2008 Preseason and Regular season Polls

[3074326]

Oh, and I forgot to add that, in no way, no how, though, do I think a one loss, very bad conference USC team should be ranked ahead of an Oklahoma State and/or Texas Tech team from a very competitive conference.

If you had left TT out of that, I'd still have no problems. I personally like USC more than either of those teams, but Oklahoma State looks like a very good team and I'd not have a problem with them being ahead of USC. Not TT, though.

 

[alpo]

Appreciate the point, methomps, but Tellshow's stuff is only an argument, too, from an imperfect science. So, for right now, I'm just not buying into it.
I've already said that I am highly suspicious of the Big12, and will concede that TexTech has not been consistently or sufficiently challenged, yet, or so it would appear, but, they are still undefeated. USC is not. BTW, Nebraska, imo, will get tougher to deal with each and every week going forward, and I don't think that TT had any idea what they were in for. OKState beat a Mizzou defense that gave up 42 to Juice & the boys....at home. There is all kinds of arguments than can and will be made each week. This is all fun, but very subjective...and highly biased, me included.

 

[sandgk]

If you had left TT out of that, I'd still have no problems. I personally like USC more than either of those teams, but Oklahoma State looks like a very good team and I'd not have a problem with them being ahead of USC. Not TT, though.

Till Tech loses I'll put them above a 1 loss team.


Then they fall, like timber.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

College football notebook: Results indicate BCS could be a mess again

Monday, October 13, 2008 2:59 AM
By Ralph D. Russo


Associated Press




Favorites fall in the Big 12, Florida swamps LSU and the end of result of Saturday was this: College football seems headed toward another impossible predicament when it comes time for the BCS to pick national championship game participants. Take a look at the top of the polls. See No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Penn State. There's a good chance none of those teams will be playing for the national championship.
The 2008 season might not match 2007 for unprecedented unpredictability, but it already has become obvious that it'll take a minor miracle for the race to the BCS title game to have a tidy outcome.
After the second weekend of the season in which three top-five teams lost, there are 10 undefeated teams left in major college football. Three (Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State) play in the same division, and the best of those three -- the Longhorns -- have a murderous remaining schedule to navigate. Congratulations on beating Oklahoma 45-35 and being No. 1, coach Mack Brown. Now go get your team ready for No. 11 Missouri, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Texas Tech, the Longhorns' next three opponents.
Five of the unbeaten teams -- BYU, Utah, Boise State, Ball State and Tulsa -- are from conferences without an automatic BCS bid, which means they don't really even apply to the topic at hand ... or do they?
Cont...

 

[buckeyesin07]

By your conference comment, you indicate that strength of schedule matters, but then you seem to completely ignore current strength of schedule in your analysis. Here is the Tellshow BCS rankings of the 3 team's schedules:

USC: 4
Oklahoma St: 68
TTech: 92

The schedules:
USC
Virginia 48
Ohio State 12
Oregon St (L) 38
Oregon 40
Arizona St 65

Oklahoma St
Wazzu 107
Houston 80
Missouri St 155
Troy 56
aTm 89
Missouri 13

TTech
Eastern Washington 164
Nevada 76
SMU 114
UMass 127
Kansas St 75
Nebraska 39

Difference is that USC's best remaining opponent is Cal, whereas Texas Tech and Missouri still have to go through a tough Big XII. I doubt people on this board have a problem with the rankings now as much as they have a problem with what the rankings indicate will happen in the coming weeks.

 

[LitlBuck]

Difference is that USC's best remaining opponent is Cal, whereas Texas Tech and Missouri still have to go through a tough Big XII. I doubt people on this board have a problem with the rankings now as much as they have a problem with what the rankings indicate will happen in the coming weeks.

I do not get your point. Up until now USC's strength of schedule has been much greater than that of Texas Tech or Oklahoma State and probably even Missouri. You are correct when you say that the only good team that USC will face the rest of the season is California while the teams in the Big XII will be playing each other. The problem is that the three Big XII teams will not go undefeated through the remainder of the season while USC probably will and therefore when the season is completed USC will be ranked above those teams.

 

[Telekinesis]

Even if we beat PSU, then the "Big10 is weak" argument starts to rise. I can see it now. "PSU was overrated all season anyway". We can't, as a conference, get any respect until the OoC wins are against better teams. If we can pull out some of these it would even help the conference, until then, we shall not get any respect and we will rule the bottom 12 of the rankings for a time.....

Agreed. The excuses will start if we beat Penn State. I fully believe that.

 

[buckeyesin07]

I do not get your point. Up until now USC's strength of schedule has been much greater than that of Texas Tech or Oklahoma State and probably even Missouri. You are correct when you say that the only good team that USC will face the rest of the season is California while the teams in the Big XII will be playing each other. The problem is that the three Big XII teams will not go undefeated through the remainder of the season while USC probably will and therefore when the season is completed USC will be ranked above those teams.

That is my point. One-loss Big XIII team(s) will have a lot better resume by the end of the season than will a one-loss USC team. Yet, given the current rankings, USC will probably be ranked higher than a one-loss Big XII team.

 

[LitlBuck]

That is my point. One-loss Big XIII team(s) will have a lot better resume by the end of the season than will a one-loss USC team. Yet, given the current rankings, USC will probably be ranked higher than a one-loss Big XII team.

Okay, I am in agreement with you but it really doesn't matter anyhow because after watching Texas play Saturday I would have to imagine it is going to be a SEC team against Texas in the Championship game. Now if USC would jump over a one loss team from either of those conferences I would have a problem.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Now if USC would jump over a one loss team from either of those conferences I would have a problem.

They already have--USC is ahead of Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, LSU, and Vanderbilt in the Coaches poll. This is exactly my point--if USC continues to move up without any reshuffling, they will likely end up in the NC game, which is a joke considering any one loss SEC or Big XII team deserves to be in the title game over USC, when you look at their resumes.

 

[BB73]

They already have--USC is ahead of Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, LSU, and Vanderbilt in the Coaches poll. This is exactly my point--if USC continues to move up without any reshuffling, they will likely end up in the NC game, which is a joke considering any one loss SEC or Big XII team deserves to be in the title game over USC, when you look at their resumes.

I understand what you're saying, and I also think that USC is way too high right now (I have them 9th). I believe the voters will end up placing a 1-loss team winning an SEC or Big 12 title game ahead of USC; as long at that conference champion is Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, LSU, or Alabama. And I believe they definitely should put any of those teams ahead of a 1-loss USC the first week of December.

After re-checking their schedules, I also think a 1-loss Okie State or a 1-loss Kansas, if they win the Big 12 Title game, should end up ahead of a 1-loss USC. But I'm not sure that the voters will be wise enough to make that choice. The fact that USC is ahead of an undefeated Oklahoma State team right now is a serious injustice - it's solely based on things that happened prior to 2008, and that's wrong.

But if the Big 12 champ ends up being 1-loss Texas Tech, or if the SEC champ is a 1-loss Vandy - I can't make a statement that they should be above or below a 1-loss USC. I think it would require a closer look at each team's body of work over the entire season. But that's something that not enough of the poll voters do.

 

[Mike80]

(not to piss off Methomps) but I think USC is due for another choke job.

Their schedule isn't that tough and with their recent ascent to near the top of the polls, that entire team will start getting smoke blown up their collective asses yet again.

 

[LitlBuck]

I understand what your saying, and I also think that USC is way too high right now (I have them 9th). I believe the voters will end up placing a 1-loss team winning an SEC or Big 12 title game ahead of USC; as long at that conference champion is Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, LSU, or Alabama. And I believe they definitely should put any of those teams ahead of a 1-loss USC the first week of December.

After re-checking their schedules, I also think a 1-loss Okie State or a 1-loss Kansas, if they win the Big 12 Title game, should end up ahead of a 1-loss USC. But I'm not sure that the voters will be wise enough to make that choice. The fact that USC is ahead of an undefeated Oklahoma State team right now is a serious injustice - it's solely based on things that happened prior to 2008, and that's wrong.

But if the Big 12 champ ends up being 1-loss Texas Tech, or if the SEC champ is a 1-loss Vandy - I can't make a statement that they should be above or below a 1-loss USC. I think it would require a closer look at each team's body of work over the entire season. But that's something that not enough of the poll voters do.

I guess I just don't understand why you are so down on USC. I will admit that the only USC game that I have watched was the Ohio State game but I think they have a very good offensive and defensive line. Some of their guys have been hurt during the season but when they are at full strength they are very solid team.

Both Georgia and LSU have been exposed the past two weekends and I will admit that they both played very good teams especially LSU. The only team that I can see winning the Big XII is Texas and I don't see any of the other pass happy teams of the Big XII beating USC with the possible exception of Oklahoma. I will reserve judgment on Oklahoma State until after they play Texas.

However, I do think that USC is one of the top four teams in the country and the polls, as you and I both well know, have a lot to be desired.

 

[buckeyes_rock]

I understand what your saying, and I also think that USC is way too high right now (I have them 9th). I believe the voters will end up placing a 1-loss team winning an SEC or Big 12 title game ahead of USC; as long at that conference champion is Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, LSU, or Alabama. And I believe they definitely should put any of those teams ahead of a 1-loss USC the first week of December.

After re-checking their schedules, I also think a 1-loss Okie State or a 1-loss Kansas, if they win the Big 12 Title game, should end up ahead of a 1-loss USC. But I'm not sure that the voters will be wise enough to make that choice. The fact that USC is ahead of an undefeated Oklahoma State team right now is a serious injustice - it's solely based on things that happened prior to 2008, and that's wrong.

But if the Big 12 champ ends up being 1-loss Texas Tech, or if the SEC champ is a 1-loss Vandy - I can't make a statement that they should be above or below a 1-loss USC. I think it would require a closer look at each team's body of work over the entire season. But that's something that not enough of the poll voters do.

I think USC is a very good team, but that loss to the Beavers is just crappy. Just about any other one loss team would be more deserving if it's SEC or Big 12. Don't know how there can be much argument with that.

 

[Dryden]

I guess I just don't understand why you are so down on USC. I will admit that the only USC game that I have watched was the Ohio State game but I think they have a very good offensive and defensive line. Some of their guys have been hurt during the season but when they are at full strength they are very solid team.

I think that should be considered part of the equation when sorting the one loss teams at the end. USC was without Shareece Wright, lost Taylor Mays and Maualuga during the course of the game, and were on the road, at night, losing by only six. On top of all that, Sanchez certainly hasn't been 100% this season with the knee, but for that game I thought he was clearly less than whatever percentage he was the game before versus the Bucks.

If those two teams played again, and both are healthy, would anyone take the Beavers? I certainly wouldn't. If you lined up USC versus every other one-loss team in the country, healthy, I think SC would probably be the favorite in every contest.