The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

May as well do #1 and #2 at the same time? Just Wolverine and Sioux left, right?

Correct, and #1 and #2 will be announced at the same time...likely tomorrow.

A teaser:
The difference between #1 and #2 is less than 2 points. In all likelihood, whichever program has the better season in 2016-2017 will be #1 at this time next year.

[SJHovey]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

May as well do #1 and #2 at the same time? Just Wolverine and Sioux left, right?

He always does.

[joecct]

He always does.

Is Steve Harvey a member of this thread?

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

#1 – NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS

Points: 506.80162 Points
Points earned in 2015-2016: 45.7870 Points
Points earned in past five seasons: 70.64102 Points
Last Season Ranking: #2

North Dakota put together one of the great seasons in college hockey history in 2015-2016, finishing the campaign with an impressive NCAA Tournament run knocking off two of the best programs in Michigan and Denver en route to the program's eighth national championship. UND lost a lot to graduation/early departure, as 2/3s of its vaunted "CBS Line" and blue line are gone. Of course, North Dakota returns top netminder Cam Johnson, and Hobey Baker candidate Brock Boeser along with a stellar incoming class, and the Fighting Hawks should put themselves into position to make another run at a national title. They will need to if they want to put any distance between themselves and Michigan for the #1 spot.


#2 – MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Points: 505.14106 Points
Points earned in 2015-2016: 8.9868 Points
Points earned in past five seasons: 13.74876 Points
Last Season Ranking: #1

After maintaining the #1 ranking in every rendition of this list since its inception, the Wolverines have slipped to #2 after a strong 2015-2016 campaign where the program won the B1G tournament championship, and advanced to the Regional Finals before falling to the eventual national champions. Michigan lost most of its firepower from a season ago, including all three Hobey Baker finalists. However, the U of M will return Alex Kile and bring in five from the National Team Development Program to highlight an impressive Freshman class, which should help the Wolverines reload for 2016-2017 and try and reclaim the #1 spot.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

After maintaining the #1 ranking in every rendition of this list since its inception, the Wolverines have slipped to #2 after a strong 2015-2016 campaign where the program won the B1G tournament championship, and advanced to the Regional Finals before falling to the eventual national champions. Michigan lost most of its firepower from a season ago, including all three Hobey Baker finalists. However, the U of M will return Alex Kile and bring in five from the National Team Development Program to highlight an impressive Freshman class, which should help the Wolverines reload for 2016-2017 and try and reclaim the #1 spot.

Considering that Michigan won the first championship and made the tourney every year through 1957 with several other championships, I would think that have been ranked #1 since the tourney started in 1948, long before you started to post.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

Considering that Michigan won the first championship and made the tourney every year through 1957 with several other championships, I would think that have been ranked #1 since the tourney started in 1948, long before you started to post.

I would guess Michigan had been #1 since at least 1953. Minnesota was #1 before the NCAA Tournament started, and I'm not sure when exactly Michigan would have taken over. Probably not by 1948, but perhaps as early as 1951 and at least by 1953.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

I would guess Michigan had been #1 since at least 1953. Minnesota was #1 before the NCAA Tournament started, and I'm not sure when exactly Michigan would have taken over. Probably not by 1948, but perhaps as early as 1951 and at least by 1953.

I didn't realize that you included data from before 1948.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

I didn't realize that you included data from before 1948.

Yeah, that was one of the reasons it took me nearly two years to put together the data.

[ecbrevik]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

#1 – NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS

Points: 506.80162 Points
Points earned in 2015-2016: 45.7870 Points
Points earned in past five seasons: 70.64102 Points
Last Season Ranking: #2

North Dakota put together one of the great seasons in college hockey history in 2015-2016, finishing the campaign with an impressive NCAA Tournament run knocking off two of the best programs in Michigan and Denver en route to the program's eighth national championship. UND lost a lot to graduation/early departure, as 2/3s of its vaunted "CBS Line" and blue line are gone. Of course, North Dakota returns top netminder Cam Johnson, and Hobey Baker candidate Brock Boeser along with a stellar incoming class, and the Fighting Hawks should put themselves into position to make another run at a national title. They will need to if they want to put any distance between themselves and Michigan for the #1 spot.


#2 – MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Points: 505.14106 Points
Points earned in 2015-2016: 8.9868 Points
Points earned in past five seasons: 13.74876 Points
Last Season Ranking: #1

After maintaining the #1 ranking in every rendition of this list since its inception, the Wolverines have slipped to #2 after a strong 2015-2016 campaign where the program won the B1G tournament championship, and advanced to the Regional Finals before falling to the eventual national champions. Michigan lost most of its firepower from a season ago, including all three Hobey Baker finalists. However, the U of M will return Alex Kile and bring in five from the National Team Development Program to highlight an impressive Freshman class, which should help the Wolverines reload for 2016-2017 and try and reclaim the #1 spot.

Wow! I'm surprised (but very pleasantly). I especially would have bet against UND catching Michigan this year had I known Michigan was going to score nearly 9 points themselves, as I had guessed UND would score less than 40 points given their rather unimpressive performance in the NCHC Final Four. Despite that, UND put up the most points in a single season so far in FS23's formula. I'm rather impressed with the ground UND closed on Michigan over the last 5 years!

[burd]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

Thanks again to FS and SF for all the work that goes into this. I can't imagine having the patience to do that.

You are, of course, also responsible for turning a whole bunch of ordinarily kind, humble Nodaks into arrogant pryks. I don't know how anybody is going to be able to live with me until the F'hawks get swept at home.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

Wow! I'm surprised (but very pleasantly). I especially would have bet against UND catching Michigan this year had I known Michigan was going to score nearly 9 points themselves, as I had guessed UND would score less than 40 points given their rather unimpressive performance in the NCHC Final Four. Despite that, UND put up the most points in a single season so far in FS23's formula. I'm rather impressed with the ground UND closed on Michigan over the last 5 years!

North Dakota's 2015-2016 season ranked #14 all-time in my best teams of the NCAA era list. Union's 2013-2014 campaign ranked #45, so I wasn't too surprised that UND put up more points this season than Union in 2013-2014. North Dakota only lost 6 games all season and had a pretty dominating performance in the NCAA Tournament.

Of course, had Michigan's Kyle Connor won the Hobey Baker, Michigan would have stayed atop the rankings by less than a tenth of a point.

That being said, here is the outlook for 2017:

#1 - North Dakota and Michigan are extremely close. Whoever has the better season in 2016-2017 will likely be #1.

#3 - Minnesota can't catch North Dakota or Michigan, and BC can't catch Minnesota, so the Gophers will stay at #3.

#4 - The race for #4 is BC's to lose. BU, DU, and Wisconsin can all theoretically overtake BC with a national title. DU would likely need to at least make the national title game to have a shot at #4, and BU could overtake the Eagles with just a Regional Final and otherwise strong regular season (see Michigan this season).

#7 - Wisconsin is almost certain to stay at #7, absent a national title (see #4 above). They can't be caught by...

#8 - Michigan State will stay #8 for the foreseeable future. They are probably 2-3 national title runs behind Wisconsin, but are probably 2 national title runs ahead of anyone from #9 and below.

#9 - Maine is the favorite to stay at #9, but could be surpassed by Michigan Tech (with a Frozen Four run or better); Cornell (with a National Title Game appearance or title); Lake Superior State (with a National Title Game appearance or title); Colorado College (with a National Title); Harvard (with a strong National Title season); and Clarkson (with a great National Title season). This also represents the list of teams with realistic Top 10 chances.

Top 15 - The Top 15 will be difficult to crack, but the following schools could do it: Minnesota Duluth (National Title Game appearance/title); RPI (National Title); and New Hampshire (strong National Title season).

Top 20 - Bowling Green is barely hanging onto the #20 spot, and could be caught by any of the following: Northern Michigan (likely just needs a better season than BGSU); Yale (Strong Regional Final run or better); St. Lawrence (National Title Game appearance/title); Union (National Title); Miami (National Title); Quinnipiac (National Title); Notre Dame (Strong National Title season); Dartmouth (Strong National Title season); and Ferris State (great National Title season).

At this point pretty much any program can jump into the top 30 with a national title run. Obviously, the bottom half of the rankings are pretty fluid, and a strong season can shakeup those rankings quite a bit.

[SJHovey]

Thanks again to FS and SF for all the work that goes into this. I can't imagine having the patience to do that.

You are, of course, also responsible for turning a whole bunch of ordinarily kind, humble Nodaks into arrogant pryks. I don't know how anybody is going to be able to live with me until the F'hawks get swept at home.

It's all fun, but I want that 9th to tie Michigan.

[UMICH]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

#1 – NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS

Points: 506.80162 Points
Points earned in 2015-2016: 45.7870 Points
Points earned in past five seasons: 70.64102 Points
Last Season Ranking: #2

North Dakota put together one of the great seasons in college hockey history in 2015-2016, finishing the campaign with an impressive NCAA Tournament run knocking off two of the best programs in Michigan and Denver en route to the program's eighth national championship. UND lost a lot to graduation/early departure, as 2/3s of its vaunted "CBS Line" and blue line are gone. Of course, North Dakota returns top netminder Cam Johnson, and Hobey Baker candidate Brock Boeser along with a stellar incoming class, and the Fighting Hawks should put themselves into position to make another run at a national title. They will need to if they want to put any distance between themselves and Michigan for the #1 spot.


#2 – MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Points: 505.14106 Points
Points earned in 2015-2016: 8.9868 Points
Points earned in past five seasons: 13.74876 Points
Last Season Ranking: #1

After maintaining the #1 ranking in every rendition of this list since its inception, the Wolverines have slipped to #2 after a strong 2015-2016 campaign where the program won the B1G tournament championship, and advanced to the Regional Finals before falling to the eventual national champions. Michigan lost most of its firepower from a season ago, including all three Hobey Baker finalists. However, the U of M will return Alex Kile and bring in five from the National Team Development Program to highlight an impressive Freshman class, which should help the Wolverines reload for 2016-2017 and try and reclaim the #1 spot.

Whah.......... we knew that it was likely over but now it's official. Hopefully we can put together a good season with all of the kids we have coming in. Michigan basically has to reload every year so this won't seem extra difficult. Let's just hope who we are bringing in is as good as advertised. And of course the goalie situation...

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

Whah.......... we knew that it was likely over but now it's official. Hopefully we can put together a good season with all of the kids we have coming in. Michigan basically has to reload every year so this won't seem extra difficult. Let's just hope who we are bringing in is as good as advertised. And of course the goalie situation...

Also, they are in the little six, so someone has to win the conference.

[vizoroo]

Re: The Greatest Programs of All-Time: #1-#59

It's all fun, but I want that 9th to tie Michigan.

Rather have the 8th to pass BU/BC.