CCR Top 119 poll

[Spence]

I don't know much about how the CCR computer poll works, but I believe that it is a slower process to the top. Human polls and some computer polls react quickly to wins. This one doesn't. THis one however plays the whole season out and puts it out for all the world to see. Then they adjust. Maybe not as quickly as some would like, but Congrove has a pretty good prediction record with it's rankings.

[Eric]

That's what I have noticed too. I don't like it when polls get to knee-jerky when it comes to wins and losses. I mean, look at Arkansas. They are a good team, yes, but #17 in the country is a little high right now, don't you think?

[Vileborg]

This is where my ideas on things disagree with most people. Most people say if you beat a team, you are better than them. I disagree, the strength of teams fluctuate throughout the season due to more reasons than I care to list. In the case of Auburn, they have been struggling as of late. People had them in their top ten the last few weeks, but they weren't playing to the level that earned them that ranking.
Also for example: The only way to rank teams is on your basis of the strengths of each team. If you believe Auburn was clearly the second or third best team in all the nation, then Arkansas probably deserves 17th.
If you sample only Auburn's last game then they probably would have ranked around 35th, well within upset range of low 40's ranked Arkansas. You could then easily move Arkansas into the top 40, and no one would throw any fits.
These are obviously opposite ends of the spectrum, but the only way to avoid a knee jerk reaction is to not be afraid to drop someone down a few slots if they fail to perform.

[Spence]

I think your view is shared by Congrove( not speakiing for them, but just an observation). All computer polls would work this way IMO, because they deal with things that people don't take into account. Such as holding Auburn high when they aren't playing well, but they are winning. That is why you get much bigger drops for losing and bigger gains for winning in the human polls. whereas the computer polls tend to drop teams in increments (points) slowly and raise in increments slowly.

That is why people have such a problem with computer polls, when their team wins they wany them to move up quickly and the computers won't do it that way.

[Derek]

New AP and Coaches poll out...ANY thoughts.....As usual I think the AP poll is silly.

Florida jumps from #5 to #2....

Jumping WVU, and USC. I just dont understand these people.

And Georgia get dropped 6 places for losing to a good offense of Tenn. Look at the stats and tell me the last time sombody scored 50 against GA...You'll have to go back a while.

[Spence]

I jumped Florida to #2 in my poll also.(I posted mine long before the AP came out) I did it based on SOS and them winning. If you play a schedule as good as Florida and you win, you deserve a very high ranking. USC hasn't played well at all. West Virginia is a good team and I hesitate to jump them because they have played really well all season. I just couldn't ignore the schedule that Florida has been successful at playing.

I haven't looked at the AP. I really haven't looked at it in a while, but that was my reasoning.

[mountainman]

Well, Derek, I jumped Florida over the Mountaineers too. I put them #3, left USC at #2 and WVU at #4.

Strength of schedule is important, but more important to me is to watch a team play and see how well the block, run, tackle, adjust, etc and play the game in general.

The Mountaineers haven't been sharpe in their last couple of games.

Yesterday against Mississippi State they had 11 penalities and that's just way, way, way too many. I can't tell you the times they had the Bulldogs stopped cold, 3 and out, but let them off the hook with a mindless penality. That's one of the things I mean by 'play the game in general' and I'm sure you know that letting teams continue drives with penalities is just as bad or worse than to give up first downs by letting a team reach the line to gain. The result is the same, they get to keep the ball and continue their drive.

That kind of stuff drives me nuts. I don't mind losing a game as long as we play to the best of our abilities. And as you can tell, how a team 'plays the game in general' carries a lot of weight with me.

Letting teams continue drives via penalities, especially after you've stopped them, will get you beat somewhere along the line. The Mountaineers absolutely must get that corrected.

[Spence]

If you look close enough, you can see holes in every team. It is just that when you look at your own team, you see them as more glaring.

Honestly you can make a case for all the highly ranked unbeatens to be #1, #2, #3, etc. That is the subjective part of voting. I can say how tough Florida is and how well they have played and all of that, it is all pretty subjective. On paper West Virginia didn't match up at all with Georgia last year, but they didn't play on paper.

[mountainman]

Yep, you're right. I do put the Mountaineers under a microscope ...... and I've got to watch that when comparing their play to other teams.

After all, that was the second loss of the season for LSU, so although they have a ton of talent, they may not be as good as of a team as I thought they were.

Sorry, but I cannot resist .... the Mountaineers missed a 43 yard field goal attempt too.

[Spence]

I don't get LSU at all. LSU on paper should be world beaters. They have a roster that would excite almost any coach. It makes you wonder about Les Miles.

[mountainman]

Sumthin' ain't right ......

[Vileborg]

LSU is one of the most confusing teams. They beat teams they should beat by quality scores, but fail to score in the big games. It would seem that they just can't punch the ball into the endzone. It's harder for receivers to get open in the red zone. Just not enough room to outrun people.
Admittedly, I have yet to actually see LSU play. When they played Auburn, I was glued to Tennessee - Florida. In the Florida - LSU game, Florida went up early, so I was watching the Tennessee - Georgia game, and just keeping tabs on the score. Unfortunately, the stats don't really tell why a team lost.

[Spence]

We also do a human style top 25 poll. If you stick around until next season and you want to take part in it, maybe you can show how it should be done. It isn't as easy as it looks if you really try and stay consistant.

As I said before the computer polls use a strength ranking where wins and losses are only a part of the overall formula. Eventually the the strength of a team will pull it up through the rankings as the season progresses. I don't believe the computers view upsets the same way we view upsets. Everntually, though the numbers would catch up if Tennessee continues to win.

[openSkies]

Leo, glad you can be objective and still want to participate/stick around =]

[colorado_loves_football]

That's what I have noticed too. I don't like it when polls get to knee-jerky when it comes to wins and losses. I mean, look at Arkansas. They are a good team, yes, but #17 in the country is a little high right now, don't you think?

Precisely! I was flabbergasted when I saw how far Arkansas had risen, in the polls by beating Auburn, but I guess when you factor in the 'home-field' which Auburn held, combined with their inordinately-high ranking (#2 overall) maybe it stands to reason (as far as AP voters go).
Interestingly, in our group poll, Arkansas 'barely' made the cut. But, I like the fact that our poll 'sticks' out, at least in some respects. We have no obligation to anyone that I'm aware of, if we do it's to CFP. We should all 'stand behind' their rankings, or provide sufficient basis to 'question' them, if necessary. I have no idea why Tennessee wasn't given more 'influence', but maybe they are over-rated! (they did nearly lose to Air Force). The computer likely factors that into it's 'rating'. To Tennessee's credit, they played hard against Florida. As voters, I believe we've done everything we can. Leo-the-Lip expressed interest in joining a group, why not let him? Clearly it's not my place to decide, but I have no objections, provided he votes his conscience.