Blog Poll
Way Too Early BlogPoll Top 25
by JohnRadcliff on Jan 16, 2012 11:24 AM EST
in Blog Poll
Darts, man. All it is, is throwing darts. You have no idea who's going to drop acid and hijack a school bus full of penguins between now and the start of the season. Although the Fulmer Cup will keep score as we move along. Speaking as a fan that just took the most crazy 12 month roller coaster ride, you just can't see these things coming. Chemistry never carries over from one year to the next and a million other reasons why last year means nothing now. So with that in mind, let's take a few stabs in the dark.
1. Georgia- With so many starters returning on defense, and so many key players returning on offense Georgia seems like a clear favorite. Not to mention they don't have to play Bama, LSU, or Arkansas during the regular season. If things have ever lined up for the Bulldogs, this is the year.
2. Oklahoma- See what I did there? After all the bitching I did about how the Sooners got all the unfounded love last season, I'm putting them this high. The reason is that I look around the Big 12 and don't see anyone that can challenge them. Texas doesn't seem ready to move back into the top spot. Oklahoma State will probably take a step back, and West Virginia may or may not be there (and other things to be considered later.)
3. Alabama- They lose a lot from last years team. But they return starting quarterback A J McCarron, and a slew of people who have been waiting their turn. Alabama's recruiting prowess is well documented, and as long as Saban has a quarterback that doesn't give the game away the Tide will always be in the mix.
2 commentsBlogPoll Final Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Jan 11, 2012 1:00 PM EST
in Blog Poll
What a year! Why does it have to end? I think a lot of the debate about polls and rankings is fun. But it does little to help the legitimacy of where teams end up. If something is going to be done about a switch from the BCS to a playoff. Then certainly a change is in order for polling as well. I'll continue that thought at the end of the post. For now, I want to try something a little different with this final poll.
No questions here, I presume. LSU may have dropped off the map for one night. But it's still just one night after a season of playing and beating just about everyone of note. Orange Bowl champ, Rose Bowl champ, National champ. If Oklahoma St. had received the same preseason love as their in-state rival, they may have had a better shot at getting in.
Boise State got screwed on so many levels. Yes, they played a weak schedule and couldn't afford to lose one game. They knew it as well as anyone. Even though they got their fair share of respect from the pollsters, they had one loss and ended up in a pre-Christmas bowl. It makes ranking them harder than most. You may not agree with where I have them. But I wouldn't bet against them if they faced any team below them. I dropped USC a couple notches just because we didn't get to see them in a bowl. I look at Wisconsin and think about the year that could have been for them. But I think they might have been a step too slow on defense if they would have made the title game.
Week 15 BlogPoll Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Dec 4, 2011 6:47 PM EST
in Blog Poll
Because 3-25 need love too.
Smoking Musket Ballot - Week 15
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 3 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -- |
| 4 | Stanford Cardinal |  3 |
| 5 | Arkansas Razorbacks |  -1 |
| 6 | USC Trojans | -- |
| 7 | Oregon Ducks | 4 |
| 8 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 9 | Wisconsin Badgers | 6 |
| 10 | Michigan St. Spartans | 4 |
| 11 | Georgia Bulldogs | -6 |
| 12 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 1 |
| 13 | Kansas St. Wildcats | 4 |
| 14 | Michigan Wolverines | 2 |
| 15 | Baylor Bears | 3 |
| 16 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 3 |
| 17 | Clemson Tigers | 4 |
| 18 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -9 |
| 19 | TCU Horned Frogs | 1 |
| 20 | Oklahoma Sooners | -8 |
| 21 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 1 |
| 22 | Southern Miss. Golden Eagles | -- |
| 23 | Houston Cougars | -13 |
| 24 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 1 |
| 25 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | -2 |
| Dropouts: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
Rationale after the jump.
Week 14 BlogPoll Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Nov 27, 2011 6:47 PM EST
in Blog Poll
John Radcliff.com Ballot - Week 14
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 3 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | 1 |
| 4 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -1 |
| 5 | Georgia Bulldogs | 1 |
| 6 | USC Trojans | 1 |
| 7 | Stanford Cardinal | 4 |
| 8 | Boise St. Broncos | -3 |
| 9 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 9 |
| 10 | Houston Cougars | -2 |
| 11 | Oregon Ducks | -2 |
| 12 | Oklahoma Sooners | 2 |
| 13 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -1 |
| 14 | Michigan St. Spartans | 3 |
| 15 | Wisconsin Badgers | 5 |
| 16 | Michigan Wolverines | -1 |
| 17 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -7 |
| 18 | Baylor Bears | -5 |
| 19 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 6 |
| 20 | TCU Horned Frogs | 1 |
| 21 | Clemson Tigers | -5 |
| 22 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 23 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | -4 |
| 24 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | -- |
| 25 | Cincinnati Bearcats | -- |
| Dropouts: Auburn Tigers, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Virginia Cavaliers | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
Rationale after the jump.
Week 12 BlogPoll Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Nov 13, 2011 5:00 PM EST
in Blog Poll
Smoking Musket Ballot - Week 12
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 3 | Oregon Ducks | 4 |
| 4 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -1 |
| 5 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 6 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 7 | Stanford Cardinal | -3 |
| 8 | Georgia Bulldogs | 3 |
| 9 | Houston Cougars | 3 |
| 10 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 3 |
| 11 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 9 |
| 12 | Boise St. Broncos | -4 |
| 13 | Clemson Tigers | -4 |
| 14 | Kansas St. Wildcats | 7 |
| 15 | Michigan St. Spartans | -1 |
| 16 | USC Trojans | -1 |
| 17 | Wisconsin Badgers | 2 |
| 18 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -- |
| 19 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | -9 |
| 20 | Southern Miss. Golden Eagles | 3 |
| 21 | Michigan Wolverines | -- |
| 22 | Baylor Bears | -- |
| 23 | Florida St. Seminoles | 2 |
| 24 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane | -- |
| 25 | TCU Horned Frogs | -- |
| Dropouts: Cincinnati Bearcats, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Ohio St. Buckeyes, Texas Longhorns, Virginia Cavaliers | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
Week 11 BlogPoll Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Nov 6, 2011 5:06 PM EST
in Blog Poll
Alternate title to consider, "I'd kick my dog if I had one." Follow me after the jump for the rationale.
Smoking Musket Ballot - Week 11
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 3 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | 1 |
| 4 | Stanford Cardinal | -1 |
| 5 | Oklahoma Sooners | 1 |
| 6 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 3 |
| 7 | Oregon Ducks | -2 |
| 8 | Boise St. Broncos | -1 |
| 9 | Clemson Tigers | 5 |
| 10 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | 1 |
| 11 | Georgia Bulldogs | -1 |
| 12 | Houston Cougars | 4 |
| 13 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 8 |
| 14 | Michigan St. Spartans | -1 |
| 15 | USC Trojans | -- |
| 16 | Cincinnati Bearcats | -1 |
| 17 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 7 |
| 18 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 7 |
| 19 | Wisconsin Badgers | -1 |
| 20 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -8 |
| 21 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -4 |
| 22 | Texas Longhorns | -- |
| 23 | Southern Miss. Golden Eagles | -- |
| 24 | Virginia Cavaliers | -4 |
| 25 | Florida St. Seminoles | -- |
| Dropouts: Nebraska Cornhuskers, West Virginia Mountaineers, Michigan Wolverines | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
Week 10 BlogPoll Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Oct 30, 2011 7:57 PM EDT
in Blog Poll
Smoking Musket Ballot - Week 10
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 3 | Stanford Cardinal | 1 |
| 4 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -1 |
| 5 | Oregon Ducks | 3 |
| 6 | Oklahoma Sooners | 7 |
| 7 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 8 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 7 |
| 9 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -4 |
| 10 | Georgia Bulldogs | 8 |
| 11 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | 8 |
| 12 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -1 |
| 13 | Michigan St. Spartans | -4 |
| 14 | Clemson Tigers | -8 |
| 15 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 5 |
| 16 | Houston Cougars | 1 |
| 17 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -5 |
| 18 | Wisconsin Badgers | -8 |
| 19 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 5 |
| 20 | Virginia Cavaliers | -- |
| 21 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -7 |
| 22 | Texas Longhorns | -- |
| 23 | Michigan Wolverines | -- |
| 24 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | -- |
| 25 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| Dropouts: Texas A&M Aggies, Arizona St. Sun Devils, USC Trojans, Auburn Tigers | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
Rationale and sloth after the jump
Week 9 BlogPoll Ballot
by JohnRadcliff on Oct 23, 2011 9:49 PM EDT
in Blog Poll
Smoking Musket Ballot - Week 9
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | 1 |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -1 |
| 3 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | 2 |
| 4 | Stanford Cardinal | 4 |
| 5 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 2 |
| 6 | Clemson Tigers | -- |
| 7 | Boise St. Broncos | 2 |
| 8 | Oregon Ducks | 2 |
| 9 | Michigan St. Spartans | 2 |
| 10 | Wisconsin Badgers | -6 |
| 11 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 5 |
| 12 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -- |
| 13 | Oklahoma Sooners | -10 |
| 14 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 1 |
| 15 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -2 |
| 16 | Texas A&M Aggies | 4 |
| 17 | Houston Cougars | 6 |
| 18 | Georgia Bulldogs | 3 |
| 19 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | 6 |
| 20 | Cincinnati Bearcats | -- |
| 21 | Arizona St. Sun Devils | 3 |
| 22 | USC Trojans | -- |
| 23 | Michigan Wolverines | -4 |
| 24 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -10 |
| 25 | Auburn Tigers | -- |
| Dropouts: Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Washington Huskies | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
Bumping LSU back up to the top spot because I thought they would have a let down against Auburn. They most certainly didn't. Bama had a let down against Tenness in the first half. But did what they do in the second half.
I can say this about Oklahoma, we feel your pain. The only advantage for West Virginia fans, we had an extra day to drink it off.
This was the first time I was really impressed with Stanford this year. Enough to move them up four spots and enough to believe it isn't all on Andrew Luck's broad shoulders. I mean 446 yards rushing against anyone is something special. Back to the drawing board for Washington.
Wisconsin's loss wasn't as bad as Oklahoma. At least in the sense that Michigan St. had a much better resume than Texas Tech coming into the weekend. Texas Tech had a couple close losses the last two weeks. I don't think this alone is enough to move them into the top 25.
Thank you Houston, it may not have seemed like much to you, but it meant the world to us. We hope to be running at that efficiency some day soon. But we plan on giving our defense a bit more of a break.
Georgia and Penn St. just keep slothing their way up the poll. Nothing flashy, just enough. I thought Notre Dame could win this game or at least make it interesting. I was wrong. If it seems like I'm pointing out a lot of my mistakes, guess which one I got right? I'm going to have to take the blindfold off when I'm throwing darts from now on.
I can't blame Auburn. All the teams they lost to are in my top ten. I'd take them over anyone outside the top 25 on a neutral field.
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