BlockONation's Week Nine Top 25 Rankings For TheBestDamnPoll.com

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder



This is my first set of rankings this year. There might be some validity to the argument against preseason and early-season polls.

I think in a way, not doing any rankings before now has helped give me time to assemble a very accurate poll for my first submission of the season, having been able to see 8-9 games to properly weigh each teams resume to date.

With that, here are my week 9 rankings -- my first rankings submitted to the poll at TheBestDamnPoll.com this year.

1. KANSAS STATE

2. OREGON

3. NOTRE DAME

4. ALABAMA

5. OHIO STATE

6. LSU

7. GEORGIA

8. FLORIDA

9. LOUISVILLE

10. CLEMSON

11. FLORIDA STATE

12. SOUTH CAROLINA

13. USC

14. MISS. STATE

15. STANFORD

16. OKLAHOMA

17. BOISE STATE

18. TEXAS A&M

19. NEBRASKA

20. OREGON STATE

21. TEXAS TECH

22. WEST VIRGINIA

23. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

24. LOUISIANA TECH

25. KENT STATE

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Plenty Of Movement In The New Week 4 AP College Football Poll

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Week four had a little taste of everything for college football fans.

Some teams like my Buckeyes struggled but still won, while others like Oklahoma were blindsided and upset.

Others still—to borrow a line from former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green, "Were who we thought they were,"—and they dropped out of the poll completely after another early season loss—*cough, Michigan, cough*.

The new rankings reflect all of the goings-on from this past week in college football.

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1 Alabama(59) 4-0

2 Oregon 4-0

3 LSU (1) 4-0

4 Florida State 4-0

5 Georgia 4-0

6 South Carolina 4-0

7 Kansas State 4-0

8 Stanford 3-0

9 West Virginia 3-0

10 Notre Dame 4-0

11 Florida 4-0

12 Texas 3-0

13 USC 3-1

14 Ohio State 4-0

15 TCU 3-0

16 Oklahoma 2-1

17 Clemson 3-1

18 Oregon State 2-0

19 Louisville 4-0

20 Michigan State 3-1

21 Mississippi State 4-0

22 Nebraska 3-1

23 Rutgers 4-0

24 Boise State 2-1

25 Baylor 3-0

I was a bit surprised (4-0) Northwestern is still missing from the rankings. For whatever it's worth, I would have the Wildcats in at 24 or 25 and Boise State unranked on my ballot.

— HD

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Despite Postseason Ban, Here's How Ohio State Could Still Be Crowned 2012 National Champs

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Don't laugh haters — seriously, this isn't a joke. You only wish it was.

You may be skeptical now — and you likely believe that I'm a completely delusional Buckeye homer — but read further, and you too will (perhaps) become a believer.

Even if you aren't convinced, it doesn't matter. This could still become your reality in spite of you and your disdain for Ohio State.

Before we go any further, the image to the right of Urban Meyer holding the BCS crystal football is for visual effect only. Clearly, with the postseason ban this coming season, Ohio State has ZERO chance at winning the BCS trophy in 2012.

They do, however, still have a chance at winning the national title in 2012.

How is that possible, you ask? And is this HD guy a crackhead?

It's quite simple really, and no, I'm not.

Once a part of the BCS system, the AP Poll has had no affiliation with, or statistical importance in, the calculations that produce the BCS rankings, and subsequent bowl game pairings since the 2004 season — meaning, the AP voters have no obligations or restrictions on who they rank from 1-25 on their weekly ballots.

Now that you should see a potential championship path beginning to clear for the Buckeyes this coming season, there are still a few other obstacles to be hurdled before Ohio State can stake its' claim as 2012 National Champions.

The biggest obstacle is obviously navigating through the toughest conference schedule in the Big Ten, combined with a decently challenging out-of-conference schedule.

In order for Ohio State to have any chance at the AP title, they MUST win every game — a feat which I'm not guaranteeing WILL happen, but certainly one that I'm suggesting is definitely possible. Winning in blowout fashion isn't a must for a team built on fielding a top-notch defense, and one that will be running a completely new offensive system, but it won't hurt when it comes to impressing the voters either.

For the sake of this article, we are going to assume that Ohio State will indeed win all 12 of its games. Here's a semi-microscopic look at each opponent and my best short-and-to-the-point educated guess on the outcome of each game.

Home vs. Miami (Ohio) — Ohio State hasn't lost a home-opener since 1978, and they own the MAC, posting a 16-0 record against Mid-American opponents since 2000. The Buckeyes will defeat the Redhawks here by at least 24 in this season-opening tune-up.

Home vs. UCF — Ohio State hosts a UCF team coming off a 5-7 season, but a team that will also be one the most improved teams in the nation. That being said, OSU went a dismal 6-7 under a lame-duck coaching staff in 2011, but will also be vastly improved under new coach Urban Meyer and his dream team of assistants. It could be a close game very early on, but the Knights will be no match for Ohio State in the end, as the Buckeyes will win by 17 or more.

Home vs. California — Ohio State is 5-1 all-time vs. Cal. The Golden Bears are returning just 11 starters from last years 7-6 squad. Cal head coach Jeff Tedford has to be on the hot seat, and this game won't do anything to change that. I can see this Cal team going backwards and losing as many as 8 or 9 games, so I'm going with the Buckeyes in this one by 21 or more.

Home vs. UAB — This is the first-ever meeting between Ohio State and UAB, and I don't expect it to be a memorable for the Blazers. Last season, UAB finished a disappointing season with a 3-9 record. Since the program began in 1991, the Blazers are 3-32 vs. BCS conference opponents. Make that 3-33, as OSU will drop the Blazers in this one by 28 or more.

Away vs. Michigan State — Ohio State will face its first true challenge of the season as they visit East Lansing. Not so much because of the opponent but more for the fact that it's their first road game of the year and against a rival on their home turf. That being said, Ohio State is 6-1 in their last seven road games against the Spartans. While MSU will have a solid defense once again, they had huge losses on the offensive side of the ball, and must replace their starting QB and top two WRs. That could hurt them early on in 2012 and will almost undoubtedly be the difference in this game. Despite the Spartan defense, Braxton Miller and the OSU offense should be able to score into the low 30's. In the last three meetings in East Lansing, Ohio State has had an average margin of victory over MSU of 28. I'm going with the Buckeyes, but not quite by that much. I will take OSU by 17-ish.

Home vs. Nebraska — The Cornhuskers are 0-2 all-time in Columbus. Of course, the last time OSU and Nebraska played in Columbus, my Dad was 3 years old, so that doesn't exactly mean that much. Then again, playing Ohio State in Columbus is a different animal than playing them on your home field. Last season in Memorial Stadium, the Buckeyes were dominating Nebraska, 27-6, midway into the 3rd quarter before Braxton Miller was injured. Backup Joe Bauserman then engineered the single-most embarrassing, come-from-ahead, blunder of a defeat that I have ever personally witnessed in all my years as a Buckeye football fan. Assuming Braxton is healthy all game long, and considering that Taylor Martinez's passing motion is dreadfully comparable to Charles Barkley's "turrible" golf swing, I'm picking Ohio State to finish in Columbus, what they started in Lincoln — Buckeyes by 20.

Away vs. Indiana — Ohio State is 68-12-5 all-time vs. Indiana, and let's face it, Indiana is one of the worst football programs college football has ever known. What else is there to say here? The Buckeyes have won 17 straight against IU overall, and 8 straight in Bloomington by an average of 21 points. That margin-of-victory could have been much worse, and Meyer is no Tressel. I'm taking the over in this one — OSU by at least 30.

Home vs. Purdue —Boilermaker head coach Danny Hope has been a thorn in the side of Ohio State in West Lafayette. Ohio State is 0-2 against Hope and Purdue on the road, losing 26-18 in 2009 and 26-23 in OT last season. In 2010 at home, however, the Buckeyes clobbered Purdue, 49-0. Don't think revenge and redemption isn't on the mind of every Buckeye player and even the new staff after losing 2 out of 3 to the Boilermakers. On both sides of the ball and up and down each teams roster, Ohio State is superior. While I don't believe the 2012 meeting will be as lopsided as the 2010 game, it will be a comfortable win for OSU, nonetheless — Ohio State by 27.

Away vs. Penn State — Ohio State has won their last two games over PSU in Happy Valley. With all the distractions lingering over the program and potential for action from the NCAA looming in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky trial and guilty verdict, it's hard to know what to expect from Penn State. Obviously there has been a complete turnover in the staff since JoePa's firing, and sadly, soon thereafter, his passing. Bill O'Brien has never been a head coach at any level before being named Paterno's successor, and he inherits a roster that is a far cry from what he's used to seeing in his career as an NFL assistant. Other than Silas Redd, I really don't see anybody else on the Penn State offense to be concerned about. QB Paul Jones was a highly-touted recruit, but has never taken a snap, but likely will this season, as (former-starter) Matt McGloin is PSU's Joe Bauserman. The Nittany Lion defense will be "roarless" against Miller and company. My gut says to call for a complete blowout, but I'll go semi-modest instead and take Ohio State by about 21, give or take.

Home vs. Illinois — Ron Zook is gone, having been replaced by former-Buckeye assistant Tim Beckman, but the Illini cupboard isn't bare. Zook has always been able to recruit decent players. The problem was, he could never coach them to that next level once he landed them. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is a star. He poses equal threat on the ground or throwing the ball down the field. He amassed over 2,700 yards and combined for 19 total touchdowns. Stopping Scheelhaase will be key for the Silver Bullet defense, and they will be up to the task. In last seasons 17-7 victory in Champaign, Ohio State held Illinois scoreless for more than 53 minutes, forcing two interceptions from Scheelhaase, while limiting him to just 169 yards passing and 49 yards rushing. With top WR target A.J. Jenkins gone, Illinois could be in for a very long day in Columbus. The Buckeyes should be able to easily replicate last years defensive performance and score plenty more points with what should by this point in the season, a much more refined spread-attack. I'm expecting a Buckeye victory in this one by at least 20.

Away vs. Wisconsin — After hosting Illinois, Ohio State has the following week off, giving them an extra week to prepare for the trip to Camp Randall to face the Badgers. The off-week couldn't come at a better time, considering this game is thought of as the toughest on their entire schedule. While Wisconsin will undoubtedly have a good team, playing an average Wisconsin team on the road would still be a huge disadvantage. Camp Randall is one of the most difficult venues for an opponent to play in. Ohio State is 3-2 in their last five trips to Madison, however, so a win in 2012 is definitely not impossible. Star RB Montee Ball returns, but QB Russell Wilson was a one-and-done transfer from NC State, leaving a huge void for the Badgers under center. Top receiver Jered Abbrederis also returns, but may not have a serviceable QB to get the ball to him. I believe the Ohio State offensive and defensive lines will dominate the LOS on both sides. That should limit Ball to less than 100 yards, while the Buckeye offense does the talking on the ground and through the air for Urban Meyer in response to the verbal attack launched by Badger head coach Bret Bielema, who basically called Meyer an unethical cheater after 2012 recruit Kyle Dodson flipped his commitment from Wisconsin to Ohio State. Payback is a bitch, Bret — deal with it. Ohio State pulls off the road win by 14-ish.

Home vs. Michigan — Some folks would have you believe the Wolverines could come into The Game undefeated for a showdown of two unbeatens. While I obviously feel that Ohio State very well could be 11-0 on November 24th, Michigan will have already tasted defeat. Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Nebraska are all teams capable of knocking off UM. I believe the Wolverines could lose 2-3 of those games, but when it comes to Ohio State-Michigan, we all know the records mean nothing. Denard Robinson is an amazing athlete and one of the best running quarterbacks in college football, possibly of all-time, but with the defensive prowess Ohio State has on their front seven, scrambling or handing the ball off won't beat the Buckeyes. Unfortunately for Denard, he's a far less talented passing QB. In 2011, Robinson passed for 2,173 yards with 20 touchdowns, but his completion percentage was just 55% and he was intercepted 15 times. In Ann Arbor last season, the best Michigan team in years barely eked-out a 40-34 win over arguably the worst Ohio State team of the past two decades. With the NCAA-levied postseason ban, this will be Ohio State's Bowl game and their statement win that the AP voters will remember when it comes time to cast that final ballot in January. Urban will get his first taste of Wolverine blood as the Buckeyes begin a new win streak against the hated elitists to the North — Ohio State by 17.

So there you have it, a perfect 12-0 season. But wait, there's more!

Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine is widely considered one of, if not, the best and most reputable sources for preseason college football information in the nation.

While it probably won't be dead-on, when the AP Preseason Poll is released, I expect their top 10 to closely resemble Phil Steele's Power Poll top 10 that I've listed below.

10. Ohio State
9. Georgia
8. Florida
7. Texas
6. Oregon
5. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
3. USC
2. LSU
1. Florida State

Although Phil Steele is my CFB guru and magazine of choice, it is also worth noting that Athlon Sports has Ohio State at no. 6 in their rankings.

This leads me to trust that Ohio State should be either in the top 10, or just a few slots outside of it in the initial AP Poll.

So, how do they move ahead of the 8, or 10, or 12 teams that are ranked ahead of them in the first AP Poll and up to the No. 1 spot in January?

While I am projecting the Buckeyes to navigate through their regular season schedule to a 12-0 record, they will still need some help to earn the top spot in the final AP poll since they won't play again after they turn the Wolverines into roadkill — and by help, I mean that the teams ranked ahead of them have to lose at least once.

No. 9 Georgia — Potential Losses

UGA could lose 1 to 3 games to S. Carolina and/or Florida, and with the best teams in the SEC in the West, also in the conference title game if they somehow make it there again.

No. 8 Florida — Potential Losses

UF has several tough games, with as many as 2 to 4 losses possible against Texas A&M, LSU, S. Carolina, Georgia, and Florida State. Also like UGA, if UF were to reach the SEC title game, it would almost assuredly lose to the SEC West champ.

No. 7 Texas — Potential Losses

I am not so sure the Longhorns will be ranked this high, but Phil Steele is the guru, not me. Looking at their schedule, I could see anywhere from 1 to 3 losses coming against Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, or TCU.

No. 6 Oregon — Potential Losses

I think Oregon will be good, but like Texas, they too might also be ranked a bit high. I could see them dropping 2 to 3 games against Washington, Arizona State, USC, Stanford, or Oregon State, and also a possible rematch vs. USC if they make the Pac-12 title game.

No. 5 Oklahoma — Potential Losses

The Sooners have a pretty tough schedule in my opinion, so less than 2 to 3 losses might not be possible against the likes of Texas Tech, Texas, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and TCU.

No. 4 Alabama — Potential Losses

The Tide could find themselves on the losing end at least once or twice as they take on Michigan, Arkansas, LSU, and Auburn. If they make the SEC title game, a loss is always possible, but not that likely against a far-inferior SEC East opponent.

No. 3 USC — Potential Losses

The Trojans are notorious for demolishing OOC foes, but dropping one or two in-conference games to teams they should crush. Teams that could crash USC's BCS party plans and give the Trojans 1 to 3 losses are Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Oregon again in a Pac-12 title game rematch if they each make it that far.

No. 2 LSU — Potential Losses

When looking over the schedules, the Tigers have the most landmines to avoid. If they don't, as good as they are expected to be, it's not inconceivable for them to lose 3 to 4 games if they overlook or fail to prepare for Washington, Auburn, Florida, S. Carolina, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Arkansas. Of course there's the SEC title game should they make it, but same goes here as it did for Alabama above — SEC West >>> SEC East.

No. 1 Florida State — Potential Losses

FSU has the easiest schedule of the teams ahead of Ohio State and, therefore, the greatest chance at going undefeated. That doesn't mean they will, however. The Seminoles could drop a game or 2 if they aren't careful against Clemson, Miami (FL), Va Tech, and Florida. There's also the ACC title game, although I would expect FSU to win if they make it there.

A Few Final Thoughts

I honestly believe Ohio State and Florida State could both be undefeated at the end of the 2012 season. If FSU loses a regular season game, the door opens up for the Buckeyes. If FSU goes undefeated, then loses the BCS title game to a 1 or 2 loss team, the door opens.

Obviously whoever wins the BCS title game will be the 2012 BCS champions, but think of it like a trial. If the eventual BCS champ has 1 or 2 losses, compared to a 12-0 Ohio State squad, reasonable doubt would therein lie, and since the Buckeyes can't play past November, and there's no playoff for two more seasons anyway, it's not unreasonable to think that the AP voters could, and should, cast their No. 1 votes for Ohio State.

I mean, the BCS is almost dead, and since the AP and BCS divorced in 2005 and the AP Poll and its' voters were scorned and discarded and seemingly replaced overnight by the Harris Poll, why not just go ahead and vote for a completely different champ in 2012 and 2013 just to spite the BCS pricks like a good ex-husband or ex-wife should do? I urge the AP voters not to conform like sheep, but to instead use your own good sense when casting your final ballots.

I hope you've enjoyed this piece. Call it B.S., subjective fodder, drivel, or one insane man's personal pipe dream if you will.

The reality though, regardless of what you think of me or this article, is that the possibility does exist for this scenario to happen.

Now, I don't have a crystal ball, and I already said earlier that I'm not guaranteeing anything, but I hope everything I've suggested here comes to fruition so we can all see what the AP voters do the next two seasons while the BCS takes its' last and final shallow breaths.

We've wanted a playoff, and we've finally got one starting in 2014. No matter who wins the BCS and AP titles this year or next, we as fans are all winners with the birth of college football's Final Four, and the death of the BCS.

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Hot off the Presses: The Top 25 and the Heisman Leaderboard for Week 4

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Week 4 Top 25
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1 - ALABAMA (4-0)

2 - OHIO STATE (4-0)

3 - OREGON (4-0)

4 - STANFORD (4-0)

5 - BOISE STATE (3-0)

6 - TCU (4-0)

7 - NEBRASKA (4-0)

8 - WISCONSIN (4-0)

9 - OKLAHOMA (4-0)

10 - FLORIDA (4-0)

11 - UTAH (4-0)

12 - ARIZONA (4-0)

13 - MICHIGAN (4-0)

14 - AUBURN (4-0)

15 - LSU (4-0)

16 - TEXAS A&M (3-0)

17 - ARKANSAS (3-1)

18 - IOWA (3-1)

19 - NEVADA (4-0)

20 - MISSOURI (4-0)

21 - MICHIGAN STATE (4-0)

22 - NORTH CAROLINA STATE (4-0)

23 - SOUTH CAROLINA (3-1)

24 - MIAMI-FL (2-1)

25 - KANSAS STATE (4-0)


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Top 5 Heisman Candidates
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1 - TERRELLE PRYOR: QB, OHIO STATE

2 - ANDREW LUCK: QB, STANFORD

3 - KELLEN MOORE: QB, BOISE STATE

4 - RUSSELL WILSON: QB, NC STATE

5 - DENARD ROBINSON: QB, MICHIGAN






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Week 2 College Football Rankings: BlockONation's Latest Top 25 Forecast

Many of you that follow the site know that I am a weekly top 25 voter in The Best Damn Poll In The Land.

It wasn't easy this week, but I basically all but ignored my preseason and week one rankings, instead preferring to rank the teams on my ballot this week from scratch, based on what I've seen so far through week two.

Here is what I came up with for my top 25 ballot this week.


1. ALABAMA - Here until they lose, or barely win really ugly vs. an inferior team


2. OHIO STATE - Proved they have a great overall team in win over Miami-FL


3. TCU - Best "mid-major", touting star QB Andy Dalton and a great "D"


4. NEBRASKA - Great defense, good QB and very good running back in Helu Jr


5. BOISE STATE - Still top 5 but the Va Tech loss to James Madison hurt them


6. IOWA - QB Stanzi and RB Robinson are playing great, plus still great on "D"


7. OREGON - Two great backs and even with slow start vs. Tenn, still blew them out


8. OKLAHOMA - Proved they were a top 10 team even though FSU was picked to upset them


9. WISCONSIN - Played down to the competition in week 2 but still worthy of this slot


10. TEXAS - UT won easily over a veteran Wyoming team and rounds out the top 10


11. STANFORD - Andrew Luck is one of the nation's best QB's and Stanford killed UCLA


12. ARKANSAS - Ryan Mallet has been lights out and Hogs might challenge Bama in SEC West


13. UTAH - Looking good at 2-0 but we will know more later when they face TCU and
Notre Dame


14. TEXAS A&M - Super tough schedule coming but looking good so far, especially QB Jerrod Johnson


15. MICHIGAN - QB Denard Robinson has UM at 2-0 with his nearly 900 yards of offense


16. FLORIDA - John Brantley is no Tim Tebow and UF is extremely fortunate to be 2-0


17. HOUSTON - Case Keenum was injured this past week but if he doesn't miss any games, Houston should remain in the top 25


18. SOUTH CAROLINA - The Gamecocks entered my top 25 after RB Marcus Lattimore emerged and their solid "D" helped them beat previously ranked Georgia


19. MISSOURI - The Tigers could challenge Nebraska in the Big 12, and QB Blaine
Gabbert is underrated


20. AUBURN - QB Cam Newton has nearly 600 total yards and has already scored seven TDs for the 2-0 Tigers


21. MARYLAND - They aren't flashy but I really like RB Davin Meggett and the 2-0 Terps have a pretty stingy defense


22. LSU - Last week I dropped the Tigers after their narrow win over a depleted UNC team, but not this week, only because there was really no one worth moving ahead of them


23. NEVADA - I don't care what anyone say, Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick is amazing and he alone is worth this ranking


24. CALIFORNIA - The Bears, who face Nevada next Friday in what could be a real dandy, are 2-0 and have emerging stars in both QB Kevin Riley and RB Shane Vereen


25. AIR FORCE - The Falcons just beat BYU to go 2-0, and are leading the nation with (and this is not a typo) over 420 rushing yards per game


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Week Nine Top 25 Ballot For TBDPITL

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




You may have noticed, there were numerous upsets this week. This top 25 ballot was the hardest one for me so far this season, especially from 16-25. Feel free to comment below.

1. Texas (8-0)

2. Florida (8-0)

3. TCU (8-0)

4. Boise State (8-0)

5. Cincinnati (8-0)

6. Iowa (9-0)

7. Alabama (8-0)

8. Oregon (7-1)

9. LSU (7-1)

10. Penn State (8-1)

11. Georgia Tech (8-1)

12. Houston (7-1)

13. Pitt (7-1)

14. Ohio State (7-2)

15. Utah (7-1)

16. USC (6-2)

17. Wisconsin (6-2)

18. Notre Dame (6-2)

19. South Florida (6-2)

20. Miami-FL (6-2)

21. California (6-2)

22. Oklahoma State (6-2)

23. Rutgers (6-2)

24. Arizona (5-2)

25. Boston College (6-3)



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TBDPITL BlockONation Week Six Top 25 Ballot

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




No. 1 Alabama's RB Mark Ingram




I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week six ballot.

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1. Alabama

2. Florida

3. Virginia Tech

4. Texas

5. Iowa

6. Ohio State

7. Southern California

8. Boise State

9. LSU

10. Miami (Fla.)

11. Penn State

12. Cincinnati

13. Oregon

14. TCU

15. Georgia Tech

16. South Florida

17. Kansas

18. BYU

19. Nebraska

20. Missouri

21. Houston

22. Oklahoma State

23. Notre Dame

24. Pittsburgh

25. South Carolina


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TBDPITL BlockONation Week Five Top 25 Ballot

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation





I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week five ballot.

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1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Texas

4. Florida

5. Boise State

6. USC

7. Ohio State

8. Virginia Tech

9. Cincinnati

10. TCU

11. Missouri

12. South Florida

13. Georgia Tech

14. Iowa

15. Penn State

16. Miami-Fl

17. Auburn

18. Oregon

19. BYU

20. Nebraska

21. Notre Dame

22. Houston

23. Oklahoma State

24. South Carolina

25. Mississippi


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BlockONation ::: Buckeye Football Lives Here

The BCS System Proves Yet Again To Be Fundamentally Flawed

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


If you paid any attention to college football last weekend then you’re aware that Iowa won at Penn State and Oregon humiliated Cal, 42-3.

These weren’t obscure events.

The voters who participate in the Harris Interactive and USA Today Coaches polls apparently did not pay any attention. Hey, why would they? These are only the people whom the empty suits of the Bowl Championship Series have empowered to determine how the sport’s champion is crowned.

So it made perfect sense that in the polls that make up two-thirds of the BCS formula Penn State is still ahead of Iowa and Cal is still ahead of Oregon. These are among a half-dozen rankings based more on reputation and preseason hype than results. There will be more as the year goes on.

This is the BCS. It’s not a one-time mistake. It’s the all-the-time plan. Ridiculous votes happen when you conduct ridiculous elections.

The suits want something that provides convenient cover for them (hey, don’t blame us, it’s the voters!) while being so flawed it draws attention away from what’s really going on – the operation of a system designed to protect their power and allow their cronies who run bowl games to fleece the sport for tens of millions a year.

Forget what they say. Forget the supposed excuses. That’s all there is here. Protect their power and the bowl games’ money.

If the people who ran the BCS wanted to implement a good way to determine the best teams at the end of the year – even if they stuck with the archaic bowl system – they would have done so years ago.

Instead they continue to prop up a formula where two-thirds is determined by a popularity vote from people who, in many cases, are either incapable or unmotivated to take the job seriously.

There’s decades of evidence and testimony from the 59 head coaches that they 1) don’t have the time to research their ballots and 2) often hand over the duties to administrative staffers, who also have no time.

There’s half a decade of evidence that the commitment of the 114 Harris Poll voters fluctuates wildly. Most of these guys are retired administrators, coaches or players. Some are media.

They’ve proven good for two things, voting based on marketing and reputation, and subscribing to a groupthink mentality that assures their ballot doesn’t stand out and they get criticized for thinking for themselves.

Some voters take their responsibility seriously and in their defense, the two polls purposefully offer no criteria for them to consider. Should they slot teams based on overall record, strength of schedule, who they beat, who they lost to, how they won, how they lost, where the games took place, conference strength or so on?

Last year a number of Harris Poll voters admitted to Yahoo! Sports that they have never bothered to watch Utah play before deciding the postseason fate of 12-0 Utes. This isn’t to say Utah should’ve been ranked No. 1 or No. 25, only that any reputable system would, at the very least, require the voters to at least watch an unbeaten team before dismissing them.

It’s moronic enough to use a beauty contest system to determine athletic competition. It’s even worse when the voters don’t have to watch all the contestants. No one disqualifies Miss Mississippi because she isn’t from California.

They do in the BCS.

What happened to the voters who admitted they didn’t think it was necessary to watch Utah play? Naturally, most of them are back again this year.

The folks who run Harris Interactive were concerned enough about this abomination they recommended that a protective mechanism be established to root out “instability, error or bias associated with unusual ranking patterns.”

Naturally the BCS suits rejected it. They love instability, error and bias.

Of course the suits also employ the final one-third of the system as a safety check – the computers. Six mathematical formulas crank out rankings to supposedly make up for human prejudice.

The problem with the computer formulas is twofold. One, the lack of comparative data makes this exercise impossible, which is why actual mathematicians operate a movement that denounces the BCS and any of their peers who participate.

Second, as baseball numbers whiz Bill James points out, the three times the computers have disagreed with the final human vote, the BCS suits immediately re-rigged the formulas in an effort to prevent it from happening again.

The computers aren’t there to counter the polls. They exist to offer credibility through pre-calculated agreement.

“Computers, like automobiles and airplanes, do only what people tell them to do,” James wrote for Slate.

Absent blowing this atrocity up and going with a 16-team playoff, if the BCS wanted a better system to choose the teams for their antiquated bowl games, they would go with a NCAA men’s basketball tournament-style committee.

That’s a group of about 10 people who spend the season scouting teams, meeting to discuss various scenarios and then eventually getting together to go through a vast checklist of predetermined criteria to select the field.

While not devoid of controversy, it’s orderly and transparent.

That would require courage and accountability though, actual faces to answer for the decision to select team X over team Y. The current system allows the blame to be spread out, even to faceless machines.

While a couple dozen conference commissioners and bowl executives sure do love to count the money, they don’t want to claim ownership of the BCS. In fact, Mountain West Conference attorneys claim that there’s no proof the BCS exists as a legal entity. Six conference commissioners take turns serving as “BCS coordinator” for a two-year term. Then they eagerly pass it off, like it’s a disease.

In the meantime, a nonsense system rolls on. Don’t be shocked by the controversy, the foolishness or the corruption.

That isn’t a flaw in the system.

It is the system.


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Written by Dan Wetzel—Yahoo Sports
Photo Copyright owned by the AP

Cleveland.com Buckeye Blogger / Beat Writer Doug Lesmerises Unconventional AP Ballot

Unconventional may be an understatement. Here's Doug's Top 25 ballot for week three, in case you missed it.



1. Alabama
2. Miami
3. Houston
4. Cincinnati
5. Florida
6. Boise State
7. Texas
8. LSU
9. Cal
10. Michigan
11. Auburn
12. UCLA
13. Virginia Tech
14. Florida State
15. Penn State
16. Missouri
17. North Carolina
18. TCU
19. Oklahoma State
20. BYU
21. Oklahoma
22. Ohio State
23. Iowa
24. Mississippi
25. USC

While I do applaud the concept of not just voting the top 25 based on name and tradition alone, this ballot makes about as much sense as Calculus does to a two-year old.

Not that it really matters all that much since the AP poll has no bearing on the BCS, but if this is how DL plans on voting going forward, I wonder if the AP should take away his voting privileges?

You can read Doug's explanation of his ballot here.


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Image Copyright Doug Lesmerises / Cleveland.com

TBDPITL BlockONation Week Three Top 25

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation





I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week three ballot.


No. 1--Texas

I finally dropped UF from No. 1 after their not-so-great performance vs. Tennessee. They finally played a BCS team, and not a very good one, and I was not impressed. Texas gets the slight nod over the Gators this week after mostly containing a highly explosive Texas Tech offense.


No. 2--Florida

See Texas above. Pounding cupcakes, then barely beating an average BCS team will bite you in the ass every time.


No. 3--California

Jahvid Best is absolutely my Heisman front-runner until further notice. The Gophers have a decent team, but Best carried the Bears to the road win with 100+ and five touchdowns, and carried his team to the top three of my ballot.


No. 4--Alabama

Running back Mark Ingram and quarterback Greg McElroy have Tide fans sold, that once again, this is their year. I know they beat Va Tech in week one, but these last two pushover games have shown me very little. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but I'm still not 100% sold on these elephants.


No. 5--Penn State

Ho hum, the Nits won their third game of the year vs. their third high school caliber opponent. I really feel when Penn State plays a real team, they are going to crash and burn, but I'll keep them here for now so I can laugh harder when it happens.


No. 6--LSU

The Tigers went out and beat the Washington Huskies in week one, something USC failed to do, so I moved them up three spots this week even though their last two wins were over Vandy and A directional Louisiana team. I still don't know who to truly believe in from the SEC West...


No. 7--Boise State

The Broncos are 3-0 and look to be the new flavor of the week for the mid-majors after BYU's blowout loss to unranked Florida State. Quarterback Kellen Moore and running backs Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper could all start for many BCS schools. Other than maybe at Tulsa on October 14, Boise State's remaining games are all pretty much guaranteed wins. I don't see them going anywhere from here, but up.


No. 8--Mississippi

The Rebels are 2-0 after drilling Southeastern Louisiana 52-6. Their other win was over Memphis, so this ranking is somewhat a leap of faith at this point, mainly because I'm on the Jevan Snead bandwagon. This Thursday, they play at South Carolina, then at Vanderbilt the following week, and on October 10, they will host No. 3 Alabama. The next two games are very winnable, likely setting up a potential top five showdown with the Tide in three weeks.


No. 9--Ohio State

What a difference a week, and more aggressive play-calling, makes. Albeit it, Tressel wasn't as afraid of making costly mistakes vs. the Rockets as he was against the Trojans. Terrelle Pryor wasn't perfect, but he was very good overall, accounting for over 300 totals yards and four touchdowns in just over three quarters. Unless I'm on crack, look for more of the same next week as the Buckeyes open Big Ten play when they will host what seems to be a previously over-valued Illinois team.


No. 10--Cincinnati

After starting outside of the top 25 this preseason, the Bearcats have steadily clawed their way into my top 10. They traveled to Corvalis and came away with a 28-18 victory. That is no easy task to win there. Just ask USC. Brian Kelly can coach, and Tony Pike can play quarterback. In fact, Pike is absolutely a (darkhorse) Heisman candidate as of right now. If Cincy keeps winning, and if Pike keeps playing this way, the Bearcats and Pike may once again find themselves in a BCS bowl, and Pike could be in New York at the Downtown Athletic Club come December.


No. 11--Miami (Fl.)

Hurricane quarterback Jacory Harris just might be better than Robert Griffin and Terrelle Pryor. He hasn't gotten the hype and the headlines until now, but that hasn't stopped him from leading the Canes to two huge wins over then No. 25 FSU, and of then No. 8 Georgia Tech. The Canes might be back, or at least close to being back. Their games the next two weeks will be tell-tell as they travel to No. 13 Va Tech before hosting No. 12 Oklahoma. Before the season, the experts thought "The "U would be 0-4 to start the season. As it looks right now, 4-0 is a definite possibility.


No. 12--Oklahoma

Freshman QB Landry Jones has made leaps and bounds in his first two career starts. Jones set a Sooners record by tossing six touchdowns in the 45-0 rout of Tulsa on Saturday. OU now has a bye week and an extra week to prepare for their now bigtime showdown in Miami vs. the No. 11 Canes in two weeks. This game sure isn't going to be the easy win many thought it would be just a few short weeks ago. It could end up being one of the best games of the year.


No.13--Virginia Tech

The Hokies have bounced back from their week one loss to Alabama and have found another star running back in Ryan Williams. Nebraska, then No. 15, came to Blacksburg with plans to upset the Hokies, but Va Tech came from behind and held on for a 16-15 win. Next week, surprising No. 11 Miami and rising-star Jacory Harris come to town in what could be the game of the week. Don't miss it.


No. 14--Houston

The Cougars had a week three bye, but will get back at it this week as they host Taylor Potts, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech hung in for a while vs. Texas Saturday night in Austin, but in the end, Colt McCoy and the Texas "D" were too much. Houston has already pulled the upset of the year over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in week two and quarterback Case Keenum is a big reason why Houston is ranked where they are. If they win over the Red Raiders this week, they are almost a lock to go undefeated and sould have a great shot at a BCS bowl.


No. 15--Southern California

A lot of people want to make excuses for USC when they lose a game they aren't supposed to, to an inferior Pac-10 opponent. I'm not one of those people. Who cares that Barkley didn't play? Corp was already the starter for USC until he was injured just before the start of the season. Others say you can't drop USC below a team they already beat (i.e. Ohio State) to which that I say, tOSU looks to have learned from their mistakes vs. USC and improved over the past week, while USC regressed and looked like they didn't belong on the field vs. Washington. BYU beat Oklahoma head to head, but you'll notice they aren't in the top 25 this week, while OU is. USC may have been questionably better than the Buckeyes last week in the Shoe, but this week, most definitely not.


No. 16--Oklahoma State

Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant showed this week that the Cowboys do belong, and that their loss to Houston may have been the result of a letdown and a fluke after their big week one win over Georgia. Their next two games are against Grambling State and Texas A&M. The Cowboys should win each of those games before a somewhat brutal stretch to close out October when they host Missouri, travel to Waco to face the Baylor Bears, then host the Longhorns on October 31. If their defense plays like it did against Houston, October won't be kind to the Cowpokes, and my rankings will ultimately reflect that.


No. 17--TCU

The Frogs jumped a few spots this week after a few upsets but they still need a signature win to solidify their ranking. That could come this week as they will travel to South Carolina to take on the (2-1) Clemson Tigers. Clemson running back CJ Spiller has been great out of the backfield and as a return man, so for TCU to have a chance to win and hold onto their top 15 ranking, they must contain Spiller and move the ball offensively against a Tiger defense which last week, held Boston College to just seven points.


No. 18--Kansas

The good news for the Jayhawks (3-0) is they are averaging 42 points per game on offense, led by QB Todd Reesing and running backs Jake Sharp and Toben Opurum. The bad news is, we still don't know if they're really any good or not. Nor will be know before October 24 when they host Oklahoma. Their next three games are all extremely winnable, meaning Kansas will likely start (6-0). In their final six, at least five are possible losses. I guess all I can say to Kansas fans is enjoy it while you can.


No. 19--Nebraska

Nebraska led at halftime, and practically the entire second half of the game at Va Tech, until when it mattered most. Tyrod Taylor threw the game winning TD with just 21 seconds left on the clock to shock the Huskers. Nebraska had not one, but two touchdowns taken off the board, one by penalty, and one because the receiver fumbled the ball when he hit the ground. It was a valiant effort and Nebraska still hangs in the top 20 on my ballot this week.


No. 20--Michigan

I guess I really can't justify putting UM lower than 20 for now, so by default, the Wolverines crack the top 20, even though they still have not beaten anyone good. The lucky win over Notre Dame looks much less impressive when you consider that MSU, who lost to Central Michigan of the MAC last week, gave the game away to Notre Dame in the final minutes over the weekend in South Bend. Michigan fans are getting way carried away and even touting Tater as a Heisman candidate, in 2012 in small print, but still. Right now, he's their hero and savior, and at least 1000 times better than Pryor, McCoy, or Tebow among others—but he will choke when UM finally plays a good team, and when he does, then we'll see just how much UM fans really love him.


No. 21--Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech has really disappointed the last two weeks. A close win, barely holding on at home vs. Clemson a week ago, and now a blowout loss to Miami has the Yellow Jackets out of the top 20 on my ballot. Jonathan Dwyer has underperformed in the last two games and if he and Josh Nesbitt can't get back on track, GT won't be in my top 25 much longer.


No. 22--Missouri

Take away QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman, and WR Jeremy Maclin and what do you have? A Missouri Tigers team that looks almost as good as when those three were still suiting up. This years Tigers (3-0) are led by QB Blaine Gabbert. Sure, they've beaten up on two weak teams the last two weeks, but they did open the year with a 37-9 beatdown of Illinois on a neutral site. The next four games (at Nevada, vs. Nebraska, at Oklahoma State, vs. Texas) will truly measure how good these 2009 Tigers are.


No. 23--Pittsburgh

Pitt was my pick to win the Big East, followed by West Virginia, then Cincy. RB Dion Lewis has been outstanding taking over at RB for Shady McCoy. I still believe Pitt could challenge the Bearcats for the conference crown, and fittingly, they play each other in the final game of the season. The Panthers handled the Navy Triple option much better than the Buckeyes did, but that was week one when OSU opened with the Midshipmen, and to be fair, Pitt plays NC State next week, not USC, so really no reason for them to look ahead.


No. 24--Florida State

I suppose they could prove me wrong, but I still do not like this Seminoles team, and I don't think FSU will win more than seven or eight games this year. That being said, they just whipped BYU in Provo, and everyone remembers that BYU beat Oklahoma on a "neutral" site, so I have no choice but to move them back onto my ballot, but I trust it won't be for long. (Sorry FSUTampaGuy).


No. 25--Iowa 25

Iowa dropped out of my top 25 after the miracle win when they blocked two FG's vs. Northern Iowa in week one. The Hawkeyes (3-0), are now back after two wins over BCS teams. Now, Iowa State is a Big 12 doormat so that win did not sway me and Iowa did not move up last week, but Arizona is a pretty decent team from the Pac-10 so I do now believe Iowa is worthy of of the No. 25 slot. This coming Saturday, the Hawkeyes travel to Happy Valley for a game I am greatly anticipating. Penn State has yet to be tested and I'd love nothing more than to see an instant classic, and an Iowa victory. The game is the 8PM Saturday night ABC game—Don't miss it!

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Dropped out:

BYU, Oregon State, Texas Tech, Utah

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Newcomers:

Missouri, Pitt, Florida State, Iowa

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Almost in:

Washington, UCLA, Auburn, North Carolina, BYU, South Florida, Georgia


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