GameDay Crew shows it's time to remove preseason coaches' poll

by user Srtellis4585

Lee Corso picked Cal to win it all. Kirk Herbstreit picked Miami (FL).

Both teams lost on opening weekend of college football. Cal is definately out of the running (unless Texas, Ohio State, et all lose by about 50 during the season...unlikely). Miami needs a nice BCS controversy to stay in (hey, we're due for one of those, right?). Two different preseason picks with the same outcome: so far, so very wrong.

This can also happen with preseason polls. Yes, they get it right sometimes: USC and Texas were #1 and #2 the whole way a year ago. However, the chances of that happening are not good.

I don't mind companies like Sports Illustrated, ESPN, the AP, etc making preseason predictions. Their job is to sell stuff, to create a buzz.

The 3 main parts of the BCS is the coaches' poll, the Harris poll, and the computers. Both the Harris poll and the BCS do not come out until the bulk of the season is underway. So too, should it be with the coaches'.

How can the coaches really know who is number 1 if they haven't played a single game? If 2 teams have identical records, the team that started out higher will finish higher in most cases. Not necessarily fair.

My proposal: either remove the preseason coaches' poll and wait until about week 6 or so, or have a system (tournament maybe?) that doesn't rely so much on polls and let the teams decide the champion on the field.

Date

Mon 09/04/06, 8:21 pm EST

J CunninghamVarsity Captain

1181 days ago

Score 2

I like your suggestion, even if I'd go even further and axe the BCS altogether and institute a tournament like the one for basketball (thought with not as many teams--that would take forever). College basketball uses polls too, but they're not nearly as influential as they are in college football--which is the way it should be.

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

1181 days ago

Score 1

Without polls, there would be nothing to talk about. It's all about building hype so you will watch the games. It allows people to know who the top teams are.

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Srtellis4585JV Squad

1180 days ago

Score -1

That's what the others that are not ar part of the BCS (AP poll, ESPN's crew, SI, College Football News, etc) are for...to build said hype.

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Bigorangemichael

1180 days ago

Score 1

The rankings are really nothing more than ways for the various media outlets to hype up a game. And a lot of that can be repuation or a feeling on how a team might do this early in the year. But without the poll, how would we know that Ohio State vs Texas is big game this week? That last part was sarcasm BTW.

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Srtellis4585JV Squad

1180 days ago

Score 1

Well, knowing ESPN, they'll hype it up so it is a big game...whether or not the polls say it is anyways. That's my point though...rankings are for the media outlets...leave the coaches out of it for now and wait until they've played some games. I'm ok with ESPN, the AP, etc having preseason polls.

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TartanVarsity Captain

1180 days ago

Score 1

Yeah the Harris Poll is great, lets just leave it up to them. I know I want a poll that counts Boomer Esiason as a member to decide my National Championship game.

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Srtellis4585JV Squad

1180 days ago

Score 1

Let me rephrase my issue. I don't have a problem with the coaches having a poll DURING the season (starting week 6 or so)...my beef is having it before the season when they have absolutely nothing to go by and with football having such a short season compared to most other sports, how theams start out is going play a role in where they end up.

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