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

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

So you think the title game is clear cut?

Dec. 1, 2008

By SLAPPY 4428
Pole Guy

I’ve looked long and hard at all the discussion and discourse on which two teams should play for the national championship. Some I agree with, some I don’t and others are just dumb.

Now, I’m only one guy with one opinion. I have no more credence than some of the so-called experts out there – even though I run a poll and won our Yahoo Pick’Em league (“Who’s your daddy, bishes!”) two weeks before the end of the season.

The smart money is on the SEC Champ against the Big 12 Champ. And that’s nice and safe. Comfortable. Able to fit in a neat little box. But is it right?

On one side of the coin, you could have undefeated Alabama. Nice and safe. Beat everyone it faced. Plays in a major conference, so it must be the best undefeated team out there – especially if it beats Florida. Beat three ranked teams during the season, struggled with a couple of what should have been easy wins.

However, Utah’s beaten everyone its faced – couple of ranked teams in TCU and BYU, beat Oregon State too – the same Oregon State team that would have gotten a Rose Bowl-bid had it not gagged on a fattie against Oregon. And Boise State? Yeah. It’s undefeated too. Beat Oregon which beat Oregon State and beat Oregon by more points than Utah beat Oregon State. And it beat Fresno State by 51 points – a Fresno State team that beat Toledo, which beat Michigan by more points than Utah did.

But should those unbeaten teams be considered against the likes of Florida – which has looked impressive with all but one game – a loss at home? Should Florida, who lost at home to a now-top 25 team, be an automatic lock for a BCS title spot against the likes of USC, whose loss came on the road to now-top 25 team (sometimes) Oregon State, or Penn State – which beat Oregon State but lost by a point on the road to a near-top 25 team in Iowa?

Thank goodness for the Big 12, huh? That’s the best conference in the nation, you know. You’ve got three teams with one loss and all to each other.

Oklahoma’s headed to the title game, but it lost to Texas, which lost to Texas Tech, which was shelled by Oklahoma. So the Sooners – and tell me you didn’t want to put an ice pick in your ear drum by the middle of the fourth quarter from listening to “Boomer Sooner” – have the chance to head to the BCS title game with a win; though Texas by virtue of playing in the toughest league in the land, could go with an Okie loss even though neither it or Texas Tech will represent the division in the league title game, let alone win the league.

So it’s an easy choice by taking the Big 12, right?

However, outside the Big 12, what have the Big Three done? Let’s look. (OK, everyone take a break, get something to drink)….

Sure, they are a combined 12-0 non-conference. Oklahoma had wins of solid consequence – Cincinnati, which wasn’t ranked at the time and is going to be headed to a BCS bowl not by performance but affiliation, and TCU, which lost to Utah. But the other two teams are 1-23. Texas’s opponents are 25-23 but only one – Rice – is bowl worthy; and Texas Tech feasted on the likes of Eastern Washington and Massachusetts to the tune of a 21-26 record.

So before the powers that be anoint the SEC-Big 12 champions as the saviors of college football and guzzle this nonsensical spooge of how these are really semi-final games, let’s call it what it truly is – manipulation. Because the world needs to be saved from A) Pete Carroll, B) the Big Ten and C) any school that tries to nudge its way into the big piece of the ESPN/ABC/FOX pie by, you know, daring to be great.


SportsJournalists.com COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
12/1/2008
RK. TEAM (1st) PTS Last
1. Alabama (39) 1103 1
2. Oklahoma (3) 1043 2
3. Texas 1029 3
4. Florida (4) 1025 4
5. USC 952 5
6. Penn State 873 6
7. Utah 857 7
8. Texas Tech 799 8
9. Boise State 782 9
10. Ohio State 722 10
11. Ball State 646 13
12. TCU 627 15
13. Cincinnati 558 17
14. Oklahoma State 526 11
15. Georgia Tech 445 21
16. Oregon 412 19
17. BYU 357 18
18. Missouri 332 12
19. Boston College 295 22
20. Georgia 263 14
21. Michigan State 247 20
22. Mississippi 173 25
23. Pitt 147 NR
24. Northwestern 134 24
25. Oregon State 96 16
Also receiving votes: Iowa 54, Virginia tech 32, Tulsa 22, Florida State 20, Western Michigan 20, North Carolina 11, California 8, Rutgers 8, Rice 5, Kansas 3, Nebraska 1, Central Michigan 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, Inkywretch, Joe Schmoe, Joel Hammond, jps, KYsportswriter, Madhavok, Mustangj17, OJ1414, Orville Redenbacher, Oz, Piotr Rasputin, Precious Roy, Rufino, Rumpleforeskin, Spnited, Sportschick, Stagger Lee, Starman, Sxysptswrtr,, Trooper Bari, Songbird, Zebracoy, Zeke12.

Missing voters in italics

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

Just a quick question, how many people are ranking Alabama No. 1 because they think they are the best team in the country and could beat anyone on the field and how many are voting them No. 1 because they are undefeated in the SEC?
Please, just a show of hands.

By they way, they are No. 5 in my poll I think OU, Texas, Florida and the boys from Troy could beat them.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

I'll admit I'm in the latter. They're undefeated in the best -- or, at worst, second-best this year -- conference in the country. What more can you ask of them? They won't drop for me until they lose.

Besides, I'm not a big fan of "style points." Just because Oklahoma or Florida can put up 40-60 points on everybody doesn't make them the best team. If you're that dominant, why aren't you undefeated like Alabama? Gotta punish the six teams behind 'em for losing.

Fortunately, this will get played out on the field. If Florida's better, show it. If the other BCS finalist is better, show it. Alabama's the only team that's shown it so far.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

I would think undefeated in any BCS conference in week 14 would earn Bammer the right, most of the time. Not just the SEC...

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

Same here.

Style points don't matter to me and is probably one of the things most wrong with college football.

Bama will be my No. 1 until (and unless) they lose.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

who cares if you think those teams can beat alabama -- they haven't. alabama has proven itself.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

I've been voting Bama No. 2 only because they're unbeaten.
I honestly believe Okla, Fla and USC are the three best teams in the country and Texas is 4th... than probably Bama.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

How have they proven anything what that schedule?

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

You wait just a second, mister! Alabammy has beaten tons of great teams. Clemson. LSU. Georgia. They ring a bell?

I bet you feel real stupid now, don't ya?

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

Boy do I ever.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

It's the latter, of course. For some reason, people think you have to vote for an undefeated SEC team even if you think that team is not as good as several others.

It should be simple: Vote for who you believe is the best team in the country at the moment of voting, period. No games. No bullshit. Just give an honest assessment, no ifs, ands or buts.

 

Re: 2008 SportsJournalists.com college football poll -- Week 14 (12/1) Page 106

Such a novel idea.