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DARKSIDE RANKINGS: 2017, Vol. 1

JCHILLTOPPERS

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2001
10,370
793
113
Here We Go.....

If you don't understand, just ask, only Epic bites, or calls people by the name.



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9.33 - HF:
The warren moons come out swinging, but admittedly, against at best an average first two opponents - interestingly both out of state (I cant recall the last time that happened for an IL team). What we know about HF is that they have talent on the field … oh that talent has a lot of speed. I’m betting HF hovers right around 9-10 until their SOS improves, and it will fast. HF gets upstart Stagg whom is 2-0 and outscoring their opposition by 35 a game, Brook, LWW...LWE. Survive that gauntlet, HF will go from 10-1 in the most efficient of ways. Good Luck. Where the hell is fanboy anyway?


8.92 - Flyer:
I want them higher...I put them higher, but what can you say? After losing their top RB, they are 1-1 with the best lost in the state to a national powerhouse from the great state of Loueyanna. Boy oh boy, though, next week we get old edwardsville. How many times has ESL been a top dog only to leave this game feeling sick? E’ville is 0-2. Is this their state title game? Come on Flyer, don’t you want to remain DSR-worthy?


8.33 - Rambler:
OK, we made a man made weiner, squirting a shirtless man, lost some key players, lost on the last play of a game to MC, i mean, eh em, Phillips, then beat national power Amat with a team no longer affected by syphilis, now this week get to play MC minus defectors minus Alek Thomas, who is busy fighting communism this week in Cuba.Bigger game for LA or for MC?


7.25 - Marist:
Lose your starting QB, lose your school’s be+st coach, go 2-0 without seemingly missing a beat. I think there had to be some sort of loss. Those were pretty two important components.I mean, are we still impressed with the rice win? Crusader is going to struggle making the playoffs...this week, Marist goes ESCC and gets CoM, who is 0-2 and starting a freshman at QB. CoM has done stranger things lately and stranger things 2 is coming out soon. Marist’s defensive line looks like a tidal wave...Marist cruises this week and probably the next few. Marist should rise steadily in the DSR with quality wins until week seven, where the fune begins with Naz.


7.25 - LZ:
Who saw this coming? The question might be, is LZ’s defense for real, like a few years past, or is montini’s offense in need of some help that ultimately chose Phillips? I’ll bet anyone a dollar LZ pitches a shutout this week. They play waukegan, that has yet to score this season.


6.33 - Phillips:
Ah, the position and respect 3A ACC never was able to receive. Honestly, some of those ACC teams would have beaten some of you 8A dudes, too. The real only question now with Phillips is can Simeon beat them. Other than that - honestly - there’s not much to say. They are good and look like a 5A/6A team and play like one as well. Should they be closer to 1?


5.33 - PR:
Look, this went from a team I thought would roll through everyone this season to one that three weeks in, Bones does not consider being in the top ten. Just another example of why the success factor is wiggity wiggity whack...ironic bonesy….year to year, every school puts a new roster on the field. There is no way PR can’t fight back and regain the top spot in the DSR, but with the schedule remaining, it might not be until the final production. Bottom line, that triple option needs to start looking more like navy and less like me the closer i get to the toilet, where and when i stutter step carefully looking for the best path and praying no one is watching.


4.83 - NC:
Central has to feel great with their start.Though the GBN win is no longer looks like a big win, NC is clicking on both sides of the ball, has a solid SoS relative most teams in state, and is looking forward to a challenging, but not overwhelming remaining schedule. I see a path to a title and more importantly, their first ever #1 DSR. OH GUESS WHAT...they play St. Eds in a few weeks….Man, that might turn out to be just the match up we all could hope for. So far, I think IL is having one of its better OOS seasons in a long long time. A win by NC over Eds will cap that as a certainty.


3.83 - MS:
Well, M-Swag...that was a tough loss...but you played a team that is 5 deep at QB. This early in the season, I don’t think anyone was going to beat LWE. The GBW win was a huge way to open the season, and though despite now being 1-1, the way MS scored against GBW one of the state’s best coached defenses and the slim margin of defeat against LWE...you deserve this spot...and will likely keep it until LWE loses….unless of course NC beats eds...or brook beats LWE….or shit, I don’t know


1.00 - lwBeast:
Hack it or pack it.


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A few random notes like always: LWE is not the first team to start the season a unanimous #1, but the gap between them and the next school is the largest.

Props to Lake Park for their first ever DS votes...not ranked yet, but a path to the DS, there is.

This is the first year I can remember GBW not being ranked in the initial poll.

Peace, love, and shizzle
 
I literally choked on a cashew reading this! FanFriggingtastic! The Rambler and PR parts still have me laughing. Great stuff as always.
 
Wow. Not much to say on the top 10 other than gooms having ND at 10. Not even close to top ten material...He must be trying to get back in the good graces of the Dons...
 
Fantastic as always.

In terms of GBN : did the DS have them in the top 10 in 2015 when they started 0-2 (lost to NC and lost to WV)? They still made the playoffs in 2015 - but I would be shocked if you had them in the top 10 at 0-2.

Edit - Strike that. I didn't see the W in GBW and on my phone (or my old eyes) it looked like a N for GBN. Yeah - first year in forever West not in the top 10 of polls.
 
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Some things that surprised me:
1. Lots of support for Loyola. Nice win over Amat, but too many unknowns with injuries etc. for me. Need to see what the Ramblers have left moving forward.
2. Bones staying true to his large school roots in keeping PR out of the rankings.
3. Lack of love for LZ by JCH and Dean.
4. Gooms leaving Marist out and ND in?
5. Many voters leaving ESL off their ballots. The Provi win, admittedly, not looking as impressive. But, Evangel Christian is very good. That was a "quality" loss.
 
I agree with the PR assessment. Evans is a stud but they appear to be one dimensional at this point. Handing over 43 to Huntley was unacceptable. I want to give CG some love but I'm not drooling like some of my other homies. Skol is not Pennington and they are not spreading the ball around like the past teams. Shut him down and the offense is ineffective. But, we're only 2 games in and what the hell do I know. I'm just old an Pink Floyd fan moonlighting as an armchair quarterback.
 
I agree with the PR assessment. Evans is a stud but they appear to be one dimensional at this point. Handing over 43 to Huntley was unacceptable. I want to give CG some love but I'm not drooling like some of my other homies. Skol is not Pennington and they are not spreading the ball around like the past teams. Shut him down and the offense is ineffective. But, we're only 2 games in and what the hell do I know. I'm just old an Pink Floyd fan moonlighting as an armchair quarterback.
perfect ds reply. Well done
 
Some things that surprised me:
1. Lots of support for Loyola. Nice win over Amat, but too many unknowns with injuries etc. for me. Need to see what the Ramblers have left moving forward.
2. Bones staying true to his large school roots in keeping PR out of the rankings.
3. Lack of love for LZ by JCH and Dean.
4. Gooms leaving Marist out and ND in?
5. Many voters leaving ESL off their ballots. The Provi win, admittedly, not looking as impressive. But, Evangel Christian is very good. That was a "quality" loss.
I actually had PR in at 10 when I submitted my ballot, but realized I forgot Phillips and had to hit JChill with an audible. I have them at 11 or 12 right now. If C-G and Huntley make serious noise in the post season PR will move up. However as of right now scoring 7 and allowing 43 wasn't going to do it unless it was against nationally ranked teams.
 
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Some things that surprised me:
1. Lots of support for Loyola. Nice win over Amat, but too many unknowns with injuries etc. for me. Need to see what the Ramblers have left moving forward.
2. Bones staying true to his large school roots in keeping PR out of the rankings.
3. Lack of love for LZ by JCH and Dean.
4. Gooms leaving Marist out and ND in?
5. Many voters leaving ESL off their ballots. The Provi win, admittedly, not looking as impressive. But, Evangel Christian is very good. That was a "quality" loss.

I think with the state of the Blue this year (some say down, I say even and exciting), Loyola by name should be replaced with "blue representative" and hold a place between 7 and 10 until some clearer signals are given.
 
Some things that surprised me:
1. Lots of support for Loyola. Nice win over Amat, but too many unknowns with injuries etc. for me. Need to see what the Ramblers have left moving forward.
2. Bones staying true to his large school roots in keeping PR out of the rankings.
3. Lack of love for LZ by JCH and Dean.
4. Gooms leaving Marist out and ND in?
5. Many voters leaving ESL off their ballots. The Provi win, admittedly, not looking as impressive. But, Evangel Christian is very good. That was a "quality" loss.
I have LZ at 11. Had to put Cary in if I had PR in hence they were out.
 
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I think with the state of the Blue this year (some say down, I say even and exciting), Loyola by name should be replaced with "blue representative" and hold a place between 7 and 10 until some clearer signals are given.

truly being considered.
 
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New to the thread... What exactly is the criteria here? Have to be ESL or play north of 80?
Who is missing? Prior polls had SHG. I will concede that it will be hard to make my rankings if you are away from the Chicago area, not due to a regional bias (I don't think), instead due to level of competition bias. I want to see how a team performs against other top teams. You'll also notice there is rarely a school from a closed conference included, I would argue because we don't know how they stack up outside the conference.
 
I have LA, LT, LZ,MC and ESL kind of on the same plateau. ESL was just the odd man out (with MC). I had them in for the first two go-through.
 
Unapologetic PR at two guy. Dominant offensive players are the key to dominant teams. Evans is just that. The CG game was a baseball game because it's a rivalry...
 
Loyola is a wildcard, when I know they are all there, and rolling, they'll probably shoot up. If they win games...
 
In my defense,...

ND never, and I mean never (in recent history) has won a game like they did vs. Benet. My pick will be cemented if ND beats Naz. If not I look like an idiot. I can live with that.
 
In my defense,...

ND never, and I mean never (in recent history) has won a game like they did vs. Benet. My pick will be cemented if ND beats Naz. If not I look like an idiot. I can live with that.

I don't think it is a bad call. It's not like ND is just some poop team.
 
In my defense,...

ND never, and I mean never (in recent history) has won a game like they did vs. Benet. My pick will be cemented if ND beats Naz. If not I look like an idiot. I can live with that.
What if Naz beats them. Does Naz come in your #10.
 
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Now this is a DSR! Glad to see we're back to the spirit of the OG days, few times last year where I felt the ranks became a stale.

Looking ahead, any consensus on team with the best SOS that, if they win out, would be a no brainer #1? From this vantage point it looks like HF, LWE, NC can control their DSR destiny
 
Now this is a DSR! Glad to see we're back to the spirit of the OG days, few times last year where I felt the ranks became a stale.

Looking ahead, any consensus on team with the best SOS that, if they win out, would be a no brainer #1? From this vantage point it looks like HF, LWE, NC can control their DSR destiny
Dsr is a what have you done for me lately. I don't even know the matchups past this week. It would take a lot to overthrow lwe for me right now
 
Dsr is a what have you done for me lately. I don't even know the matchups past this week. It would take a lot to overthrow lwe for me right now

Is a loss considered a lot? LWE was 2-0 versus same schedule last year right?
 
Looking ahead, any consensus on team with the best SOS that, if they win out, would be a no brainer #1?

LWE and NC would be the two obvious choices. Maybe PR if they show they can hold off good offensive teams.
 
7.25 - Marist:
Lose your starting QB, lose your school’s be+st coach, go 2-0 without seemingly missing a beat. I think there had to be some sort of loss. Those were pretty two important components.I mean, are we still impressed with the rice win? Crusader is going to struggle making the playoffs...this week, Marist goes ESCC and gets CoM, who is 0-2 and starting a freshman at QB. CoM has done stranger things lately and stranger things 2 is coming out soon. Marist’s defensive line looks like a tidal wave...Marist cruises this week and probably the next few. Marist should rise steadily in the DSR with quality wins until week seven, where the fune begins with Naz.

Tend to agree with this sentiment, if there's 1 team I think may be too high in the top 10, it would be Marist. BR isn't the BR of the past couple years, scrap that win and it's hard to get an accurate judgement. Will have to see how this unfolds in next few weeks.
 
Just that there was a consensus #1 and variation @ #2. Parity looks to be the name of the game in week 3.

right---don't look at these numbers the same way you look at other rankings...it's the darkside. The disparity is more a sign that anyone who at this point knows who 2 is does not really know who 2 is...meanwhile, it's very hard to argue LWE should not be 1.
 
Think that'll depend on who they lose to, how they lose, and when they lose.

i'll add this. if HF, Brook, or LWE go undefeated, and NC loses a very close game to St. Eds...and eds otherwise runs their table, i very well might go NC one. A win or very close loss to Eds speaks a lot.
 
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Dsr is a what have you done for me lately. I don't even know the matchups past this week. It would take a lot to overthrow lwe for me right now

yep. i add some of the upcoming games for commentary. In fact, with regard to losses...if you lose week one and two, but by week 9 are something special...or there were circumstances, like for example, you lost seven players because of a weiner picture....you could end up being number 1.
 
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