JLEW1818
7/7/2010, 09:55 PM
I'm bored. worth looking at i guess.
We love the polls. College football polls to be specific. Preseason college football polls to be exact.
There is the annual cry to get rid of them. Hogwash. First, the Associated Press isn't going to disappoint its subscribers by scrapping one of its most popular offerings of the year. Second, there would be no preseason magazines without preseason top 25s.
And last time I checked, the magazines aren't going away either. We need them. We want them. The likes of Athlon and Lindy's are selling better than ever. There are regional editions. Sure, some of them outdated by the time they hit the stands. (USC No. 3, Athlon? Really?) That's OK. The sport is year-round now. It's not going to stop for a printing press.
The mags' arrival officially stirs the juices. Suddenly, it's OK to break down the Sun Belt, predict the WAC. Argue about the SEC East. That's why this blog is devoted to one of my annual obsessions -- a combined poll from all the preseason magazines.
I combined five polls, from The Sporting News, Phil Steele, Lindy's, Athlon and CBSSports.com. Our official preseason poll won't come out until late August. For this purpose, then, I'm using my post-spring top 25.
A few notes, rules and notifications:
*Each school was assigned a number in descending order. Twenty-five points for a No. 1 ranking, 24 for No. 2, etc.
*Schools are then ranked from highest-point total to lowest.
*I also included an average poll rank, mostly because not all the schools were named in all five polls. Example: Oregon State finished No. 25 because it got 11 points from being ranked No. 15 in The Sporting News. The likes of Cincinnati (eight points) and Utah (five) were ranked in two polls but finished with fewer total points than Oregon State.
*Thirty six schools received votes.
*Alabama was not a consensus No. 1. Phil Steele made some waves by picking Oklahoma No. 1.
The annual compilation:
1. Alabama: Duh. Haven't lost an SEC regular-season game since 2007. Highest rank, No. 1. Lowest, No. 3 (123 points, Avg. rank between No. 1 and No. 2)
2. Ohio State: The Big Ten is back. Ohio State never left. Highest rank, No. 2. Lowest rank, No. 3. (118 points. Avg. rank between No. 2 and No. 3)
3. Boise State: Should be a consensus top five pick with major polls debut next month. Highest rank, No. 2. Lowest rank, No. No. 6. (113 points. Average rank between No. 4 and No. 5)
4. Florida: Fastest team in the country, again. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. 7. (103 points. Avg. rank between No. 5 and No. 6)
5. TCU: Nation's best defense the past two seasons. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. 11. (97 points. Avg. rank between No. 6 and No. 7)
6. Oklahoma: Rebuilding into Big 12 and national power again. Highest rank, No. 1. Lowest rank, No. 12. (93 points. Avg. rank between No. 7 and No. 8)
7. (tie) Texas: Adding physicality to offense. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. No. 11 (91 points. Avg. rank between No. 7 and No. 8)
Nebraska: Fitting that these two are tied. They hate each other. Highest rank, No. 5. Lowest rank, No. 11 (91 points. Average rank between No. 7 and No. 8)
9. Oregon: Most talent in the Pac-10. Highest rank, No. 6. Lowest rank, No. 15 (89 points. Avg. rank between No. 8 and No. 9)
10. Virginia Tech: Class of the ACC until further notice. Highest rank, No. 8. Lowest rank, No. 13. (77 points. Avg. rank between No. 10 and No. 11)
11. USC: Two-year bowl ban begins. Does the dynasty continue? Highest rank, No. 3. Lowest rank, No. 16. (76 points. Avg. rank between No. 10 and No. 11)
12. Iowa: Sexy dark horse pick in the Big Ten. Highest rank, No. 8. Lowest rank, No. 14. (72 points. Avg. rank between No. 11 and No. 12)
13. Miami: Starting to look like Canes of old. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. 14. (69 points. Avg. rank between No. 12 and No. 13)
14. Wisconsin: Fresh from pounding Miami. Factor in Big Ten. Highest rank, No. 6. Lowest rank, No. 23. (67 points. Avg. rank between No. 13 and No. 14)
15. Florida State: New coach, healthy quarterback. Great prospects. Highest rank, No. 14. Lowest rank, No. 20. (55 points, Avg. rank No. 15)
16. Arkansas: Petrino starting to work his magic with Ryan Mallett. Highest rank, No. 16. Lowest rank, No. 21. (42 points, Avg. rank between No. 17 and No. 18)
17. North Carolina: Nation's best defense? Highest rank, No. 12. Lowest rank, No. 24. (39 points. Avg. rank between No. 18 and No. 19)
18. Pittsburgh: Coming first 10 win season since 1981. Highest rank, No. 14. Not ranked by Steele. (33 points. Avg. rank between No. 17 and No. 18)
19. Georgia Tech: Defending ACC champs seem to have gotten better. Highest rank, No. 13. Not ranked by Steele and Athlon. (30 points. Avg. rank No. 16)
20. Auburn: Chizik not ready to cede state to Alabama. Highest rank, No. 15. Not ranked by Lindy's. (29 points. Avg. rank between No. 18 and No. 19)
21. LSU: Les Miles on the hot seat? Highest rank, No. 18. Not ranked by Steele. (24 points. Avg. rank No. 20)
22. Georgia: New AD could be the least of Dawgs' problems. Highest rank, No. 15. Not ranked by CBSSports.com and Sporting News. (23 points. Avg. rank between No. 18 and No. 19)
23. Penn State: JoePa going for No. 400. Highest rank, No. 18. Not ranked by Sporting News. (20 points. Avg. rank No. 16)
24. West Virginia: Noel Devine could carry 'Neers to a BCS bowl. Highest rank, No. 19. Not ranked by Athlon. (16 points. Avg. rank No. 22)
25. Oregon State: Mike Riley always has Beavers in contention. Highest rank, No. 15. Not ranked by CBSSports.com, Steele, Lindy's and Athlon. (11 points. Avg. rank No. 15)
Other teams receiving votes: Notre Dame, Connecticut, Missouri, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Utah, Houston, Clemson, Arizona, Stanford, Washington.
Notes: To no one's surprise the SEC led all conferences with six teams in the top 25 (Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Georgia) ... To everyone's surprise, the ACC was second with five teams (Virginia Tech, Miami, Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech) ... The Big 12 had three of the top 10 (Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska) ... The ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 each had three teams in the top 15 ... Every national champion since 1999 is represented in the top 25 ... Six states had multiple teams in the poll. Florida led all states with three (Miami, Florida, Florida State).
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/23059380?tag=headlines;collegefootball
We love the polls. College football polls to be specific. Preseason college football polls to be exact.
There is the annual cry to get rid of them. Hogwash. First, the Associated Press isn't going to disappoint its subscribers by scrapping one of its most popular offerings of the year. Second, there would be no preseason magazines without preseason top 25s.
And last time I checked, the magazines aren't going away either. We need them. We want them. The likes of Athlon and Lindy's are selling better than ever. There are regional editions. Sure, some of them outdated by the time they hit the stands. (USC No. 3, Athlon? Really?) That's OK. The sport is year-round now. It's not going to stop for a printing press.
The mags' arrival officially stirs the juices. Suddenly, it's OK to break down the Sun Belt, predict the WAC. Argue about the SEC East. That's why this blog is devoted to one of my annual obsessions -- a combined poll from all the preseason magazines.
I combined five polls, from The Sporting News, Phil Steele, Lindy's, Athlon and CBSSports.com. Our official preseason poll won't come out until late August. For this purpose, then, I'm using my post-spring top 25.
A few notes, rules and notifications:
*Each school was assigned a number in descending order. Twenty-five points for a No. 1 ranking, 24 for No. 2, etc.
*Schools are then ranked from highest-point total to lowest.
*I also included an average poll rank, mostly because not all the schools were named in all five polls. Example: Oregon State finished No. 25 because it got 11 points from being ranked No. 15 in The Sporting News. The likes of Cincinnati (eight points) and Utah (five) were ranked in two polls but finished with fewer total points than Oregon State.
*Thirty six schools received votes.
*Alabama was not a consensus No. 1. Phil Steele made some waves by picking Oklahoma No. 1.
The annual compilation:
1. Alabama: Duh. Haven't lost an SEC regular-season game since 2007. Highest rank, No. 1. Lowest, No. 3 (123 points, Avg. rank between No. 1 and No. 2)
2. Ohio State: The Big Ten is back. Ohio State never left. Highest rank, No. 2. Lowest rank, No. 3. (118 points. Avg. rank between No. 2 and No. 3)
3. Boise State: Should be a consensus top five pick with major polls debut next month. Highest rank, No. 2. Lowest rank, No. No. 6. (113 points. Average rank between No. 4 and No. 5)
4. Florida: Fastest team in the country, again. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. 7. (103 points. Avg. rank between No. 5 and No. 6)
5. TCU: Nation's best defense the past two seasons. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. 11. (97 points. Avg. rank between No. 6 and No. 7)
6. Oklahoma: Rebuilding into Big 12 and national power again. Highest rank, No. 1. Lowest rank, No. 12. (93 points. Avg. rank between No. 7 and No. 8)
7. (tie) Texas: Adding physicality to offense. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. No. 11 (91 points. Avg. rank between No. 7 and No. 8)
Nebraska: Fitting that these two are tied. They hate each other. Highest rank, No. 5. Lowest rank, No. 11 (91 points. Average rank between No. 7 and No. 8)
9. Oregon: Most talent in the Pac-10. Highest rank, No. 6. Lowest rank, No. 15 (89 points. Avg. rank between No. 8 and No. 9)
10. Virginia Tech: Class of the ACC until further notice. Highest rank, No. 8. Lowest rank, No. 13. (77 points. Avg. rank between No. 10 and No. 11)
11. USC: Two-year bowl ban begins. Does the dynasty continue? Highest rank, No. 3. Lowest rank, No. 16. (76 points. Avg. rank between No. 10 and No. 11)
12. Iowa: Sexy dark horse pick in the Big Ten. Highest rank, No. 8. Lowest rank, No. 14. (72 points. Avg. rank between No. 11 and No. 12)
13. Miami: Starting to look like Canes of old. Highest rank, No. 4. Lowest rank, No. 14. (69 points. Avg. rank between No. 12 and No. 13)
14. Wisconsin: Fresh from pounding Miami. Factor in Big Ten. Highest rank, No. 6. Lowest rank, No. 23. (67 points. Avg. rank between No. 13 and No. 14)
15. Florida State: New coach, healthy quarterback. Great prospects. Highest rank, No. 14. Lowest rank, No. 20. (55 points, Avg. rank No. 15)
16. Arkansas: Petrino starting to work his magic with Ryan Mallett. Highest rank, No. 16. Lowest rank, No. 21. (42 points, Avg. rank between No. 17 and No. 18)
17. North Carolina: Nation's best defense? Highest rank, No. 12. Lowest rank, No. 24. (39 points. Avg. rank between No. 18 and No. 19)
18. Pittsburgh: Coming first 10 win season since 1981. Highest rank, No. 14. Not ranked by Steele. (33 points. Avg. rank between No. 17 and No. 18)
19. Georgia Tech: Defending ACC champs seem to have gotten better. Highest rank, No. 13. Not ranked by Steele and Athlon. (30 points. Avg. rank No. 16)
20. Auburn: Chizik not ready to cede state to Alabama. Highest rank, No. 15. Not ranked by Lindy's. (29 points. Avg. rank between No. 18 and No. 19)
21. LSU: Les Miles on the hot seat? Highest rank, No. 18. Not ranked by Steele. (24 points. Avg. rank No. 20)
22. Georgia: New AD could be the least of Dawgs' problems. Highest rank, No. 15. Not ranked by CBSSports.com and Sporting News. (23 points. Avg. rank between No. 18 and No. 19)
23. Penn State: JoePa going for No. 400. Highest rank, No. 18. Not ranked by Sporting News. (20 points. Avg. rank No. 16)
24. West Virginia: Noel Devine could carry 'Neers to a BCS bowl. Highest rank, No. 19. Not ranked by Athlon. (16 points. Avg. rank No. 22)
25. Oregon State: Mike Riley always has Beavers in contention. Highest rank, No. 15. Not ranked by CBSSports.com, Steele, Lindy's and Athlon. (11 points. Avg. rank No. 15)
Other teams receiving votes: Notre Dame, Connecticut, Missouri, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Utah, Houston, Clemson, Arizona, Stanford, Washington.
Notes: To no one's surprise the SEC led all conferences with six teams in the top 25 (Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Georgia) ... To everyone's surprise, the ACC was second with five teams (Virginia Tech, Miami, Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech) ... The Big 12 had three of the top 10 (Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska) ... The ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 each had three teams in the top 15 ... Every national champion since 1999 is represented in the top 25 ... Six states had multiple teams in the poll. Florida led all states with three (Miami, Florida, Florida State).
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/23059380?tag=headlines;collegefootball