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USCHO is showing us the love....

http://www.uscho.com/rankings/d-i-mens-poll/" target="_blank

Don't want to be a downer but the polls are next to meaningless. However BG is #11 in the pairwise rankings, which simulates the model used to pick the playoff teams, so if it started today wed be in. Three other WCHA teams are also in the top 16, Michigan Tech, Mankato, and Northern Michigan. Tech is ranked number one in fact.

http://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise- ... /d-i-men/n" target="_blank ichigan

The WCHA has a nice mix right now of teams who have won some non conference games and are high in the polls because of it and teams that just aren't good. The good news for BG at this point is if they can win some games against Tech, Minnesota State, Ferris and Northern, they will get more computer points. Mix in series with the bottom end of the conference and you get some breathers in the schedule. I'm still skeptical, but early on the opportunity to get in the tournament is shaping up to be there. The team needs to run off a 5 out of 6 streak here before break to really get in the thick of things for the second half.

I'd say they could go on a good run up to the Christmas layoff. OSU isn't great this year, bemidji looks very middle of the pack. Series against Northern will be huge.

I'm not sold on greatness this season either, but I think the problems they've had are fixable. More consistent effort, especially in the 2nd period, sort out the goaltending (Burke is looking solid, coach b still wouldn't commit to him long term in his weekly interview, but I'm hoping he can be the man going forward), get more upper classmen involved in scoring, etc. Those aren't impossible hurdles, but if they aren't ironed out soon we could see a rough patch against Tech, four consecutive games vs Ferris, and Northern later in the season.

NMU hasn't beaten anybody with a winning record yet and Ferris can't score. The only other team on the schedule that really worries me right now is Tech. I thought they looked great last year but couldn't quite get the scoring they needed. This year they seem to have put it all together.

Oh, I thought we were not allowed to be excited about the ranking. When will the rankings mean something to some people? Sheet I posted a couple weeks ago we were getting 24 votes and was told by a few folks it didn't mean anything...it was worthless.

I guess they'd rather BG still be winning 8 games in a season and #57 in the nation.

Falconfreak90 wrote:Oh, I thought we were not allowed to be excited about the ranking. When will the rankings mean something to some people? Sheet I posted a couple weeks ago we were getting 24 votes and was told by a few folks it didn't mean anything...it was worthless.

I guess they'd rather BG still be winning 8 games in a season and #57 in the nation.

I'll say it. "Congratulations! Welcome to the top third of the popularity contest that means jack squat."

I see no reason to get excited about polls until you start seeing a number in parentheses behind the team name.

Whatever floats your boat, Popeye.

Falconfreak90 wrote:Whatever floats your boat, Popeye.

I've been around long enough to understand "rankings" and nights like tonight (Friday). There's definitely a reason I caution excitement for polls.

pdt1081 wrote:

Falconfreak90 wrote:Whatever floats your boat, Popeye.

I've been around long enough to understand "rankings" and nights like tonight (Friday). There's definitely a reason I caution excitement for polls.

Yeah, me too. Went to my first BG hockey game in 83 when my sister was a Freshman at BGSU...I got there in 86& used to wait outside the ice arena for 2-3 hours to get a seat when the doors opened. I remember watching BG hockey teams win 25-30+ games every season. I'll admit I am far from the knowledge level of a lot of the BG hockey fans but I don't see why you can't get excited for this team. They gave it away Friday night, pure and simple. They fought back Sat night on the road and won. This team is going places and I will always get pumped when I see ANY BG team ranked.

Falconfreak90 wrote:

pdt1081 wrote:

Falconfreak90 wrote:Whatever floats your boat, Popeye.

I've been around long enough to understand "rankings" and nights like tonight (Friday). There's definitely a reason I caution excitement for polls.

Yeah, me too. Went to my first BG hockey game in 83 when my sister was a Freshman at BGSU...I got there in 86& used to wait outside the ice arena for 2-3 hours to get a seat when the doors opened. I remember watching BG hockey teams win 25-30+ games every season. I'll admit I am far from the knowledge level of a lot of the BG hockey fans but I don't see why you can't get excited for this team. They gave it away Friday night, pure and simple. They fought back Sat night on the road and won. This team is going places and I will always get pumped when I see ANY BG team ranked.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for this team and season. It's the rankings that I don't get excited about. My opinion is they mean less now that a third of the teams are "ranked." USCHO expanded them for the publicity. That's 10 additional teams that are mentioning them in media releases. It just cheapens it for me. Now, when we start seeing numbers in parentheses after "Bowling Green," I will start to get excited about rankings.