Suppose a lot depends on what other ranked teams lost this week and what unranked teams won against worthy competition. I could see BYU moving up from "others with votes" into the top 25 with us close.
OK, Do we get ranked this week?
- Thread starter Alaskawildkat
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I agree with GECat2. I think #25 is a very good possibility, mostly because our early game was seen across the country by a lot of people on ESPN, and they played the highlights all day long with a lot of compliments in the commentary. Stanford's had a helluva run the past few years, including the 4 BCS bowl games in a row, and have been thought of very highly. Beating them decisively when they were 10-12 point favorites is going to stick in the minds of a lot of voters.
As I recall the last time we had this question posed early in a season (after our win against Penn State, or maybe it was the win before that one?) the consensus was that it was way too early for the Cats to be ranked, but the next week one of the two major polls did rank us.
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This would be more a function of the fact that we are NU than the accomplishment. Should we move from where we are to #21 and displace Stanford? If we were ND, we'd shoot from being unranked to around #10. As it it, Stanford may well end up ahead of us.
That's 100 percent correct. We just beat ND. But if we were an u ranked ND team that beat a ranked recent power school, it would be AUTOMATIC ranking. These types of disparities are precisely the reason the polls shouldn't even exist until week 7.
It would seem silly for us to be ranked, OTOH, I feel like this team is way better than the preseason rankings.
I wasn't sure if Fitz had peaked a couple of years ago and all this injury talk was excuses or even our bowl string was simply the result of too many bowl games. Yesterday's game showed some signs of excellence especially on Defense and hopeful signs on Offense. I'm more confident that this program is back to where it was before the OSU game (over rated at that time but a good team). We are a good team and a good progam. We can beat anyone if we click or if we get lucky. We should be considered a 40-30 ranked program, better than average but not elite.
Depending on what other teams do and how we beat Eastern and Duke, that could be reasonable.
I hope not. Rankings are meaningless and I'd rather have the team overlooked and hungry.
Looking at the teams receiving votes in the week 1 poll, Miss State, aTm, Ok State, Utah, KSU, NCSU, BYU all won and played well so they will continue to rise. OTOH, PSU, UNL, Texas (!), and Michigan will be gone forever this season..........
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Based on what all FBS teams have done so far this season, we should probably be ranked somewhere in the top 10. Unfortunately, early season rankings are primarily about entrenching power schools (and certain conferences) at the top of the heap for bowl season, so we'll be lucky to crack the top 25.
Though I don't have the polls in front of me, I think only three ranked teams lost this week - Stanford, Arizona State, and Wisconsin. ASU lost to Texas A&M, who surely will be joining the rankings. Wisconsin of course lost to Alabama, and while they'll drop out, they won't drop too far. I suppose there are some teams in the 20-25 range (again, I don't know who) that didn't distinguish themselves in their wins who could drop, but otherwise as a pure numbers game, it seems unlikely that a team that did not even receive a preseason vote and only scored one touchdown would leap into the top 25. NU will get a few votes this week, but I bet they end up in the 30-35 range, with a chance to jump significantly as long as they keep winning.
"it seems unlikely that a team that did not even receive a preseason vote and only scored one touchdown would leap into the top 25."
Especially an NU team. As I said, if we were a perennial top 25 or ND, they'd be cumming in their pants to rank us.
Unfair. Fitz himself said no one had any reason to believe in NU coming into the season. It was 1 game. Plenty of teams getting good wins in week 1 who already had votes. It is just the way it works.
Absolutely agree. The comment was intended as prediction of what would happen, not what should.
So I sold the Cats a little short...30 instead of 29 in the Coaches Poll...and 28 in the AP.
[Edited to add AP].
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Somebody ranked Stanford #25 despite losing. Guess that's a sign of respect...or is that you David Shaw?
Now being within 4 and 3 points respectively could well open us up for being ranked next week if we take care of business Saturday. I believe that is what happened the last time we got initially ranked. All it will take is for several of the now ranked teams to lose.
To be specific, we'd need some of the teams in the twenties (or maybe high teens) to lose. Anyone higher ranked than that probably wouldn't fall enough to clear headroom above us.
#14 LSU plays #25 Miss St
#19 OU plays #23 Tennessee
#20 Boise State plays BYU
Utah State plays #25 Utah
This all but guarantees that at least two teams in front of us fall behind us this week, maybe even three.
It's gonna be too close to call, but whether people like it or not, a 49-0 win on Saturday *will* move the needle in one way, while a 28-17 finish because Fitz wants to give EIU a couple of "thanks for playing" touchdown souvenirs in the waning minutes of the game will move the needle in the other direction. Pollsters aren't watching games, they're looking at scores and remembering history from their perspectives.
Say what you want about the polls, but they matter in this sport. Fitz can dismiss them all he wants, and then talk out of the other side of his mouth about how important the Stanford win is for recruiting - it all impacts recruiting. Embrace it. Just like embrace the suck, or whatever the hell that was about.
To be honest, I hope we don't even come close to sniffing the Top 25 going on the road versus Duke, because when we have even the slightest hint of mainstream attention, we seem to blow it. You can set your watch to it. But...I set my watch to a loss going into the half at 10-3 on Saturday, and I was joyfully proven wrong, so maybe the winds of change are blowing. I would love to ride into Durham unranked, win that game, crack the Top 25 and stay there through Ball State, and then maybe even Minnesota...
#19 OU plays #23 Tennessee
#20 Boise State plays BYU
Utah State plays #25 Utah
This all but guarantees that at least two teams in front of us fall behind us this week, maybe even three.
It's gonna be too close to call, but whether people like it or not, a 49-0 win on Saturday *will* move the needle in one way, while a 28-17 finish because Fitz wants to give EIU a couple of "thanks for playing" touchdown souvenirs in the waning minutes of the game will move the needle in the other direction. Pollsters aren't watching games, they're looking at scores and remembering history from their perspectives.
Say what you want about the polls, but they matter in this sport. Fitz can dismiss them all he wants, and then talk out of the other side of his mouth about how important the Stanford win is for recruiting - it all impacts recruiting. Embrace it. Just like embrace the suck, or whatever the hell that was about.
To be honest, I hope we don't even come close to sniffing the Top 25 going on the road versus Duke, because when we have even the slightest hint of mainstream attention, we seem to blow it. You can set your watch to it. But...I set my watch to a loss going into the half at 10-3 on Saturday, and I was joyfully proven wrong, so maybe the winds of change are blowing. I would love to ride into Durham unranked, win that game, crack the Top 25 and stay there through Ball State, and then maybe even Minnesota...
The voters are clueless. 10 SEC teams get ranked and NW gets left out at #28. Good thing Vandy lost to Western Kentucky or they might be ranked too. Missouri gets rated 21 when they lost to freaking Indiana last year at home? Of course any team they play in the SEC is always ranked so they must be really good if they ever win. Of course any Big 10 team that lost to Indiana at home wouldn't get ranked again for years. Utah at 24? LOL.
They might as well just get rid of the stupid coaches poll. Some idiot already switched his #1 vote from OSU to Bama. I guess that 18 point win over WI was a lot more impressive than OSU's game against them in the B1G title game. What a joke.
They might as well just get rid of the stupid coaches poll. Some idiot already switched his #1 vote from OSU to Bama. I guess that 18 point win over WI was a lot more impressive than OSU's game against them in the B1G title game. What a joke.
