mark at this point as well. I don't understand how you rank them ahead of Kent and Akron. First off, Kent beat them. Secondly, Akron beat OU, OU beat Kent, and Kent beat Akron, yet OU is #1 and Kent/Akron fall below WMU. I think the top three teams are from the East and I don't think you could go wrong with any order on those three. If WMU beats Akron or OU, then the order would be justified, until then I would have Kent, OU, Akron then WMU at this point in the season.
Fair questions, zipsfan.
It's tough at this point in the season to create separation based on head-to-head results, especially as OU, Kent, and Akron are in a triangle of sorts. Because neither Akron nor OU have played WMU yet, it's virtually impossible (and meaningless to me) to make that a primary metric for sorting out the four teams.
So what was my reasoning? I put Ohio at the top spot mainly because of their five-game winning streak; any team that hot deserves to be there if they have the record to back it, and they do. So we have WMU, Kent, and Akron. Both WMU and Akron went 2-0, Kent 1-1. But Kent does have wins over both the other teams, so that muddies the picture a bit. So let's look at the entire body of work thus far.
The Broncos have really hammered opposition in the West and is 2-1 so far against the East and probably would be at 7-1 right now if not for Eastern having a ridiculous offensive night. The final score of the WMU/Kent game was not reflective of the competitiveness of the game to me. That game aside, no one has played them to within 10 points in nearly a month. Pretty impressive. Had they not nearly blown it at Buffalo, they would be my #1 right now. It is hard to me to keep Kent ahead of Western this week when the Broncos had a scoring differential of +24 and won both games. Akron, meanwhile, had virtually no chance of moving up two spots because they played games they were expected to win handily. And they did. Sure, it's not fair, but sometimes you can only play the hand you're dealt.
So why keep Kent ahead of Akron? Well, I'm down to two teams now, so the head-to-head is a bit more useful, and Akron's free throw game scares me. They don't get to the line much, and they don't convert often. Moreso, I just don't feel like Akron is really on the level of Western, OU, or Kent right now. I haven't been overly impressed by them (despite some pretty results) against the top competition thus far.
Of course, this can obviously be turned on its ear in 48 hours. We'll see what happens. I don't buy the hate on Western; they're doing just about everything they can to show they're worthy right now. #1 offense in the MAC right now, #3 defense.
Or alternatively, OZ is nuts, as self admitted earlier.
I don't argue with OU first, but to list a West team second, in a weak division who has already lost to Kent State, is just living up to his admission.
FlashFan Wrote:Or alternatively, OZ is nuts, as self admitted earlier.
Could very well also be the case. But I must ask: WMU was second last week, and I heard no objections. Can I move them down in a week in which they won both games?
You can do anything you want!
You are the great and powerful OZ!
![[Image: oz.jpg]](http://www.knowledgeofhealth.com/reportimages/oz.jpg)
Quote:Can I move them down in a week in which they won both games?
You didn't have a problem moving the Flashes down from #1 to #2 a few weeks ago after we won 2 games that week. Even mis stated the facts about our win over BG in your rationale, saying that BG made a run to pull within 2 that never happened.
(snorting laughter)
FlashFan Wrote:You didn't have a problem moving the Flashes down from #1 to #2 a few weeks ago after we won 2 games that week. Even mis stated the facts about our win over BG in your rationale, saying that BG made a run to pull within 2 that never happened.
Good point, but that's not what I said about the BG game.
But to defend myself:
Western won last week's games by 24 points. Kent, when I moved them down, was coming off a week in which they did not look overly impressive against a bad Buffalo team at home and didn't deliver the performance against BG I thought they should have. Akron, meanwhile, had pasted Miami and beaten Buffalo on the road without too much trouble. Plus, they had the only road win of the week. In retrospect, the BG win looks better for Kent and the Miami win less impressive for Akron. If I could move the rankings retroactively, I probably would.
OZoner Wrote:(snorting laughter)
FlashFan Wrote:You didn't have a problem moving the Flashes down from #1 to #2 a few weeks ago after we won 2 games that week. Even mis stated the facts about our win over BG in your rationale, saying that BG made a run to pull within 2 that never happened.
Good point, but that's not what I said about the BG game.
But to defend myself:
Western won last week's games by 24 points. Kent, when I moved them down, was coming off a week in which they did not look overly impressive against a bad Buffalo team at home and didn't deliver the performance against BG I thought they should have. Akron, meanwhile, had pasted Miami and beaten Buffalo on the road without too much trouble. Plus, they had the only road win of the week. In retrospect, the BG win looks better for Kent and the Miami win less impressive for Akron. If I could move the rankings retroactively, I probably would.
Let me repeat:
You can do anything you want!
You are the great and powerful OZ!
Go back and change them!
And move anyone's team who complains 2 spots down RIGHT NOW! What's stopping you? Take charge of this thing. Quit explaining. Act! You might even become a Scientologist!
OZoner Wrote:So why keep Kent ahead of Akron? Well, I'm down to two teams now, so the head-to-head is a bit more useful, and Akron's free throw game scares me. They don't get to the line much, and they don't convert often.
I am OK with Kent being ranked ahead of us right now. They beat us. I don't get the FT agruement. Akron has more FT's attempts and FT's made than OU, while both teams are shooting at 71%. I would think the inability to get to the line would be an arguement against OU more than Akron.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/headToHeadT...tsId2=442&
Akron seems to go cold from the line at inopportune times...COUGH COUGH COUGH MAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME COUGH COUGH COUGH
zipsfan, you're right, I take that back. I was looking at the wrong lines for you guys.
OZoner, do you rank the teams based on tourney seeding? If so, WMU at #2 makes sense.