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Posted 11/02/2009 at 02:40 AM
I’ve never been one to heap plaudits on sports media for being especially sharp. I’ve always been of the opinion that far too often, we’re getting commentary from analysts that are jacks of all trades but masters of none. There’s nothing terribly wrong with this. After all, it’s only sports.
But when I hear that the fans know more than the so-called experts on, for instance, ESPN… sorry, but that’s just not the case. I can site one example after another where the fan vote on a particular topic is off the mark. But since this is a football blog, I’ll just use the latest college football polls to amplify the point.
I’ve been highly critical of the expert polls, especially the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 version. But if that survey misses the mark on occasion, it’s still the gospel compared to what the fans keep coming up with. And we know what this is, as ESPN includes the Fan Top 25 on their website along with the traditional polls.
Here’s the brand new Fan rankings, and I’ll just concentrate on the Top 8 spots.
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Alabama
4. Iowa
5. Cincinnati
6. Oregon
7. TCU
8. Boise State
Nice job, voters. Hey, when the dust settles in January, it’s entirely possible that the Longhorns will be the last team standing. They’re a terrific squad. But the fact is the last three “national titles” have been captured by SEC teams. Therefore, it’s only logical to place the two remaining unbeaten SEC teams at the top of the heap. And Florida has to be the #1 team as they’re the defending champs and they haven’t lost.
Next up, Iowa at #4. Huh? The Hawkeyes are a terrific story. They keep finding ways to win games on an almost weekly basis, and despite being a really pedestrian team offensively, Iowa is now 9-0. But their ledger includes a 17-16 win over Northern Iowa, a 24-21 win over Arkansas State, a miracle last play of the game win over a 4-5 Michigan State squad and a spectacular fourth quarter rally that got them past 4-5 Indiana. Full credit to Iowa for a great win at Penn State, and their solid performance against Arizona is a plus. But placing them ahead of three of the other remaining unbeaten teams doesn’t make sense.
I saved the best for last. Oregon was awesome on Saturday in ripping apart USC. The Ducks are playing great football and the look as though they’re capable of running the table at this point. But how can they be two spots ahead of Boise State? It’s not like Oregon’s loss to the Broncos happened back in the 1940’s and has been forgotten. It took place a couple of months ago. Would Oregon win if there was a rematch tonight? It’s very possible. But the fact is that Boise State was the favorite in that game, and they completely outplayed the Ducks. That’s all anyone should be going by when casting a vote.
To be honest, I was worried that Oregon might jump past Boise State and/or TCU in one of the somewhat legitimate polls. Happily, that did not happen, at least not yet. I’m hopingf it never does if the Broncos and Horned Frogs complete perfect regular seasons. Although, I have to admit that’s something I’m not sure will be the case. The bottom line is that anyone can have an opinion, but all that really counts is the wins and losses. Boise State beat Oregon, and unless the Broncos lose a game, Oregon cannot jump them, regardless of whether we THINK they’re the better team. So, to the fans who have placed the Ducks ahead of the two non-BCS league unbeaten teams, please try and get a clue. Otherwise, I’m going to have to start saying all kinds of complimentary things about the media and coaches polls, and I don’t want to be forced into that position.
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