We are at the point in the NFL season now where every game is critical for those who want to be playing in the playoffs. Last night was an absolute must-win for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the team laid a serious egg and lost to the hapless Cleveland Browns, which – trust me – absolutely made Bleacher Fan’s night. At 6-7, the Steelers have essentially been eliminated for playoff contention. Another must win game, for both teams really, takes place down in Jacksonville this weekend as the Miami Dolphins come to town to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game with HUGE playoff implications.
The Dolphins are coming off a thrilling come from behind win over the New England Patriots last weekend and now are not only in contention for the Wild Card at 6-6, but are also just a game back of the Patriots in the AFC East race. Showing how little I know sometimes, I believed the Fish were done when Ronnie Brown was lost for the season a few weeks ago. I thought, “How could a team without Brown and with Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek favorite Chad Henne (sarcasm!) do much of anything?” All the Dolphins have done is rebound from an 0-3 start. Obviously, “the Wildcat” has not been working without Brown. In fact, the Dolphins did not even use the Wildcat last week against the Patriots – coincidentally the team they were playing when using the Wildcat the first time. But who needs that gimmick when Henne is shredding opposing defenses to the tune of 335 yards, as he did in last week’s game against the Patriots?
Meanwhile, the Jaguars are quietly having a solid season and would be in the playoffs if the regular season ended today. Not that anyone in the Jacksonville area has noticed, with an average attendance of 45,500 per game. Yikes! Even this week’s game is blacked out locally. Surprisingly, though, that has not stopped the Jaguars from going 5-1 at home so far this season. The Jags really do not have any stars on the team outside of Maurice Jones-Drew and his 13 touchdowns… and perhaps receiver Mike-Sims Walker, who is one of the best young receivers you have probably never heard of. With a Thursday night game against the Colts and a cold December road trip to New England looming, this game is huge for the Jaguars.
This game is really big for both teams, though. A loss, which would put them at 6-7, likely eliminates the Dolphins from playoff contention. A win, however, improves the Dolphins’ chances and gives the team a key head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jaguars. A win by the Jaguars secures an 8-5 record and, just as importantly, gives the team an impressive 7-2 record against AFC opponents. That conference record plays a huge role when determining playoff teams in a three-way tie.
If you are a resident of northeastern Florida you are not going to get to watch this game. But, to the rest of the country, I advise you to keep an eye on this game. While the teams playing are not the most glamorous teams in the league, they are still good football teams. Everyone loves December football with playoff implications. That is what we get with this game!
Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer about which teams or conferences won the Thanksgiving football feast over the long weekend.
It’s good to be the SEC right now. National title hopes? Check. Multiple spots in the highly-lucrative BCS games? Check. Dominate the other regional conference? Check. Winner of Thanksgiving 2009’s Football Feast? Check!
Every rabid college football fan knows how important recruiting is. Sure, some college football writers like Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel have indelicate names for these rabid fans, but I call them smart. These types of fans are tuned in; they understand not just how to win game to game but how to build a sustainable program. True fans believe in program building. Fair weather fans worry about games or select seasons. It’s the difference between rooting for a football team and rooting for a football program.
Every rabid college football fan knows that the SEC wiped the floor with the ACC over the Thanksgiving holiday, further complicating the ACC’s attempt to climb back to national relevance with powerhouse recruiting. Most importantly, all of the recruits that were visiting those home SEC games, those intrastate rivalry games, would be fools to choose the ACC school.
The ACC had three opportunities over the weekend to assert itself as a conference that rivaled the talent level and energy of the SEC, and all were extremely important within each state. At each of these games the cream of the recruiting crop in each state was in attendance and observed an SEC whooping.
The first game took place in South Carolina where a 6-5 South Carolina team was hosting an 8-3 Clemson team that already clinched its division and has an opportunity to take a run at a BCS. Clemson had the record, the momentum, and the star in running back CJ Spiller. But the entire team laid a massive egg in a 34-17 loss. The inability to stop the run (223 yards allowed on the ground) and the inability run the ball (net 48 rushing yards) taught an important lesson to lineman and skill player recruits in attendance – if the game is won in the trenches, one team can win and one team cannot. South Carolina’s finest no doubt took note. A seemingly down and out SEC team with a bad record beat an ACC division winner.
Virtually a carbon copy of the South Carolina game emerged in Georgia. The seventh ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets saw senior night ruined at the oldest stadium in college football in the famed rivalry, “Clean, Old Fashioned Hate.” Georgia racked up a 30-24 victory and gave Tech a taste of its own medicine, limiting the Jackets to just over 200 yards on the ground – well below the team’s average – and amassed 339 against the Jackets’ defense. Georgia is one of the premier recruiting states for high school football with two established and elite programs in the state. As good of a coach and a recruiter as Tech head coach Paul Johnson is, it is a tough sell sitting in the homes of some of the elites in Georgia when a clearly inferior Georgia team dominated a supposedly superior Tech team.
Last, in a game I actually believed would be good, Florida dismantled a bad Florida State team. Yet another talent-rich recruiting state – probably the best of the three – saw the SEC team in the rivalry completely destroy the ACC counterpart, this time 37-10. In keeping with the running theme, Florida ran for 311 yards to FSU’s 83.
In all three cases the SEC had a more dominant offensive and defensive line than the ACC did. For the ACC to catch up with the SEC in terms of talent, it has to show improvement between the hash marks, not just at the skill positions. The ACC showed it still has a long, long way to go.
It does not matter that the ACC is better than the Big East, or that some teams in the ACC are better than others as we learned last weekend. There are few weekends – few opportunities – each football season for the ACC to prove to the SEC and the world that it is equal or better than the SEC, and begin balancing out the one-sided recruiting contest. The ACC had a massive opportunity in important, in-state chief rivalry games, and the entire conference blew it. Know the lesson that was taught now, see the results of the lesson on the first Tuesday in February.
Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer about which game they believe is the BEST of this Thanksgiving weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! It is our first Thanksgiving in existence her eat TSD, so we are thankful that we’ve survived and that we have such wonderful readers (see the reader nominated badge we earned on the top right!). Thanks, everyone. We hope to still be cranking out the kind of sports content you like to read for a long time!
While today, and the weekend, is mostly about pro football, I like a college football game that SEEMS to be decided before the teams take the field. Not only is it easy to orient on a rooting interest, it sets up the possibility of seeing the unexpected. The unexpected happens less frequently in sports these days, so it is all the more welcome when it makes an apperance. The chance for the unexpected is precisely why the Florida State-Florida match up in Gainesville this Saturday is the best game of THIS weekend.
I anticipate the unexpected here because the situation just feels strange. Florida, the team that was believed to have the best defense in the country by many last season – and returned all of its starters this season – seemed to be set up to dominate the competition in what was widely regarded as the best conference in college football (though that presumption is rightly questioned now).
Florida’s defense has not really disappointed this season. It is ranked first overall in points allowed per game, second in yards allowed per game, and first in passing yards allowed per game. Those are excellent statistics through 11 games… especially when considering the 9.8 points allowed per game.
But we must also consider Florida’s competition, especially as it relates to the quality of the offenses the team has faced. Lest we forget, Florida has played one – that’s right, ONE – ranked team all season, the dubiously highly ranked LSU Tigers. At the time LSU was ranked fourth, but the Tigers have since lost three games and have plummeted to 17th… which is still questionable with three losses. The Tigers also have one of the worst offenses in college football, ranked behind Western Michigan, Buffalo, Ohio, Louisiana-Monroe, etc. Not impressive.
The other stout offenses the vaunted Florida defense has faced? Charleston Southern, Troy, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas (a team that actually can play some offense, scoring 20 and only losing by three), Mississippi State, a dreadful Georgia team, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and the impressive Florida International. The SEC stinks. While the defenses are good, the offenses are so bad that it inflates the perception of the league’s defenses. Florida has not played a good offense team, yet.
Now the Gators are facing a good – even excellent – offense for the first time this season. While Tebow will put up Tebow like numbers against the porous defense Florida State seems to have adopted for venerable defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews’ last season in Tallahassee, Florida State’s offense has been revived this season with Jimbo Fisher as the offensive coordinator. After losing junior quarterback Christian Ponder in a play at the end of the game against Clemson, EJ Manuel has come in and shown the ability to win by running the Florida State attack-style offense well enough. Manuel turned the ball over three times against Maryland, but has the ability to extend plays and scramble… the type of ability that is difficult for even good defenses to prepare for. For the first time, perhaps all season, Florida will face a team that is capable of scoring points against its defense. A lot of points. In fact, Florida State is the second best offense, statistically, in the ACC, ranking just behind the CJ Spiller led Clemson Tigers.
Florida State’s offense also ranks 26th nationally and converts nearly 50 percent of the time on third down. Manuel already averages, in a few brief appearances (including just one start), 5.2 yards per carry and a 65 percent completion rate. While it is true that Christian Ponder is a better quarterback, Manuel has stepped in effectively to this point, already notching his first collegiate win over the aforementioned Maryland (a team that shut down Clemson’s high powered offense).
Running back Jermaine Thomas has game breaking speed, too, with seven touchdowns and an average per carry north of five yards. As the season has progressed the Seminoles have run the ball more effectively. Florida should expect a balanced attack from a desperate team.
As Jimbo Fisher continues to improve as offensive coordinator in Tallahassee, he feels the pressure to construct a winning gameplan not just for the sake of the team, but for his future as future head coach. Florida State is a desperate team. Florida has “been there before” but the Seminoles are scratching and clawing for every inch, trying to regain elite statsus. In a big rivalry game where records are neutral but hatred is not, anything can happen. The circumstances surrounding this game – Florida expected to win the game, to win the SEC, to win the national championship game – is the perfect opportunity for Florida State – a team that appears down and drifting without its starting quarterback – to score a major blow in the rivalry.
Of course Florida is expected to win. Of course… except for the unexpected.
I have already spent some time this week researching and writing about how I believe the Big XII is a better overall conference than the SEC. Surprisingly, many of our readers did not agree (please take note of the heavy sarcasm). College football fans do not have to wait long to recharge this conference debate, as high rankings and expectations invade Stillwater, Oklahoma Saturday as #13 Georgia visits #9 Oklahoma State in the best game of the upcoming weekend.
This game is important for many reasons. First, one of the biggest stories for college football this season involves which conference is the best conference, and the only two legitimate participants in that debate to begin the season are the SEC and the Big XII. Last season the SEC was a touch better than the Big XII, especially in bowl games as Ole Miss defeated Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl and, of course, Florida crushed Oklahoma in the BCS national title game. But, 2009 is a new season and fans and pundits alike are focusing on this game as the first impression and benchmark to judge if the balance of power in college football has begun to shift.
But this game is more than just conference versus conference. Each team is also struggling for recognition within their respective divisions and conferences. Georgia is living in the shadow of their cocktail cohorts, Florida. Oklahoma State is overshadowed not only by their intrastate rival Oklahoma, but by virtually every other team in the Big XII South (sorry, Baylor). A win for either team changes the way their opponents and the media perceives them. For Georgia, it would be a significant road win against a tough opponent to start the season. There may be more pressure on Oklahoma State to win this game since it is a home game, and since the Cowboys return a powerhouse trio of skill players in junior wide receiver Dez Bryant, senior quarterback Zac Robinson, and junior running back Kendall Hunter.
While Oklahoma State returns important skill players, Georgia is looking to replace several. Gone are starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and starting tailback Knowshon Moreno. Enter Joe Cox and the oft-injured running back Caleb King battling with the impressive new name running back, Richard Samuel.
In short, Oklahoma State – and by extension the Big XII – is expected to win the first big contest of the season. The most pressure is on the Cowboys, and it is becoming obvious. Head coach Mike Gundy this week banned his players from speaking to the media. While I believe sometimes the media gets more bent out of shape that they should about a coaching decision that limits their access, the story does give some insight into the mindset of the coach steering the program. Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples called Gundy’s decision a “classic pucker move.” The decision places even more public pressure on Gundy. Fans do not mind odd behavior from their coach – as long as the team is winning.
Each team shares the spotlight on the first afternoon of college football in the 2009 season. A win is important for the immediate future of each program. If Oklahoma State wins, they are considered legitimate contenders in the Big XII, and Oklahoma is a little more concerned about Bedlam. If Georgia wins in an upset the team gains much needed confidence, not only in more experienced offensive in defensive lines, but also in a new starting quarterback. Winning an important road game against a major conference opponent is a big deal, and a very good way to start the season.
Each program has the opportunity this Saturday to set the tone for their teams, their conferences, and their seasons. Not only will this be the best game of the weekend, it will be the most interesting when considering the far-ranging conference versus conference implications.
Continuing with the theme of football week here at The Sports Debates, we bring another compelling topic to the America’s collective football fan conscience – college football power conference supremacy. This is an argument heard all around the country, from noisy drunks in your backyard to the casual conversation between friends over email… “MY team’s conference is BETTER than YOUR team’s conference.” Instead of ending another battle royale in fisticuffs or worse – Tom Cable style – we shall settle the matter more humanely. We hope.
What makes the Big XII the best conference for the upcoming, here-before-you-know-it 2009 college football season is that it does not even need both divisions of the conference to be the best conference in college football. The Big XII South is loaded top to bottom, with two national title contenders in Texas and Oklahoma expected to battle for the division championship along with a perpetually dangerous Texas Tech and sleeper du jour Oklahoma State waiting to break through to the conference championship. A down but occasionally dangerous Texas A&M, followed by an offensively explosive Baylor team, round out the division.
Consider the Big XII North a sleeping giant. Missouri won the division last year on the strength of an excellent quarterback in Chase Daniel. However, the quarterback waiting to take the reins at Missouri is former Parkway West High School’s signal caller, Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert was widely believed to be the best quarterback recruit in the country two years ago… if not for that Terrelle Pryor fellow. An always dangerous Kansas team returns ANOTHER senior quarterback to the conference in Todd Reesing, and Nebraska is beginning to regain their storied form under now second year head coach Bo Pelini. (We do not have to pretend that Iowa State or Kansas State are any good.)
The Big XII is stacked as a conference in both divisions, from top to bottom. But, the SEC is a good conference, too. Why is he Big XII better? It comes down to coaching, recent history, and star power.
Coaching
Texas coach Mack Brown and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops are national brands. All college football fans know their names and their reputations (somewhere Mack Brown is pointlessly clapping on the sidelines). However, it is important to acknowledge the other minds and up and coming coaching talent in this very competitive conference. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, the mad scientist, is one of the more innovative minds in coaching today, and perfect for the Red Raiders. Likewise, Bo Pelini is ideal for the Cornhuskers to again instill the confidence and toughness Tom Osborne Nebraska teams used to have. Perhaps the fastest rising star in the Big XII coaching ranks is Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. Known mostly for a tirade designed to protect a player, he is also the offensive coordinator and has recruited well enough to position his offense as one of the best in the country every season. Despite the recent dominance of the Oklahoma Sooners in conference play, they are never a sure bet to win Bedlam with Gundy stalking the opposite sideline.
Recent History (2008)
The top three teams in the strongest division in the SEC, the SEC East, lost a combined 10 games last season. The Big XII’s strongest division, the Big XII South, had only five total losses in their top three teams. The SEC had just three teams with 10 plus win seasons, while the Big XII had four… and another two teams that won nine games.
Sure, I get that 2008 is not 2009. But, while the SEC has seen a lot of turnover in the conference’s star power (the NFL’s number overall draft pick in Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, for one of many possible examples), the Big XII returns their best players.
Star Power
While Tim Tebow is the SEC’s undisputed best player (it is not even close), the Big XII boasts last year’s Heisman Trophy winner AND runner up. Sleeper Heisman candidate, wide receiver Dez Bryant, also plays in the Big XII at Oklahoma State. While the Big XII is primarily known for their offense – and it should be – it has excellent defensive stars, too. Baylor middle linebacker Joe Pawelek was in the top 10 in the country in tackles (he had 128 total) and interceptions (he grabbed six). Nebraska’s massive defense tackle, Ndamukong Suh, plays in a four point stance and wreaks havoc on opposing centers, drawing many double teams and still managing to pressure and sack the quarterback. Oh, and the dynamic Suh also returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2008… and caught one as a fullback in the goal line package.
Traditionally college football conferences, if they have one good team, are top heavy. That is, they have one excellent team that dominates the conference competition, and the remaining teams accept the beat down (and the payday). The Big XII is an exception. The Big XII South ALONE is an exception.
The interesting thing to consider about these conferences is that they are largely different. While the SEC has historically built teams based on superlative defense, the Big XII dominates with unmatched offensive capabilities. While the Big XII is closing the gap on defense with standouts like Pawelek and Suh, the SEC’s collective offense is stuck in neutral (even with the great Tim Tebow… I mean, did Auburn even score an offensive touchdown last season?).
The Big XII has better teams, more depth, great coaches, the momentum of recent success, and tremendous personnel. It is clear that the best conference in college football for this season is the Big XII.
Every year there are surprise Heisman Trophy candidates. We have already debated which of the “Big Three” of 2009 will win the Heisman Trophy this season. Now it is time to debate which sleeper could spoil the year end party at the Downtown Athletic Club. There is a huge list of potential sleepers. The list includes Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry, Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead, Ohio State quarterback Terylle Prior, Penn State running back Evan Royster, Penn State quarterback Daryl Clark, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, California running back Jahvid Best, Clemson running back C.J. Spiller, and Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer. They are all good possibilities – but one stands above the rest, patiently waiting at the intersection of patience and ability. The award is easier for a quarterback to win, and the sneakiest of this sleepy bunch is Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead.
For Jevan Snead to get on the radar of the 870 Heisman Trophy voters, all he has to do is do something he has already done – win. Snead delivered a masterful performance in last year’s Ole Miss-Florida game, outdueling Florida’s Tim Tebow (a athlete Percy Harvin, perhaps a primary reason why Tebow has been as successful as he has been) by throwing for two touchdown passes and running for one more. In the 2008 season, Snead threw for 26 touchdowns in a pro style offense, and ran for three others. He enters this season no longer as the new kid on the block (he transferred out of Texas after losing the quarterback duel to that Colt McCoy guy), having gained the respect of his peers as the undisputed leader of the team.
Ole Miss has a favorable schedule, too. They host Alabama and LSU and play their toughest road game at a rebuilding Auburn. Early in the season they face their toughest road tests of the season against South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Ole Miss could be a surprise undefeated team. We all know how college football poll voters love surprise undefeated teams. The opportunity to play the underdog role in a nationally televised SEC championship – perhaps against Florida, again – is ideal. Then Snead would only need to do something ELSE he has already done – beat Tebow.
Besides his great statistics, Snead also has earned the respect of coaches within his conference. South Carolina head ball coach Steve Spurrier voted Jevan Snead as his top quarterback in the conference over Tim Tebow (… don’t tell me you believe that hogwash that Spurrier made a “mistake” on his ballot?).
Plus, Snead comes from a school that is no stranger to Heisman candidate quarterbacks… though he will be the first one with Manning on the back of his jersey. And, it sounds dumb, but Jevan Snead is a memorable name. The sound of it… it is one of a kind. The kind of name that is hard to forget.
It is much easier for a quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. While Snead is facing an uphill climb against three other established quarterbacks in college football, there is a path for him to win the trophy. If he can outplay Tebow heads up (like he did last year), match him in statistics (despite Tebow’s softball schedule), and sit back and watch Same Bradford and Colt McCoy split votes, Snead could win the 2009 Heisman Trophy. It is not a sure thing – but I would not count him out.
If you’re a loyal reader of The Sports Debates (and why wouldn’t you be?) you may recall our recent questioning of the Big East as a football conference and whether or not they deserved an automatic BCS bowl game for their conference champion. That topic generated a great deal of additional debate after the verdict was rendered, and the primary argument from those defending the honor of the Big East was that the ACC sucks too, so, lay off the Big East. While I still do not believe that is a valid argument within the context of the Big East-BCS debate (e.g. “that other guy punched someone in the face so I can punch someone in the face, too”), it is fair to call into question how deserving the ACC is. The facts indicate that the ACC has struggled for respect as a football conference. They have performed below expectations in BCS games, selecting the conference winner is not important enough for fans to actually attend the championship game, and since Florida State’s precipitous fall from grace (both on and off the field) the conference has lacked true leadership from a dominant team.
This season, 2009, is the season that turns that around for the ACC. That’s why the most important game in college football’s 2009 season is on October 17th when Georgia Tech hosts Virginia Tech. These two teams are the best in the Coastal Division, with the best offense and defense in the entire league, respectively. In fact, Georgia Tech’s offense and Virginia Tech’s defense were the talk of the ACC’s media week… and with good reason.
The Rambin’ Wreck are destroying defenses with a “fresh” offensive look, as engineered by second year head coach Paul Johnson (you know, the coach that turned Navy into a respectable team). When executed properly, it is a very difficult offense to stop – especially with all-ACC running backs like the stocky and powerful Jonathan Dwyer and the lightning fast Roddy Jones. Bruising backups Anthony Allen and Lucas Cox, combined with the quick Marcus Wright and Embry Peoples, make for the deepest backfield in all of college football. Any combination of those runners may be in the game at the same time, and all have big play potential. Plus the triple option is a tough offense to prepare for (especially considering I did not even mention quarterback Josh Nesbitt). The media writes entire articles only on a team getting READY to play this offense. (Something to watch for: the triple option may be to the ACC what the spread offense is to the SEC. If teams have a hard time stopping it, look for more teams to run it in the near future.)
The decidedly unenviable task of stopping this multi-faceted attack falls to the Virginia Tech defense, led by the great defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Foster’s defenses are known for toughness and discipline (that whole lunch pail thing), and he’ll need to coach up every last element of each for the Hokies to outlast the Yellow Jackets. The inclination to make a play on defense is a sure-fire way for a player to overrun an option play. Foster must teach discipline and focus in addition to the usual toughness that all of his defenses have. Last year’s defense finished the season with a BCS bowl win over Cincinnati and ranked seventh overall in team defense (ninth in scoring, 14th in rushing and 16th in passing). If any defense can take on the increasingly seasoned triple option attack at Georgia Tech, it’s the Hokies’.
Power in the ACC will shift with the outcome of this game. If Georgia Tech wins, the triple option is the story of the season in the ACC and Georgia Tech is positioning itself as the conference superpower. If Virginia Tech wins, they will further cement their status as the ACC’s benchmark for success and the league’s domain team.
Last year Virginia Tech hosted the game in Blacksburg and won by a field goal. This year the Hokies must go on the road and play in Atlanta in the thick of their ACC conference schedule. This crucial game is sandwiched between Boston College and North Carolina. If the Hokies win, it is a big time, legitimate win on a national scale.
Not only will this be an excellent and compelling matchup within the first six weeks of the season, this game has extremely important ramifications. The winner could go on to dominate the conference and win a BCS bowl game. For the ACC to regain a modicum of respect amongst the college football elite teams and talking heads, they need to field at least one dominant program. No pundit or fan buys the idea that the ACC suffers from excessive balance. The oft-talked balance looks a whole like mediocrity. This game could change the critical tone.
Bottom line, if the ACC proves itself worthy, college football as a whole improves. Sure, Texas will be good, Florida will be good, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will draw attention, BYU could spoil the BCS party, and Ohio State or Penn State could earn respect this season. But, we all know those teams are good, and will be good for years to come. This is a pivotal year for the ACC as a football conference. They need to earn respect now. Planting the seeds of respect this year will catapult the ACC to respectability. That’s why the “Battle of the Techs” is the most important game in college football this year. It may potentially sound the football death knell for a long established conference, or bring the fight back to the ACC, and respect back to the gridiron – instead of just being the South’s OTHER conference.
Read Sports Geek’s argument that a pre-season poll should forecast how the season will end and Loyal Homer’s argument that it should provide a real-time snapshot of the best teams in college football.
Football is just around the corner. As we wait with bated breath for the release of the college football preseason top 25 rankings, questions abound regarding where the each team will fall.
Florida is a likely candidate for the number one spot, but what about Texas, or Oklahoma? Where does the Pac-10 or the Big Ten come into the equation? How do you rank Southern Cal and Ohio State when they will be playing each other early in September?
With all the speculation swirling around, it makes me wonder how to interpret the pre-season polls once they are released. For example, if Florida does in fact receive the number one ranking, does that mean that the pollsters feel that the Gators are pre-season favorites to win the BCS National Championship, or does it mean that they are just ranked as the best team TODAY, and we’ll have to wait and see if they still are the best team tomorrow?
For the 2008 season, Georgia was named the pre-season number one team, but they finished the season without even making a BCS appearance, instead facing Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl. Does that mean the pollsters were wrong when they filled out their pre-season ballots, or were the Bulldogs in fact the best team in the country at the time of the polling?
In fairness, no one possesses the clairvoyance of Carnac the Magnificent, so predicting the future is impossible. Does that mean that the pollsters get a bye if their preseason pick for number one loses the first three games of the season?
It is for this reason that I look to my esteemed colleagues for assistance.
What is the better philosophy to employ when a developing a college football pre-season poll?
Obviously these are consensus polls, so opinions will differ from one voter to the next. However, shouldn’t the general principle on who to vote for be the same, regardless of the person voting?
With that thought in mind, Sports Geek will argue that the best philosophy when constructing a pre-season poll is to rank the teams in order of which is most likely to win the National Championship. After all, isn’t that who the number one team is at the end of the season?
On the other hand, Loyal Homer will argue that the best philosophy is to vote based on the current state of the teams. Rather than attempt prognostication, a pollster should rank the teams based solely on who they feel the best team is TODAY, understanding that circumstances arise which may change the status of who the best team is TOMORROW.
Posted by Loyal Homer 
