LSU up to #4 in AP poll.

Who voted Bama #1?

Don't know yet. But that link should tell you soon when it's updated.

Updyke was my guess

My guess is either Ed or Sam

Jon Wilner ranked them #1

Jon Wilner:
LINK

quote:

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Clearly, there isn’t an obvious choice at this point in a turbulent season, leaving the AP poll to the whims of individual voter philosophy. Here’s the central issue as I see it: The teams that have looked the best have, for the most part, played the weakest schedules.

To illustrated the situation — the difficulty of making apples-to-apples comparisons — let’s examine Alabama and Baylor using one of the evaluation exercises I employ as we get deeper into the season (it’s worthless in September).


The Bears have flattened everyone they’ve player and could well end up being a playoff team and perhaps the champion (depending on Seth Russell’s neck, of course).

But look and the number of wins for each of Baylor’s seven opponents, with a zero for the FCS team:

0: Lamar
0: Kansas
1: SMU
2: Iowa State
3: West Virginia
4: Rice
5: Texas Tech

That’s an average of 2.1 wins per opponent — awful in terms of SOS, awful in terms of quality wins and the prime reason Baylor’s schedule is 101st in the Sagarins. It’s the final week of October, after all.

Now, Alabama:

1: UL-Monroe
3: Middle Tennessee
3: Arkansas
3: Tennessee
5: Georgia
5: A&M
6: Wisconsin
6: Ole Miss

That’s an average of 4 wins per opponent. Alabama’s foes have, week after week after week, had double the number of wins as Baylor’s opponents. (Bama’s SOS is 8th in Sagarin, btw.)

Again: We’re using two ends of the spectrum to illustrate the challenge in compiling the ballot with wild variances in the quality of schedules.

At what point do SOS and quality wins trump won-loss record?

This deep into the season, I’m reluctant to slot one team over another if there is a two-loss difference in record (5-2 over 7-0, for instance). But when there’s a one-loss difference and a marked disparity in SOS/quality wins, I have no problem slotting, say, 6-1 over 7-0.

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I still don't understand why Ohio State is getting so much love? It's not like they are light years better than anyone in the top 10.

quote:

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Jon Wilner ranked them #1

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SECbias much?

He's from San Jose, CA