BlogPoller Disorder: A Tale of Two Voters

by CornFromAJar on Oct 30, 2007 2:07 PM EDT

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU	--
2	Oregon	11
3	Arizona State	4
4	Ohio State	2
5	Oklahoma	6
6	Kansas	--
7	Boston College	4
8	West Virginia	2
9	Missouri	5
10	Virginia Tech	6
11	Auburn	10
12	Georgia	14
13	Alabama	11
14	Michigan	1
15	Texas	1
16	Southern Cal	4
17	Florida	8
18	Tennessee	8
19	South Carolina	1
20	Kentucky	1
21	Connecticut	5
22	Wake Forest	4
23	South Florida	18
24	Boise State	2
25	Hawaii	17

Dropped Out: Virginia (#17), California (#20), Penn State (#22), Rutgers (#23), Texas Tech (#25).

So here's the story: last week, we were criticized by Brian for Hawaii's huge jump on our ballot. The thing is that depending on who has more time in a given week, either Joel or I will enter the ballot. Joel and I don't think alike on everything... for example, Hawaii's place in the top 25. I believe Hawaii deserves a ranking just because surviving this long with a perfect record, even against really, really, bad competition, is worth something, not much, but something. So 25 seems a likely place for them.

Contrast that with Joel, who apparently sees the Warriors as dark horse national title contenders. Hey, at least he's off the FSU wagon.

Bottom line is, I don't think the "deltas" are that big of a deal. I don't look at the previous week's ballot anyway, I just go by what that week feels like.

The key here is you guys. Because Joel's opinion and mine are going to be so different, we need y'all to help level us out. So as always, leave your thoughts and suggestions on how to make this ballot better before it goes live Wednesday.

Also, and I don't know why this is, but I feel like I made a huge error on this ballot. Can't put my finger on it, but something seems off. Anybody see anything glaring?

Update [2007-10-30 22:37:27 by CornFromAJar]: Final ballot submitted, with changes toward the bottom: 17) UConn, 18) Florida, 19) Wake, 20) Tennessee, 21) Carolina, 22) Kentucky. Still not perfect, but it's there.

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HOMER ALERT!

HOMER ALERT!! HOMER ALERT!! HOMER ALERT!!

#18, for serious?!

Sure, we got the win over a Top-20 opponent last weekend, but did we really PROVE to anybody that the team improved significanly from our abysmal showing in Tuscaloosa to become a Top-20 team?! No way, Jose! Still unranked, IMO.

I like Oregon's leap.

Kansas looks as funny up that high, but a decent placement none the less.

The rest is a God-forsaken jumble, like the rest of the season.

by Aerobab on Oct 30, 2007 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

I like the title

BlogPoller Disorder - very clever :)

As far as possible errors:

If Tennessee feels too high, you could tick them below South Carolina and UConn easily enough. The UT-USC game was close enough that USC doesn't have to fall below UT, and UConn has a very good record, even factoring the powderpuff schedule. That could save a couple spots and avoid the C/K.
Perhaps something about the omission of Wisconsin or Virginia is bugging you?
Maybe it's just me, but I think Georgia probably deserves a higher ranking than Auburn at this point, even if Auburn nearly took out the werewolf.
In spots 11-20, there are 7 SEC teams (3 SEC, 3 non-SEC, 3 SEC). That's a very unusual grouping, and may be causing a twitch.

Otherwise, it's as good as any ballot this week. There's a lot of ranking tension with teams like Kansas undefeated, teams like Michigan with beyond-embarrassing losses, and teams like Boston College that just don't seem to fit anywhere.

by David Hooper on Oct 30, 2007 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Wisky/UVa

Leaving out Wisconsin and Virginia was deliberate. They stink. Everybody stinks.

by CornFromAJar on Oct 30, 2007 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Makes sense

The way this year has gone, I can see either argument. I myself tend to forget about Virginia in particular, and Wisconsin to a lesser degree, so it made sense to me. Thanks for the clearing me up.

by David Hooper on Oct 30, 2007 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions

18th is laughable

eom

by OneNationUnderVols on Oct 30, 2007 6:42 PM EDT reply actions

Okay, here's the thing

We destroyed that Georgia team. I was there... Georgia sucks. I'm sorry, I know how good they looked against Florida, but we looked just as good against them.

Georgia has the softest offensive and defensive lines I've seen in a college football team, including ours.

BUT, on virtue of that win against UF, ranking UGA any lower than 12 would look silly.

If I'm dropping us, I'm dropping UGA by association.

I have us at 18 on the weight of leading the SEC East and destroying the Georgia that destroyed Florida (that destroyed us).

by CornFromAJar on Oct 30, 2007 7:55 PM EDT reply actions

Trying to keep my train of thought

Trying to figure out where to start the rock-paper-scissors chain is tough. Initially, I was thinking that you'd have to go with the most impressive victory, which would put Florida at the top, Tennessee second, and Georgia third. Florida's had the misfortune of having to play both LSU and Auburn from the West, though, so they have three losses to TN's and GA's two, putting the latter in the lead for the East with TN having the head-to-head. And with Tebow now hurt, they look much different than that fateful day for us in Gainesville. But to say our defense is porous is exceedingly generous. Yet we probably do have the best chance among the three at finishing at the top b/c GA still has to play Auburn. And . . . where was I?

It looks fine to me.

Having a zero in the loss column this late in a season featuring so many losses by highly-ranked teams to unranked or I-AA teams really ought to count for something above an honorary placement at 25. Really, is Hawaii's resume really that much different than Kansas' or Ohio State's? Different, yes, but 20 spots different?

I don't know that I'd have Boise State ranked at all.

I'd put FSU at No. 2.

Go Vols!

by Joel Hollingsworth on Oct 30, 2007 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Hawaii's Schedule

Is really that bad. They have played a I-AA schedule. As SMQ states, if you consider Hawaii for a BCS bid, you must also consider No. Iowa and North Dakota State. In all fairness these teams have done more since they are both sporting a victory over teams from BCS conferences, even if these wins came against Iowa St. and Minnesota, respectively. It would be different if Hawaii was blowing out their inferior competition, but that has not been the case. Hawaii does not deserve to be ranked until they play Boise State.

by Vol Navy on Oct 30, 2007 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions

HT: SMQ

Ranking Boise was based on SMQ's ranking of the Broncos ahead of Hawaii in his mid-major poll.

by CornFromAJar on Oct 30, 2007 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Coulter/Krugman

I would rather you not lock up the Coulter/Krugman Award. I do not like the repercussions that go along with getting that recognition. However, if you are going to get it, I guess this would be the best week to do so.

by Vol Navy on Oct 30, 2007 8:31 PM EDT reply actions

Here's an idea..

Perhaps keep #'s 1-5 and everybody else can be tied for 15th?

by Aerobab on Oct 30, 2007 9:00 PM EDT reply actions

That's probably the best idea yet.

I just worry that Brian would discard such a ballot.

In all honesty (and a separate comment), nobody's playing like a #1-4 team this year, and perhaps 5 teams are playing like what we'd consider to be a top 10 team in a normal year. It makes the rankings all look odd when you have to put somebody at, say, 12, because the spot exists. That's how UT got to 18, as far as I can tell, because I can't make a solid argument to move anybody above them. Sure, I suggested a couple earlier, but they're not lock-solid suggestions if you really think about it.

by David Hooper on Oct 30, 2007 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions