Matnum PI wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:09 am
Agreed and... i don't think this is a matter of fault. of course this isn't MD's fault but... I think this is a matter of consistency. The top team(s) should be the team(s) who *have demonstrated* that they are top teams. And while eyeball tests matter, the demonstration needs to be tangible. Currently, from where I'm sitting, MD beating RU twice (and OSU) hasn't demonstrated they're #1.
Yes, they should have hammered High Point a couple of times and thrown in Jacksonville for a good one, too. Just be sure not to schedule Army at home so they don't get smoked.
When you talk about consistency, nine straight games of uncorking at least a 6-0 run at some point in the game isn't consistent? Having a 7+ per game goal differential isn't consistent? Shooting 40% isn't consistent? Holding opponents under 10 goals per game isn't consistent?
Ask the ACC people how tough it is to play even a couple of the ACC teams twice in the same season with the certainty of playing at least 2 of them 3 times in a season. Now imagine that's your entire schedule.
The entire argument that the B1G isn't good enough is based on the fact that we didn't get to see Penn State clobber Cleveland State like they get to do each year. Or Rutgers getting a chance this year to beat up Lafayette. Or Hopkins eking a win out over Mount St. Mary's. Or Ohio St beating Notre Dame like they did last season.
Can we also discuss another quirk in how people might perceive some of this? Maryland and Rutgers don't have the benefit of the close ties between the ACC and ESPN to pump how great they are multiple times a week across multiple mediums. As if Quint, Carc, Anish, and the like don't have a vested interest in pumping up the ACC to get eyeballs (or ears on pods and eyes on US Lax Mag or IL articles) on their games? I can blame BTN (and Fox, which partially owns BTN) for not showing more games or having better national carriage to get into more homes because that's all true, too.
I can also blame Hopkins for being a suck-burger because when one of your blue blood programs takes a total dump, it drags down the perception of the conference. That happens in every sport.