By Hugh Falk, Pollspeak.com
Alabama is clearly No. 1 in the the pollsters' eyes this week. The AP, Harris Interactive and Coaches' polls all rank the Crimson Tide No. 1. However, half the computers favor Texas Tech, as Billingsley, Massey and Sagarin rank the Red Raiders No. 1. Meanwhile, two computers rank Alabama No. 1 (Anderson/Hester and Wolfe) and the Colley Matrix is the odd formula out, ranking one-loss Texas over the unbeatens.
One reason for the disagreement is media experts often tout the SEC as the strongest conference. However, both Sagarin and Anderson/Hester place the Big 12 on top. Both also have the SEC ranked third behind the ACC. While many media types might be willing to give the Big 12 the nod over the SEC this year, very few would be willing to say the ACC is stronger than the SEC. That's why computers can make tough choices; they are immune to ridicule. While a comment like, "Hey Colley Matrix, your rankings are like procedural languages -- No Class," might discourage a human voter (especially if he's Fat Albert), it never affects a computer.
Speaking of making tough choices, it turns out President Elect Barack Obama is a college football fan. For those who didn't catch the interview during Monday Night Football, Obama says if he could change one thing in sports today, he would like to see a college football playoff. As you keep reading, you'll understand why.
Five voters ranked two-loss Ohio State over one-loss Penn State. It was just two weeks ago the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes in Columbus.
At this point in the season, it's difficult to track and name all the teams that have played each other, so this week I'll focus on the major powers in the Big 12.
One voter still ranks Texas over Texas Tech. It's worth noting the Colley Matrix also ranks the Longhorns over the Red Raiders, but, unlike AP voters, the Colley Matrix didn't receive the AP Voter Guidelines, which say "pay attention to head-to-head results."
Six voters ranked Oklahoma over Texas. Texas only stumbled against No. 2 Texas Tech. Oklahoma's only loss came against Texas. There seems to be an obvious pecking order which was followed by just about everybody else in the AP. The coaches are another matter...
This is yet another week where I'd like to see the coaches' ballots. Enough coaches ranked Oklahoma over Texas that the Sooners (No. 4) are actually ranked higher than the Longhorns (No. 5) in the Coaches' Poll. Wow. On that note, Pollspeak sponsors a petition asking the BCS to require its components to use public ballots.
Finally, 17 voters ranked Missouri over Oklahoma State even though the Cowboys won the head-to-head and both teams have two losses. They both lost to No. 1 Texas. Oklahoma State's other loss was to No. 2 Texas Tech while Missouri's other loss was to Oklahoma State. Again, seems like an obvious pecking order's being ignored.
For all the people who say they want the definitive justice of a playoff, there seems to be just as many (including voters) who don't think losing on the field is a big deal. When filling out their ballots, I implore voters to ask themselves, "What would Obama do?"
For more poll analysis, go to pollspeak.com.
Alison Preston
Jessica Hart
Did You See That?
Back in Time: July 3
Comments (52) Add A Comment
The final ballot in the coach's poll is made public, right? If so, then that's the one that really matters and who cares about all of the intermediate polling data.
spiderz
Total Comments (17)
because if you continually have your rankings messed up the whole year by ignoring the obvious head to head matchups, how do you fix it all in one week? Duh??
Klee Irwin
Total Comments (1595)
I have been pointing these ridiculous discrepencies for weeks (and years---see Florida St over Notre Dame in the final polls 1993), and have pointed out many times the absurd hypocrisy that people whine about not having head to head matchups to decide the issue on the field of play (ie playoffs) , yet when we do have head to head matchups to guide us in the meaningful regular season, with teams with equal records, there are always so many morons who don't get it and simply ignore the obvious.
If they get this Texas-Oklahoma thing botched up, it could have huge BCS implications, because the conference uses the BCS standings to determine who plays in the conference title game if there is a 3 way tie.
Klee Irwin
Total Comments (1595)
Rankings help dertmine which teams get better TV and news exposure. That means extra money for the schools, better recruiting, etc. So they matter all year long...not just at the end of the season
Pollspeak
Total Comments (15)
Florida will never make Miami. Too inconsistent.
AU Lifer
Auburn, AL
Total Comments (11)
When filling out their ballots, I implore voters to ask themselves, "What would Obama do?"
Probably take all the BCS Bowl purses and divy them up between the CUSA, MAC, WAC and Sunbelt. Ya know he wants to spread the wealth around. By the time he was finished making sure everyone gets their fair share, we'll have 64 teams ranked #1!!!
HA.
hikerbama
Total Comments (24)
Sir your an idiot, if you cant see hwy OU should be ranked above texas maybe I can help you here, I mean you couldnt have actually watched the game between OU and Texas. The two bogus calls made on ou when they guy was just trying to hold colt up and then the mssed interception in the end zone and the missed block in the back during the texas kickoff return. That stuff is nothing new to OU fans we have to paly Texas and the guys in pinstripes every year we know it the coaches know it the players know it, thats why the coaches have no problem ranking OU higher than Texas. I suppose if OU beats Texas Tech then your going to say they should what? Fall in the polls? so they stay behind Texas? Well your "never played a down of football in your life" self may think so, those of us that have disagree we know that its not whom you lose to but rather when and how.
smaug911
Oklahoma City , OK
Total Comments (10)
First off, Oklahoma can't win a lower-tier BCS bowl game, forget about the Big One. I mean OU lost to Boise St. for freakin-pete's sake. Secondly OU lost to Texas by 10 points, it's not like it was a nail-biter. Yes, I know they led through much of the game, but please, they lost by a decisive double digit margin. Thirdly, Oklahoma hasn't actually beaten anybody that doesn't suck. I mean you're best win is over a MWC team for Bob's sake!!! Beat TT and OKst. and maybe you can make an argument for being tied with Texas, but OU sure as hell ain't the better team, it was proven DECISIVELY at a nuetral site.
Sandy Underpants
Los Angeles, CA
Total Comments (1126)
I am going to assume that you are actually a UT troll trying to make OU fan look like an idiot. Because if not...wow...
riseandshout
Total Comments (34)
1. I truly hope that smaug 911 is NOT an OU fan. Because he makes all of us look bad.
2. Texas did not decisively beat Oklahoma. If it had been 63-14 or 65-13, that would be a decisive victory. Texas won a good, hard fought game. Congrats to Texas.
3. If OU wins out and there is a three way tie, OU will get to the Championship game (both of them) because the polls will have the teams practically tied and the computers will like OU's non-confrence schedule better than Texas.
Sooner in Ohio
Streetsboro , OH
Total Comments (8)
I agree that OU would go, but not because of a better nonconference schedule. The voters will vote them higher because of the positive glow of having recently beaten Tech. UT's wins over OSU and OU will be diluted by the unimpressive wins over Baylor and TAMU. The recency bias is continuously displayed by the human voters.
riseandshout
Total Comments (34)
If OU ends up ranked above Texas it will be because:
- they will have beaten 2 teams that Texas either lost to (Tech) or beat in a very close game (Okla St.)
- they led Texas for most of the game on a neutral field in a game with questionable calls that kept drives alive, and where the game was very different once Ryan Reynolds went out with a knee injury.
- they destroyed a Nebraska team at home that Texas Tech barely beat in OT at home.
- they have been scoring so fast and so quickly that the defense spends a ton of time on the field - coaches understand that stats alone do not reflect how good a defense is.
- since the Texas game, every game OU has played has been over at halftime
HighSchoolHeroes
West Hills, CA
Total Comments (13)
FWIW, although there may be a case for ranking Oklahoma above Texas (or Texas Tech, for that matter) at the end of the regular season, there's not now, and won't be until then (even if OU beats Texas Tech, the Longhorns and Red Raiders will be 2-1 vs the top of the Big 12 South, while OU is 1-1). Cinci and TCU are better non-conference opponents than anyone Texas or Texas Tech played, but the Sooners haven't played Texas Tech or Oklahoma State yet, and won't play Missouri unless they make the Big 12 title game.
CuseFanInSoCal
San Diego , CA
Total Comments (181)
This is why I prefer the pro game. Texas lost one game, on the final play, on the road, at the end of the toughest 4 week stretch any team in the country has gone through this year. And yet people still rank teams they've beaten who have yet to show any quality wins over them. Putting OU ahead of Texas purely on the basis of Texas having lost more recently is just about the stupidest thing I can imagine.
The problem with the polls is that they're so subjective. No team has the same schedule, so how can you rightly compare between similar one loss teams without a head to head matchup? Sure, OU has better non-conference wins than Texas, but do you honestly think Texas would have lost to those teams? How could the schools have known before the season that the mid-major schools would prove to be better for strength of schedule than an SEC opponent (Arkansas)? And yet that decision could cost Texas a title shot. It's pure luck of the draw, and declaring a National Champion is a complete joke for college football.
Brian00001
Austin , TX
Total Comments (31)
Heh. That might be the funniest thing I've read on here.
Omagus
Austin, TX
Total Comments (590)
I Am so pleased that AT LAST---the world knows what a total SEC HOMER Idiot Kirk Herbstreit really is.Last weekend this Florida Band waggoning phony "sports analyst" was determned to make his case to put Florida ahead of Texas in the BCS rankings. This weakly disguised attempt came only 4 weeks after Florida lost to UNRANKED Ole Miss AT HOME ! No Knock on a very good Florida team--i`m just talking comparisons here. Texas only loss was on the road to a sensational #2 Texas Tech Team on a sensational last second play. This is not to mention the zipheads who want to rank OU ahead of Texas After Texas won by 10 points on a neutral field.Thankfully the BCS and real Football heads saw thru Herbies silliness. this jerk should take his phoniness elsewhere. Ill NEVER buy another magazine with that idiots name on it. I cant stand seeing politics in Football---its ugly enough in Washington.
Bedias90
Vidor , TX
Total Comments (487)
BY the way---the SEC "KINGS OF Football" Myth is alive and well in Redneckville. THE SEC is indeed one of the best---but so many actually believe this invincibility nonsense---taint so. Oh yes the SEC DOES lead the Universe in NCAA infractions. If Charles Manson was on Floridas team and producing--Urban Meyer would keep him.
Bedias90
Vidor , TX
Total Comments (487)
Brian - I agree with you to a point, that it really sucks for Texas to be in this position, but honestly, if OU wins out, the situation is just crying out for a playoff. Yes, Texas beat OU. But, if OU beats TTU, then OU beat the team that beat Texas - there's no head-to-head logic that can decide in a three-way round-robin tie like that. It absolutely sucks for Texas to be left out after beating OU, but it would suck for TTU to lose out, after beating Texas, or for OU to be left out, after beating TTU. The rules are the way they are, and while I'd love to see a round-robin playoff for the Big 12 title (OU, Texas, TTU, and Mizzou), that will never ever happen. Arguing about the quality of wins, about injuries, bad calls, etc. is really just so much water under the bridge - they each beat each other, and each win should be respected as such. The system will make a decision, and that will be that. Whether it's the right decision or not can be argued until the cows come home, but I think logically the likelihood is that OU would jump Texas if it wins out, based on its stronger non-conference schedule, and recent beating of TTU and OSU (if it wins out, which is far from a given - I easily see OU beating TTU, and then getting hammered by OSU in a letdown game).
Bryanbek
Total Comments (4)
There are plenty of reasons why we love college football. But this is why we HATE polls. It makes too much logical sense for a playoff. How many years are we going to go through this?
D. SLIQ
Rocky Mount , NC
Total Comments (590)
Explain to us why a former Ohio State QB who still lives in Columbus would be an SEC homer.
I agree with you that there it is irrational to rank Florida above Texas based on the season to date. However, it's not like Herbstreit is the only one doing it or that there is not an argument in the Gators' favor. Over the past four weeks, Florida has played the best football of any team in the nation and only Texas Tech comes close. On top of that, Florida has a better chance of reaching the BCS title game since it essentially controls its own destiny. Texas can still make it but it needs help from the Sooners and BCS voters. So I understand why people would rank the Gators over the Longhorns. I don't agree with it but I understand. Just because someone thinks that way doesn't make him an SEC homer. It's just further proof how irrational the BCS is.
Omagus
Austin, TX
Total Comments (590)
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