The Polls, Why They're Wrong, and If They Matter

[ToTheLeft]

Villanova and Montana in the top 10 despite doing nothing this season. But me being ripped apart for putting SEMO St. in the top 10. Not crying about it, my poll is my poll and I'm happy about it. But can we just consider that maybe the polls are too caught up in past seasons? And if they are, does it matter? I know that FCS gets a chance to "play it out on the field", but what if a team gets held out because their GPI numbers suck thanks to a poor showing in the human polls?

Take for example Montana. Currently in the computers, they're ranked in the 10's and 20's, with some computers putting the Griz in the 30's and 40's. But they're on equal footing in human polls with Wofford, who's worst ranking in any computer is 21st.

Take for example Villanova, currently in the computers they are as low as 29th, yet they're on the same level as Stephen F. Austin who is in the top 10 in all but one computer.

Take for example, Northern Iowa, who despite being several spots lower than Montana in the coaches' poll, is one spot behind them in Massey's compilation of the major computers and polls.

Or consider NAU, who is vastly underrated by human polls compared to all the computers.

Or take the example of UMass and North Dakota State, who in that same compilation, had to have the Coaches' poll removed as the "highest ranking", since the ranking chooses to dispose of the highest and lowest ranking for any team. Same with Cal-Poly last week.
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Is this really a problem? Will it all "play itself out" on the field? Or does it point to a voting base for the various polls that is unable to "see the whole picture" due to reduced media coverage and an abundance of certain teams and conferences fans and supporters providing most of the information on discussion boards such as this. If there were more NAU fans than Griz fans, would the 'Jacks be top 10? If there were more Wofford fans than App fans, would they be #1? If Wofford had won 3 national titles a couple years ago, would they be #1? If SEMO St. was Jacksonville St., would they get more respect?

Instead of getting frustrated over the stupid things in the polls let's try to figure out 1. if the stupid things matter. 2. if they can be fixed and 3. if they can't, what else can be done to ensure that everything does get "played out on the field"

[Appaholic]

I think I'll just crack open another beer & let the season play itself out...

[DJH]

The problem is that the FCS in general has little to no exposure, and people don't generally get to see other teams play very often. So, they vote on reputation too often, rather than looking at it objectively and using actual results and data.

But to answer your question, luckily it does not have a whole lot of meaning because we thankfully have a playoff system.

[bandl]

Liberty is the new San Diego! Go Flaming Torreros!

[Theee Catrabbit]

It doesn't really matter because it usually works itself out by the end of the season. Of course there will be those that are 7-4 that may have a shot of getting in or not. But generally those 7-4 teams are not going to go far(unless of course it's my 'Rabbits. )

[tampajag]

it plays itself out, that's what a playoff is for. Am I right? The only issue I'd see is if you had a high ranked SWAC team (like Southern in '99) and that probably won't ever happen again. if a team gets woofed (does that term apply here ), then you can make a case, but at some point who you beat will have to come into play.

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

I think I'll just crack open another beer & let the season play itself out...

I'm grabbin a beer or 5 with how the season has gone. Right now I think we are a playoff team, but if we drop another game, I'm not so sure even the most die hard fans can argue that one. We keep saying we should be doing better, but we just don't perform and have had plenty of time to get our shit together, still love my Griz but damn.

[clenz]

I think I'll just crack open another beer & let the season play itself out...

I'm grabbin a beer or 5 with how the season has gone. Right now I think we are a playoff team, but if we drop another game, I'm not so sure even the most die hard fans can argue that one. We keep saying we should be doing better, but we just don't perform and have had plenty of time to get our shit together, still love my Griz but damn.

Z would think you still deserve a top 10 ranking

[JayJ79]

the reality is that if Montana gets 7 D-I wins, they'll be in.
Heck, even if they only got 6, it wouldn't surprise me if the committee actually utilized the "it's just a guideline, not a set-in-stone rule" and put them in, simply because they want their share of the gate $$.

[ToTheLeft]

Liberty is the new San Diego! Go Flaming Torreros!

If anything, we're overrated.

That was hardly the point of my post.

However, aren't most Toreros pretty flaming in the first place? With the outfits and being chased by animals while prancing and dancing?

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Liberty is the new San Diego! Go Flaming Torreros!

If anything, we're overrated.

That was hardly the point of my post.

However, aren't most Toreros pretty flaming in the first place? With the outfits and being chased by animals while prancing and dancing?

That'll be 15 demerits.

[AZGrizFan]

I'm grabbin a beer or 5 with how the season has gone. Right now I think we are a playoff team, but if we drop another game, I'm not so sure even the most die hard fans can argue that one. We keep saying we should be doing better, but we just don't perform and have had plenty of time to get our shit together, still love my Griz but damn.

Z would think you still deserve a top 10 ranking

Z already has us in the top 10.

[UNHWildCats]

Liberty is the new San Diego! Go Flaming Torreros!

If anything, we're overrated.

That was hardly the point of my post.

However, aren't most Toreros pretty flaming in the first place? With the outfits and being chased by animals while prancing and dancing?

[happyappy99]

Even better question: If we get a few more Delaware fans on this board, do we even need playoffs or can we just crown them NC?

[BlueHen86]

I think I'll just crack open another beer & let the season play itself out...

Exactly. When the season is over it's usually pretty easy to pick the playoff teams. Occasionally there are two teams fighting for the last playoff spot, but those two teams are so well scrutinzed that the polls don't matter whn it comes down to picking one or the other.

[BDKJMU]

I haven't bothered to read this thread.
Why does anyone care about worthless polls?
Polls? We don't need to stinkin polls! Thats what we have the playoffs for!

[JBB]

Good point about the polls. The AQ cleans that problem up a bit but the polls are just for fun in the FCS. In the FBS the polls are computer models so the human factor is minimized.

[bandl]

Liberty is the new San Diego! Go Flaming Torreros!

If anything, we're overrated.

That was hardly the point of my post.

However, aren't most Toreros pretty flaming in the first place? With the outfits and being chased by animals while prancing and dancing?

Maybe you weren't around when the Torreros were tooting their horn about Johnson and how SD was one of the best teams in all the land! It was annoying as shit, considering they didn't have a body of work (i.e., wins over quality teams) to back themselves up.

Liberty posters are the new Torrero posters.

[ToTheLeft]

If anything, we're overrated.

That was hardly the point of my post.

However, aren't most Toreros pretty flaming in the first place? With the outfits and being chased by animals while prancing and dancing?

Maybe you weren't around when the Torreros were tooting their horn about Johnson and how SD was one of the best teams in all the land! It was annoying as shit, considering they didn't have a body of work (i.e., wins over quality teams) to back themselves up.

Liberty posters are the new Torrero posters.

I wasn't around, but I am familiar, which is why I told you that wasn't the point of my post.

But yes, we do have some USD like posters. However, we're a little closer to being nationally competitive than USD was. Yale, Monmouth, NoCo, and UC-Davis (Their only "good" wins from 05-08) is a little less impressive than Elon, Youngstown State, Ball State, etc. Not much, but a little.

and Mike Brown is better than Johnson.

[Knucklehead]

As a Liberty fan, the polls have ALWAYS mattered, but this year with the Big South Auto-bid, they really do not any more. Fun to look at, but not really all that important.

[S F State Gaters]

Polls are perception. They change the way people think about teams as they play. It is unavoidable, there is no way to move beyond it. It's systemic