Re: 2009 SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- And we are missing....
Oct. 19, 2009
The Song Remains the Same, only
the names have been changed
By SLAPPY4428
Vengant Pollster
Something I read within the last week struck a familiar chord. It was a couple of columnists, one from an transplanted and unabashed ACC fanboi and the other, always a Little Ray of SEC Sunshine, starting to plant the seed of a Florida-Alabama rematch in the BCS title game even before either team has qualified for the true national championship game – the SEC Title game.
And I started getting pissed.
The first writer just planted the seed and started the argument of “Who is greater than the greatest two teams in the greatest conference in the history of the world?” (I might be embellishing this quote a teensy bit.)
And he ticked off every possibility and said why they aren’t better under any circumstances than the two SEC teams.
The one thing he did say, after discounting every other Division I team in America other than Eastern Michigan and Florida International, was it would be up to the voters and whether or not they could stomach a Florida-Alabama rematch.
Now that one writer has greased the skids, that brings me to the other guy. He’s a Harris voter, which makes up part of the formula to determine whether or not America could stomach a rematch.
In 2006, his position was clear after No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan, 41-38. The communist said that Michigan was never an option for him for a lot of reasons – the biggest was that U-M had its bite at the apple and couldn’t deliver. And that's a very sound argument.
Let us fast-forward four seasons, when the pairing of surrendering the championship to an SEC rematch looms like the onset of gray hair, middle-age spread and prostate issues. They might come, they might not – but you know it’s a possibility.
Why would it not be acceptable for some to handle the possibility of an all-Big Ten game in 2006, but start the drumbeat for the SEC in 2009? Simple. Regional bias. The same writer didn’t drop LSU a lick after losing to Florida, but undefeated Iowa didn’t crack the top 10.
This is going to be our great battle this season, boys and girls. It’s going to have nothing to do with teams deserving to play in the championship game – and as history tells us, Florida turned out to be just fine in 2006. But it will be the SEC whining in 2009, just as the Big 12 did in 2008 and the Big 10 did in 2006.
Assuming everything plays out, it’s going to be payback for 2006. And when SEC backers cry foul, all they have to do is think back to this little bit of prophecy by one of the league’s biggest backers.
“There are too many good teams from too many good leagues that have played too many good games to surrender the championship to a Big Ten rematch, simply because two Big Ten teams put on a show Saturday afternoon,” opined the Harris voter.
“It's tough enough when all the top teams don't play each other. The last thing I want to see is a rematch.”
SportsJournalists.com COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
10/19/2009
RK. TEAM (1st) PTS Last
1. Florida (15) 800 1
2. Alabama (14) 797 2
3. Texas (2) 769 3
4 . USC 679 6
5. Boise State 670 5
6. Cincinnati 636 8
7. Iowa 632 11
8. Texas Christian 583 9
9. LSU 539 10
10. Miami (Fla.) 522 13
11. Oregon 486 12
12. Oklahoma St. 442 14
13. Georgia Tech 423 20
14. Penn State 401 15
15. BYU 388 18
16. Virginia Tech 359 4
17. Utah 253 22
18 Houston 232 24
19. Pitt 181 NR
tie. Ohio State 181 7
21. Texas Tech 143 NR
22. Kansas 119 16
23. West Virginia 106 NR
24. South Florida 97 19
25. Central Michigan 60 NR
Also receiving votes: Nebraska 42, South Carolina 37, Notre Dame 33, Mississippi 29, Oklahoma 22, Idaho 16, Arizona 12, Cal 11, Oregon State 8, Michigan 7, Navy 6, North Carolina 4.
The SportsJournalists.com college football poll committee: Slappy4428 (chairman), 2muchcoffeeman, Agate Page, Azom, Bubbler BYH, Della9250, Diabeetus, Dparker85, GB-Hack, Hammer Pants, Hank Scorpio, Huggy, Ishouldcoco, Jesus Muscatel, Joe Schmoe, KYsportswriter, Layman, Madhavok, Matt1735, Orville Redenbacher, Oz, Piotr Rasputin, Popedirkbenedict, Precious Roy, Red Smith Clone, Rockbottom, Rumpleforeskin, spnited, Stormsurge, Trooper Bari, WS, Songbird. Not Voting: Elliotte Friedman, Starman, Sxysptswrtr.
