Spurrier causes stir by voting for Duke -- again (Preseason Top 25 is Out, USC No.1, UGA 13)

Atlanta Urinal and Constipation ^ | 3 August 2007 | Tony Barnhardt

[SmoothTalker]

One Top 25 votes Dook will get this century in football.

[SmoothTalker]

Er Only Top 25 votes Dook will get this century in football.

[dfwgator]

I think Spurrier’s vote shows just how pointless pre-season polls are.

They shouldn’t even have polls until the fifth week anyway.

[GOP_Raider]

Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke UniversityThe FR College Football Ping List Freepmail GOP_Raider to be on or off this list.

[Perdogg]

Dook is one win UNC will get this year. Maybe it’s only win.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Never mind the fact that none of the schools at which the ole ball coach has been hold UGA in particularly high esteem.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Never mind the fact that none of the schools at which the ole ball coach has been hold UGA in particularly high esteem.

[Man50D]

Wow! Spurrier’s vote makes the game between Duke and my UConn Huskies on September 1st big! Go UConn ! ;O)

[Always Right]

Does he just do this during the preseason or does this carryover into the regular season?

[SeaHawkFan]

Does anyone really care that Spurrier votes Duke 25th at the start of every year? Must be a slow sports news day.

[Constantine XIII]

*throws sun visor in a fit of rage*

[Nate505]

You’d think Spurrier is making a mockery out of the polls.....yet considering the way college football chooses its champion is a mockery anyway, I guess it doesn’t mean very much.

[InvisibleChurch]

I wondered who did that. Good for Steve.

[PetroniDE]

Should not be using polls to determine national champion period. Have a playoff. Every other level of football has one.

[LibertarianInExile]

“I think Spurrier’s vote shows just how pointless pre-season polls are.”

On the contrary, they are every bit as used as preseason basketball polls. If the polls play a factor in setting SoS for computer rankings from the start (and they do) then the result of Spurrier’s vote has been to inflate somewhat the ACC. So indirectly, this benefits Duke’s opponents, like Miami and FSU.

[JLS]

Right, I am admittedly a Gator fan bias for Spurrier, but really who cares if he votes Duke 25th every year? It affects absolutely NOTHING.

[JLS]

I believe that SOS is calculated based on wins against D1A teams and losses, opponents wins and losses and opponents opponents wins and losses the same as in the college basketball RPI. That would mean it has nothing to do with rankings.

[SVTCobra03]

You heard it here first and you can take it to the bank: OSU will beat UGA.

[LibertarianInExile]

Perhaps you’re right. But I can’t get past the fact that you have to start somewhere with SoS rankings. How would you rank the first week’s results without ranking at least somehow prior to that week? There is no way that the computer rankings will just assume that an undefeated Miami U beating Bowling Green is the equivalent of an undefeated U Miami beating FSU in the first week (not that this is necessarily the case schedule-wise this year, but you get the issue I’m raising here). There must be a built-in pre-ranking as a result.