2008 sj.com college football poll -- Final poll note for voters, Page 113

[slappy4428]

Preseason Poll -- Aug. 18, 2008
Week 1 -- Sept. 2, 2008
Week 2 -- Sept. 8, 2008
Week 3 -- Sept. 15, 2008
Week 4 -- Sept. 22, 2008
Week 5 -- Sept. 29, 2008
Week 6 -- Oct. 6, 2008
Week 7 -- Oct. 13, 2008
Week 8 -- Oct. 20, 2008
Week 9 -- Oct. 27, 2008
Week 10 -- Nov. 3, 2008
Week 11 -- Nov. 10, 2008
Week 12 -- Nov. 17, 2008
Week 13 -- Nov. 24, 2008
Week 14 -- Dec. 1, 2008
Week 15 -- Dec. 8, 2008

The good, the bad and the Uga



By SLAPPY 4428
Doormat

You’ve been through this before. Lord, have you been through this before.

It’s the end of the summer before you head into eighth grade. You remember the girl you had a crush on the year before – we’ll call her Ann Marie – in a place we’ll call St. Matthew’s.

You know this year will be different. You won’t do the same things to get her attention. You won’t let her treat you like something dangling from the dog’s ass.

And when you walk in the classroom, the summer’s worth of bravado quickly melts like room-temperature Jell-o in the time it takes her to turn to her friends and sneer in her quickly developing cigarette voice – “You? Again?”

Years later, we’re back in class again. You look at the top of poll and can’t help but say “You? Again?”

Yes, we are: The good, the bad and the Uga.

At the beginning of last season, USC was on top; At the end, it was on the outside, looking in thanks to Stanford (Spare me the one-loss defense. It was freakin’ STANFORD).

End of the regular season, Ohio State had climbed to the top – again. End of last season, Ohio State was flat on its back – again, compliments of the SEC – again. (Even Michigan let John Cooper win occasionally.)

And Georgia? Geez, the puppies had a tough time, what with the BCS conspiring to keep them out of a National Championship Game thanks to a two-loss season and an inability to advance to its own league title game.

Then their beloved dog died, thus moving Georgia’s president not to say with a proper sense of realistic perspective, “Sorry to hear it, but we’re an institution of higher learning. Life goes on.”

Instead, it was, “We recognize Uga VI in a way that is very special to the University of Georgia. I would suggest to you that Uga is a very powerful symbol, symbolism of the tenacity and strength of the university, Uga VI, particularly. ... I personally think this dog has exemplified that strength and tenacity very well.”

They’ll probably wear a patch on their shoulders all year, one you can see prominently every time Matt Stafford trots to the sideline and Larry Munson says “It’s fourth down for Georgia and the offense has stalled again.”

Anyway, like the mythical throws-of-puberty love affair with a short, swarthy, obnoxious, chain-smoking Italian girl, all that cool you should have developed to pick a breakthrough team at the top disappeared under pressure.

Nevertheless, we’re back – 52 strong (or 50 strong, BYH and Bubbler). For better or worse, we’re back for a season worth of overrated coaches, underrated teams and as much predictability as The Dwarf writing about himself while in China (and my obsession with it).

As last year, the membership in the poll demands concentration, effort and timing. It demands that we drill the high and mighty and stick up for the little guy (No. Not Saban. Not yet).

From now until Mike Leach, Mike Gundy or Mike Bellotti can stand tall and scream from the mountain tops “WE ARE THE BEST!” or until Rich Rodriguez trashes every single tradition Michigan has established over the last 40 years – starting with winning – we will put forth the best college football poll on the net. Or at least until the end of the season. If we wait too long, we’ll run out of games.

So make your picks and place your bets. At the end of the season, USC might very well be the best team in the nation. Ohio State might very well be in the BCS title game headed for a runner-up string not usually seen south of Orchard Park.

But if Georgia somehow wins the national title, we’ll know it’s from divine inspiration.

“One (phone call of condolence) was from (the son of a former player) whose father passed a way just a week or so ago," so quoth the AJC on the day after Uga passed away, "He said, 'Tell the (owners), daddy will walk Uga every day in heaven."

If heaven wanted a bulldog, it should have walked Ann Marie in eighth grade.

The good, the bad and the Uga.

SJ.COM COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
Aug. 18, 2008
RK. TEAM (1st)              PTS
1.   Southern Cal (19)    1208
2.   Georgia (14)           1190
3.   Ohio State (10)        1152
4.   Oklahoma (1)          1104
5.   Florida (2)              1024
6.   LSU (2)                   990
7.   Missouri (1)              985
8.   West Virginia (1)       888
9.   Clemson (1)              853
10.   Texas                    770
11.   Auburn                   728
12.   Wisconsin               686
13.   Texas Tech             624
14.   Kansas                   607
15.   Arizona State          556
16.   Virginia Tech           503
17.   Tennessee              459
18.   BYU                       406
19.   Illinois                    385
20.   Oregon                   297
21.   South Florida           268
22.   Penn State              216
23.   Wake Forest            135
24.   Michigan                 123
25.   Fresno State             75

Also receiving votes: Alabama 59, Pitt 48, Cincinnati 44, Utah 35, South Carolina 31, California 28, Boston College 25, Oregon State 21, Michigan State 14, Rutgers 9, UConn 5, Florida State 5, Central Florida 3, Virginia 3, Oklahoma State 3, Boise State 2, Nebraska 2, TCU 1, Maryland 1, North Carolina 1, Central Michigan 1, Ohio 1, Miami (Fla.) 1.

The sj.com college football poll committee: Slappy4428 (chairman), 2muchcoffeeman, 93devil, Agate Page, Amraeder, Angola, Appgrad05, Azom, Barsuk, Bubbler, Buckweaver, Budcrew08, BYH, Cadet, Della9250, Diabeetus, Dickens Cider, Dixiehack, Dparker85, Elliotte Friedman, GB-Hack, Hammer Pants, Hank Scorpio, Huggy, Hustle, Idaho, Inkywretch, Joe Schmoe, Joel Hammond, jps, KYsportswriter, Madhavok, Mustangj17, Mystery Meat, OJ1414, Orville Redenbacher, Oz, Perennially Overrated, Piotr Rasputin, Precious Roy, Rufino, Rumpleforeskin, Spnited, Sportschick, Stagger Lee, Starman, Sxysptswrtr, Tom Petty, Trooper Bari, Xanadu, Zebracoy, Zeke12

[Dickens Cider]

Mystery Meat's already out?

And well done, slap, as always.

Can we get a sticky from the Mods?

[slappy4428]

Mystery Meat's already out?

And well done, slap, as always.

Can we get a sticky from the Mods?

If your ballot is not in by noon CT on Monday, you will lose your spot in the poll. You've had a week's notice; if you can't send it in with a week's notice, you probably won't make 36 hours during the season.
Only one excused from this is Elliotte Friedman, currently on assignment and too busy trying to track down Andrea Kremer in a community where the average height of the women in her age group is the same as Andrea Kremer.

[Dickens Cider]

Oh, I know. I'm just surprised we had a preseason scofflaw.

[slappy4428]

Oh, I know. I'm just surprised we had a preseason scofflaw.

I mean, cripes, I don't like being a hardass, but the deadline's been posted for a fucking week.

[dooley_womack1]

Florida and LSU 5-6?? The SEC fanbois weigh in. I should be glad Missouri made top 10, apparently

[Bubbler]

Clemson? No. 1 vote? Who's rocking the crack pipe?

[Huggy]

Those last two graphs are fucking great. Well done.

[JoelHammond]

No votes for BG? Ouch.

[GB-Hack]

Clemson? No. 1 vote? Who's rocking the crack pipe?

I think someone mentioned they were going to do that in the last thread, but I can't find it to try and confirm it.

[Appgrad05]

Florida and LSU 5-6?? The SEC fanbois weigh in. I should be glad Missouri made top 10, apparently

Tennessee at No. 17 is far more egregious.

[Bubbler]

More WTF? Ohio? The team picked sixth in their division by the MAC media?

Christ, my alma mater got five first place votes in the same poll and they're not getting a whiff in my poll until at least November, and only if they're in first place.

The Tuesday- and Wednesday-playing MAC sucks.

[Mystery Meat]

not a scoffer, just someone who, between work and lack of sleep, managed to let the date slip past his thoughts

and nothing of value was lost

[Angola!]

Clemson? No. 1 vote? Who's rocking the crack pipe?

I think someone mentioned they were going to do that in the last thread, but I can't find it to try and confirm it.

I believe that was Xanadu.

[Perennially Overrated]

You clearly didn't go to EMU, Bubs, which means I dislike you from this point forward. I'm sure you're crushed.

[GB-Hack]

Clemson? No. 1 vote? Who's rocking the crack pipe?

I think someone mentioned they were going to do that in the last thread, but I can't find it to try and confirm it.

I believe that was Xanadu.

Now that you say that, I think you're right.

And, as with all things, after about a month, all of this will come out in the wash.

[slappy4428]

not a scoffer, just someone who, between work and lack of sleep, managed to let the date slip past his thoughts

and nothing of value was lost

For 38 minutes late, get it into me in next 10 and your back in...

[Bubbler]

I'm going to EMU soon, does that make it better?

[slappy4428]

I'm going to EMU soon, does that make it better?

You think the sunburn hurts...

[GB-Hack]

By the way, I'd like to raise my hand and point out that I screwed up my first poll, forgetting to replace Ohio State when I was tweaking late last night, and therby putting Florida twice.

[Perennially Overrated]

I'm going to EMU soon, does that make it better?

As long as you don't cheer in the press box...unless it's for the Hurons.

[slappy4428]

I'm going to EMU soon, does that make it better?

As long as you don't cheer in the press box...unless it's for the Hurons.

That's Roy Wilbanks' job. After all, it's his university. Ask him.

[Perennially Overrated]

I'm going to EMU soon, does that make it better?

As long as you don't cheer in the press box...unless it's for the Hurons.

That's Roy Wilbanks' job. After all, it's his university. Ask him.

No need to ask. You just have to watch him and Don "Mr. Wrestling" Shelton fight for the right.

[KYSportsWriter]

Excellent job, slappy.

[93Devil]

Send your to resume to Richmond, ASAP.