The 2011 Liberty League co-champion Hobart Statesmen (7-2) gave #3 Wesley (12-2, losers by a touchdown to national runners up # 2 Mount Union, 14-1) one of their closest games of the NCAA playoffs, but was left out of the final Top 25 poll by the "panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country."
Saint John Fisher (10-3), who benefited from a better seeding from the NCAA Playoff Committee (in spite of a 36 point loss to Hobart back in September) finished the year with a #11 ranking. That said the final placement of Johns Hopkins (#18, 10-1), Delaware Valley (#13, 11-1) and Baldwin-Wallace (#24, 8-2) really calls this group of pollsters into question.
Although Hobart didn't do itself any favors with voters given their eight game schedule and the one point RPI loss; the Statesmen acquitted themselves very well taking the Wolverines to the brink with several key offensive players out of the line up. Hobart proved with out a doubt they not only belonged in the tournament, but had they had Fisher or another team's (better) draw, they would have likely advanced a couple of rounds given how well they played against Wesley.
Still, the voters apparently took the view that Hobart was a two-loss team that exited the playoffs in the first round (even though they challenged the #3 team in the country as well, if not better than other higher ranked teams). That said all the evidence shows they overlooked the fact that the Statesmen were clearly a Top 25 team.
Hopefully the returning Hobart players will take this oversight by the D3football.com community as added fuel to push for another LL title and a better / longer playoff run in 2012.
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