FINALLY! SJ.com College Football Poll -- FINAL POST-BOWL POLL -- PAGE 48

[slappy4428]

Welcome to the sj.com football poll archive....

Preseason Poll -- 8/23/07
Week 1 -- 9/4/07
Week 2 -- 9/10/07
Week 3 -- 9/17/07
Week 4 -- 9/24/07
Week 5 -- 10/01/07
Week 6 -- 10/08/07
Week 7 -- 10/15/07
Week 8 -- 10/22/07
Week 9 -- 10/29/07
Week 10 -- 11/5/07
Week 11 -- 11/12/07
Week 12 -- 11/19/07
Week 13 -- 11/26/07
Final Regular Season --12/2/07
Final Post-Bowl Poll -- 1/8/08

[slappy4428]

By SLAPPY4428
sj.com Pollmeister

Why do polls exist?
Because of our "need-to-know-now" culture? Because we love to see how we're better than the other guy? Because we need a winner if the race hasn't started?
Yes. And no.
In this case, it's all of the above. And it's also because we feel we're just as good as the other guys.
Sure the Associated Press has been doing this since Spnited coached Jim Thorpe. OK, so USA Today has been doing this since UPI started selling lawn furniture to pay the telephone bill.
Computers? Hah.
If this poll were any more down-to-earth, it would be Aunt Bee's apple pie.
Sure, we're sports journalists. We're also fans. We watch college football.
Exactly how many games will college SIDs... ummm, coaches watch on a given weekend besides the one the coached in? Maybe one?
If an AP voter is covering the 3:30 game in Ann Arbor, they might get to watch a little bit of the ESPN Plus game at noon (cause they ain't watching the BTN) and they might get to see the end of the 7 p.m. start of the SEC game on ESPN.
And no one east of the Mississippi cares about the night game from the Big 12, Pac-10 or the Mountain West (ever).
We do.
The 36 people who accepted this weekly challenge did it because they love college football. Once upon a time, they might have covered a Division 1 college team, but they've found their niche on the desk. Or in preps. Or covering baseball. Or making snowballs. Or buying pumps.
Think AP is going to have two voters from Canada? We do. Why? They didn't need a visa to follow the sport. Does ESPN/USA Today have a voter from Alaska? No. We do.
You'll find voters from Maine to California, Florida to Oregon.
Why? They follow the sport just like everyone else with an opinion.
Our rules are simple: Give an honest effort. And there will be mistakes and oversights made -- like the single voters who left Florida, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech off the ballot or the two who didn't give the nod to Oklahoma.
Yes, some voter actually thought Alabama was 18th best. But they were the only one. One voter picked Notre Dame. One voter. One stinkin' voter.
However, those people who picked Charlie Weis and Nick Saban may prove to be remarkable prophets come Dec. 10. Or, they could look dumber than the guy who walked into the bear cage drunk and naked.
But they made the effort and stayed on topic.
So for better or worse, here's the first poll. Except for Labor Day week, we'll have this out on Tuesdays (Wednesday for the Monday holiday).
It's not a race. Theress no need to have the poll up on Sunday night. Wesd rather have it right than be first.
Why? 
They work and practice just as hard as the other players. This time, for a change, they get their pictures in the paper.



sj.com College Football Poll
Aug. 22, 2007

1. Southern Cal (28)    888
2. LSU (3)                  809
3. West Virginia (1)      779
4. Texas                    767
5. Michigan (1)           756
6. Florida (3)              724
7. Louisville                616
8. Wisconsin               611
9. Virginia Tech           577
10. Oklahoma              571
11. Ohio State            508
12. California              494
13. Georgia                401
14. Rutgers                379
15. Tennessee            378
16. Auburn                 345
17. Penn State           308
18. UCLA                   253
19. Boise State           238
20. Nebraska              224
21. Arkansas              219
22. Florida State         159
23. Hawaii                 147
24. TCU                    118
25. Texas A&M            83
Also receiving votes: Boston College 82; Wake Forest and Oregon 48, Missouri 44; South Carolina 19; Georgia Tech and Oregon State 15; South Florida 14; Miami (Fla.) 11; Alabama 8; Oklahoma State and Iowa 7; BYU, Notre Dame and Clemson 4; Southern Mississippi and Clemson 3; Western Michigan 2; Kentucky, Central Michigan and Ohio U., 1.

SJ.com College Football Poll committee: Slappy4428 (chairman), Oz, The Good Doctor, Elliotte Friedman, Hockeybeat, amraeder, Starman, Eagleboy, Hank Scorpio, Sportschick, Mystery Meat, Barsuk, WS, GB-Hack, Della9250, Mayfly, Micropolitan Guy, Huggy, dparker85, Gutter, Buckweaver, sxysprtswrtr, Orville Redenbacher, spnited, Idaho, Joel Hammond, Precious Roy, HackWilson191, BYH, AgatePage, Piotr Rasputin, Rufino, Trooper Bari, Beanpole, OJ1414, Jesus_Muscatel, Xanadu (incredibly tardy and reprehensibly late member).

[buckweaver]

Out-fucking-standing. Good work, slappy. This is going to be a helluva thread all season.

[Angola!]

Out-fucking-standing. Good work, slappy. This is going to be a helluva thread all season.

Well, as long as Ohio U. stops getting votes it will.

[Chi City 81]

Still can't believe Wake isn't in. And Florida is getting waaaay too much credit for a team that graduated most of its defense.

[Angola!]

Still can't believe Wake isn't in. And Florida is getting waaaay too much credit for a team that graduated most of its defense.

I am assuming it is those folks who think a defending champion should be No. 1 the following season.

[Sunshine Scooter]

Glad to see the sj.com pollsters went out on a limb and picked some different teams in the top 10.

[amraeder]

Not a bad first effort boys (and girls), let's see how comical this looks come January.

[Oz]

Glad to see the sj.com pollsters went out on a limb and picked some different teams in the top 10.

Would you have rather seen us put Kansas, Rutgers or Boise State in the top spot?

[Angola!]

Glad to see the sj.com pollsters went out on a limb and picked some different teams in the top 10.

Would you have rather seen us put Kansas, Rutgers or Boise State in the top spot?

I'm honestly surprised no one picked Boise State No. 1.

[Eagleboy]

Fuck that shit. I don't know nothin' about half these teams before they actually play a game. I, for one, anticipate a lot of fluctuation in my poll once I see them on the field.

That was part of my dilemma, too. I'm trying to remember most of these teams from last year and decide who was better - but I don't have the slightest clue, for a lot of the areas outside my team, how many seniors graduated off these teams.

The next poll should be much better.

[sportschick]

I almost put Boise State in the top spot, and I am not who voted for Ohio, btw. I voted for directional Michigan

[slappy4428]

Every team in the top 23 except for UCLA and Nebraska had at least one voter place them in the top 10.
ANd Boise's highest rank was 6th.

[Jesus_Muscatel]

I was tempted to put Boise in the Top 10, but settled for puttin' 'em one spot ahead of Zero U.

Statue of Liberty this, Mr. Stoops.

[Hammer Pants]

Florida getting WAAAAAY too much love. And there's no way Michigan, Florida and Louisville should be in front of Wisconsin.

Then again ... what the hell do I know?

[amraeder]

Still can't believe Wake isn't in. And Florida is getting waaaay too much credit for a team that graduated most of its defense.

Okay, here's my thing with Wake, I think they were a very (very, very, very) lucky team last year.
They went 11-3, while gaining FEWER yards than their opponents.
If you take out the Liberty game, which I'm inclined to do, the finished with 371 LESS yards than the DI teams they played (And The Cuse, Duke, UConn, Old Miss and UNC weren't exactly striking fear into people's hearts.)
They won those game by feasting off bad QBs and timely fumbles to a tune of a +15 Turnover differential.
The only game they were actually negative in the TO department was the bowl loss to Louisville (-1).
You can agruge that an attacking defense will force turnovers, but still, this is pretty lucky. I'd direct you to the Cincinnati Bengals 2 years ago who had an impressive TO margin, before seeing it return to the mean last year.
If Wake returns to the mean, they're a .500 team, maybe a little more, maybe a little less.
They obviously aren't doormats anymore. But they have to prove to me that last year wasn't a fluke.

[Hammer Pants]

Still can't believe Wake isn't in. And Florida is getting waaaay too much credit for a team that graduated most of its defense.

Graduated?

How many of them do you really think graduated?

[Oz]

Florida getting WAAAAAY too much love. And there's no way Michigan, Florida and Louisville should be in front of Wisconsin.

Only problem with Wisconsin? Quarterback. That's a key position to have such a question mark, so I put them 10th.

Re: Florida, I put the Gators ninth. I don't believe that just because a team won the previous year that they ought to automatically receive that No. 1 vote. Last year was just that. It has nothing to do with 2007. If they lost enough key players while others seem to be stronger up and down the depth chart, then you ought to rank them as such.

Re: Wake Forest, see amraeder's post.

[amraeder]

Florida getting WAAAAAY too much love. And there's no way Michigan, Florida and Louisville should be in front of Wisconsin.

Only problem with Wisconsin? Quarterback. That's a key position to have such a question mark, so I put them 10th.

Re: Florida, I put the Gators ninth. I don't believe that just because a team won the previous year that they ought to automatically receive that No. 1 vote. Last year was just that. It has nothing to do with 2007. If they lost enough key players while others seem to be stronger up and down the depth chart, then you ought to rank them as such.

Re: Wake Forest, see amraeder's post.

Thing about Wisconsin's QB, it's not like they're replacing Vince Young or Matt Leinert. Stocco was a solid college QB, but he didn't do anything that Everage or Donovan shouldn't be able to do -- don't make too many mistakes, find the big guy over the middle.
You could argue their offense should be BETTER this year, because Hill was playing with an injured (i believe) shoulder last year so he wasn't finishing off runs, he was kind of meekly going down for a guy his size. Healthy, (and with a year under his belt) he should be better. This is a guy who left A LOT of yards on the field last year.
Plus, all their young WRs are a year older.
I had them at No. 6. I worry about their safties.

[Oz]

Yeah, I know they never rely too much on their quarterbacks. But if they ever fall behind in a game and need to throw it, then it becomes a huge concern. Love the defense (sans the safeties), love the ground game.

And this year, they won't miss Ohio State on the schedule. They go to Columbus and to Penn State. Just those games alone make this schedule tougher than last year's. Wiscy's quarterback, whoever it is, will need to make more plays this season.

[amraeder]

Yeah, I know they never rely too much on their quarterbacks. But if they ever fall behind in a game and need to throw it, then it becomes a huge concern. Love the defense (sans the safeties), love the ground game.

And this year, they won't miss Ohio State on the schedule. They go to Columbus and to Penn State. Just those games alone make this schedule tougher than last year's. Wiscy's quarterback, whoever it is, will need to make more plays this season.

Very true. I worry I might be too high on Wisconsin right now. Penn State is a tough place to play. Wisconsin's had surprising success at OSU recently, but who knows if that trend can continue.
And if the QBs aren't slightly above average, they could be in trouble.
(Speaking of Big Ten, what do people think of PSU? Iowa?)

[Sxysprtswrtr]

Those 4 nods to Clemson must be sympathy votes since Ray Ray tore his ACL. ... I'm anxious to see how well Michigan does, they were my I wonder if I should make 'em much higher than they are pick. ... How many of us east of Kansas City really get a chance to watch the Rainbows, er, Warriors play? I know zilch about Hawaii, yet, they're in my top 25.

Thanks for the hard work Slappy!

The 36 people who accepted this weekly challenge did it because they love college football. Once upon a time, they might have covered a Division 1 college team, but they’ve found their niche on the desk. Or in preps. Or covering baseball. Or making snowballs. Or buying pumps.

FWIW, I've never purchased a pump.

[slappy4428]

Those 4 nods to Clemson must be sympathy votes since Ray Ray tore his ACL. ... I'm anxious to see how well Michigan does, they were my I wonder if I should make 'em much higher than they are pick. ... How many of us east of Kansas City really get a chance to watch the Rainbows, er, Warriors play? I know zilch about Hawaii, yet, they're in my top 25.

Thanks for the hard work Slappy!

The 36 people who accepted this weekly challenge did it because they love college football. Once upon a time, they might have covered a Division 1 college team, but they’ve found their niche on the desk. Or in preps. Or covering baseball. Or making snowballs. Or buying pumps.

FWIW, I've never purchased a pump.

Could be sportschick, could be BYH.... I'll never tell.

And you can thank me by getting your picks in on time each week...

[Angola!]

Heck, it doesn't matter what time zone you live in it is hard to watch Hawaii.

[amraeder]

Heck, it doesn't matter what time zone you live in it is hard to watch Hawaii.

That's why God invented TiVo. (what was that, third day? fourth?)