BlogPoll Ballot, Week #7

Football

Rank Team Delta
1 Ohio State 2
2 Oklahoma 7
3 South Florida 2
4 Boston College
5 Kentucky 10
6 LSU 5
7 South Carolina
8 Oregon 3
9 Arizona State 1
10 Missouri 4
11 California 9
12 Virginia Tech
13 Southern Cal 6
14 West Virginia 2
15 Kansas 2
16 Florida 4
17 Hawaii 3
18 Auburn 6
19 Tennessee 4
20 Virginia 2
21 Cincinnati 11
22 Georgia 4
23 Boise State 3
24 Kansas State 2
25 Indiana 1

Dropped Out: Illinois (#13), Wisconsin (#18), Connecticut (#21), Florida State (#25).

A few thoughts:

It pains me to see a dearth of Big Ten tems in the BlogPoll Top 25. Heck, I don’t even know if Indiana deserves the #25 spot, but someone else from the Big Ten needs to step up. Michigan is on the cusp in my book and will probably be up there next week if they take care of business. The sportsMonkey and I tried to justify that the Big Ten isn’t as weak as it’s perceived nationally, but we just couldn’t do it. Looking at everyone’s non-conference schedules was a dead-end. Looking at conference performance didn’t help, either. The truth of the matter is that we don’t really know how good (or bad) the Big Ten is and we won’t know until Bowl Season. The few good teams that Big Ten teams have played have almost all resulted in losses: Oregon over Michigan, Missouri over Illinois. Ohio State beat a decent Washington team, but Washington has come up short against its conference opponents, which cheapens Ohio State’s win.

That being said, Ohio State absolutely deserves to be in the discussion for the National Championship. It has the best defense in the country, bar none. The offense does more than just “not lose games.” Blogpollers shouldn’t punish OSU due to the perceived weakness of the Big Ten or for beating down weaker opponents. I read a blog comment earlier this week that I’ll repeat here: Some teams are good because they beat bad teams. Some teams are good despite beating bad teams. It’s not Ohio State’s fault that its opponents suck. They just surgically take care of business.

We only had three of our four “voters” get their ballots in on time, but I’m happy with how the top ten looks. I think Oklahoma is the best one-loss team in the country. South Florida is setting itself up for a fall, and the fall will be mighty. Prepare to see them out of the top ten soon. Ditto with Boston College. If the Big Ten is weak, the ACC and Big East ain’t far behind.

Comments? Suggestions? Feces to be flung in our direction? That’s what the comment box is for.

Comments

  1. regardless of what happens, i feel it is still early, and in the end, the BCS will sort itself out it usually does. But i do have to vent about our number 1 ranking.

    As for Ohio State being number 1- We started out at number 12, it is no secret that our schedule is weak in the beginning. God forbid if we take a break one year from playing Texas two years in a row when they were at the top, and then having to play USC two years in a row. Can we get a breather people? Anyways point being, we started out at 12, 1 through 11 have lost. Not only did we beat teams we have played, we have soundly beaten teams.

    I remember clearly when playing washington- sports analyst were saying OSU will beat them but it is going to be a challange- after second half adjustments (which we do very well) we beat them badly. The Purdue game- I remember them saying what a high power offense Purdue has and how this could be an upset in the making. If it is in the news it must be true right? Not only did we beat them at there house, we crushed them.

    People may not like us being number 1 by stating we have not beaten anyone, but bottom line being, we (knock on wood, god forbid, [enter personal superstition here]) haven’t lost to anyone either. If anyone can justify Oklahoma or LSU with a 1 loss being ranked ahead of OSU I would like to hear it.

    Like I said in the beginning, it is a long year, and the BCS will work it’s way out, it usually (despite the hatred for it) does.

  2. Woo-hoo, I’ve been quoted!

  3. @Zach – You bring up a good point — OSU’s opponents come into their game against OSU “looking good” with “a big mobile QB” and “high powered offenses”. OSU promptly dispatches them and all of a sudden, the sheen is gone. “They weren’t as good as we thought they were.” Why? Because Ohio State beat them?

    This doesn’t compute.

    @jcarver27 – That was you? Nice. Was it on an EDSBS post? I think that’s where I read it. I’ll have to find and link it now.

  4. Zach – I agree w/ your BCS comment… it usually works itself out, and it probably will this year, too.

  5. Yep, that was me on EDSBS. I just went back to relish in my own glory….and noticed nobody really cared what I had to say :p

  6. @ el Kaiser- You are correct sir it doesn’t compute, but you got to admit that is how it is, USC beats a good team and the media says, well of course they beat em it is USC, Ohio State beats a team and it’s “well that team wasn’t as good as we thought.”

    Maybe I am bias because of where my loyalties lay.

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