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

[slappy4428]

By SLAPPY 4428
SJ.COM POLLMASTER

It has come to our attention that there seems to be a universal discord on this board concerning the strengths and weaknesses of some of the BCS conferences.

Specifically, some people feel their favorite conference is stronger than others; others feel those SEC fanboys are nothing but slive... err, slime. There has been a lot of Big East bashing, some Pac-10 one-upmanship and some tweaking of the Always Crappy Conference, the usual Big 10-SEC member-measuring fight. Oddly, no one is battering the Big 12, although with three teams in the top 10 -- none of whom are named Texas -- we guess the fans can take it like a man.

But the sniping is indeed bothersome -- even when it isn't generated by me.

The discussion usually goes like this:

Know-nothing fan: Which one of you is best?

ACC fanboy: Well, we were until Saturday, then Boston College lost, so it isn't us?

Pac-10: Hey, we've got Oregon which beat Michigan at home, Arizona State who was undefeated, Cal which was ranked in the top 3 and USC, which wins an award for underachieving.

Big East: Yeah, but Appalachian State beat Michigan too, so you aren't all that tough. We've got UConn and umm, South Florida and ummm, Rutgers and hey, how did we forget -- Louisville. Oh.. and West Virginia. Yeah we're best.

Big 12: HAH! Those aren't football teams! Look at our powers! Oklahoma! That's one of the best programs in the nation! Kansas! Missouri! Did I just say that out loud?

Big 10: Yes, but we have the No. 1 team. And our graduation rate is higher than other leagues. So you want to talk Cum Laude graduates? You want to talk Fortune 500 placements? You want to talk about an ability to read and write?

SEC: Thatrightthereain'tnokindafunnynohow.I'magonnagitmeanotherbuhrandlovemesomenicksabancauseeventhowelostwecanbeatallyallsasses.

So as you can see, it's all a matter of perspective.

The Big 12 sees its biggest rival conference as the Little Southwest Conference in West Texas. The Pac-10 views its biggest rival conference as the Big 10. The Big Ten feels it has no rivals. The Big East would like to be the ACC and the ACC would like to be the SEC. The SEC feels that Thatrightthereain'tnokindafunnynohow.I'magonnagitmeanotherbuhrandlovemesomenicksabancauseeventhowelostwecanbeatallyallsasses.

Big 10 fans enjoy the campus atmosphere, the tailgating and the fall colors. ACC fans enjoy the November weather in Boston and the September chills in Miami. Big 12 fans take solace in knowing that trips to Stillwater come only once every two years and Pac 10 fans go for the calmness and innerpeace. Big East fans can't wait to head to them big cities in Morgantown and Storrs. And yes, everyone knows that in the SEC, the king truly is Thatrightthereain'tnokindafunnynohow.I'magonnagitmeanotherbuhrandlovemesomenicksabancauseeventhowelostwecanbeatallyallsasses.

So indeed, there is no best or worst. We'll just have to all hold hands, get along and drink another buhr.

SJ.COM COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
11/5/2007
RK. TEAM (1st)              PTS   Last
1. Ohio State  (26)         835   1
2. LSU (6)                     805   2
3. Oregon (2)                 781   4
4. Oklahoma                   734   5
5. Kansas                      717   8
6. West Virginia              686   7
7. Missouri                     633   9
8. Arizona State             550   6
9. Boston College            547   3
10. Hawaii                     515  10
11. Georgia                    511   11
12. Virginia Tech             459   12
13. Southern Cal             413   14
14. Connecticut              402   16
15. Michigan                  394   15
16. Texas                      372  13
17. Florida                     285   18
18. Auburn                     257   19
19. Boise St.                  218   21
20. Clemson                   172   NR
21. Alabama                   166   17
22. Virginia                     139   NR
23. Tennessee                122   NR
24. Kentucky                    81   25
25. California                    68   24

Also receiving votes: Cincinnati 47; Florida State 31; Penn State 25; Wisconsin 19; BYU 15; South Florida 14; Illinois 14; Wake Forest 12; Wyoming 6; Texas A&M 3; Arkansas 1; Navy 1..

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

[wickedwritah]

Technically, Big East football teams head to Hartford nowadays.

Otherwise, on point.

[slappy4428]

Technically, Big East football teams head to Hartford nowadays.

Otherwise, on point.

It's the Big east. I care.

[Zeke12]

Who voted for Navy? 

[GB-Hack]

Who voted for Navy? 

Charlie Weis.

[Eagleboy]

Technically, Big East football teams head to Hartford nowadays.

Otherwise, on point.

That's technically East Hartford, I think. Right? Doesn't just basketball play in Hartford? I think they said the stadium is at an abandoned airport. That in itself must be odd.

[wickedwritah]

East Hartford, yes. Where the Patriots stadium would have been, if it had been built.

And there is a mall, etc., around there now, so it's not too creepy.

[spnited]

Nothing beats Piscataway in November!

[Chi City 81]

Nothing beats Piscataway in November!

Except, possibly, a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

[Tom Petty]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

[Oz]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

Have someone beat them then.

[Tom Petty]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

Have someone beat them then.

ha, somehow i knew you'd be the first one to reply.

[Write-brained]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

Have someone beat them then.

ha, somehow i knew you'd be the first one to reply.

Why don't you love us, TP?

[Tom Petty]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

Have someone beat them then.

ha, somehow i knew you'd be the first one to reply.

Why don't you love us, TP?

missouri will kick the shit out of the blue bird.

[Oz]

missouri will kick the shit out of the blue bird.

Until then, it's all talk.

[Tom Petty]

missouri will kick the shit out of the blue bird.

Until then, it's all talk.

come on oz. even you have to admit they're overrated.

[Oz]

missouri will kick the shit out of the blue bird.

Until then, it's all talk.

come on oz. even you have to admit they're overrated.

I think they're right where they ought to be. At 9-0 in a power conference, there's less and less reason to doubt the Jayhawks. And for anyone who would point to the schedule as the reason for their success, yeah, there's some truth to that. But then, top-10 programs like Ohio State, West Virginia and Mizzou all have something in common with KU -- no wins against current top-25 opponents. And KU did win at Colorado, which the Sooners did not.

So while there's an argument that KU might be overrated, there's also an argument to be made that other programs in the top 10 have very similar resumes and could be viewed the same way.

For all those reasons, KU at No. 5 seems about right. Reward them for being unbeaten this far into the season, but at the same time, err on the side of caution.

[Chi City 81]

But then, top-10 programs like Ohio State, West Virginia and Mizzou all have something in common with KU -- no wins against current top-25 opponents. And KU did win at Colorado, which the Sooners did not.

Does KU even have any wins against teams that were ranked at any point during this season?

[Barsuk]

But then, top-10 programs like Ohio State, West Virginia and Mizzou all have something in common with KU -- no wins against current top-25 opponents. And KU did win at Colorado, which the Sooners did not.

Does KU even have any wins against teams that were ranked at any point during this season?

Yeah, they won at K-State. I hope those fuckers stay undefeated until Arrowhead ... and then the Tigers pound 'em in the ass without any Colgate.

[Mystery Meat]

But then, top-10 programs like Ohio State, West Virginia and Mizzou all have something in common with KU -- no wins against current top-25 opponents. And KU did win at Colorado, which the Sooners did not.

Does KU even have any wins against teams that were ranked at any point during this season?

Nebraska and A&M have been in the top 25 at points, as well as the previously mentioned K-State.

[slappy4428]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

Where ya been, buddy? We've missed that optimism...

[Chi City 81]

But then, top-10 programs like Ohio State, West Virginia and Mizzou all have something in common with KU -- no wins against current top-25 opponents. And KU did win at Colorado, which the Sooners did not.

Does KU even have any wins against teams that were ranked at any point during this season?

Nebraska and A&M have been in the top 25 at points, as well as the previously mentioned K-State.

OK, I should have clarified. Has KU beaten any team that was ranked at the time? I give credit for that, even if many voters don't. Teams can fall for a lot of reason, especially injuries. If a team beats a ranked team that had been kicking ass before losing a star player or two, don't penalize the team that won.

[Tom Petty]

the blue bird of cocksuckery at no. 5 is a joke.

Where ya been, buddy? We've missed that optimism...

come on slapster, when someone uses a "we beat colorado in colorado" as a reason for a top 5 ranking, you know the team that person's lying about sucks donkey dong.

[Angola!]

But then, top-10 programs like Ohio State, West Virginia and Mizzou all have something in common with KU -- no wins against current top-25 opponents. And KU did win at Colorado, which the Sooners did not.

Does KU even have any wins against teams that were ranked at any point during this season?

Yeah, they won at K-State. I hope those fuckers stay undefeated until Arrowhead ... and then the Tigers pound 'em in the ass without any Colgate.

The Colgate makes it more painful, or so I've been told.

Kansas definitely deserves to be ranked that high. Hawaii has no business near the top 10, though.

[Oz]

OK, I should have clarified. Has KU beaten any team that was ranked at the time? I give credit for that, even if many voters don't. Teams can fall for a lot of reason, especially injuries. If a team beats a ranked team that had been kicking ass before losing a star player or two, don't penalize the team that won.

K-State was ranked No. 24 at the time. Nebraska and Texas A&M have been ranked at different points in the season.