Today just turned out to be a GREAT day! The ever so powerful and influential USA Today Coaches Poll is out. There are three ranked teams from the Mountain West, which is a good start to try to replicate last year. All the MWC schools and their opponents are in bold, and there are 13 opponents that are ranked or are receiving votes.
|
Rank
|
Team (first-place votes) |
2008 record
|
Points
|
Final 2008 rank
|
|
|
1.
|
Florida (53)
|
13-1
|
1,466
|
1
|
|
|
2.
|
Texas (4)
|
12-1
|
1,386
|
3
|
|
|
3.
|
Oklahoma (1)
|
12-2
|
1,358
|
5
|
|
|
4.
|
Southern California (1)
|
12-1
|
1,321
|
2
|
|
|
5.
|
Alabama
|
12-2
|
1,134
|
6
|
|
|
6.
|
Ohio State
|
10-3
|
1,126
|
11
|
|
|
7.
|
Virginia Tech
|
10-4
|
1,020
|
14
|
|
|
8.
|
Penn State
|
11-2
|
988
|
8
|
|
|
9.
|
LSU
|
8-5
|
917
|
NR
|
|
|
10.
|
Mississippi
|
9-4
|
889
|
15
|
|
|
11.
|
Oklahoma State
|
9-4
|
861
|
18
|
|
|
12.
|
California
|
9-4
|
711
|
25
|
|
|
13.
|
Georgia
|
10-3
|
707
|
10
|
|
|
14.
|
Oregon |
10-3
|
694
|
9
|
|
|
15.
|
Georgia Tech
|
9-4
|
559
|
22
|
|
|
16.
|
Boise State |
12-1
|
542
|
13
|
|
|
17.
|
TCU
|
11-2
|
461
|
7
|
|
|
18.
|
Utah
|
13-0
|
404
|
4
|
|
|
19.
|
Florida State
|
9-4
|
371
|
23
|
|
|
20.
|
North Carolina |
8-5
|
293
|
NR
|
|
|
21.
|
Iowa
|
9-4
|
257
|
20
|
|
|
22.
|
Nebraska
|
9-4
|
236
|
NR
|
|
|
23.
|
Notre Dame |
7-6
|
194
|
NR
|
|
|
24.
|
Brigham Young
|
10-3
|
178
|
21
|
|
|
25.
|
Oregon State |
9-4
|
165
|
19
|
|
| Others receiving votes (with 2008 records) | |||||
|
Kansas (8-5) 138; Michigan State (9-4) 136; Texas Tech (11-2) 114; Cincinnati (11-3) 90; Pittsburgh (9-4) 64; West Virginia (9-4) 55; Rutgers (8-5) 51; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 46; Missouri (10-4) 44; Illinois (5-7) 38; Clemson (7-6) 30; South Carolina (7-6) 18; UCLA (4-8) 14; Auburn (5-7) 12; Nevada (7-6) 11; South Florida (8-5) 11; Kentucky (7-6) 9; North Carolina State (6-7) 7; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Wisconsin (7-6) 6; Northwestern (9-4) 5; Southern Mississippi (7-6) 4; Wake Forest (8-5) 4; Arizona (8-5) 3; Boston College (9-5) 3; Central Michigan (8-5) 3; East Carolina (9-5) 3; Colorado (5-7) 2; Maryland (8-5) 2; Navy (8-5) 2; Tennessee (5-7) 2; Houston (8-5) 1; Michigan (3-9) 1; Minnesota (7-6) 1; Troy (8-5) 1. The first thing I looked for was a Big East rep, and there were none, but instead Cincy, Pitt, West Virgina, and Rutgers are nicely bunched up in the others receiving votes 29-32. Big East fans will shout parity, but then how is that the Mountain West gets three teams in the preseason rankings. This season could be interesting if the MWC champ has two loses while the Big East champ has three or four and gets go to their BCS bowl even though the polls could favor the MWC. That would be tough for the Big East and the BCS to argue that their league is better then the Mountain West, so all the league can do is win, win, and win plus out rank the Big East and possibly the ACC. On to some national notes but how is Florida not a preseason unanimous? They bring back nearly everyone of importance except for Percy Harvin. It also looks like USC can do no wrong by getting a first place vote, even though they lose a ton on defense and are starting a new quarterback who has never taken a snap or it could be a true freshman. Compared to the preseason consensus the coaches poll is within a few spots on each team, and follows what the preseason rags projected. There are only four non-AQ schools in the list which is more respect then in the past, however compared to Rivals and othe preseason sites the coaches poll (or SID) poll is still afraid to rank non-AQ schools higly. In this case it is Boise they are ranked 9th in Rivals and top 15 in every major preseason mag. Still goes to show that the coaches -- or whoever votes in it-- poll still have an agenda when ranking teams. Not to sound like a downer, but go check the poll and see where your team is at and their opponents. |
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