Blog Poll v8.1 - Week 7
by GopherNation on Oct 13, 2008 11:30 AM CDT
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PrintHere is it and yes, I voted for Minnesota at #23.
My ballot is unusually different from last week's. I vaulted teams like Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Not so much because they had outstanding weeks but because I felt like I had them too low to begin with. On the flip side I dropped a handful of teams a spot or two despite winning their games, again this was a rethinking of where I had them and feeling as though BYU, Utah, Cal, Wake and Boise State were a bit too high in my week 6 poll.
As far as Minnesota is concerned I have no problem with my current ranking of the Gophers. I realize there is a lot of discussion surrounding their lack of a difficult schedule. But take a look at some of the other teams above or near the Gophers in the most recent AP/Coaches' polls and their strength of schedule ranking...
- Minnesota - 77
- Ball State - 107
- TCU - 91
- Tulsa - 141
- Florida State - 127
- BYU - 121
- Missouri - 87
- Texas Tech - 105
- Kansas - 95
- Georgia Tech - 89
Why do teams like Ball State, BYU, TCU or Texas Tech get ranked as high as they do despite a worse strength of schedule? I know the Big Ten is down but does it actually deserve less respect than MAC or Mountain West? BYU is the eithg best team in the country with a SOS ranking of 121?
Minnesota earned a significant win on the road against a good team. Their strength of schedule is not in the top 30, but they are winning their games and deserve a top 25 ranking as much as any of the other teams in the 20-27 range.
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| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama |  1 |
| 2 | Texas | 4 |
| 3 | Penn State | 2 |
| 4 | Oklahoma |  3 |
| 5 | Southern Cal | 2 |
| 6 | Florida | 4 |
| 7 | Georgia | 2 |
| 8 | Ohio State | -- |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 3 |
| 10 | LSU | 6 |
| 11 | Missouri | 8 |
| 12 | Brigham Young | 1 |
| 13 | Kansas | -- |
| 14 | Oklahoma State | 7 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 5 |
| 16 | South Florida | 1 |
| 17 | Utah | 1 |
| 18 | Boise State | 1 |
| 19 | Wake Forest | 1 |
| 20 | California | 1 |
| 21 | Michigan State | 1 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 4 |
| 23 | Minnesota | 3 |
| 24 | Pittsburgh | 1 |
| 25 | Ball State | 1 |
Thoughts?
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Bucky?
Happy you moved them out last week, now?
by HutchLeaderGuy on Oct 13, 2008 12:23 PM CDT reply actions
eh
1-I was a pretty certain they’d lose to Penn St.
2-I also knew that game would ultimately determine their ranking. They win then there’s no doubt they should be ranked, lose and nobody can justify a ranking.
I succumbed to the pressure but this week was going to determine their fate anyway.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
#23
After week #4 I disagreed with ranking the Gophers in the Top 25 and said they either needed to beat OSU or beat IU and Illinois to deserve a ranking.
Since they accomplished what I claimed was necessary I think the ranking is appropriate.
WhiteSpeedReceiver
Looks pretty good to me.
by WhiteSpeedReceiver on Oct 13, 2008 2:31 PM CDT reply actions
good point
I agree with the fact that a lot of teams are getting ranked even though their schedules are absolute crap unfortunately we better get used to hearing the line “you didn’t play penn state or michigan state” especially if we start a winning streak here during the second half of the season because thats what nation coverage is going to say about the gophers if they continue to win and press towards national attention
I just got back from Illinois as I was at the game and it was probably the greatest experience of my life being able to talk smack to an entire student section filled with ugly orange has always been a dream of mine
I also like how everyone is now so optimistic about the gophers after that win and before everyone was talking about heading for the likes of a 6-6 season now they’re all talking about 10-2
at the beginning of the season I predicted 8-4 and most called me an optimistc fool now I seem to have underestimated the gophers just a tad
GO MAROON AND GOLD
Vandy
I think you were a little too harsh on them. I wouldn’t have dropped them from the top 25 for one loss. Sure it was Mississippi State, but Missippi State isn’t Toledo. Mississippi State lost by only 10 at LSU and by a solo HR 3-2 against Auburn. What if Vandy turns around and beats Georgia this week? Then are you going to catapult them all the way back into the top 15 again?
beyond the resume
I know Vandy has an OK resume but they are last in the SEC in total offense and are near the bottom in defense. If you thought the Gophers were squeaking out wins with smoke and mirrors, Vandy defines it. This ranking is more about I think they are actually a pretty average team in spite of their record (see Northwestern).
I do agree with you that I was probably too harsh on Vandy. But much like Wisconsin of last week their fate will be determined next week. If they beat Georgia I was wrong and they’ll leap in my ballot again. Should they lose a second in a row I don’t think I’ll be the only one to drop them all together.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
by GopherNation on Oct 13, 2008 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions
You weren't too harsh.
Vanderbilt got CROOM’d.
Miss State may play teams close, but losing to them deserves an immediate drop from the polls.
by WhiteSpeedReceiver on Oct 13, 2008 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Vandy Ranking
I hear you on the offense and defense stats—that is a good point. I still argue (like I did with you on Wisconsin last week) that you shouldn’t rank the teams based on how you think they will do next week or beyond. You should rank them according to how they have done up to this point.
The polls aren’t about prognosticating, but judging on year to date performance. Otherwise you will have teams bouncing around wildly if your prognostication turns out to be wrong. What if Wisconsin had beaten PSU? What if Vandy beats Georgia. After the games happen, then you can use that argument.
Call me a Vandy sympathizer.
I'm really not predicting
I’m just saying I don’t have a strong opinion on Vandy. I don’t think they should be ranked for reasons I said above. The point about what happens this week just aids my apathy about including them or not including them this week. I’m not predicting a loss, just that after this week there will be more information for a more accurate rank next week. As of today I think they are out of top 25. A week from now that will either be confirmed or I’ll have to reevaluate.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
by GopherNation on Oct 17, 2008 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions
I never thought we'd be ranking the Gophers ...
… in blogpoll with a straight face this season. Sort of amazing the difference a year and a couple players on defense makes.
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room.
SOS rankings
How can SOS rankings be in the 120s when there are only 119 I-A teams? Are they including I-AA teams in this as well? If that’s the case, I find it hard to believe that some of those teams have stronger schedules than even the lowest I-A teams.
1-AA teams are included
In fact, I think Sagarin includes D-II and D-III teams too. And Hawaii last year had a weaker schedule than about 30 different 1-AA teams.
Stewart Mandel at SI.com
has Minnesota at number 20 (!) in his “power rankings,” which is also his AP ballot:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/10/14/power.rankings2/index.html
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