BlogPoll Ballot: Final Week

by David Hooper on Dec 5, 2010 3:00 PM EST in College Football

With the close of the regular season, we have our last blogpoll ballot before the bowl games. The balloting picture has finally crystallized, and there are a few certainties. Auburn and Oregon will be the 1/2 in either order, and TCU will be #3. There's an interesting conversation regarding Stanford and Wisconsin for the #4 spot, but I do think it's between those two.

Other teams of interest are: Boise State, who has the oddest 1-loss placement dilemma of the bunch; Nevada, who is a close second to Boise's quandary; Virginia Tech; who is a 2-loss team that some people will inevitably try to place ahead of Boise State; Florida State, who may or may not be in the top 25; West Virginia and UConn; who are the only Big East teams you could even mention as top 25 candidates without causing uproarious laughter; and Navy/Air Force, who have arguments for top 25 inclusions (though Navy's season isn't done until the 11th).

The graphic of the computer's top 30 follow after the jump, but this ballot will pretty well ignore the computer. We've sufficiently proven this year that the metrics aren't representative of the season, so there's no real point in leaning on it. Give us your thoughts for the top 25 in the comments, including your preferred listings. I'll rely on those when I come up with out ballot, which is due Wednesday.

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Comments

I still can't justify

Oregon or Auburn behind TCU. I think TCU is very good, but as far as the resume goes, I have to think Auburn is #1 and Oregon is #2. I really wish we had a plus-one system for the national championship — with only 1 member from a conference going — since then I think we’d see Auburn, Oregon, TCU, and Wisconsin.

As far as one-loss teams, I’d go with something like this:

Stanford
Wisconsin
Boise State
Ohio State
Michigan State
Nevada

I’d rank Arkansas and Oklahoma ahead of Michigan State.

______________________________________________
That's (333333jorkland)^2 and $$$$$immons to you, chump.

by bobothevol on Dec 5, 2010 3:17 PM EST reply actions

No worries.

Like I said, TCU won’t be in the top 2.

by David Hooper on Dec 5, 2010 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

Thoughts

1. Auburn
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Stanford
5. Wisky

Four and five are close. Wish they would’ve matched up in the Rose, but Wisky/TCU will also be a nice matchup.

6. Boise State
7. Ohio State
8. Arkansas
9. LSU

You think Ohio State is better than Boise? Not me.

*Next group
10. Michigan State
11. Alabama
12. Nevada
13. Texas A&M
14. Oklahoma
15. Virginia Tech
16. Nebraska
17. Missouri
18. Oklahoma State

I’m not sure Sparty is really better than Bama, but their resume is. And Bama has three losses, even though the Auburn loss is looking a lot shinier now, as is the road win @Arkansas. Nevada and the Big XII group don’t have that kind of resume, even with fewer losses.

People won’t like A&M over Oklahoma, but they beat both OU and Nebraska (both Big XII Championship participants), and they haven’t lost in forever (Oct. 16). And if you object to grouping the Big XII schools so tightly, find somebody else to put between them. Regarding the order, I think this one is clearly right. But they are all 2-3 loss teams, so I’m sure there are arguments. This is based mostly on head to head amongst the tied teams, both W/L record and how late in the season the games occurred.

19. South Carolina
20. Utah
21. Mississippi State
22. West Virginia
23. Florida State
24. Hawaii
25. San Diego State

*Carolina is still good. That should justify numbers 19-21.
*West Virginia did lose to UConn, but they have a better overall record, a more impressive resume, and the loss was on the road in overtime, so I’m willing to overlook it (see: Boise/Nevada).
*Hawaii and San Diego State are more impressive than your other mid-major bidders. SDSU beat Air Force, who beat Navy. Hawaii’s win over Nevada keeps looking shinier, and their only loss in the last two months is @Boise. UCF and NIU both lost recently to inferior teams.

by Incipient_Senescence on Dec 5, 2010 6:14 PM EST reply actions

Head-to-head police passionately support A&M as the highest ranked Big 12 team

Rocky Top Talk

by Will Shelton on Dec 5, 2010 7:23 PM EST up reply actions

Even though they lost to Oklahoma State and Missouri, both of whom have better records?

:-p

The Big XII beatpaths are too complicated (TAMU beats OU and Nebraska, loses to Oklahoma State and Missouri, both of whom lose to Nebraska, one of whom loses to OU), but for the last six weeks, Texas A&M has definitely been the best team. And all the head to heads in the last six weeks are taken care of in this ordering (TAMU def. OU & NU; OU def. NU; NU def. Missou and OSU; Missou and OSU def. nobody)

by Incipient_Senescence on Dec 5, 2010 7:27 PM EST up reply actions

Also would like to note

On the battle for #6, neither Boise nor Ohio State have defeated a top 25 team (unless Hawaii sneaks into the poll), so no one harp on strength of schedule.

I think I’ve included all the teams worth including. The computer likes Iowa and Arizona, but both have massive losing streaks (including an Iowa loss to Minnesota). But if there’s anyone else worth mentioning, feel free to remind me.

by Incipient_Senescence on Dec 5, 2010 7:30 PM EST up reply actions