FINALLY! SJ.com College Football Poll -- FINAL POST-BOWL POLL -- PAGE 48

Welcome to the SportsJournalists.com football poll archive....

Preseason Poll -- 8/23/07
Week 1 -- 9/4/07
Week 2 -- 9/10/07
Week 3 -- 9/17/07
Week 4 -- 9/24/07
Week 5 -- 10/01/07
Week 6 -- 10/08/07
Week 7 -- 10/15/07
Week 8 -- 10/22/07
Week 9 -- 10/29/07
Week 10 -- 11/5/07
Week 11 -- 11/12/07
Week 12 -- 11/19/07
Week 13 -- 11/26/07
Final Regular Season --12/2/07
Final Post-Bowl Poll -- 1/8/08

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

By SLAPPY4428
SportsJournalists.com Pollmeister

Why do polls exist?
Because of our "need-to-know-now" culture? Because we love to see how we're better than the other guy? Because we need a winner if the race hasn't started?
Yes. And no.
In this case, it's all of the above. And it's also because we feel we're just as good as the other guys.
Sure the Associated Press has been doing this since Spnited coached Jim Thorpe. OK, so USA Today has been doing this since UPI started selling lawn furniture to pay the telephone bill.
Computers? Hah.
If this poll were any more down-to-earth, it would be Aunt Bee's apple pie.
Sure, we're sports journalists. We're also fans. We watch college football.
Exactly how many games will college SIDs... ummm, coaches watch on a given weekend besides the one the coached in? Maybe one?
If an AP voter is covering the 3:30 game in Ann Arbor, they might get to watch a little bit of the ESPN Plus game at noon (cause they ain't watching the BTN) and they might get to see the end of the 7 p.m. start of the SEC game on ESPN.
And no one east of the Mississippi cares about the night game from the Big 12, Pac-10 or the Mountain West (ever).
We do.
The 36 people who accepted this weekly challenge did it because they love college football. Once upon a time, they might have covered a Division 1 college team, but they've found their niche on the desk. Or in preps. Or covering baseball. Or making snowballs. Or buying pumps.
Think AP is going to have two voters from Canada? We do. Why? They didn't need a visa to follow the sport. Does ESPN/USA Today have a voter from Alaska? No. We do.
You'll find voters from Maine to California, Florida to Oregon.
Why? They follow the sport just like everyone else with an opinion.
Our rules are simple: Give an honest effort. And there will be mistakes and oversights made -- like the single voters who left Florida, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech off the ballot or the two who didn't give the nod to Oklahoma.
Yes, some voter actually thought Alabama was 18th best. But they were the only one. One voter picked Notre Dame. One voter. One stinkin' voter.
However, those people who picked Charlie Weis and Nick Saban may prove to be remarkable prophets come Dec. 10. Or, they could look dumber than the guy who walked into the bear cage drunk and naked.
But they made the effort and stayed on topic.
So for better or worse, here's the first poll. Except for Labor Day week, we'll have this out on Tuesdays (Wednesday for the Monday holiday).
It's not a race. Theress no need to have the poll up on Sunday night. Wesd rather have it right than be first.
Why?
They work and practice just as hard as the other players. This time, for a change, they get their pictures in the paper.



SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll
Aug. 22, 2007

1. Southern Cal (28) 888
2. LSU (3) 809
3. West Virginia (1) 779
4. Texas 767
5. Michigan (1) 756
6. Florida (3) 724
7. Louisville 616
8. Wisconsin 611
9. Virginia Tech 577
10. Oklahoma 571
11. Ohio State 508
12. California 494
13. Georgia 401
14. Rutgers 379
15. Tennessee 378
16. Auburn 345
17. Penn State 308
18. UCLA 253
19. Boise State 238
20. Nebraska 224
21. Arkansas 219
22. Florida State 159
23. Hawaii 147
24. TCU 118
25. Texas A&M 83
Also receiving votes: Boston College 82; Wake Forest and Oregon 48, Missouri 44; South Carolina 19; Georgia Tech and Oregon State 15; South Florida 14; Miami (Fla.) 11; Alabama 8; Oklahoma State and Iowa 7; BYU, Notre Dame and Clemson 4; Southern Mississippi and Clemson 3; Western Michigan 2; Kentucky, Central Michigan and Ohio U., 1.

SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll committee: Slappy4428 (chairman), Oz, The Good Doctor, Elliotte Friedman, Hockeybeat, amraeder, Starman, Eagleboy, Hank Scorpio, Sportschick, Mystery Meat, Barsuk, WS, GB-Hack, Della9250, Mayfly, Micropolitan Guy, Huggy, dparker85, Gutter, Buckweaver, sxysprtswrtr, Orville Redenbacher, spnited, Idaho, Joel Hammond, Precious Roy, HackWilson191, BYH, AgatePage, Piotr Rasputin, Rufino, Trooper Bari, Beanpole, OJ1414, Jesus_Muscatel, Songbird (incredibly tardy and reprehensibly late member).

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Out-fucking-standing. Good work, slappy. This is going to be a helluva thread all season.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Well, as long as Ohio U. stops getting votes it will.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Still can't believe Wake isn't in. And Florida is getting waaaay too much credit for a team that graduated most of its defense.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

I am assuming it is those folks who think a defending champion should be No. 1 the following season.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Glad to see the SportsJournalists.com pollsters went out on a limb and picked some different teams in the top 10.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Not a bad first effort boys (and girls), let's see how comical this looks come January.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Would you have rather seen us put Kansas, Rutgers or Boise State in the top spot?

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

I'm honestly surprised no one picked Boise State No. 1.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

That was part of my dilemma, too. I'm trying to remember most of these teams from last year and decide who was better - but I don't have the slightest clue, for a lot of the areas outside my team, how many seniors graduated off these teams.

The next poll should be much better.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

I almost put Boise State in the top spot, and I am not who voted for Ohio, btw. I voted for directional Michigan