2008 sj.com college football poll -- (1/9) Final Poll, Page 118

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 7 10/13, Pg. 61

Instead of a long reply with past weeks, the number in parenthesis is where I ranked teams since the first poll of the year) ...

1, texas (1-7-7-9-9-13)
2, penn state (2-4-4-12-14-NR)
3, alabama (3-5-5-15-18-NR)
4, usc (7-9-9-1-1-6)
5, okie state (4-12-14-16-19-NR)
6, texas tech (5-6-6-8-8-12)
7, utah (8-10-11-14-17-NR)
8, florida (9-11-13-4-4-3)
9, okie (10-2-2-6-6-9)
10, ohio state (13-14-16-19-22-7)
11, boise state (14-15-19-24-NR-NR)
12, georgia (15-17-20-2-2-2)
13, pittsburgh (22-23-NR-NR-NR-NR)
14, webby u. (23-24-10-11-12-18)
15, missouri (11-1-1-3-3-4)
16, texas christian (NR-NR-NR-20-23-NR)
17, boston college (not ranked till this week)
18, kansas (12-13-15-18-21-8)
19, ball state (25-NR-NR-NR-NR-NR)
20, tulsa (not ranked till this week)
21, minnesota (24-NR-NR-NR-NR)
22, byu (6-8-8-10-11-16)
23, georgia tech (not ranked till this week)
24, maryland (3-0 vs. ranked teams and unranked till this week)
25, north carolina (20-21-NR-NR-NR)

Fell out: virginny tech, wake forest, michigan state, california

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 7 10/13, Pg. 61

FYI: Poll's runnin late today... paying work comes first...

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

Oct. 20, 2008

BCS, BS... what's the difference?

By SLAPPY 4428
Poll Cat

Sometimes, it becomes difficult to write a story to accompany this poll. This stuff doesn’t just write itself you know. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to make this thing sing like it does.

This is not one of those times. Mercifully, the powers in charge of the BCS – the ones who still insist the Big East and ACC play major conference football instead of being the on-field equivalent of “The Daves” – have taken care of that for me. (Hey? Kids! Don’t know who “The Daves” are? Ask a friend in the SEC!)

They were kind enough to debut this year’s first BCS poll just in time to avoid a massive case of writer’s block. (I’m still feeling a little bloated and gassy, however.)

They give you great material to work with. I mean not everyone knows what the BCS is about. Some people just think that it’s like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, spinning dials into the whirligig to come up with two teams. Others think it’s really about the bowl scouts. Still others feel that it’s a perfect way to tie in product placement for high-quality visibility of branding.

I’ve dug up some information on the BCS. And with typical corporate fluff, it needs a little perspective and explanation. So I’m here to help.

ABOUT THE BCS

The Bowl Championship Series was established to determine the national champion for college football while maintaining and enhancing the bowl system that's nearly 100 years old. (We can’t get rid of all the bowls, but we can pick four that we can rape and pillage for ticket prices on while commanding the high-dollar advertisers – not in the name of football unity, but to make a buck for ourselves.)

The BCS has quickly become a showcase for the sport (It’s a showcase because we say it is.), matching the best teams at the end of the season. (Explain Hawaii.) The BCS consists of the Rose Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game. (All branded by established companies with actual dollars in hand. None of this dot.com invisible assets in our club.)

Until the early 1990s the selection process for major bowl matchups with affiliated conference champions was totally disorganized and in many cases resulted in a chaotic situation (yup, nothing says chaos like a system that worked for 60 years.). Some bowls would effectively make selections after seven or eight games (Because they didn’t want to wind up in Shreveport.). The BCS has worked to develop a system that not only allows the selection process to be completed at the end of the regular season and creates better matchups. (Nothing says a special matchup like LSU 41, Notre Dame 14.)

For the first time in college football history the BCS has opened the bowl agreements more so than they have ever been, and in doing so have elevated the possibility of excitement in college football (because nothing existed before we found a way to make money with....). But, at the same time, it's being done within the framework of the bowl system that has been an integral part of the tradition and success of college football (…the blessing of those in charge.). Look no further than the 2006 Rose Bowl matchup between Texas and USC as an example of the BCS at its best. (And look no further than the 2007 Rose Bowl between USC and Illinois for an example of the BCS at its worst.)

The four possible at-large positions in the BCS are open to any Division I-A team (R-i-g-h-t. And redlining doesn’t exist in the insurance industry.). This allows any Division I-A school in the nation the opportunity to play in a BCS bowl game, should it qualify to play in the National Championship game or be selected by one of the bowls. (And if you think you’ll see 13-0 Ball State in any place but Detroit or Mobile, you’re nuts.)

The BCS also notes the importance of traditional and regional considerations regarding team selection. (Orange Bowl ain’t the same without a Big-12 team. Fiesta Bowl isn’t tradition, it’s convenience.) These consideration tie-ins include the ACC champion in the FedEx Orange Bowl, the SEC champion in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Big Ten and the Pac-10 champions in the Rose Bowl and the Big 12 champion in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. (If the ACC winner plays the Big East winner, will more viewers watch it or a rerun of Monk?)

Should a BCS Bowl's host champion be ranked number one or two in the final BCS Standings, the number one- or two-ranked team shall move to the national championship game and the Bowl shall select a replacement team from the BCS pool of eligible teams. (Tradition be damned; we’re gonna send Utah to Pasadena!) The pool will consist of any Division I-A team that is ranked among the top 14 in the final BCS standings and has achieved at least nine wins during the regular season (excluding NCAA-exempted contests). (This allows us to include Notre Dame where we see fit and exclude teams who are really good but play in the wrong conference.)

SportsJournalists.com COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
10/20/2008
RK. TEAM (1st) PTS Last
1. Texas (49) 1225 1
2. Penn State 1149 3
3 Alabama 1135 2
4. USC 1020 4
5. Oklahoma 997 5
6. Florida 926 6
7. Texas Tech 924 7
8. Oklahoma State 917 9
9. Georgia 846 10
10. Ohio State 788 12
11. Utah 774 13
12. LSU 695 14
13. Boise State 649 16
14. TCU 497 NR
15. South Florida 467 20
16. Missouri 425 11
17. BYU 364 8
18. Tulsa 348 24
19. Pittsburgh 345 25
20. Kansas 325 15
21. Ball State 299 23
22. Georgia Tech 209 NR
23. Minnesota 170 NR
24. Boston College 156 NR
25. Northwestern 65 NR
Also receiving votes: Florida State 63, Virginia tech 36, Cincinnati 31, Oregon 28, Arizona 17, Vanderbilt 15, Michigan State 14, North Carolina 12, Maryland 4, Air Force 4, Wake Forest 1, Oregon State 1, Virginia 1, California 1, South Carolina 1, West Virginia 1.


The SportsJournalists.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, OJ1414, Orville Redenbacher, Oz, Perennially Overrated, Piotr Rasputin, Precious Roy, Rufino, Rumpleforeskin, Spnited, Sportschick, Stagger Lee, Starman, Sxysptswrtr, Tom Petty,Trooper Bari, Songbird, Zebracoy, Zeke12.

Missing ballot in italics

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

Minn-ne-sota, hats off to thee,
To her colors true we shall ever be!

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

Hi. My name is BYH and I voted for Virginia...even though they're 4-3 and I loathe Al Groh with the power of a thousand suns. Nobody else at 25 impressed me, and Virginia's beaten three teams that have been in the top 25. Of course, the only team that was ranked at the time Virginia beat 'em was UNC, but still.

Hopefully Georgia Tech blasts the Cavaliers this weekend and I never have to swallow my bile and vote for Groh ever again.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

The United States Presidential Election of 2008 has clearly driven Zeke12 insane. Let those who follow him down the Minnesota Golden Gopher Football Path of Doom be warned.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

No, it's not the election. He's been like that ever since John Danks strangled the Twins in game #163. Sad, really.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

Who is this John Danks guy?

Signed,
A Rangers fan

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

he was in my psych 101 class my freshman year.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

John Danks does not exist.

He is a figment of our collective imaginations.

My 312 page opus proving this will be available through your fillings very soon.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

fuck if he doesn't. he cheated off my paper during the final.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- WEEK 8 10/20, Pg. 65

Dude, they lost by a shitload to Duke and by another shitload to UConn.

But Groh is a damn Rasputin.