Boyd's World-> ISR's -- 1991 Season About the author, Boyd Nation

ISR's -- 1991 Season

There are too many cases of unknown dates in the historical records that I used to re-create this data set for me to be able to do weekly updates as I have in later years, so these are end-of-year ratings only.

The score set behind this is incomplete, but it's close enough to justify publication. Teams with incomplete game records are listed at the bottom; in most cases, it's possible to find their D1 records by using "reflected light"; most missing D1 games can be identified through the missing team's opponents. Since most of these are unlikely to have played each other, it's likely that the great bulk of the missing games are against non-D1 competition and wouldn't have an impact on the ratings. However, it's quite likely for this year that there are some conference SWAC and MEAC games that are missing.

My recollections of 1991 are that it felt like a confirmation. As happens sometimes, the breakthrough in 1990 hadn't come from where it was expected - the Georgia team that won the first SEC title in 1990 was a solid one, but they really felt like the third-best SEC team that year, and it felt inevitable by that point that LSU was going to be the one to break through. They actually got that in 1991, and it wasn't a surprise, but it is interesting to see here that they probably weren't the strongest team overall. The coin-toss matchup with Wichita for the title was one of the strongest matchups achieved during that era, which is gratifying to see.

One other big story that pops out at me here is how good that Cal State Northridge team was. Bill Kernen took what had been a Division II power into the top ten and into the postseason, one win from Omaha, in their first year.

             Div I     All
Rank  ISR    W   L    W   L   SoS  Team

  1  130.3   42  15   46  17    3  Southern California
  2  128.2   60  12   66  13   56  Wichita State
  3  127.2   54  18   55  18   15  Louisiana State
  4  125.7   58  10   60  10   86  Clemson
  5  125.4   57  14   57  14   61  Florida State
  6  124.4   44  22   45  22    9  Long Beach State
  7  123.6   37  22   39  23    5  Stanford
  8  123.4   42  18   44  18   25  Cal State Northridge
  9  123.3   39  17   48  18   22  Texas
 10  122.8   45  21   51  21   17  Florida
 11  122.5   41  17   46  17   40  Miami, Florida
 12  122.2   44  20   47  20   26  Oklahoma State
 13  121.8   37  17   41  17   30  Pepperdine
 14  121.4   41  22   42  23   13  Fresno State
 15  120.9   33  27   37  27    1  California
 16  120.8   31  15   40  20   33  Baylor
 17  120.7   32  19   42  21   11  Mississippi State
 18  120.4   43  22   51  22   34  Creighton
 19  119.8   49  18   51  18   64  Hawaii
 20  119.3   34  27   35  27    6  Arizona State
 21  119.0   29  22   34  22    7  Cal State Fullerton
 22  118.9   40  22   44  23   37  Texas A&M
 23  118.5   44  17   44  17   83  South Alabama
 24  118.3   30  21   40  22   14  Arkansas
 25  118.2   38  22   38  22   43  Loyola Marymount
 26  118.0   41  20   42  20   54  Alabama
 27  118.0   36  19   41  19   51  Tennessee
 28  117.3   44  20   49  20   71  Louisiana-Lafayette
 29  116.6   49  13   52  13  130  Ohio State
 30  116.0   34  23   40  23   41  Oklahoma
 31  115.9   26  30   29  30    2  UCLA
 32  115.7   35  20   41  20   60  Kentucky
 33  115.4   31  19   37  19   53  Houston
 34  115.0   42  24   42  24   67  Southern Mississippi
 35  114.3   25  24   33  25   10  UC Santa Barbara
 36  114.3   27  18   42  18   52  Texas Tech
 37  114.2   25  18   31  19   46  Portland
 38  114.0   30  19   41  23   63  Sacramento State
 39  114.0   34  15   43  21   97  San Diego State
 40  113.9   25  32   27  32    4  Arizona
 41  113.8   29  25   32  25   20  St. Mary's
 42  113.8   33  18   36  18   75  Tulane
 43  113.7   38  22   40  22   79  South Carolina
 44  113.6   20  16   37  25   42  Washington State
 45  113.6   29  23   35  24   45  Auburn
 46  113.5   30  25   30  25   23  Nevada-Las Vegas
 47  113.1   30  25   34  25   32  Santa Clara
 48  112.9   33  20   41  20   74  Missouri
 49  112.8   39  23   42  23   82  Indiana State
 50  112.7   23  11   35  15  104  Brigham Young
 51  112.4   46  20   48  20  120  North Carolina State
 52  112.2   21  19   28  20   31  Oregon State
 53  112.1   24  21   34  25   38  Texas Christian
 54  112.1   42  20   43  21  114  Jacksonville
 55  112.0   37  21   40  22   93  Southwest Missouri State
 56  111.8   39  16   45  16  134  Notre Dame
 57  111.0   23  17   33  17   68  Sam Houston State
 58  110.5   29  21   37  22   80  Nebraska
 59  110.4   23  22   31  24   47  Mississippi
 60  109.9   23  25   33  26   29  Iowa State
 61  109.8   31  26   37  27   66  Minnesota
 62  109.5   26  20   40  21   77  Northwestern State
 63  109.2   42  26   42  26  113  Georgia Tech
 64  109.1   27  27   31  28   50  Kansas
 65  108.9   43  18   48  18  150  Maine
 66  108.9   31  18   37  21  117  Texas-Pan American
 67  108.3   37  21   43  23  121  Florida International
 68  108.3   38  17   40  18  143  Evansville
 69  108.3   27  31   27  31   39  Georgia
 70  107.9   27  26   29  30   65  Alabama-Birmingham
 71  107.9   34  20   41  21  126  Central Florida
 72  107.9   21  27   31  29   28  Kansas State
 73  107.7   33  19   36  22  129  Stetson
 74  107.7   30  18   34  18  128  McNeese State
 75  107.5   18  22   27  23   48  Washington
 76  107.1   27  26   31  26   70  Louisiana Tech
 77  106.3   30  24   34  26  102  South Florida
 78  106.2   18  27   25  30   24  San Jose State
 79  106.1   34  25   35  25  112  Western Kentucky
 80  106.1   36  23   36  23  127  North Carolina
 81  105.9   25  25   29  28   78  Vanderbilt
 82  105.9   21  21   32  22   81  Texas-Arlington
 83  105.7   27  25   31  27   85  Georgia Southern
 84  105.6   37  15   39  16  182  Wright State
 85  105.5   26  31   26  31   55  New Orleans
 86  105.5   17  30   24  32    8  UC Irvine
 87  105.5   15  21   23  25   36  Gonzaga
 88  104.7   24  23   34  23   92  Michigan
 89  104.5   17  13   33  15  123  Texas State
 90  104.4   24  24   30  24   90  Memphis
 91  104.4   29  18   35  21  140  Purdue
 92  104.1   33  14   34  14  195  St. John's
 93  104.0   24  20   25  20  119  Southeastern Louisiana
 94  103.7   16  27   22  31   27  Pacific
 95  103.7   12  21   29  24   19  Portland State
 96  103.0   31  20   38  20  152  Virginia Commonwealth
 97  102.9   17  31   24  33   21  Nevada
 98  102.8   16  34   16  34   16  Rice
 99  102.6   32  22   38  23  144  Indiana
100  102.6   16  22   31  22   73  Wyoming
101  102.6   29  21   29  25  142  Western Michigan
102  102.4   33  22   39  23  154  Old Dominion
103  102.4   32  15   37  15  193  Villanova
104  102.2   34  22   34  22  163  Kent State
105  102.1   28  27   28  27  107  Virginia
106  102.1   28  18   36  19  156  Detroit Mercy
107  101.9   29  12   29  12  214  Southern
108  101.9   26  31   27  33   87  Illinois State
109  101.9   26  30   26  30   94  Illinois
110  101.9   26  29   31  31  100  Louisville
111  101.7   34  22   37  22  160  Wake Forest
112  101.5   21  33   25  33   58  New Mexico
113  101.2   31   7   34   8  258  Delaware
114  101.2   29  14   35  15  194  Northeastern
115  101.1   25  15   34  19  177  The Citadel
116  101.1   21  22   28  25  111  Michigan State
117  100.9   21  15   24  18  153  Murray State
118  100.8   19  22   23  30  101  Utah
119  100.8   16  29   21  30   49  Louisiana-Monroe
120  100.5   31  23   36  26  159  Western Carolina
121  100.3   15  31   21  34   35  San Diego
122  100.1   30  20   31  20  171  Richmond
123   99.6   25  27   25  27  122  Northwestern
124   99.5   31  16   32  16  203  Rider
125   99.4   18  32   20  35   59  Stephen F. Austin State
126   99.3   27  31   28  33  115  Middle Tennessee State
127   99.1   16  21   23  26   99  Samford
128   99.0   23  24   33  27  132  Central Michigan
129   98.9   29  24   33  27  155  Ohio
130   98.8   24  30   24  30  110  Virginia Tech
131   98.8   20  34   25  39   72  Grand Canyon
132   98.7   28  14   32  14  218  Liberty
133   98.5   18  34   18  34   62  Lamar
134   98.4   21  27   26  28  108  Iowa
135   98.4   31  24   33  24  165  Rutgers
136   98.1   26  14   35  16  217  Providence
137   97.7   24  36   27  36   96  Southern Illinois
138   97.6   13  28   22  36   57  New Mexico State
139   97.5   28  22   30  24  181  East Carolina
140   97.5   20  20   29  23  148  Miami, Ohio
141   97.5   16  29   20  30   84  Nicholls State
142   97.4   33  27   36  29  167  Coastal Carolina
143   97.3   19  29   28  30   95  Cincinnati
144   97.1   21  19   23  20  158  Jackson State
145   97.1   23  24   28  27  141  Eastern Michigan
146   96.9   20  33   26  36   88  Bradley
147   96.8   12  37   14  42   18  San Francisco
148   96.8   22  25   26  28  138  Eastern Kentucky
149   96.4   11  38   11  38   12  U. S. International
150   95.9   23  26   29  28  147  North Carolina-Charlotte
151   95.0   26  27   29  27  162  Maryland
152   94.9   30  27   30  27  184  George Mason
153   94.8   26  19   26  19  210  Seton Hall
154   94.7   32  20   38  21  230  Akron
155   94.5   21  30   27  32  131  Eastern Illinois
156   94.3   21  27   28  30  137  Ball State
157   93.9   25  23   25  23  192  James Madison
158   93.9   29  26   30  26  191  George Washington
159   93.9   31  14   35  16  257  Fordham
160   93.8   15  23   26  26  124  Furman
161   93.4   18  19   26  21  170  Appalachian State
162   93.4   27  20   28  23  208  Towson
163   92.9   17  26   24  27  135  Duke
164   92.9   16  23   21  23  146  Western Illinois
165   92.9   18  11   21  13  241  Army
166   92.5   22  25   27  30  166  Augusta
167   92.4   15  11   19  16  224  Florida A&M
168   92.3   11  23   28  23  106  Centenary
169   92.3   16  24   28  27  139  Arkansas-Little Rock
170   92.2   24  21   24  22  209  Princeton
171   91.6   20  38   21  40  125  St. Louis
172   91.6   23  27   25  27  180  North Carolina-Wilmington
173   91.5   22  24   26  25  187  Massachusetts
174   90.8   22  18   25  20  229  Penn State
175   90.7   28  19   29  21  249  Maryland-Baltimore County
176   90.3   22  30   25  32  168  Illinois-Chicago
177   90.1   17  21   28  28  183  Morehead State
178   89.7   27  21   30  22  245  New York Tech
179   89.5   12  35   16  36   98  Wisconsin
180   89.3    6  33   18  39   44  Colorado State
181   89.2   16  18   23  19  200  Boston College
182   89.2   18  18   20  20  225  Harvard
183   89.2   11  30   15  30  103  Mercer
184   88.8   12  32   15  37  109  Austin Peay State
185   88.8   14  12   19  15  242  Yale
186   88.6   21  39   23  39  149  Xavier
187   88.5   13  20   15  21  164  Dartmouth
188   88.5   22  20   24  23  236  Pace
189   88.5   19  28   27  29  178  Toledo
190   87.9   13  22   13  22  157  Hartford
191   87.9   19  21   22  22  215  Winthrop
192   87.8   18  28   19  29  173  North Carolina-Asheville
193   87.8    6  25   22  27   76  Air Force
194   87.8   21  27   23  29  196  Davidson
195   87.6    9   9   22  12  232  College of Charleston
196   87.2   13  13   22  16  227  Alabama State
197   87.1   19  14   19  15  263  Holy Cross
198   87.0   14  35   16  36  133  Butler
199   86.6   15  18   20  20  221  West Virginia
200   86.4   19  12   20  17  266  Fairfield
201   86.2   17  30   20  39  169  Valparaiso
202   86.1   15  27   24  36  172  Northeastern Illinois
203   86.0   11  12   18  15  235  Navy
204   85.7    8  33   10  35   91  Arkansas State
205   85.7   15  20   27  23  211  Youngstown State
206   85.7   16  12   28  14  261  St. Bonaventure
207   85.5   16  18   16  19  240  Lafayette
208   85.4   16  20   20  24  222  Temple
209   85.3   18  24   22  24  207  Cleveland State
210   85.0   12  20   14  23  190  Grambling State
211   84.8    6  40   13  46   69  Hardin-Simmons
212   84.8   10  17   15  22  186  Alcorn State
213   84.6   18  21   22  21  234  C. W. Post
214   84.5   21  12   27  15  273  LeMoyne
215   84.4   10  21   18  25  161  Tennessee State
216   84.3   12  13   18  14  244  Vermont
217   84.3   13  35   16  39  151  Bowling Green State
218   83.9   15  18   23  24  239  St. Joseph's
219   83.8   12  26   23  29  176  East Tennessee State
220   83.7   18  38   21  38  179  Dayton
221   83.5   19  16   24  19  270  Iona
222   83.4   14  22   16  25  212  Connecticut
223   83.2    7  33    7  33  105  Texas Southern
224   82.9   16  20   22  20  247  Central Connecticut State
225   82.7   10  15   23  17  219  Cornell
226   82.7   11  16   17  19  228  Pennsylvania
227   82.4   19  18   19  18  260  Long Island
228   81.8   10  22   16  26  188  Marshall
229   81.4   12  20   17  22  223  Brown
230   80.8   13  19   20  22  243  West Chester
231   80.7   11  23   13  27  199  William and Mary
232   79.9    5  21    6  25  145  Mississippi Valley State
233   79.9   15  33   19  33  202  Radford
234   79.8   14  21   14  21  246  St. Francis
235   79.6   14  16   18  19  262  Monmouth
236   79.6   13  14   23  15  265  Bucknell
237   79.6    6  39   12  44  118  Northern Iowa
238   79.5   14  29   17  30  205  Charleston Southern
239   79.4   11  14   15  18  256  Wagner
240   79.1   17  11   27  13  274  Delaware State
241   79.0   10  26   15  27  197  Rhode Island
242   79.0    1  13    4  33   89  Southern Utah
243   77.9    5  30   15  35  136  Tennessee Tech
244   77.5   10  38   11  40  175  Campbell
245   77.4    6  17   16  22  206  New Hampshire
246   76.8   10  26   18  29  213  Chicago State
247   76.5    8  20   10  25  220  Columbia
248   76.0    6  18   11  25  198  Northern Illinois
249   75.8    2  20    3  21  116  Prairie View A&M
250   75.4   13  23   14  26  254  LaSalle
251   75.2    7  22   15  30  204  Pittsburgh
252   75.1   10  19   15  19  251  Mount St. Mary's
253   74.6    9  31   10  32  201  Georgetown
254   73.4    4  13    9  35  231  Wisconsin-Milwaukee
255   73.3    9  29    9  32  216  Howard
256   73.3   12  22   12  25  259  Siena
257   73.1    9  21   10  23  248  Hofstra
258   71.4   14  26   15  28  268  Fairleigh Dickinson
259   71.4   11  28   13  33  252  Canisius
260   70.9   12  23   14  28  267  Manhattan
261   69.2    4  29   14  38  185  Boston University
262   69.2    5  17    6  20  250  North Carolina A&T
263   68.5    5  15    9  18  255  Lehigh
264   68.1    3  16   13  20  226  Duquesne
265   67.4    2  34    2  35  174  VMI
266   67.0    6  28    6  28  237  Brooklyn
267   65.7    1  16    1  22  189  Bethune-Cookman
268   65.5    4  23    9  33  238  North Carolina-Greensboro
269   65.4    4  29    4  34  233  Drexel
270   63.9    6  18   12  24  272  Niagara
271   62.3    3  19    4  27  253  Colgate
272   61.5    5  18    7  28  271  Coppin State
273   60.4    4  20   12  29  269  St. Peter's
274   55.6    2  21    4  33  264  Maryland-Eastern Shore

Team Missing Games
Prairie View A&M 18
Bethune-Cookman 15
U. S. International 11
Texas Southern 11
Florida A&M 11
Northwestern 3
Chicago State 2

This is the year that the records got messy (going backwards). We'll see if the trend continues when I get to 1990, but I have no records at all for seven of these teams, other than when they show up in other teams' records or in newspaper reports. Chicago State turned in an official NCAA report, but it stops a few games short of the end of the season, apparently.

There are a couple of other discrepancies in the MEAC records. The official historical conference standings show Howard with a record of 10-26. Collecting all of the games shown against Howard in other teams' reports shows a record of 9-32. In the absence of other evidence, I'm going with the 9-32. In addition, South Carolina State participated in the MEAC tournament and could have intended to be playing a D1 schedule that year. However, I can only identify 14 games for them, which isn't enough to usefully do anything with, so I'm not listing them here.

There are a number of games (12, I think) where both teams claimed victory on their game lists in their NCAA reports (and usually in their media guide history as well). In all those cases, it was clear from the records which team had actually won.

There was a game against Louisville where Florida State used an ineligible pitcher for a couple of innings of garbage time at the end of a blowout. When they reported this, the Metro Conference declared the game a forfeit in Louisville's favor. The NCAA overruled that decision, though, so it ended up on the official record as an FSU win. I'm fairly strict about those sorts of things, but in this case I'm going to list it as an FSU win; the misbehavior in question didn't affect the outcome of the game, and my primary purpose is to measure the quality of the teams' performances here. I will, however, look at the FSU ranking with a slightly-raised Dad eyebrow.

Boyd's World-> ISR's -- 1996 Season About the author, Boyd Nation