USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[January 3, 2011]
1. Yale (45) 12-1-0
2 North Dakota ( 2) 14-5-2
3 Boston College (3) 13-5-0
4 New Hampshire 10-3-4
5 Minnesota-Duluth 12-4-3
6 Denver 13-5-4
7 Miami 11-6-3
8 Michigan 12-5-4
9 Maine 9-5-4
10 Rensselaer 11-4-3
11 Notre Dame 12-7-3
12 Nebraska-Omaha 12-7-1
13 Wisconsin 12-7-3
14 Boston University 8-5-6
15 Union 11-6-3
16 Alaska 9-6-3
17 Merrimack 9-4-4
18 Colorado College 12-9-1
19 Princeton 10-5-0
20 Ferris State 9-8-4
Others Receiving Votes: Western Michigan 45, Clarkson 40, Dartmouth 26, Minnesota 26, Robert Morris 23, Minnesota State 15, Bemidji State 4, Ohio State 2, Quinnipiac 2, St. Lawrence 2, Niagara 1, Providence
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USA TODAY/USA Hockey men's poll
[January 3, 2011]
1. Yale (34) 12-1-0
2. North Dakota 14-5-2
3. Boston College 13-5-0
4. Hampshire 10-3-4
5. Minnesota Duluth 12-4-3
6. Denver 13-5-4
7. Michigan 12-5-4
8. Miami (Ohio) 11-6-3
9. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 11-4-3
10 Nebraska-Omaha 12-7-1
11. Maine 9-5-4
12. Notre Dame 12-7-3
13. Wisconsin 12-7-3
14. Union 11-6-3
15. Boston University 8-5-6
Others receiving votes: University of Alaska, 36; Colorado College, 27; Merrimack College, 23; Ferris State University, 1; Princeton University, 1; Robert Morris University, 1; Western Michigan University, 1.
I am going to pose a question; I am not trying to start a flame feast, however, do you think the "pollsters" think that Yale's 10-3 shredding of a lesser opponent/cupcake Holy Cross is a more impressive than UND's 5-0 win against UMD who is in the top five of the national standings?
Again, I would like to know how many of the “pollsters” actually saw the games this weekend or during the holiday break? I think it’s safe to say that beating Holy Cross is not equal to beating UMD. Again, I would love to see how some of the ECAC and AHA teams would do if they were in the WCHA and had to play the schedules of UMD, UND, DU and Wisconsin... Pretty sure we wouldn't be having this argument if these teams had played that kind of a schedule.
Also, we have teams in the bottom of the WCHA standings (MSU-M, BSU, SCSU) winning holiday tourneys by beating teams that are in the upper half of the other conferences (ECAC team UNION, CCHA teams Notre Dame, Miami) yet these teams are still sitting in the top 15 of the national rankings. So a couple of weeks ago when I was told that the Strength of schedule doesn't matter I think last weekend's holiday tourney results shoot that theory all to hell...
This ranking system is out of whack, and it’s getting to be as silly as the Boise State football being near BCS rankings until late in the season; these teams aren’t playing anyone really that tough and they can rack up wins against lesser opponents (mid majors) and will take a tumble in the pairwise and the polls the minute they lose a couple of games to the teams from their schedule.
