College Football AP Poll: Dissecting Week Two

Another week of college football. Another week of wild perception swings that show the folly of doing any sort of polling without a decent sample size. Here is a look at some of the outliers.

Josh Kendall: After vaulting Oklahoma State to (6) with their dismantling of Savannah State, Kendall dropped them from the Top 25. Boise State continued its climb. Last week, they leaped five places while losing. This week, the Broncos jumped another two places to (11) while not playing. At (25) he is the only voter with Ohio State ranked lower than (18). Florida remains outside his Top 25.

Doug Lesmerises: Doug was watching some night games. UCLA debuted in his Top 25 at (11), Arizona was (12) and was the only voter with ULM higher than (21) at (13). He was not impressed by South Carolina’s 38-point win with their backup quarterback, dropping them seven places. He also has Oklahoma at (21), one of just four voters with them lower than (10).

Chad Crippe: He vaulted Kansas State from (22) to (9) after the Miami win. He ranks Florida State (20), one of just three voters with them outside the top ten and the only one lower than (14). He is also the only voter with Texas unranked, the next lowest voter had them at (21).

John Wilner: He has Kansas State and Louisville in the top ten. He moved Florida from off the board up to (12), after a narrow win at Texas A&M. Nebraska rose a place despite losing to UCLA.

Carrie Anderson: She is still reconciling her preseason rankings with reality. Wisconsin is (19) with Oregon State not in the Top 25. Arkansas remains in the Top 25, ahead of Florida, Louisville and Notre Dame. Oklahoma State is (25), with Arizona, who just beat them by three touchdowns, outside the Top 25.

For fun, here is a look at some statistical measurements with way too small of a sample size. Both Football Outsiders’ FEI and SRS agree with consensus, that Alabama is the No. 1 team.

FEI: (1) Alabama (2) Oklahoma (3) LSU (4) Georgia (5) Ohio State (6) West Virginia (7) USC (8) Florida (9) Notre Dame (10) Florida State [full ranking here]

SRS: (1) Alabama (2) Texas (3) Baylor (4) West Virginia (5) LSU (6) Georgia (7) Arizona (8) UCLA (9) Iowa State (10) USC [full ranking here]

[Photo via Getty]

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16 Responses to “College Football AP Poll: Dissecting Week Two”

Walking Underwear Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:27 PM

please put the writers/voters’ media affiliation or at least hometown

realbbbb Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:32 PM

How could you not include Jeremy Sampson Twitter page? He voted UNC #25 after they lost to Wake Forest AND didn’t have them ranked in either Week 1 or Week 2?!?!?

KC Resident Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:34 PM

The AP poll is meaningless and useless. I’d be more interested in a break down of the coaches poll, which, unfortunately, does mean something.

ButtersBC Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:42 PM

I’d be more interested in a break down of the coaches poll

They only release how they voted on the last one, right?

sousedbergin Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:43 PM

If the Patriots keep drafting LSU running backs eventually it will work out.

Walking Underwear Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:45 PM

do you mean the coach’s poll counts in postseason formulations? or in how much more credible it is?
because if you think the writers can’t watch many games to form a solid opinion, coaches watch much less

KC Resident Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:47 PM

They only release how they voted on the last one, right?

I believe so, which is crazy dumb. They need to be held accountable. Or the SID.

do you mean the coach’s poll counts in postseason formulations?

Yes.

Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:48 PM

Didn’t this site rip Nick Saban for telling college football journalists how to do their jobs?

KC Resident Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:49 PM

Joe -

“This year, the BCS Standings will once again include three components: USA Today Coaches Poll, Harris Interactive College Football Poll and an average of six computer rankings. Each component will count one-third of a team’s overall BCS score in the BCS Standings.”

QueeferSutherland Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:52 PM

College football is mind-bogglingly stupid when you take the 30,000-foot view.

spencer096 Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:53 PM

Didn’t this site rip Nick Saban for telling college football journalists how to do their jobs?

really enjoyed this piece.

The press conference makes national headlines by morning. Several pundits are quick to jump on Saban for bullying the media and trying to control the press. Even more begin to mock the mere concept that the Hilltoppers could ever compete with Bama, let alone threaten to beat them.
When I mention the reaction — and the subsequent press it’s given WKU — on Thursday afternoon, Taggart grins ear to ear, just like Guidry, in the same amused, somewhat patronizing way. He’s sitting at his desk watching cut-ups of the Tide’s 2011 defense against Penn State and Florida.
“That wasn’t for the media,” he snickers. “That had nothing to do with the media. That was for his players. He’s an old, wise, wily veteran.”
After a beat he slaps his hands together and laughs, in on a joke that seemingly not a single member of the national college sports media gets: Saban doesn’t give a damn what’s written about Alabama, only that the media has some role in influencing his players’ mindset. Information absorption is one of the few aspects of their lives he can’t control outright, so he’s taken to a kind of disinformation campaign to refocus his team, at the press’ expense. To Taggart and his staff, the joke is that, with all the obvious responsibilities of reloading a national title winner upon Saban, anyone would believe he has the time or interest to actually get mad at reporters.
“They went from an ‘upset alert’ to this. He got the media mad, and the media got his team focused! College football, college football … You gotta love it,” he laughs.

QueeferSutherland Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:55 PM

Didn’t this site rip Nick Saban for telling college football journalists how to do their jobs?

I’m all for pointing out hypocrisy, but that’s nowhere near the same thing.

mizerle06 is sarah phillips Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 2:56 PM

College football is mind-bogglingly stupid when you take the 30,000-foot view.

it’s only stupid because you can’t see shit from way up there.

bstr0142 Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 3:03 PM

To Taggart and his staff, the joke is that, with all the obvious responsibilities of reloading a national title winner upon Saban, anyone would believe he has the time or interest to actually get mad at reporters.

This can’t be true, it makes too much sense.

Walking Underwear Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 5:22 PM

Joe -

“This year, the BCS Standings will once again include three components: USA Today Coaches Poll, Harris Interactive College Football Poll and an average of six computer rankings. Each component will count one-third of a team’s overall BCS score in the BCS Standings.”

cool. my question was only whether you liked the coaches poll because you thought coaches are more credible or because it was a bcs factor

A.P. Says:
September 10th, 2012 at 7:04 PM