Final Coaches Poll

USA Today has the ballots up for the final coaches poll here.

Unlike last year’s ballots, there’s nothing truly outrageous this time around to point at.

Richt has Florida and Bama first and second.   No coach gave Georgia a vote in the top ten.  On the bottom side, the Dawgs received two votes at 21st, one from Urban Meyer.

And the strangest thing Hal Mumme did with his (presumably) last regular season vote was to rank Texas Tech third.  That wasn’t even the highest ranking the Red Raiders received – Mike Leach voted his team second.

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If everyone is special, then no one is.

You know, today Tony Barnhart indulges in the kind of reasoning that makes you understand why so many people are playoff proponents.

… Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and that should stand for something. So here is the answer. The Associated Press media poll finished 1) Florida, 2) Oklahoma, 3) Texas. The 65 voters in the AP poll are not bound by the BCS championship results. If Oklahoma beats Florida for the BCS title, the AP championship should go to Texas. There is nothing wrong with a split national championship. Southern Cal was No. 1 in both human polls in 2003 and did not get into the big game. The AP poll gave the Trojans their championship. That would be the right thing to do here.

No, it wouldn’t.  #1 plays and beats #2 and winds up behind #3?  Why bother to play the games at all, Tony – let’s just go ahead and give both schools MNC trophies and be done with it.  Give the Gators one, too; if Florida and Texas both win their bowl games, heck, both of ’em beat Oklahoma, so they should tie anyway.

This isn’t what the polls are for.

Besides, Barnhart leaves out one little detail in his argument for 2003 as precedent.  Going in to the bowl games, Southern Cal was ranked ahead of LSU in the AP, so that when both schools won, the AP was preserving the order of the teams.  Barnhart is arguing for something very different here when he proposes that the voters jump Texas over Oklahoma if both win.

Granted, the AP doesn’t count for anything in terms of how the BCS is structured these days.  But I can’t think of a faster way to destroy its credibility, whatever that might be, by having an agenda.

Monday morning sampler

A few things to peek at from this weekend and this morning:

• Dude, where’s my championship game crowd?  A couple of more years of this and the ACC is going to have to start scheduling its CG as some school’s home game to get people to show up.
• Dan McCarney’s getting an interview and Charlie Strong isn’t?  What’s wrong with this picture?
• Jan Kemp passed away and the AJ-C reminds us that Hale Almand won’t ever be confused with Clarence Darrow.
• The Wall Street Journal looks at the dominance of the South over college football.  Nice quote from James Carville about the home folks:  “Half the people in that stadium can’t spell LSU…”
• The WSJ also takes the time to remind academics that when it comes to coaching salaries, it’s all about supply and demand, baby.
• One bright spot for Missouri in the Big XII championship game – the Tigers managed to cut Oklahoma’s red zone TD percentage on the season all the way down to 86.25%.
• The South may fall again:   Next year’s crop of SEC starting quarterbacks looks like a very underwhelming bunch right now (although I’d be shocked if Ryan Mallett isn’t starting at Arky).

It’s bowl season: first thoughts

I know it’s small consolation for those yearning for a D-1 football playoff, but (unlike last year), there are some pretty good BCS matchups.

The Rose and Fiesta are both compelling, with big time programs all having something to prove.  The Sugar isn’t nearly as lopsided as it was last year (and I think Utah could surprise a lot of folks against Alabama).  As for the Orange… at least they managed to put the weakest BCS conference teams in the same game.  If nothing else, Cincy and Virginia Tech will only clutter up one game, instead of two.

As for the rest, there are more than a few that bear watching, at least for a little while:

• Hawaii. Can Notre Dame avoid another losing season?  I hope not.
• PapaJohn’s.com. Don’t laugh.  Okay, laugh at the name, but not at NC State or Rutgers.  They’ve been two of the hotter teams in the country over the last five or so weeks.  Plus, they’re easier to spell.
• Texas. Track meet city.
• Holiday. Ditto.  Plus it’s one last chance to see the team that Georgia opens with next season.
• Chick-fil-A. Because I’m a glutton for punishment.  Can Georgia Tech win 10 games this season?
• Music City. Vandy’s in a bowl game!  That’s worth at least fifteen minutes of my attention.
• Outback. Regardless of who wins, Gamecock fans will start making reservations for the 2009  SECCG about thirty minutes after this one’s over.
• Cap One. Because none of us have any idea which Georgia team will show up.  And because it’s probably the last time we’ll see Moreno suit up in the red and black.
• Cotton. Mike Leach’s chance to remind Tennessee and Auburn what they’ll be missing.
• GMAC. Track meet on steroids.  Besides, there’s nothing else on that day.

My Mumme Poll ballot, Week 15: The remains of the day

The regular season ends, for some with a bang, for some with a whimper.  My top twelve didn’t change very much.

TOP FIVE

• Alabama
• Florida
• Oklahoma
• Southern California
• Texas

BEST OF THE REST

• Boise State
• Ohio State
• Oklahoma State
• Penn State
• TCU
• Texas Tech
• Utah

COMMENTS:

• I really didn’t want to vote for a #12 this week.  Okie State gets it because… well, hell, somebody had to go there.
• I left ‘Bama in the top five.  I think the Tide would beat Penn State on a neutral field.  I may change my mind after the bowl games, of course.
• Speaking of which, Utah is going to give Alabama a better fight than most people think.
• Once again, I’m glad I don’t have to nitpick my way through whether Florida or Oklahoma should be #1 right now.  Approval voting rocks!