Blogpoll Ballot: Week 7
by Glenn Logan on Oct 20, 2009 8:06 AM EDT
in Kentucky Wildcats Football
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Prints you might expect, week 7 brings a lot more clarity, and with the advent of the first BCS poll, we are beginning to see the shape of this year's bowl picture, if somewhat vaguely and in bas relief.
Of course, anything can happen -- Alabama could lose to a lesser team or Florida. Both of them had strong challenges just last weekend, so we can't say that they are locks for the BCS. We still have the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville) and the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn), and of course the Third Saturday in October (Alabama vs. Tennessee), which just happens to be this weekend. These are all rivalry games, and as Kentucky fans well know, rivalries mean something. All that just to get to the SEC championship game.
At this point, though, a lot of teams have really firmed up their position barring a surprising collapse. Cincinnati has cemented itself into a very strong position, but it still has three very losable games yet to play. Alabama has Tennessee and LSU with an open week sandwiched in between, and Florida still has to travel to Columbia to play the Gamecocks and host to Florida State as well as the Cocktail Party.
Texas has several tough games left -- at schizophrenic Missouri and at rising Oklahoma State, not to mention their annual hate-fest at Texas A&M with #19 Kansas thrown in for good measure. Of the top five, their schedule looks the toughest from here on out. Iowa's is daunting, too, with road trips to Michigan State and Ohio State, and hosting Minnesota. All of the teams left on Iowa's schedule have a winning record.
Here is my ballot:
 |
||
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | |
| 2 | Florida | |
| 3 | Texas | |
| 4 | Cincinnati |  3 |
| 5 | Iowa | 3 |
| 6 | Boise State | |
| 7 | Southern Cal |  2 |
| 8 | TCU | 4 |
| 9 | Oregon | 1 |
| 10 | Miami (Florida) | 1 |
| 11 | Georgia Tech | 8 |
| 12 | Houston | 11 |
| 13 | LSU | |
| 14 | Oklahoma State | 6 |
| 15 | Penn State | |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 12 |
| 17 | Brigham Young | 4 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh | 6 |
| 19 | Kansas | 1 |
| 20 | Ohio State | 11 |
| 21 | Texas Tech | |
| 22 | West Virginia | |
| 23 | South Carolina | 6 |
| 24 | Utah | |
| 25 | Central Michigan | |
| Last week's ballot | ||
My comments:
- Cincinnati has convinced me. They are for real. Hence, they are #4. Mouth, meet crow.
- Iowa has also convinced me, although not quite as emphatically as the Bearcats.
- Georgia Tech has a fairly easy path for the rest of the year, with their toughest remaining game being either at Virginia or vs. Georgia. (Virginia has been playing well lately, but Georgia is a better team).
- Oklahoma State is making noise, and they host Texas in two weeks.
- How good is TCU? We'll find out Saturday vs. BYU.
- Boise State has only one team with a winning record left on their schedule -- 6-1 Idaho.
- Oregon is looking strong, but their path starts getting tougher next week.
- Of the ranked ACC teams, Miami's path from here on looks easiest.
Your comments are welcome and encouraged.
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UC Without Pike May Not Be #4 Team
UC has other QB but Pike drives the bus.
by FortyYearCatFan on Oct 20, 2009 10:14 AM EDT reply actions
Does Cincy deserve a title shot if they win out??
Does Boise State ???…..this could be a really interesting year, considering that Bama and Florida are both in the same boat…..they could end up losing 1 game to the other and not get to play for a national championship because they both play in the same conference. Then Boise and Cincy could both go undefeated and not get to play for a natl champ……tell me we dont need a playoff system…..throw Iowa into the mix and who knows what it could be, although I dont think Iowa can win out.
So this begs the question, Is this year’s SEC championship game actually the National Championship game???
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Cincy has looked good, but....
So this begs the question, Is this year’s SEC championship game actually the National Championship game???
I believe so.
It's a tough one.
Cincinnati still has three very tough games, albeit nothing near as tough as some of the other teams, to prove they are worthy.
I think the SOS is going to come into play, and right now, UC is 109th currently and 98th if you consider their future opponents as of this moment. Boise State, by comparison, is 65th right now and 102nd overall if you consider their future opponents. A team like Southern Cal, ranked below UC in my poll, is 6th right now and 4th considering future opponents.
I think UC’s weak SOS will be tough to overcome when considering who should play for the NC. Right now, the BCS has them ranked 5th, but they are a distant 5th.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 20, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
FB Playoffs Have A PAC
The first BCS rankings come out and immediately the politicians begin their lobbying: Playoff Political Action Committee formed.
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."
—Thomas Jefferson
Go Hawks.
What a great time to have my youngest son enter Iowa!!
I agree that there is nothing like SEC football but Big 10 football is a strong second. Went to one game this year and the atmosphere is awesome.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
Over a 1-loss Florida or Alabama team?
Close call.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 20, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
But upon reflection ...
… I think, yes.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 20, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
if the 1 loss team is Florida, I would say its a go
if it is Bama and it is a loss by less than 3 in the SEC champ game……I say Bama gets the nod…..IMHO
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
It may be moot
Let’s say that Iowa, FL or Bama, and TX is undefeated. I think Iowa loses out. But if 2 of those teams have one loss…see you in Phoenix (I think that is where they play)!!!! However TX really didn’t impress too much last weekend.
Well whatever…..as they say it’s early and Iowa still has to get past the likes of Mich St & Ohio St at their place.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on Oct 20, 2009 7:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah ...
… and they have a couple of tough games on the road. But they are impressing right now, not because of their flash, but because they are winning football games.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Iowa can beat both those teams with the right game plan
OSU has weaknesses that’s for sure….especially if their QB has another disastrous outing….Mich State does not at first look appear to be as fast or aggressive as Iowa…..only seen sparce action for both, but I would give them the nod at this point.
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
If FL or AL, TX and IA win out
It would be a tough call between Iowa and Texas for the second spot. I wouldn’t want the SEC runner up for a couple reasons – if, for example, AL wins the SEC Championship by 21 points and FL wins BCS Championship by 1 point it gets ugly. Also I’d rather see the two best SEC teams go kick but on two good teams from elsewhere. (I don’t think AL will fall on their face again.)
BIG TEN is not
a close second to the SEC. They would be behind the Big 12 and Pac 10. Iowa does look good, but Ohio State proved more than once that the Big 10 didn’t belong in the National Championship game.
Please
I’m not talking about just this year anyway and considered history, etc. The PAC10 is a conference of one team (see SEC basketball). In the Big12 fans would chose a rodeo or a Garth Brooks concert over a game. You really need to get out some and travel north of the Mason-Dixon.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on Oct 20, 2009 8:06 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Since I lived in Ohio
12 years, California 3, Indiana 6, Illinois 9, Kentucky 4, and Florida 17 years, I am very qualified to discuss different parts of the country and their love of sports, especially the Big 10 and the SEC. I assume you are talking about the Pac 10 in football being a one team conference. Actually there have been 5 teams from the PAC 10 win a Football National Championship according to the College Football Data Warehouse.
The Big 12 ranks 3rd consistently in NCAA football attendance behind the SEC, Big 10, averaging 62,956 a game in 2008. The Big East ranks 7th consistently, averaging 41,456 in football, but this is the best of the mid level football conferences.
So obviously you need to get out of the wind, it has definitely screwed up your brain.
Drop your sliderule, and back away from your spreadsheets.
You probably critique the statue of David with a ruler.
The love of a sport and the passion of the fans is not evaluated as a science, but rather as an art. Open up your eyes….look around….and smell the roses (the flower that the Big Ten made famous). You may learn something.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on Oct 20, 2009 11:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
on the field
A (cherry-picked) selection of teams (with AP rank) along with on-the-field results against (Sagarin-ranked) top 10, 11-30, and 31+ opponents:
AP……………..vs top 10….vs 11-30….vs 31+
19 utah………….0-1………..0-0………..5-0
25 oklahoma…..0-1………..0-2………..3-0
NR KENTUCKY..0-2………..0-1………..3-0
20 pitt……………0-0………..0-0………..6-1
16 byu…………..0-0………..0-0………..6-1
18 ohio st………0-1………..0-0………..5-1
22 west va……..0-0………..0-0………..5-1
24 kansas……..0-0………..0-0………..5-1
NR auburn……..0-0………..0-1………..5-1
as you can see
none of these teams has a single win against top opponents.
I have chosen to order the list according to performance against 31+ opponents.
Of course, I do not take into account margin of victory (nor injuries).
by Gobe Igbloo on Oct 20, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Sagarin ranks these teams as follows:
18 utah
19 osu
24 pitt
28 byu
33 UK
35 okla
37 aub
39 wva
46 kan
by Gobe Igbloo on Oct 20, 2009 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I would not rank Kentucky that high yet.
I would place them in the mid 50’s.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Not sure about that Tru
Take the first quarter of the Florida game out and UK looks pretty good. UK disappointed most of us against UL, but close games against your in state rivals can go like that regardless of the difference in the teams abilities. Now take out the 5 minutes against Alabama and we look like we should be ranked. I am not saying we should be but we did play a pretty good SC team to the end on their turf. Not to mention all the injuries we had.
Well ...
… that’s how I see it right now. I’m sure we’ll move up if we keep winning, but I can’t see how we’d be a top 35 team right now. That math doesn’t make sense to me.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Nice try.
Too funny. With that twisted logic and parsed exception….I see ND undefeated. And I despise them.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on Oct 20, 2009 8:09 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
....and 'my' Reds playing in the NLCS right now.
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on Oct 20, 2009 8:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Not as long as Dusty Baker is here......
I can’t stand him…anyway….
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
give him another year coop
I have this itchy feeling that he may be close to bringing the Reds around. Assuming he can keep them healthy. Getting rid of Dick Pole may have been the smartest move he has made yet. We are 1 good healthy arm away from a 85-90 win season…everyone stays healthy and he still cant win, send him packing
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Playing WIlly Tavares is a fireable offense in its own right
And that is just one of 238293239823 decisions he makes that drives me up a wall. Batting Alex Gonzalez second…..not playing Johnny Gomes…..detroying Aaron Harang last year in San Diego…..I could go on for days.
We can have that discussion on Red Reporter……We have too much excitement here to bring it down with Dusty Baker!
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Dusty Baker
Should implement Dribble Drive Motion Offense for the Reds in 2010.
They’ll definitely score more runs with DDMO in place.
by FortyYearCatFan on Oct 21, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Playing Wily Tavares is Dusty's version of the 4 corners offense
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Stubbs Will Be CF In 2010 Not Taveras
Dusty won big in San Francisco and Chicago. No reason he can’t do so in Cincinnati.
by FortyYearCatFan on Oct 21, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
He better be
There is no rational way Dusty could justify not having Stubbs in CF.
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
yeah, but...
…the problem with that kind of argument is that the only “fair” ranking then would be against all other teams with their worst 5 minutes here and worst quarter there removed. Hee, hee.
Actually, though, if we had just beaten SC things would look rather different. And we were close. But we didn’t.
by Gobe Igbloo on Oct 20, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah ...
… Obviously, if we had taken down a top 25 team at their place without our starting quarterback, then backed it up by beating Auburn on the road, things would have been really, really different. To the tune of the cusp of a top 25 rank. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
With losses to only Florida and Bama, and we might be a top 20 team right now.....
with some of the teams in the poll right now, I cant see why we would not have garnered at least 15th…..no one else has played a tougher 1st half schedule in the country…..of course no one else will play a much lighter 2nd half schedule in the SEC anyway.
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
What!?!?
I would have thought UofL would have damaged that first half SOS beyond repair or rationalization!!!!
'..when they bring a knife, you bring a gun...that's the Chicago way..'
by HozeKing on Oct 21, 2009 10:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Nah....playing UofL was no worse than a lot of teams that top 25 programs played early....besides....UofL
will bounce back in time…..these past two or three years have been rough for them, but, they will figure it out….I know it doesnt help this year, but hey….things happen
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
I wish I could agree.
Unfortunately, no reasonable extension of the facts could reach that conclusion.
First of all, Florida wasn’t just a loss, it was an emasculation. Second of all, I can’t envision UK being higher than 25-35 even if we were 4-2 rather than 3-3. It just doesn’t make any sense considering all factors.
And yes, others have played a tougher first half. Many others. The big blue shades have colored your sight. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 21, 2009 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Who else has played the #1 and #2 teams in the country
and followed it with another top 25 team???
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
I mean, not even Florida and Bama have played that tough a schedule....
have they?
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Well ...
…. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
- SOS — Washington: LSU, Idaho (9-1), Southern Cal, @ Notre Dame, has not played a single team with more than 3 losses.
- Va. Tech — Alabama, Nebraska, Miami, @Georgia Tech, no team with more than 3 losses, no team less than .500
- Oregon — @Boise State, Purdue, Utah (5-1), Cal, @UCLA, 2 teams under .500.
- Arizona — Central Michigan (6-1), @Iowa, @ Oregon State, @ Washington, Stanford, UCLA, one team under .500 (FBS), one FCS team
- Southern Cal — @ Ohio State, @ Washington, @ Cal, @ Notre Dame, 3 teams under .500, all FBS …
10. Kentucky — Vs Miami (0-7) neutral, Louisville (2-4), Florida, Alabama, @ USC, @ Auburn.
So what you can see is that most of the higher ranked teams have played more tough road games than Kentucky has, and stronger overall opponents. But at #10, I think UK’s schedule is plenty tough, it just isn’t the toughest by any stretch of the imagination.
For the record, Alabama and Florida’s schedules are ranked 42 and 36 respectively. Of course, it is usually difficult for teams that highly ranked to show up that high in schedule rankings for fairly obvious reasons. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 21, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont disagree with your logic per se.....but I still
believe that we are the only team in the country to play #1 then #2, and then follow it up with another top 25 team. We essientially played the #1 team in the country 2 weeks in a row……
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Okay, well ...
… I would agree that’s right. But that still doesn’t make our schedule the toughest. Maybe for a 3-week stretch, but not over six or seven games.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 21, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont mean to take anything away from those other teams
I just think whomever made up our schedule needs kicked in the …………knee….or something…..lol
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
That would be the SEC.
Kick away. Throw in an extra for me. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
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