J. Michael Jackson wrote:
 
> On to the subject of the RPI.  Charlie Shub noted that Colorado College
> fell after beating Air Force.  I've long been a proponent of having a
> strength of schedule measure in any rating system.  However, CC isn't a
> worse team for playing and beating Air Force than they would be if they
> hadn't played them at all.  Is there any way in the numbers to allow a team
> to drop a win from its record if such a game hurts their standing?  Should
> the NCAA go to such a system if the numbers allow it?  Colorado College is
> locked into these games with Air Force for a lot of reasons that they
> couldn't get out of if they wanted to (such as that Air Force is letting
> them use their arena).  Is it fair to punish CC for playing these games, or
> any other team in a similar situation?  They're in a no win situation; win
> or lose, these games hurt their tournament chances.
 
CC could stop scheduling Air Force and replace the game(s) with ones against stronger opponents
to get a better SoS.  I hope that they do not, as it is both a local rivalry and good for college
hockey.  But what about the top ECAC teams like Clarkson, Harvard, Vermont, RPI, Brown, or
whoever is the best that year?  They must play every other ECAC team twice, several which usually
have overall records at or near the bottom of the ratings each year.
 
Why not allow them to to count those games?  I am sure that thier SoS would also rise (and maybe
they would get more respect).  Or what about the CCHA, which alos usually has one or two teams
near the bottom of the ratings?  Or Hockey East?  Or even the WCHA, which this year has what
looks to be a poor Northern Michigan team?  Is it fair to "punish" the top teams in each league
for having to play games against the bottom teams in each league?
 
Over the course of a 34 game schedule, one or two games against Air Force will not end up being
the reason CC does, or does, not make the NCAA tournament.
 
By the way, BU plays Dartmouth, Princeton, and either Notre Dame or Wisconsin this month.
 
--
Sean Pickett            E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Go Terriers  1995 NCAA, Hockey East and Beanpot Champions
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