College Football -- Better Than Ever

[MRT144]

If this week was the first week for AP rankings or USA Today rankings do you seriously believe Washington would be ranked ahead of USC or BYU would be ranked ahead of Oklahoma? Do you?

Please, everyone has their own subjective rankings anyway. The Harris poll starting around Week 4 really doesn't result in much of a difference as some thought it would. For the most part, it is very similar to the AP poll that starts in preseason.

This seems like an excuse for blatant biasing and reluctance to admit mistaken rankings.

[Guynemer]

Not to mention a way to avoid the elephant in the room: the lack of playoffs.

[Imran Siddiqui]

To show the final regular season 2008 AP and Harris polls (btw, the Harris poll ends in Week 14, hence the usage):

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings/_/poll/5/year/2008

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings/_/poll/1/year/2008/week/14

Harris Top 10:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. USC
6. Penn State
7. Utah
8. Texas Tech
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State

AP Top 10:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. USC
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. Utah
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State

Quite a difference from the "sticky" positions of the AP which has a preseason poll and the Harris, which starts after 4 weeks, huh? The ONLY differences was the switching of Texas and Oklahoma (3 & 4 positions) and Texas Tech and Utah (7 & 8 positions).

Granted the 11 through 16 are pretty different in both polls, but which teams in that region are competing for things like the "national championship" for which the polls actually matter?

[Imran Siddiqui]

This seems like an excuse for blatant biasing and reluctance to admit mistaken rankings.

IT'S ALL BLATANT BIAS!!

[MRT144]

IT'S ALL BLATANT BIAS!!

Which isn't necessarily a good thing, IMO.

[MRT144]

To show the final regular season 2008 AP and Harris polls (btw, the Harris poll ends in Week 14, hence the usage):

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings/_/poll/5/year/2008

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings/_/poll/1/year/2008/week/14

Harris Top 10:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. USC
6. Penn State
7. Utah
8. Texas Tech
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State

AP Top 10:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. USC
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. Utah
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State

Quite a difference from the "sticky" positions of the AP which has a preseason poll and the Harris, which starts after 4 weeks, huh? The ONLY differences was the switching of Texas and Oklahoma (3 & 4 positions) and Texas Tech and Utah (7 & 8 positions).

Granted the 11 through 16 are pretty different in both polls, but which teams in that region are competing for things like the "national championship" for which the polls actually matter?

I see this as no one having balls and following the herd.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Which isn't necessarily a good thing, IMO.

It's the whole point of the polling system. Also controversy increases ratings.

[MRT144]

It's the whole point of the polling system. Also controversy increases ratings.

So College Football is Eurovision with sport?

[ColdWizard]

The point isn't whether or not they are the best, it's that they have so many highly ranked teams that will have at least one loss at the end of the year, that it seems the rankings only are there to pad the SoS for the top 2 SEC teams.

Or because they're all good and could win the SEC and/or the National Title?

[MRT144]

Or because they're all good and could win the SEC and/or the National Title?

But only one will win the SEC. So why rank them so highly knowing this?

[ColdWizard]

Because no one yet knows which one it will be, so it'll take some time for them to fall out? But if you already know, you can tell everyone which one and save us all the time and need to play the games.

[Imran Siddiqui]

But only one will win the SEC. So why rank them so highly knowing this?

Why rank a team lower because you don't think they can win the conference? Just because they aren't as good as some other team doesn't mean they aren't better than other teams that are ranked below them.

[MRT144]

Why rank a team lower because you don't think they can win the conference? Just because they aren't as good as some other team doesn't mean they aren't better than other teams that are ranked below them.

Because you can always move them up more easily than you can move them down based on on-field performance. What's the harm in putting Ole Miss at #12 other than it makes a win against them seem less impressive? If Ole Miss wins against LSU and Bama they move up, easily, no questions asked.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Because you can always move them up more easily than you can move them down based on on-field performance.

What if people don't want to do their rankings in that cynical a manner?

[MRT144]

Because no one yet knows which one it will be, so it'll take some time for them to fall out? But if you already know, you can tell everyone which one and save us all the time and need to play the games.

I don't know which one it'll be but I certainly don't see the harm in putting Ole Miss outside the top 10 and forcing the issue by winning.