National polls are subjective, imperfect
By Jeff Walker
Avalanche-Journal
Texas Tech fans might not have liked this week’s college football polls.
The Red Raiders, ranked seventh last week in the three major polls, moved up in only one poll – to No. 5 in the USA Today coaches poll. They were leapfrogged by Florida and Southern Calfiornia in The Associated Press media and Harris Interactive polls, even though Tech won and remained a perfect 6-0.
Walker
I’m a voter in the men’s basketball media poll, and I can tell you firsthand there are flaws with the system. Some of the flaws can be fixed – but they won’t. I’ve said many times if there is no poll until the non-conference season ends in football and basketball, teams will be forced to schedule tougher opponents, and the teams that win those games will be deserving of the top spots in the polls. This isn’t going to happen, for the very reason that I’m writing this column. The people that run the polls like to have debate. They want you to argue about whether Texas or Alabama should be No. 1. (My vote would have been for the Tide, by the way, as they have one more road victory and one more win against a top-10 team than the Longhorns).
The other flaw in the system is similar to the Heisman Trophy voting – there is no criteria. It’s a subjective voting process. Heisman voters can determine on their own if the award is for the best college football player or for the most valuable player. Is it for a player who is leading his team toward a BCS championship or is it the best overall statistics?
The same can be said about the polls. We’re never told if the top 25 is the best 25 teams or if we’re supposed to base the poll on wins and losses.
If it’s based on wins and losses, for example, USC and Florida should not have jumped ahead of Tech this week because each already has lost – but they did. If the voter believes, however, that the Trojans and Gators are better than the Red Raiders, then they have every right to put them ahead of Tech.
When I vote in the college basketball poll, I try to use a combination of the two methods. Teams considered to be mid-major basketball teams have a difficult time getting into my top 25 because I don’t think they play the same level of competition as the BCS-conference schools. One marquee win against a team from a BCS school does not automatically make you one of the best 25 teams in the country.
With respect to the football poll, you can’t tell me Utah is one of the best 15 football teams in the country, but the Utes are 7-0 with their biggest win coming by two points in the opener against an underachieving Michigan team. Utah’s other wins? UNLV, Utah State, Air Force, Weber State, Oregon State and Wyoming – not a top-25 team in the bunch.
Tech, for that matter, isn’t worthy of its No. 7 ranking. If there’s a team that should be ranked ahead of Tech, it should be Oklahoma State – for now. Both teams are undefeated, both played relatively easy non-conference schedules. The Cowboys, though, have a victory over a ranked opponent: Missouri, in the top five at the time.
Tech does not.
The season will play itself out, though, and the BCS officials will say once again that they got it right. They might, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t flaws in the system.
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First, don’t think that because of our e-mail address we are UT supporters, we just had to have this address for buisiness purposes. Jeff, I just wanted to know if reporters or voters realize that tougher schedules mean that you have to schedule opponents that do not want home and home dates? That seems to put someone like Tech (with only 53,000 seats) at a disadvantage trying to schedule Georgia, Tennessee, Penn State, and Ohio State (all of which we have played but wouldn’t reciprocate). To play a tough opponent on the road but not a chance to schedule a home date against the same opponent doesn’t seem to be the fault of the mid majors or even the second level BCS conference programs like Tech, but the fault of the programs like Alabama, USC, etc. that get the breaks of voters because of who they have been. How can someone say someone like Tech should schedule tougher opponents when they can’t get those same opponents to come to our place and play? What seems fair to you as a voter? Not looking to put this in the paper, just wanted to know your point of view. Thanks.
Mike Feagan
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It will all work out after we play Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Okie State. If we are good enough to be in the top 3, then we will be after we play them. If not, then we loose and drop out of the top 10. Its too early to complain. Our schedule is setting up for a great leap into #1 if we win, because we have too many top 10 teams in our path.
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Jeff, you left out “bad losses”. They too should be accounted for. When not, they make voters such as look silly.
You are not a voter but you have tried to justify SC being where they are because some voters “think” they can beat the other top teams.
And then there’s Utah, who you site as not really being top15 worthy.
Funny thing, Utah beat Oregon St who beat SC. To me, this invalidates any consideration of who SC may or may not beat. There’s already proof that ANYONE can beat SC.
It’s a shame that SC now has an easier road to the title game than OU. An embarrassment really.
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I completely agree with Mike on the lack of “toughness” in the Tech schedule. The only “Marquee” school to come play Tech in Lubbock was Miami in the early 90’s. During that same time period we played Georgia, Penn State. Those schools refuse to come to Lubbock. Those schools want Home games, just the same as we do at Tech. Unfortunately, somebody has to go on the road. In order for Tech to get the tough teams we have to go there.
The rankings are subjective, but I do not disagree with Tech not moving up this week. I do have problems with TU and Flordia making the moves they made. Tech is sitting great at #7.
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Better take another look at that Alabama schedule. For example, they struggled against a Tulane team that had to hold on (at home) to beat SMU, a team that Tech smothered. Other than beating Georgia, I don’t see it. We both know that Clemson was exposed, so that win doesn’t get you much.
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I’m not sure why Alabama is in the top ten either; especially when you consider how far down several teams got pounded in the rankings after losing (e.g. Missouri & LSU & Ohio State)
I agree that Tech has not YET proven itself worthy of it’s ranking. As Jonathon says, we’ll get our chance.
Richard, I did watch a game at Jones stadium with USC, also. Not sure of the year, though.
Hit ‘em, Wreck ‘em!!
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