BLOGPOLL BALLOT DRAFT, WEEK TEN: TROJANS SLIDE DOWN SNUGLY.
This week’s Blogpoll Ballot Draft, Halloween edition is submitted below for perusal. Pay little attention to the arrows, since they reflect moves made after a couple of save and edits. (To view last week’s ugly effort, click here.)
Questions and comments follow. Click on the jump…if you dare…
The horrors of our blogpoll ballot are just around the corner, mortal.
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | — |
| 2 | Michigan |  1 |
| 3 | Texas | 2 |
| 4 | Tennessee | — |
| 5 | California | 2 |
| 6 | Louisville | — |
| 7 | Southern Cal |  5 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 3 |
| 9 | Auburn | — |
| 10 | Florida | — |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 1 |
| 12 | Georgia Tech | 4 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | — |
| 14 | Rutgers | 4 |
| 15 | Boston College | 2 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 4 |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3 |
| 18 | Clemson | 10 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 4 |
| 20 | Wake Forest | 2 |
| 21 | Oregon | 6 |
| 22 | LSU | 4 |
| 23 | Virginia Tech | 3 |
| 24 | Boise State | — |
| 25 | Missouri | 4 |
Dropped out: NFL Reject Crew. Nebraska and Pitt both leave the poll, mostly because both keep crapping out in big games. Go figure that hiring two coaches from the pros whose teams never prevailed under pressure would create two college teams of approximately similar natures. Hmm…
Two OR Operations away from clarity. Two great divides left: OSU/UM and Louisville/WVU. After that, the deluge, a.k.a. a whole bundle of bad math, poll struggling, and PR tussling in very, very awkward fashion. And no one’s even thinking about a potential championship game bonus for and SEC or Big 12 team yet, which must have Texas feeling very bullish indeed.
Texas, good. They’re massively improved except for the secondary, which Texas Tech shot up on Saturday.
Southern Cal, trending downward. There’s a predictive element here, since we see them losing to Cal now and sagging lower and e’er lower in the polls. Dynastic trough reached, no matter how shallow that particular trough may be. (In USC’s case, very shallow–they’re real good-like out there.)
Bump to WVU.Florida, Auburn go nowhere. Weak sister play for Tigers, weak ass offensive slapfight for Florida means neither team goes anywhere. We hate the Gator offense right now. That is stating it gently, since we just threw our martini glass against the floor thinking about the playcalling Saturday.
Notre Dame, racking up the service academy points. USC’s loss wasn’t disaster for Notre Dame, but it wasn’t great, either. They’ll be pulling for the Trojans against Cal and everyone else to finish to bolster their own S.O.S., since they’ve got sweet, pressed-sandwich snacking between now and USC. They will, in the meantime, beat the daylights out of two service academies and North Carolina. Notre Dame beats the hell out of our fighting men’s football teams. Ask yourself this question: why do you hate America, Notre Dame?
Hogs, Clemson down. Clemson looked very one-dimensional against VT (who’s back in the poll after the win on Thursday night) and Arkansas is rooting through the candy bag late in the year. Taste the whip of a poll seen by at least three hundred people, Houston Nutt!
LSU, back in. Again, potentially a forecasting hedge based on their two huge games versus Tennessee and Arkansas. If Arkansas wins that game, they’ll be rocket propelled to the top ten. If LSU does, we’ll have to do some math. That’s only going to end in sorrow.
The rest, of course, is a total bloody mess. Please! Kindly requested is your input, which you may leave below. If you don’t, we’ll send that badass glass ball from Phantasm after you.
Commentary is requested…or else.
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1
Wooderson says:
wooooooowwwwww.
Hellraiser reference. give it up for one of the most F’ed up movies ever. The second one kept me awake all night when I was younger.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:17 pm
2
Nathan says:
There’s a lot of Reggie Ball manlove in this current edition of the ballot.
Georgia Tech may (or may not) be the best 2 loss team in the country – but even I’m not voting us 12 and I’m a giant homer!
October 31st, 2006 at 5:25 pm
3
Chris says:
Fuck you and your fucking hatred of Arkansas. Fuck Fuck Fuckity Fuck.
and Fuck.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:25 pm
4
Stranko Montana says:
Don’t take it personally. He apparently hates the Gators too, with USC being ranked above them despite UF playing inarguably the toughest schedule so far and losing…on the road… to a national championship contending team…. and USC losing to Oregon State (by what could have been 8 points if the refs properly saw that the USC receiver was out of bounds on the 4th down conversion) after sleepwalking through some close calls to the bottom feeders of their conference.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:28 pm
5
Orson Swindle says:
They could, perhaps, merit a lower ranking, particularly if esteemed co-blogger Stranko sounds off on the placement.
But oh, how we hate that offense right now.
As for Arkansas, it’s all in their hands now. Win and you go screaming into SEC Championship easily.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:32 pm
6
Hokie Andrew says:
Is that… Phantasm?
October 31st, 2006 at 5:32 pm
7
Chris says:
the Aggies and Badgers being ranked ahead are what confuses me more than any of it…do either of them have a win against a Top 10 team on the road or are undefeated in conference play like Arkansas?
whatevah. I’ll continue to simply enjoy being the team that can keep Auburn out of the SEC CG. for another few weeks at least.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:33 pm
8
Orson Swindle says:
The Aggies do belong behind the Hogs, Chris; we really like Wisconsin, though, and are pretty confident in saying that they’d beat the Hogs straight up.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:37 pm
9
Chris says:
I’ll consider conceding the point on Wisconsin, and there is a pretty good chance that they’ll meet the Hogs in a bowl as well.
Glad to hear you came around on the Aggies though. That was just salt in the wound.
meanwhile, I’ll keep hoping things go to plan and that on a December day in Atlanta, the blue shift of Darren McFadden will come Gator huntin’
October 31st, 2006 at 5:39 pm
10
Adam says:
Care to offer an explanation on Boise at 24, Orson?
October 31st, 2006 at 5:52 pm
11
oc phil says:
Steve Smith’s reception on 4th down was the right call on the field. While you really can’t see how his foot hits on the replay, when he lifts the foot you can see the clump of dirt/grass lift up a good 4 inches inside the line.
Other than the Arkansas/Auburn relative rankings and Georgia Tech looking a bit high, I’d say the rankings are sufficiently phantasimc.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:58 pm
12
Dick says:
Clemson stunk up the place last Thursday night and should not be on anyone’s poll as of now.
My Trojans lower and WVA higher, and it looks better than most others out there.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:59 pm
13
Stacy Keibler Loves Me says:
The Switcherooo Dept.:
Florida, a much better team in a stronger conference, should switch with Texas and be No. 3, while Texas would be fine in their No. 10 spot.
And, I agree….ND should be given negative points for playing real student/athletes….
October 31st, 2006 at 6:10 pm
14
Brad Warbiany says:
Orson,
It’s going to take two XOR operations for clarity in the UM/OSU and WVU/UL matchups. Trust me, I’m an engineer
October 31st, 2006 at 6:10 pm
15
rlc says:
Help me out here, SEC fans. Is it true that the tiebreaker for the SEC divisions is head-to-head record? I’m just wondering what will happen if –
Tennessee wins out
Auburn wins out
Florida wins out
Arkansas finishes with only the one conference loss to Tennessee
and then,
Arkansas beats Florida in the SEC Championship.
Would the SEC send a one-loss team to the Mythical National Championship game, when said team didn’t even qualify for the SEC Championship game? And if so, which team? Yikes.
October 31st, 2006 at 6:36 pm
16
A5 says:
I’d definitely put GT about 15th, if not 16th. If there was a spot for 15.5, I’d put them there.
October 31st, 2006 at 6:45 pm
17
Rickdog says:
RLC, you’ve got it pretty much right. If that scenario plays out and either Auburn or Tenn. is No. 2, they would go to the MNC game while Arkansas would go to the Sugar Bowl. I’m kinda surprised none of the media has pointed that possibility out and analyzed it endlessly, but I guess they think there’s no chance of Arkansas beating Florida.
October 31st, 2006 at 6:57 pm
18
Will Collier says:
You play a good game, boy.
October 31st, 2006 at 7:20 pm
19
BJ Strykker says:
The lower Orson ranks the Gators, the higher they will rise. It’s inevitable. I take it as a good sign.
But USC– with their weak-ass schedule– three spots above our Gators? After getting whipped by the Vanderbilt of the West? Make that next martini a double, my man.
October 31st, 2006 at 7:24 pm
20
AUAlum says:
Is this the first Orson vs Stranko cyber disagreement we’ve seen?
October 31st, 2006 at 7:35 pm
21
BC Eagle says:
I can’t believe you have GT ahead of BC….that’s just a travesty. Only Jim Mora’s squeal of “Playoffs!?!” can restore my football mood….
October 31st, 2006 at 7:55 pm
22
Bobby Bowden says:
Did anyone see my running game? I could’ve sworn I brought it with me
October 31st, 2006 at 7:59 pm
23
BJ Strykker says:
Thank goodness for the computers.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:07 pm
24
Stacy Keibler Loves Me says:
Blow Job Strykker:
RE: But USC– with their weak-ass schedule– three spots above our Gators? After getting whipped by the Vanderbilt of the West? Make that next martini a double, my man.
Your lovable computers rank USC’s schedule as toughest in the country.
But, I agree that Florida should be ahead of USC, given the recent awful loss to the eager-Beavers.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:13 pm
25
PeteJayhawk says:
“Is this the first Orson vs Stranko cyber disagreement we’ve seen?”
See Sterger, Jenn.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:20 pm
26
Allaha says:
Show some love for strength of schedule and some contempt for cowardice: at least until Thursday, drop WVa and L out of the Top Ten and allow 9-12 to become 7-10. They may not be great teams, but at least they had opponents in the top twenty-five.
Arkansas? On this dark night when we confront our fears — as well as freaky, random stuff we just do not understand and prefer not to think about — shouldn’t they be rising out of that first game crpyt, with a hand reaching through the cemetery lawn, proving in college football death is merely transitory?
October 31st, 2006 at 8:31 pm
27
MiseanAUFan says:
Rickdawg, RLC, as much as I’d like to think that, I think that Auburn (or Tennessee, but I could give two shits about them) wouldn’t receive enough love from the computers & voters to make it over an undefeated Big East Team or a one-loss Cal or USC (I wouldn’t really argue that they deserve it, too, unless Auburn starts playing much better- UT has looked better, though).
If it did happen, however, it would give another great reason to enact a major overhaul the BCS, and most everyone can appreciate that, unless they are one of the teams being left out.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:33 pm
28
yz says:
after the ou debacle a couple years back (where they lost the big 12 champ, but still had enough bcs pts to play for mnc, and were subsequently positively mertilized (sp?) by usc), i though that the bcs had amended the rules to say you could NOT play in the nat ch game if you did NOT win your conference.
as an aside, can we start to call the mnc game the natcho game?
October 31st, 2006 at 9:26 pm
29
jenkins says:
RE: academy teams.
a) Does it mean that TN would be higher than #4 if they had did not have to conjure up the luck of the Irish to hold on and beat AForce by one point turning back a two point conversion on the last point of the game in a defensive effort that saw AF score 30 points?
b) how many academy teams could Mississippi beat – one or zero? Corollary, how many academy teams beat Auburn?
c) how many SEC div 2A opponents could beat an academy team? zero?
d) how many points did FL score against TN – was it more than the 30 points that AF scored? 21.
October 31st, 2006 at 11:42 pm
30
Marc Ruffalo says:
Vanderbilt of the West. Did I miss a BCS bowl game this decade that Vandy won?
USC has easily the toughest schedule this season. I thought Florida would have at the beginning, but Georgia and FSU are uncharacteristically poor this season.
November 1st, 2006 at 1:31 am
31
BJ Strykker says:
Dear Stacy Keibler Loves Me:
You mock my name, and misrepresent my comments. I said, “thank goodness for computers.” Not “thank goodness for the BCS’ strength of schedule computations.”
The computers give the Gators a grade of 85%, a good solid B and 4th in the country.
Thank goodness they recognize the Longhorns as the overhyped Matthew McConaughey crap they are with a miserable score of 56%, putting whiny Mack Brown in the 7th BCS slot.
A one-loss Texas team got beat out by the Gators in our ‘96 championship season, if memory serves me right. Could happen again.
November 1st, 2006 at 1:53 am
32
tzubear says:
Vanderbulit of the west? What the F–k are you talkin about? USC lost to Oregon State not Stanford.
November 1st, 2006 at 2:19 am
33
irishdevil says:
Texas way too high (top 10 good, but not top 3); UF too low (although I can understand reverse homerism); BC too low (they are much, much better than Wisconsin, GT, and perhaps some other teams ahead of them); speaking of which, Wisconsin is way, WAY too high (their best win is over Indiana, the #48 or so team in the nation); GT a little high; UT and Cal too high. Other than that, a good poll.
And I also want to know who the hell the Vandy of the West is. Oregon State? Really?
November 1st, 2006 at 5:17 am
34
Beergut says:
Arkansas – Texas A&M would make for a helluva game, although I’d be worried about how the Aggies would fare, simply b/c Nutt > Franchione.
I’d keep A&M beneath Arkansas until we beat another ranked team (Missouri should no longer be ranked).
November 1st, 2006 at 6:27 am
35
Ashamed says:
Wooderson, (#1) the only thing creepier than Hellraiser is that I made out with a chick in middle school once while it was playing in the background.
November 1st, 2006 at 6:45 am
36
Harris says:
Orson drinks martinis? I’d always imagined him swilling Wild Turkey from the bottle while wearing nothing but jorts and one shoe standing among the various livestock and rusted Camaro parts that litter the EDSBS office and singing the Orgeron song. Now I see he is a man of taste and breeding. A man who wears a monocle, smoking jacket and fez. A man who reads “Barely Legal” for the articles. Huzzah to you, sir.
November 1st, 2006 at 7:28 am
37
BJ Strykker says:
Oregon State has had a losing record over the last 6 years. Vandy’s record has been slightly worse, but it’s the SEC after all.
No, they’re no Stanford. But Stanford did beat Oregon State last year– in Corvallis, Oregon no less.
It’s an embarrasing loss for USC.
November 1st, 2006 at 9:06 am
38
gamecocktony says:
I can’t believe you are in love with Texas and Cal – both horribly overrated. Look at how weak the Big XII and Pac10 are overall.
I, personally, am rooting for the SEC Doomsday scenario where a one-loss team misses the SEC Championship but ends up 2 in the BCS. I would love to see Uncle John Saunders spin that one.
Can someone clarify something for me? I have heard rumors/whispers about an unwritten rule that would not allow teams who don’t make their conference championship games into the mythical NC game. Does anyone know if this exists or if it is set to kick-in at a later year?
November 1st, 2006 at 9:57 am
39
Aerobab says:
GCTony:
I’m aboard with you; primarilly because either my Vols or Auburn would likely be the receipient of the #2 BCS spot (with LOTS of help elsewhere) while avoiding the SECC. To answer your question the BCS Rules state that “The top two teams in the final BCS Standings will play in the national championship game.” No exceptions or caviats.
IMO, it’s a horrible rule and should be changed ASAP.
November 1st, 2006 at 10:25 am
40
Will says:
Orson, I just can’t understand this. This is the second week in a row you’ve stepped on your own peepee.
Unlike the irate Arkansas Fans, I’ll try and take a semi-objective approach to why dropping a team that won by 34 over the weekend 3 spots.
Some of the slotting teams ahead is questionable at best, though. I’ll give you the poster-child example. Texas A&M.
A&M? How? Who have they beat, exactly? Have they gone on the road to beat a Top 15 team at any point this season?
The best win they’ve managed is a home win vs. Missouri. The next most impressive win is a tossup between Baylor and Okie State. Would you rather have beating them, or beating Auburn and Alabama on your resume?
I’m more impressed with this: play with a True Freshman QB, with a season ending injury to your Freshman All-American LB, and in the SEC, and start out 7-1. Actually *fall* in someone’s theoretical ranking poll, for winning. Lose to one team that’s still ranked in the Top 10, without your All-American caliber RB, and a QB who is now 5th on your WR depth chart, and commit 5 turnovers; keep it close at the half though. Be last in the country in Turnover margin; force fewer turnovers than any other team in the country, and *still* start 7-1.
You know its right, Orson. Its just hard to give credit to a team that wins so unglamourously. 40 runs a game may not be as much fun to watch as the Fun N’ Gun, but it still works, and is still winning football games more impressively than many of your Top 15.
November 1st, 2006 at 10:37 am
41
RacketMan says:
Look who’s eating the Chan Gailey oatmeal now!
November 1st, 2006 at 11:08 am
42
canuck says:
Orson,
Florida way low. Texas way high. WVU/Louisville/Rutgers should be bunched together until Thursday.
For all the yahoos and pollsters playing SOS and narrow escape GOTCHA, it has to apply to the SEC and Texas as well. Tennessee’s escape against an ACADEMY is only one example of the idiocy afoot.
From Sagarin here are the current SOS rankings and quality wins for all zero and one lose teams ( E.g. Florida SOS=8, 1 win over Sagarin top 10, 4 over Sagarin top 30).
USC (1) 0/3
California (2) 0/4
Florida (8) 1/4
Notre Dame(13) 0/2
Tennessee (15) 1/1
Michigan (16) 0/3
Ohio State (23) 1/0
Auburn (26) 1/0
Boston College (41) 0/3
Texas (48) 0/1
Louisville (70) 0/1
Wisconsin (77) 0/0
West Virginia (89) 0/2
Boise State (92) 0/1
Rutgers (97) 0/1
Arkansas (98) 1/1
I’d rank as follows PARKING West Virginia/Louisville/Rutgers until they start playing each other:
1. Ohio State (23) 1/0
2. Michigan (16) 0/3
3. Florida (8) 1/4
4. Tennessee (15) 1/1
5. California (2) 0/4
6. USC (1) 0/3
7. Notre Dame(13) 0/2
8. Arkansas (98) 1/1
9. Auburn (26) 1/0
10. Boston College (41) 0/3
11.Texas (48) 0/1
12. West Virginia (89) 0/2
13. Louisville (70) 0/1
14. Rutgers (97) 0/1
15. Boise State (92) 0/1
16. Wisconsin (77) 0/0
November 1st, 2006 at 12:09 pm
43
James says:
“Vanderbilt of the West. Did I miss a BCS bowl game this decade that Vandy won?”
Did I miss a new issue of U.S. News that had Oregon State ranked higher than third tier??
November 1st, 2006 at 12:11 pm
44
canuck says:
It’s just too funny when PAC10 types fail to accept that the SEC has very good 2 and 3 loss teams. It’s equally hilarious when SEC types fail to accept the reverse.
The reason that the PAC10 is #1 in Sagarin SOS with the SEC teams close behind is that U$C WAS the only exception to the Pac10 and SEC having more parity amongst “bowling” teams than the other conferences.
November 1st, 2006 at 12:37 pm
45
BC Eagle says:
canuck you rule for putting BC #10
November 1st, 2006 at 3:18 pm
46
WDKatie says:
FYI about how they would work a two way or three way tie with the SEC West….. here’s how it would work….
http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&change_well_id=2&url_article_id=46
November 1st, 2006 at 3:23 pm
47
DC Trojan says:
Vanderbilt of the west? What the F–k are you talking about? USC lost to Oregon State not Stanford.
Tzubear, I was wondering the same thing.
November 1st, 2006 at 3:42 pm
48
Aerobab says:
Re #46:
Why in the world are criteria 2-7 needed in the divisional 2-team tie breaker? Since when do interdivisional teams play one another more than once in the regular season?
November 1st, 2006 at 4:11 pm