Are you like me? Do you pirouz the top 25 polls for college football wondering what to make of them? Well, I made it simple. I've combined all three major polls (scoring 25 points for a 1st place ranking and 1 point for a 25th ranking in each poll) and made them into a one-stop top 25 poll. I call it the Absolute Top 25 (at least until the BCS rankings come out). I've scored each team based on their rankings in the USA Today Coache's Poll and the Harris Poll and finally the useless AP Poll . The Harris Poll, for our more uneducated readers, is comprised of votes from former players, coaches, administrators, and current and former media representatives. I couldn't even find the Harris poll, 1/3 of the BCS formula, on SI.com's College Football Page which is just plain wrong (go to the 'Rankings' tab, and you'll see what I mean).
vs. 
Here's the average of all three polls:
1. Oklahoma (75 points)*
3. LSU (69)
3. Missouri (69)
3. Alabama (69)
5. Texas (63)*
6. Penn St. (60)*
7. Texas Tech (57)*
8. USC (53)
9. BYU (52)
10. Georgia (48)*
11. Florida (44)
12. Ohio State (43)
13. Utah (38)
14. Vanderbilt (37)
15. Boise St. (32)
16. Kansas (31)
17. Oklahoma St. (27)*
18. Virginia Tech (24)*
19. South Florida (20)
20. Auburn (15)
20. Michigan St. (15)
22. Wake Forest (14)
23. Northwestern (7)
24. North Carolina (5)
25. Wisconsin (4)
Other teams with points: Pittsburgh (2), California (1), and Ball St. (1)
* means that this team was ranked the same in all three polls.
-> On an interesting side note: The Harris Poll was the only poll to get every team from the Absolute Top 25 in their rankings. They also got all of the Top 23 in order; the Harris Poll just missed flip-flopping UNC and Wisconsin.
Here's some analysis:
I like the Harris Poll the best. What do I like about the Harris Poll? LSU and Alabama are right next to eachother at 2 and 3. I like this b/c they will soon play each other in the regular season and whomever wins should inherit the #2 spot. I like that Mizzou and Texas are next to eachother also b/c they play each other in the regular season as well. I know OU and UT are about to play eachother, but OU is a heavy favorite, and the pollsters can't simply jump Texas over Mizzou, LSU, and Alabama. I also like how Georgia and Florida are lumped together for the aforementionned reasons: the winner of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, thank you very much Mike Adams, should inherit a top 10 spot.
I don't like how USC is ranked above UGA in all of the polls, but that is just my homer roots coming though. USC was down 21 points at halftime, and UGA was down by 31 points while both teams showed grit in the second half, so that seems pretty equivalent. UGA also lost to a ranked , top 10 no less, team; whereas, USC's loss was to an unranked team who does not have a winning record. What can I do about it? Nothing... except complain about it in this blog. If USC is ranked higher b/c their schedule is easier, then that's BS.
I wonder if I should just leave the AP out of it.
Let me know what you think.
Lucia Dvorska
Julie Henderson
Did You See That?
College Football Top 25 Review
Comments (21) Add A Comment
nice work, i usually go with the Ap poll
GeorgiaFan1000
Canton, GA
Total Comments (966)
and ur right Usc is to high in the polls
GeorgiaFan1000
Canton, GA
Total Comments (966)
good call with tex at 5. if they beat OU and then turn around and beat mizzou, they can creep to number 1.
or better yet, OU beats Texas in Dallas on Saturday and stays number 1
DoIt4Johnny
Total Comments (250)
If LSU beats Florida by 2 TD or more, do you think they have a shot at number 1 if the Texas game is close
*LSU*
West Monroe, LA
Total Comments (3043)
That's a good question. In the BCS' history, a #1 ranked team has never fallen to #2 after a close win while the #2 team beat up on another good team... except for this year when UGA beat Georgia Southern by a smaller margin of victory than what USC beat Virginia by. But who's really looking at history?
Should LSU be ranked #1 in that case? I guess it depends on how many weaknesses Texas exposes because that's the real reason OU is #1: they have not shown any weakness whatsoever. Forget about their weak schedule so far; OU has not shown any weakness, and that looks good on Sports Center. That's why USC jumped UGA: USC appeared impenetrable against Virginia while Georgia lost our star DT. In my honest to god opinion, I think LSU should be ranked higher if they beat Florida badly and OU struggles. I don't feel easy with OU sitting atop the rankings b/c of how they've performed in the BCS bowls ever since 2003. Do I think OU would drop in those circumstances? Nope.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
that ain't right; they don't even use the AP poll in the BCS (sorry if I'm insulting your intelligence).
the people who make the AP are just trying to sell papers or get hits on a website; they're all about the "shock factor."
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
Well before we LSU fans start counting our chickens let's remember that we are playing Folrida in their house. Lets get through this weekend first. If we do, I would agree that a legitimate #2 ranking would be appropriate.
CenLA Tiger
Tigerland, LA
Total Comments (3776)
You`re probably closer than everyone else. i like it.
bpcarman
Mobile, AL
Total Comments (4754)
the OU game has a chance to be very close (i think it has been won by no more than a touchdown the past few years), but if OU wins, i think they stay #1. if LSU wins, i think they should be #2, but it'll depend on how the mizzou/Okla state game turns out.
Okla state is undefeated and #17, and if mizz blows them out, they might get number 2.
DoIt4Johnny
Total Comments (250)
Good stuff, I think the Ap is a joke. Lets be honest the only one that really matters come January is the BCS. Alot of the teams in the top 10 will fall by the wai-side ala USF...
84
Total Comments (7228)
I'm a USC fan, and I do agree that there a little too high in the polls. They still have some proving to do before I buy the hype. I believe there higher in the polls because they lost an away game, whereas UGA lost at home. That's the best reason I can come up with.
RugbyGuy7
Total Comments (10)
good point.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
i was kind of pissed when in the 3rd week, UGA beat previously ranked South Carolina by a touchdown and dropped down a ranking and then this week I see Bama beat Kentucky by 3 points and stay @ #2, thats bullcrap. They love Saban
TebowsKryptonite
Total Comments (276)
I agree, but it seems that polls are all about image. UGA beat an USC team who lost to Vandy the week before (the pollsters didn't know that Vandy was a good team then). Kentucky was also 4-0 going into the Bama game (4-0 against Louisville, Norfolk st., Middle Tennessee St., and Western Kentucky... wow!), so the press is inclined to think that Kentucky is for real where as USC is not b/c they lost 2 in a row. We'll see whether USC is a joke or whether Kentucky is for real this weekend when they play each other. Sadly though, Bama's ranking probably won't change regardless of the USC vs. Kentucky result whereas Georgia's ranking did.
Georgia will have its chances to shine against those teams later in the season; the dawgs need to take care of business. We've got the meat of the season coming up now for all of the top teams.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
I completly understand, the reason being is because its the first poll u see on SI, not because I think its Superior, to tell you the truth I have a problem with it every week
GeorgiaFan1000
Canton, GA
Total Comments (966)
gotcha.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
holy crap how did we get so many views
GeorgiaFan1000
Canton, GA
Total Comments (966)
...I spent all day hitting the forward and back keys on IE...
Prove It
Frellin Cold In, AK
Total Comments (6729)
I agree with comment 7. As a diehard LSU fan it feels nice to be ranked in the polls at a high level but I've followed LSU and college football in general long enough to know, the real rankings are a result of play on the field. Let's just hope the Tigers are capable of beating a very good Florida team in their back yard. Then we go on to the next game, and the next...
GoLSU
Total Comments (90)
This blog was up on the main page with two other blogs for a while.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
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