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2012 Blogpoll: Ridiculously Early Preseason Ballot

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This year they are asking us to put together preseason BlogPoll ballots at various points throughout the preseason. Here is our first one. As you can see from the crazy deltas from our final season-ending BlogPoll ballot, insanity reigns. And because it's mid-January, we can say things like "I think both Texas and Florida State will be Top 10 programs in 2012" or "I think three of the best five teams in the country come from the SEC West" and get away with it.

This is nothing more than throwing darts at the wall at this point. And yes, I expect Alabama to take a step back next year but we are only two weeks removed from the Crimson Tide's National Championship. Shouldn't they get to enjoy it for at least a month?

For those keeping track at home, there are four 2012 Boston College opponents in our Top 25 -- #8 Florida State, #19 Virginia Tech, #22 Clemson and #24 Georgia Tech. N.C. State and Notre Dame also received votes.

Leave your thoughts on the ridiculously early preseason Top 25 below.

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2011 Blogpoll: BC Interruption's Final Ballot Of Season

Alabama's Jeremy Shelley (90) reacts with AJ McCarron (10) and Chris Underwood (87) after making a field goal during the first half of the BCS National Championship college football game against LSU Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

LSU probably deserves a share of this year's National Championship.

The Tigers beat everyone they were asked to during the regular season, including the Pac-12 (and Rose Bowl) champ and the Big East (and Orange Bowl) champ, in addition to six then-ranked SEC opponents during the year -- #25 Mississippi State, #17 Florida, #20 Auburn, #2 Alabama, #3 Arkansas and #14 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama beat half as many ranked SEC opponents, while the Tide's lone non-conference marquee victory was at #23 Penn State.

Everyone loves to focus in on the loss column. "Alabama's loss came to LSU in overtime" you might say. "If Oklahoma State wanted a shot at the National title, all they had to do was beat Iowa State" says SEC fans and defenders of the BCS. But frankly, that's only one half of the equation.

One could easily make the case -- as one brave AP voter did -- that Alabama only drew even with LSU on Monday night, and that LSU, not Alabama, deserves the 2011 national title. The two programs are 1-1 against one another, but LSU won at Alabama on November 5 while Alabama waxed LSU in the rematch on a neutral field.

I suppose Oklahoma State Cowboys fans also have a legit claim at this year's title. The Cowboys were undefeated in regulation and nearly managed to traverse the Big 12 gauntlet unscathed, the nation's toughest conference, statistically.

That said, you can also make the case that LSU was fortunate to come away with the victory in Tuscaloosa (four missed field goals and an INT at the LSU 1) and the Tigers no-show in the BCS title game ultimately did LSU in.

Gripes about the current college football postseason format aside, after considering all of the above, sadly I couldn't put together a compelling argument to vote anyone other than Alabama #1 in our final Blogpoll ballot.

And here is our final ballot in all its glory.

As a reminder, Jeff and I average out our ballots so there may be some polling oddities like No. 13 Kansas State (11-3) over No. 15 Oklahoma (10-3), a team that crushed K-State in Manhattan ... and ... Michigan over Michigan State ... and ... Virginia Tech (!) over Clemson. Oh boy.

Then again, if there's one thing I learned from this past college football season, it's that every game matters, until it doesn't.

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2011 Blogpoll: Week 15 Ballot

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Here is our week 15 SB Nation Blogpoll Top 25 ballot. Interestingly, Jeff and I were split on who gets the second spot and a berth to the Mythical Blogpoll National Championship Game, with one of us favoring the rematch and the other Oklahoma State. The tie was ultimately broken by the guy who filled out the ballot this week.

Conference champions are the big winners this week, with LSU (still tops), Oklahoma State (up 1), Oregon (up 8), Clemson (up 10), Wisconsin (up 4) moving up this week and West Virginia (oh hai Blogpoll!) and Southern Miss cracking this week's ballot.

There are different philosophies about how to treat the conference championship games, specifically the programs that come up on the short end of the extra game. But for our ballot, we dinged them a bit, with Virginia Tech (down 10), Michigan State (down 7), Georgia (down 6) and Houston (down 18) all down this week.

May have been a little harsh on Houston, but playing in Conference USA, the Cougars' margin of error is that small. With a SOS ranked in the 100s and your marquee win over U.C.L.A., "it is what it is." Also, UH got lit up by Southern Miss in the Conference USA championship game with a shot at a BCS bowl game.

Teams encouraging the most disagreement include Penn State (4.24), Boise State (2.83), Oregon, USC, Wisconsin and Michigan (2.12).

Maybe next week: Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Arkansas State, Texas, Auburn, Cincinnati

By conference: 5 SEC, 5 Big Ten, 4 Big 12, 3 ACC, 3 Pac-12, 2 Mountain West, 2 Conference USA, 1 Big East

Thoughts / comments, let's hear 'em.

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2011 Blogpoll: Week 14 Ballot

We still have to do this thing?

Here is our week 14 SB Nation Blogpoll Top 25 ballot. Not a whole lot of movement this week. Baylor (up 4), Nebraska (up 4) and Michigan (up 3) are the biggest gainers on the week, while Clemson (down 7), Penn State (down 7) and Arkansas (down 5) all drop with losses. Virginia and Notre Dame are out this week, replaced by Florida State and Texas.

Teams encouraging the most disagreement include Boise State (6.36), Penn State (6.36), USC (4.24), Wisconsin (2.83), Clemson (2.83) and Oregon (2.83)

Maybe next week: Southern Miss, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Auburn, Notre Dame, BYU

By conference: 5 SEC, 5 Big Ten, 5 Big 12, 4 ACC, 3 Pac-12, 2 Mountain West, 1 Conference USA

Thoughts / comments, let's hear 'em.

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2011 Blogpoll: Week 13 Ballot

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Yes, our current ballot calls for an SEC West rematch in the National Championship game. No, I'm not happy about this.

Here is our week 13 SB Nation Blogpoll Top 25 ballot. LSU, Alabama and Arkansas survive the chaos and rank 1-2-3 this week, followed closely behind by Stanford (4) and Oklahoma State (5). Biggest movers on the week include Oklahoma (down 10), Oregon (down 8), Nebraska (down 7), Kansas State (up 6) and Boise State (up 5).

Teams encouraging the most disagreement include Boise State (7.07), Georgia (4.95), Penn State (4.24) and Oklahoma State (2.83). The only spots where we agree this week are the top two spots.

Maybe next week: Auburn, Tulsa, Rutgers, Florida State, BYU, Arkansas State

By conference: 5 SEC, 5 Big Ten, 4 ACC, 4 Big 12, 3 Pac-12, 2 Mountain West, 1 Conference USA, 1 Independent

Thoughts / comments, let's hear 'em.

 

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2011 Blogpoll: Week 12 Ballot

Here is our week 12 SB Nation BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. And then there were two ...

LSU and Oklahoma State are the nation's remaining unbeatens after both Stanford and Boise State laid eggs at home against Oregon and TCU, respectively. Alabama, Oregon and Arkansas round out this week's top 5.

Texas is down 9, Penn State down 7, Boise State down 6 and Stanford is down 5 this week, while Michigan State, Nebraska, TCU and Michigan are this week's biggest gainers.

Teams encouraging the most disagreement included USC (4.95), Penn State (4.24), Boise State (3.54) and Georgia (3.54). We only agree in four spots this week, at number 1 (LSU), 4 (Oregon), 13 (Michigan State) and Texas (25).

Maybe next week: West Virginia, Baylor, Cincinnati, Arizona State

By conference: 5 SEC, 5 Big Ten, 4 ACC, 4 Big 12, 3 Pac-12, 2 Mountain West, 2 Conference USA, ZERO Big East

Thoughts / comments, let's hear 'em.

 

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2011 Blogpoll: Week 11 Ballot

Here is our week 11 SB Nation BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. The top 4 spots get shuffled around after the Game of the Week of the Century Field Goal Off between LSU and Alabama. LSU maintains the top spot, with Stanford jumping both Oklahoma State and Alabama for the second spot. 

Nebraska (down 13) and Michigan (down 12) are this week's biggest losers, with Texas (up 5), Wisconsin (up 4) and a whole lot of other teams (up 3) as the biggest gainers on the week. A pair of Pac-12 teams -- Arizona State and Washington -- were bounced in favor of Florida State and TCU. Welcome back.

Maybe next week: Cincinnati, SMU, Arizona State, Washington, Baylor, Texas A&M

By conference: 6 SEC, 5 Big Ten, 4 ACC, 4 Big 12, 3 Pac-12, 2 Mountain West, 1 Conference USA

Thoughts / comments, let's hear 'em.

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2011 Blogpoll: Week 10 Ballot

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Here is our week 10 Blogpoll ballot. Thoughts after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

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