I’ve been reading articles and comments on B/R this morning, and a question popped into mind. Do the pollsters read this stuff? Do the pollsters listen to the pundits on ESPN? In other words, do they drink the same Kool-Aid the rest of us are swilling? And who the heck are they, anyway?
You know, sometimes I realize I am full of it. I go along thinking the people voting in these polls are something greater than they actually are. I marvel at the way they can evaluate all the talent and all the coaches to come up with those marvelous preseason polls.
Think about it: All those hours of poring over high school game film, all those hours of evaluating the effect of teams losing players to the NFL, the thought process of determining how the freshman talent will mesh with the players that remain on all the squads in bigtime football. It must be a heavy burden.
One wonders when a pollster would find time to handle a day job, unless perhaps they are paid a huge sum of pesos just to vote. And when do they sleep? There’s a lot to consider, unless...
Suppose those people are just like us. Suppose they, too, have a favorite team and a favorite conference. Suppose they let ESPN determine who is numero uno, then they proceed to fill in the other slots from the same base of ignorance under which the rest of us labor.
- B/R Ticket Guide
To do the job right after the season begins, one would have to pore through game film from the moment games end one week until they begin again the next week. Really, how strong is a particular linebacker? Run all the game film watching only that player, then run the film 10 more times for the other players, and that’s just the defense.
See how well a particular linebacker uses his down linemen to avoid blocks. See if he bites on ball fakes too easily. Does he drop back in pass coverage better than the other three or four hundred linebackers playing each week? Does he move down the line quickly enough on sweeps?
It cannot be done. So I am left to assume they truly are just like the rest of us. They watch games through the same sort of tinted glasses the rest of us are wearing.
Some are overly dependent on “common opponent” implications, an area we all know means absolutely zero, nada, zilch—nothing. Some are overly impressed by a team running over an opponent that might simply be having a bad day, or had received a dose of faulty coaching the past week.
USC is a prime example. After two games (two games?) superlatives were flowing from ESPN “experts.” Articles and comments were flying, and I heard and read more than once that this was the greatest defense in the history of the game.
Do they realize how long this game has been around? Could the pollsters and pundits have been so wrong? Or could it be that Pete Carroll simply came up with the wrong game plan, made a mistake, and s*** the bed?
The hyperbole is self-fueling. Why do sharks seem to go mad and race with jaws agape to bite off a chunk of anything in the water? Pollsters and fans are pretty much like sharks during football season. Perhaps we just need something to happen that will make this day more significant than yesterday, and perhaps that is the reason we proclaim the emergence of the greatest team in history...every bloody year.
Hey, before you get all wrapped up thinking about all the profound questions I have so eloquently posed, stop! Have some barbecue. Have a beverage. Get ready for some great football action, because hundreds of No. 1 teams will be playing today, and you will get to see a good number of them, unless you are so rabid you absolutely must be present at a stadium to see the “game of the ages,” in which case you might only see two teams today.
It’s just football. And I’m pretty sure all of you will agree the LSU Tigers play it better than any other team in the country.
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about 1 month ago
Beautifully done.
Its hype and it should never be believed. Its now a game of any given Saturday, and today has proved it. No one is safe from anyone.
Why anyone would trust an ESPN "expert" makes me worried for the human race.
from about 1 month ago
For sure Jon. Isn't Lou Holtz and ESPN "expert". Enough said about that.
from about 1 month ago
Honestly, ESPN has one job and that is to increase ratings. It is not able reporting what is reality it is about getting us to watch their programs and talk about it so that we will continue to tune in so we can hear what they are saying. If you want to be entertained ESPN is the perfect spot but although I am new here as far as I can see B/R provided more information and better opinions that the so called "experts".
from about 1 month ago
Ron,
Simply put, no poll should be issued until October 1st.
about 1 month ago
Wow! What a great article. Jon, you nailed it. I was loving every word--until the last sentence.
LSU is a great team, but they have as yet to play Oregon. Now when that happens in January, we'll find out which team is better; at least on that day. But I grant you, at the end of the day LSU will be either number 1 or number 2.
Good job. ****. POTD.
about 1 month ago
The atmosphere at the games (heck, even on TV) is so much better than the NFL, you have a point--best to enjoy the fun, it's quite a roller coaster!
And, given that my own vote in the B/R poll had USC/Florida/Georgia/LSU/Oklahoma, in that order, I'm somewhat certain (for this week, at least!) that I agree with your last sentence.
And yes, the whole thing does make us look like fools, until the end of the season, at which time the polls (the BCS ranking, anyway) become sacrosanct and determine the course of the postseason. I'd much rather see "December Madness".
Good article, Roy!
from about 1 month ago
Hey, Scot, I would't be so quick to agree with me about LSU. I'm wrong about this stuff so often it's a wonder I even dare to produce thoughts about football ratings. I'll tell you how bad it is. I still think USC is the team to beat. Surprised? Me too. Maybe I've had too much Kool-Aid. Still, I wanted them out of the top spot. But I did not believe they would lose to Oregon State until that interception. Goes to show you how much I know.
And about the Tigers. They are my number one. As ugly a game as they played, I gotta believe. But who on the face of this football crazy planet would agree? Not many. Nevertheless, I think the whole team, including Les Miles and his coaches, play the game with so much joy, how can you not love them? The point is, you can have any number one you want. And even a loss, amidst great wins by other contestants, doesn't have to mean anything unless you want it to.
To he11 with the polls.
from about 1 month ago
I know. And the polls at this point are like mortgage-backed securities on Wall Street... not worth a whole h-e-double hockey stick of a lot.
That said, I did have the Bayou Bengals at #4 and the three above them lost, so it makes sense. For now. ;-) You can read my summary for this week's vote at my profile, I've just posted it.
I know that teams that "win ugly" sometimes get dissed in the polls, but the W-L record still remains an important marker, and so an ugly win trumps a beautiful loss.
Well, of course, then you have to figure in opponent's rating, S.O.S., prevailing wind direction, humidity, and what part of the country the pollsters are from... *sheesh*.
Playoff...
Playoff...
Playoff...
Let the rankings become irrelevant, once the playoffs begin. Just as in basketball, it should be up to the players to give it their all on the field, instead of hoping some voters will bump the team up from #4 (or whatever) into a title game.
about 1 month ago
with Georgia losing all the Georgia fans will stop complaining about not being number 1 but all the bama fans will start screaming they should be number 1 over Oklahoma and Lsu...
from about 1 month ago
also with Florida losing to Ole Miss will this further the SEC fans proclaiming that their conference is so close from top to bottom while it happens in about every other conference too? I mean OSU with beanie wells only beat minnesota who had 1 win last year by 13.
from about 1 month ago
You're getting into schematics. What happened last year is irrelevant.
On a quick note, Alabama fans have every right to scream whatever they want. They sat idly by over the past 6 years through 4 coaches, and disappointing seasons. This year, with all the young talent and only 9 scholarship seniors (shortest senior list in the NCAA I might add), bet your ass Alabama is working on what every Bama fan could only hope for...the rebirth of a dynasty.
If you're assuming Alabama doesn't have a reason to have such high hopes...you assume too much. 12 National Titles, 21 SEC Titles - When you get use to winning, losing is not an option.
about 1 month ago
Nice article...I think the Tigers will have a great shot at being back in the hunt for another crystal ball if they can shore-up a few areas aside from the obvious in the QB dept. I was a little concerned about the Miss. St. game coming off a big win at Auburn, but aside from the Defense giving up that many scores to State...I was happy with their perfomance. It should be fun to see what happens. Geaux Tigers!
from about 1 month ago
Oh Dale, that game in Baton Rouge was so ugly, a mother would deny giving it birth. But on a number of plays the Tigers looked awfully strong. They better be. They still have Florida (they probably can't believe they lost and want to show everyone it's a mistake), Georgia (probably really pixxed off football team), Alabama (a really confident Alabama), South Carolina (which would like to get back a little love for the bowl process), and let's not forget Ole Miss (who could easily be 5-0 at this moment).
about 1 month ago
This weekend is a reminder that college sports are crazy and unpredictable. Remember, the vast majority of its athletes are 18-22 years old. They are more prone to mental mistakes and emotional letdowns than their professional counterparts.
about 1 month ago
Being at LSU you should be praising ESPN and all the other publications. They helped you tremendously reach the title game last year.
This is regular season and conference champsionship not including bowl game. You had 2 losses with the 40th toughest schedule in the country. Your losses came against 2 non-ranked opponents. You did beat one BSC bowl bound team.
Mizzou last year had the 33rd toughest schedule along with 2 losses to the number 8th ranked team. It had wins over 2 BCS bound teams.
Bowl game now. LSU beat #1 Ohio State who Mizzou did not get a chance to play. Mizzou destroyed unranked AR 38-7 who beat LSU at home 50-48.
Those SOS's included the bowl games. Defeating #1 Ohio State in the title game helped you get to #40. Defeating unranked AR helped us get to #33. I will only guess that Mizzou had a much better SOS before the bowl games.
I know, Mizzou didn't have a defense last year. We held AR to 6 points when they scored 50 on LSU.
I will say Mizzou may have not deserved a spot in the title game but it did over LSU last year. Being from a perennial powerhouse, of course ESPN, other media and the BCS help the team make it to the top games. If you lose bad games, period, you should not get a shot at the title. This year a great Mountain West team may be left out because of ESPN and other media.
Besides beating OSU the past few years in the title game, what big OOC wins do the SEC have?
from about 1 month ago
I did forget about MS last year. We both played them. LSU beat them at MS 41-24. Mizzou beat them at MS 38-25.
from about 1 month ago
i'm sure mizzou would have put up a better fight than ohio state did, but you really can't discount what LSU did last year which i could list many things but i'll just name two:
1) beat 8 ranked teams last year. VT, carolina, UF, kentucky, bama, auburn, tennessee, and ohio state.
2) won their conference. i won't argue the merits of winning the SEC and how tough it is, most should know that.
that being said, i would love to see mizzou make some noise this year. they won't have to face the sooners twice which will be a good thing.
about 1 month ago
I got news for you....the pollsters don't watch all the games. They can't- some of the games don't end until 2AM their time. That's why some teams don't get the recognition they deserve.
You really nailed it with this article...I loved it. It's scary how much control ESPN has...Tuberville has complained about it for two years.
POTD. Five Stars!
from about 1 month ago
TT will never get over 2004. And I'm not saying he should. But I think we have let this "who's number one" get out of hand. Still, a lot of schools depend on football money for all the other sports, so I'm sure ratings and championships are extremely important to them.
Probably the thing that has created so much interest is the fact schools have learned what the old perennial power houses always knew. Gotta spend money to make money. When the SEC boys got together behind closed doors and created a master plan, they brought along plenty of money. The Big 12 saw the possibilities and jumped in head-first. Then the ACC, the Big East, jeez! the Sun Belt, CUSA. How many others?
And we are all absolutely eating it up. It used to be only a hand full of fans could lay claim to numero uno. Now, we can all get in on the act, and ESPN is turning that into gold.
Thanks for reading.
about 1 month ago
great article. LSU will survive their game in the swamp
from about 1 month ago
I hope you're right. But what about the rest of those games. Only against Arkansas can they dare to think they have a game in the bag, until the memory of last year crashes home. LSU be in for a lot of digging. Pass the shovels, boys!
about 1 month ago
Oh give ESPN a break nobody could've predicted this past weekend, a million other "experts" got things wrong. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're not.
about 1 month ago
Excellent article Roy! You hit the nail on the head! Very well written.
*****POTD
about 1 month ago
Great article and all espn does is hype up tons of things that shouldn't be....college teams and players, hype hype and more hype. It gets a bit annoying and sometimes I wish the polls didn't come out until week 7 or 8. And even after that I wish for a playoff system... one point i do not agree with you on...LSU was the best team last year yes....this year I don't think they are even a top 3 team. Their quarterback play is going to hurt them. Scott is a great runner and they always have a great defense but the Auburn team they beat in my opinion is one of the most overrated teams in the country.
from about 1 month ago
What you have to always remember about Auburn is they can find a way to beat any team, or get blown out.
You have to experience LSU or Auburn football to know what that game means every year. I will go so far as to say that in recent years it has supplanted the Alabama game for most Auburn fans and players. It is certainly as big to LSU fans as the Florida game.
LSU is showing some weakness, but remember that they too can find a way to beat any team. They have great talent, and one thing I can promise you. At no place will the players work harder than they will work for Les Miles. (I can't believe I'm saying that. I thought the guy would be a bust.)
about 1 month ago
Great article. 5 Stars, POTD.
I wish that College Football could do away with polls all together. Probably not feasible, but the NFL doesn't rank their teams and they never have a controversy at the end of the year about the Champion of the league.
from about 1 month ago
True, but the great thing about college ball is, we can just ignore the polls if they don't suit us. Why should we all agree? How boring would that be?
about 1 month ago
Have you tried that "I'm an LSU fan so there's really no other Kool-Aid worth drinking because we play in the SEC so therefore we must be better than every other team in the nation because even if we lose one or two games, those game are likely in the SEC and that's really all that matters because we can justify those losses better than other teams and we're probably going to play a really awesomely bad team like Ohio State in the title game and reaffirm to everyone that LSU really is a pretty good team even though any other half decent team outside of the Big Ten would run roughshod over an Ohio State team but it's cool because really, we are the best, because we say so, and we live on the legacy of not having to play teams with similar talent or speed than us" Kool-Aid. It's bomb, bro.
from about 1 month ago
That right there is some powerful strong tea to me, Stephen. But bring it to Baton Rouge, and I bet you could sell a lake of it. Change the name, and you could peddle it in Norman or Los Angeles. make a bloody fortune, you will.
about 1 month ago
Touche, and Amen I say to you.
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