Polls are a joke

[milohimself]

Originally posted by Jmxvol@Nov 6, 2005 6:46 PM
SEC bias at it's best. ACC is a better conference right now than the SEC. You can argue the PAC10 is better right now as well. The mid-level teams and the bottom teams in the ACC would wax the Middle and bottom teams of the SEC.

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I wouldn't say the Pac-10 is better than the SEC right now... One conference can't play offense and the other can't play defense. I would rate the conferences like this, so far...

1. ACC
2. Big Ten
3. Pac-10/SEC
4. Pac-10/SEC
5. Big 12
6. Mountain West
7. Big East
8. C-USA
9. MAC
10. WAC
11. Sun Belt

 

[vols05]

Alabama has NO offense. I am surprised they are undefeated at this point. Hats off to the D though. I look for LSU and Auburn to hand it to Alabama. They will drop IMO.


Miami defeated a good #3 team by 20 points. Alabama only scored 17 points against a 2-7 Miss State team. :birgits_giggle:

 

[OWB]

Originally posted by milohimself@Nov 7, 2005 12:51 AM
3. Pac-10/SEC
4. Pac-10/SEC

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Come on PacMan, you could have at least put it like this....

3. SEC/Pac-10
4. Pac-10/SEC

or even

3. Pac10/SEC
4. SEC/Pac10

It's fairly obvious what you're getting at when you type....

3. Pac-10/SEC
4. Pac-10/SEC

 

[milohimself]

Or I'm just biased towards alphabetic order, or even cutting and pasting :whistling:

 

[TideGirl]

Vol67, when bama scheduled the teams they scheduled noone knew most of them would be crap. Who would have thought y'all would be 3-5? I guess you get lucky.

 

[OldVol]

Well, I'm not sure I agree with anyone in this.

Exactly who is it that Miami has played that should push them above Bama?

Virginia Tech?

Tech has one nice win over GT, and their win over BC isn't that impressive to me.

VT was certainly well overrated because they've not beaten a top 10 team.

Miami's only other top 10 game was a loss.

Bama's pushovers have been less impressive than Miami's pushovers, but their big wins have been just as impressive as Miami's win over VT. Florida has played and lost to GOOD teams. They have 2 losses, but they're both to top 5 teams.

Miam's sole loss was to a twice beaten FS team whose losses were to UNRANKED teams.

Come on fellows, this isn't rocket science. When you fall prey to the computer SOS that they spit out, you're saying that beating a good patsie is better than beating a bad patsie, so I'm better because I beat a better patsie. Bull Crap!

Judge a team by the top teams they've played.

Bama has beaten a top 15 team. Miami has beaten a 10 team.

Bama has beaten SC, which is just as impressive a win as beating GT.

PLUS, Miami has a LOSS.

It's all politics of the polls.

Miami is one of the darlings and anyone in the SEC is fodder for those who have hated the SEC for all these many years.

It's absolutely rubbish that Miami passed Bama. It makes the AP poll even more meaningless than it is already.

VT was a paper champion. Like I said, their only decent win was over GT who will be out of the top 25 after they lose to Miami. They also beat BC, but look at their schedule.

Miami passing Bama was a pathetic move by the AP pollsters. But remember who they are. They're the talking heads on the sports programs and the sports writers across the nation. The SEC has never garnered a lot of respect from them.

 

[holdemvol]

I think they got it right. It does seem a little unfair for Miami to jump an undefeated SEC team, but I believe Miami is the better team. I sure as hell wouldn't put my money on Bama if they played.

 

[GeorgiaTider]

Originally posted by volinbham@Nov 6, 2005 10:14 PM

Being undefeated vs. one loss is not an automatic indicator that the undefeated team is better.

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Hehehe, Keep this in mind when the shoe is on the other foot. I am not complaining, but think UT would love to be 9-0 or even have a winning record right now.

I don't care if we are ranked at all. The title game was selected before week one. Unless USC stumbles, everyone except them and Texas go to the loser bowls. Face it, the SEC is out of the title race.

 

[holdemvol]

Originally posted by GeorgiaTider@Nov 7, 2005 12:26 PM
Hehehe, Keep this in mind when the shoe is on the other foot. I am not complaining, but think UT would love to be 9-0 or even have a winning record right now.

I don't care if we are ranked at all. The title game was selected before week one. Unless USC stumbles, everyone except them and Texas go to the loser bowls. Face it, the SEC is out of the title race.

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If UT were undefeated they would not have been jumped because of the schedule they had played. In fact, they would probably be #2 in the BCS. Of course we will never know....3-5 is a long way from undefeated.

 

[Fayettevol]

Vol67, when bama scheduled the teams they scheduled noone knew most of them would be crap. Who would have thought y'all would be 3-5? I guess you get lucky. .

At least you admit it.

 

[gonygonygo]

I agree with the arguments...

I believe that "polls" are a reflection of which teams are better than others. Not necessarily how good or bad your record is.

Do you feel Alabama is better than Miami? If so, Alabama should be ranked higher. If not, then Miami should be ranked higher.

 

[GeorgiaTider]

Originally posted by gonygonygo@Nov 7, 2005 2:44 PM
Do you feel Alabama is better than Miami?  If so, Alabama should be ranked higher.  If not, then Miami should be ranked higher.

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Saturday, Miami looked much better than Bama. They have an offense that can score. That game looked as good as our win over Florida. The sad thing about polls is the glamore wins rank you higher. Take away the big win against Florida, lessen margin of victory, and Bama is not as highly ranked.

Like I said before, I do not care what we are ranked. If you don't start in the top, you have almost no chance at a title. I for one am glad we have done this well and that our season was better than expected.

Not trying to pump my team on the Vols board, just add to the discussion. Polls are fun, but we should have a playoff system. I was hoping there would be 4 undefeated team at the end of the season to press for a playoff system. Sadly, the BCS dodges the bullet again.

 

[holdemvol]

Originally posted by GeorgiaTider@Nov 7, 2005 1:59 PM
Polls are fun, but we should have a playoff system. I was hoping there would be 4 undefeated team at the end of the season to press for a playoff system.  Sadly, the BCS dodges the bullet again.

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I was rooting hard for Tech and as much as I hate to admit it, will also be pulling for Bama just so the BCS has another mess on it's hands. Four undefeated teams would have been great.

 

[TennesseeVols317]

If Bama wins the SEC then they deserve the 3(assuming Texas and USC dont lose) but I thought VT was gonna roll on Miami, but Miami came out strong and has played well from week 2 on. They beat a National Championship team and deserve to be there,

Wow that was hard to type, I hate the Hurricanes. 2 years ago 6-0...that just makes me smile.

 

[checkerboard_charly]

Originally posted by holdemvol@Nov 7, 2005 12:02 PM
I think they got it right.  It does seem a little unfair for Miami to jump an undefeated SEC team, but I believe Miami is the better team.  I sure as hell wouldn't put my money on Bama if they played.

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who cares what anyone "believes" is the better team. play it out on the field. if i team has played practically the same kind of teams and is undefeated then he should stay above the team with one loss. period.

anyone who thinks miami is deserving is crazy. the pollsters are all idiots and they have the what have u done this week mentallity. say they have the same records, but bama just laid it on florida this last week instead of miss st. then they would still be above. 90% of the pollsters watch highlights and that is it. they dont have a clue about these teams. they just guess. and to me that is a croc of sh*t.

 

[Bama Reb]

So? I think they're right. Who has Alabama beat so far......us? Whoop-dee-do. [/quote

ARE YOU KIDDING??
With the VOLS wondering WHETHER they can beat Vandy?. Even if they win out (against Memphis, Kentucky and Vandy no less), the very best they can do is 6-5. And actually, when you look at Vandy's performance against FL, even that is not certain. The VOLS could very well end the season 5-6. But even if they do beat Vandy - what kind of bowl invitation can you expect with a team that started as a preseason (#3) pick to win the SEC, but instead has wilted down to 3-5 and barely manages to climb up to 6-5 - Music City Bowl?
Now consider this. Bowl games are played by teams that have been INVITED to play in that bowl. In short, just achieving a certain W-L record does not automatically GRANT you a spot in any particular bowl game. So while the Vols' W-L record, if taken by itself with no other criteria considered, may qualify them for a bowl game, their performance over the past several weeks speaks volumes as to their abilities, or lack thereof, as a cohesive and effective football team. IMO, don't expect a bowl invitation of any kind.

So now when you look at UT's PRESENT 3-5 and BEST POSSIBLE record of 6-5, what gives you the right to talk about Alabama's PERFECT record?
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Can you say U N B E A T E N? 9-0 Roll Tide :shades:

 

[GAVol]

The words "verbal diarrhea" are coming to mind.

 

[OWB]

Yep, time to snort some Pepto.

 

[Jasongivm6]

So? I think they're right. Who has Alabama beat so far......us? Whoop-dee-do. [/quote

ARE YOU KIDDING??
With the VOLS wondering WHETHER they can beat Vandy?. Even if they win out (against Memphis, Kentucky and Vandy no less), the very best they can do is 6-5. And actually, when you look at Vandy's performance against FL, even that is not certain. The VOLS could very well end the season 5-6. But even if they do beat Vandy - what kind of bowl invitation can you expect with a team that started as a preseason (#3) pick to win the SEC, but instead has wilted down to 3-5 and barely manages to climb up to 6-5 - Music City Bowl?
Now consider this. Bowl games are played by teams that have been INVITED to play in that bowl. In short, just achieving a certain W-L record does not automatically GRANT you a spot in any particular bowl game. So while the Vols' W-L record, if taken by itself with no other criteria considered, may qualify them for a bowl game, their performance over the past several weeks speaks volumes as to their abilities, or lack thereof, as a cohesive and effective football team. IMO, don't expect a bowl invitation of any kind.

So now when you look at UT's PRESENT 3-5 and BEST POSSIBLE record of 6-5, what gives you the right to talk about Alabama's PERFECT record?
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Can you say U N B E A T E N? 9-0 Roll Tide :shades:

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"Bowl games are played by teams that have been INVITED to play in that bowl. In short, just achieving a certain W-L record does not automatically GRANT you a spot in any particular bowl game. So while the Vols' W-L record, if taken by itself with no other criteria considered, may qualify them for a bowl game, their performance over the past several weeks speaks volumes as to their abilities, or lack thereof, as a cohesive and effective football team. IMO, don't expect a bowl invitation of any kind."

That's one of the most retarded things I've ever read. Tennessee would be invited to a bowl every year if they qualified. Bowls want $$$, and Tennessee fans are the best in the country at bringing it in. So what are you saying, that a 6-5 Alabama team from last year deserves a bowl game but a 6-5 Tennessee team doesn't?

 

[rockydoc]

Go tigers!! (LSU and AU) :biggrin2:

 

[MemphisVol]

My biggest problem with this thread is the way we've got to promote either Bama or Miami (or UCLA or Georgia or..... just fill in the rest of the Top 15).

Before Prothro got injured, I thought Bama was just the best of a bunch of teams who seemed to have some serious problems but weren't struggling as bad as the rest.

In addition to increased parity, there seems to be a rampant spread of what I'll call "Nebraska Disease": the sudden loss of the desire or ability to perform consistently. Sure Bama is unbeaten, but look at the performances. Likewise Miami, UCLA, UGA, FSU, LSU, UF, etc., etc., etc.

The only serious team out there in the Top 25 from a mental perspective is probably Notre Dame, and, as the game with UT showed, sometimes they have a tendency to keep more of their hearts than bodies in the game.

Basically, I think Miami and Bama were both underperforming but were in the Top 10- like FSU- because who else are we gonna choose. Since Miami beat another weak-sister this week, they get bumped up. No grand designs or conspiracies, just the fact that even the good voters are desperate for something to base a vote on.

 

[milohimself]

You could always say head-to-head, who is better... It gets a little messy. But if Miami and Bama played, I would almost certainly put my money on Miami. At least the Canes can score points.

Bama has an amazing defense but the offense, let's face it, is terrible. The top 3 SEC teams are all in the west this season, and the Tide are facing the other two in two consecutive weeks then have the SEC championship. If Bama runs the table, they will make the Rose Bowl. But I seriously doubt they can pull up the offensive production to pull this off. 17 total offensive points will not beat 3 ranked teams in a row.

 

[Bama Reb]

Originally posted by milohimself@Nov 8, 2005 6:08 AM
You could always say head-to-head, who is better... It gets a little messy. But if Miami and Bama played, I would almost certainly put my money on Miami. At least the Canes can score points.

Bama has an amazing defense but the offense, let's face it, is terrible. The top 3 SEC teams are all in the west this season, and the Tide are facing the other two in two consecutive weeks then have the SEC championship. If Bama runs the table, they will make the Rose Bowl. But I seriously doubt they can pull up the offensive production to pull this off. 17 total offensive points will not beat 3 ranked teams in a row.

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In my last post I spoke honestly about UT. So it's only fair to speak honestly about UA.
I've opined on UA's site about their lack of offense. I've even gone as far as to say that their defense and special teams carried the offense thru their win over MSU. All that is true. At the present, a UA-Miami game would most likely result in a UA loss. But man, that would be a game. But until Bama does lose, I think the latest BCS poll putting them at #3 is correct.
UA has a decent shot at defeating LSU, although it will likely not be decided until the final minutes of the game. LSU has a pretty fair offense and it ranks a little above UA's. They have a terrific defense, but it is not as effective as UA's.
So I look for a low scoring game. Frankly, I think UA's defense is so strong that they can reduce the effectiveness of LSU's offense just enough for UA's offense to clench the win in the final 5 minutes of the game. The biggest question is which of UA's teams will score most often- offense or defense?
But the UA game I'm concerned most about is with Auburn. Frankly, these guys improve on a weekly basis. As with every "Iron Bowl", the annual AU/UA rivalry is not affected one bit by any records or polls. These two go at each other's throats with a vengeance from start to finish. But UA's offense is going to have run on all cylinders during that entire game in order to hand AU another loss and go into the SECC title game undefeated. If not, it's going to get ugly.
UA may or may not win out this season. But next year, watch out. They are going to be a prominent figure in on the BCS standings for quite a while now. :shades:

 

[OWB]

Originally posted by Bama Reb@Nov 8, 2005 9:40 AM
UA may or may not win out this season. But next year, watch out. They are going to be a prominent figure in on the BCS standings for quite a while now. :shades:

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Which players are gone after this year? How many seniors?

 

[gonygonygo]

Tyrone Prothro...

He was the key to their explosiveness. He reminded me of this year's NFL MVP, Steve Smith. Sometimes, it only takes the impact of one playmaker to make a difference. Alabama might be struggling on offense, but if Prothro was still playing, it would be very different. He makes play after play at receiver and special teams.

Does anyone agree with me? I really believe they would contend for a NC if he was on the roster.