Coaches collude and manipulate poll

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Note that Michigan actually LOST a vote.

And OHIO STATE LOST VOTES.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex

 

[Clotho]

I don't see how they colluded. I will say that Wisconsin is the worst #5 team I can remember.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I don't see how they colluded. I will say that Wisconsin is the worst #5 team I can remember.

The moved Florida above Michigan...that simple.

Collusion does not have to be done face to face or over the phone.

 

[Clotho]

How is that collusion? Maybe it just has to do with Florida winning a big game, while Michigan sat at home not playing, having lost their last game.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

How is that collusion? Maybe it just has to do with Florida winning a big game, while Michigan sat at home not playing, having lost their last game.

It had nothing to do with it...it's disingenuous to say otherwise.

The coaches and AP wanted to avoid a rematch.

The system is a complete sham.

 

[teamalaska]

Looks like the AP colluded against them too then.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Looks like the AP colluded against them too then.

Yup...everyone wanted to avoid a rematch instead of playing the real #1 and #2

 

[Clotho]

It is, but not because of this. Florida played a better schedule than Michigan. Michigan lost their last game, and hasn't won a big game in months. Florida won a big game while Michigan sat at home with their loss.

You can't really be this dense, can you?

 

[Clotho]

And if Michigan is "the real #2" what is that based on?

Michigan's big wins:
Wisconsin
Notre Dame


Ok, next step:

Wisconsin's big wins: there are none
Notre Dame's big wins: Georgia Tech (soon to be out of the top 25)


Michigan didn't beat anybody. Their schedule wasn't that good. They had a shot against Ohio State (another team that honestly hardly beat anyone), and they blew it.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

It is, but not because of this. Florida played a better schedule than Michigan. Michigan lost their last game, and hasn't won a big game in months. Florida won a big game while Michigan sat at home with their loss.

You can't really be this dense, can you?

It has nothing to do with that...it is the avoidance of a rematch. You can't be that dense can you?

 

[Clotho]

No, it's not the avoidance of a rematch. It's that Michigan doesn't deserve a rematch. They haven't beaten anyone. They played one legit team all year and lost.

 

[tedwick]

if you look closely, it looks like one less person voted in the USA Today poll than last week. OSU hasn't lost any votes. They've still got a unanimous #1 spot. Michigan for all intents and purposes stayed in the same spot. Florida just jumped them and took USC's spot.

Breakdown
So, this week the numbers look like this
<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow"><td> 1. Ohio State (62) 12-0 1,550</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td> 2. Florida 12-1 1,470</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td> 3. Michigan 11-1 1,444</td></tr></tbody></table>Last week they looked like this:
<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="oddrow"><td>1. Ohio State (63) 12-0 1,575</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td> 2. USC 10-1 1,491</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td> 3. Michigan 11-1 1,445</td></tr></tbody></table>
In both cases, OSU has a unanimous #1 spot. Just one less response was recorded this week.

The way points are awarded goes as such: 25 for #1, 24 for #2, 23 for #3, etc. They then sum the points awarded by each ballot and then rank the teams in descending order. So where was each team ranked on average?
Last Week:
OSU - 1575/63=25
USC - 1491/63=23.66
Michigan - 1445/63=22.94
This Week:
OSU - 1550/62=25
Florida - 1470/62=23.7
Michigan - 1444/62=23.3

So Michigan actually gained a little bit after last week. some people had them ranked at 2, slightly more people had them ranked at 4, but the majority had them ranked at 3 last week, while this week, it looks like a straight split, 70% had UF at 2 and UM at 3, and 30% had UM at 2, UF at 3. Doesn't look like any manipulation, just that Florida had a big win and jumped Michigan.

 

[Clotho]

The vote OSU lost was from Jim Tressel, who declined to vote this week.

So LOVEMYIRISH, you're right- everyone is colluding against Michigan and OSU- including Jim Tressel!

Do a little research next time please.

 

[BGIF]

Note that Michigan actually LOST a vote.

NEWSFLASH!

The number of voters totals only 62 this week. Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel asked to abstain.

From the USAToday/Coaches Poll

Everybody lost a VOTE without Tressel's participation.

Michigan actually GAINED points this week considering they didn't get 24 or 23 points from Tressel's ballot (2nd or 3rd place unless Tressel voted them #25 last week). UM got 1245 points last week and 1244 this week.

 

[Pete]

And I thought that Notre Dame was the only team that is allowed to get jumped because of their bye week.

 

[irishfan]

I think its stupid that coach's can decline to vote. He should have to vote, and if he can't decide who should be #2, then he shouldn't have a vote in the first place.

 

[tedwick]

I think its stupid that coach's can decline to vote. He should have to vote, and if he can't decide who should be #2, then he shouldn't have a vote in the first place.

Tressel did the ethical thing when he abstained. He had a conflict of interests, voting the team he felt was better at #2 and voting the team he thought OSU could beat at #2. So he did the ethical thing and didn't vote.

 

[Aaronl]

florida deserves to play OSU. this rematch stuff is nonsense in this case.

 

[tedwick]

florida deserves to play OSU. this rematch stuff is nonsense in this case.

thank you for backing up your point with evidence, bringing a new viewpoint to the issue, and posting in the correct thread...
/sarcasm

(sorry if i'm being a dick. but please. just follow the forum rules. post relevant information in relevant threads, and try and contribute to the discussion instead of rehashing old and tired arguments.)

 

[teamalaska]

I think what all this comes down to is what would create the least b**ching once all is said and done. If voters put Michigan #2, then all hell breaks loose and the SEC revolts after getting snuffed yet again. If voters put Florida #2, then Michigan gets pissed, but nobody creates much of a stink because, sorry SCUM, you had your chance and missed it. At this point, the system sucks, so the only way to keep these multi-million dollar contracts afloat through 2010 or whenever is to try to piss of the side that would create the least stink if left out.

 

[BGIF]

I think what all this comes down to is what would create the least b**ching once all is said and done. If voters put Michigan #2, then all hell breaks loose and the SEC revolts after getting snuffed yet again. If voters put Florida #2, then Michigan gets pissed, but nobody creates much of a stink because, sorry SCUM, you had your chance and missed it. At this point, the system sucks, so the only way to keep these multi-million dollar contracts afloat through 2010 or whenever is to try to piss of the side that would create the least stink if left out.

Probably the most poignant comment on the topic!

One Rep, newguy!

 

[Irishman10]

The #2 team in the BigTen does not deserve a title shot over the SEC Champ. Besides that if UM beat OSU why do they get to claim that they're champions? They'll finish with the same record as OSU both having beat each other once. A rematch doesnt settle things imo.

 

[Clotho]

Especially when you consider how down the Big 10 was this year. The reason there are 3 big ten teams in the top 5 is that there are no other big ten teams even receiving votes. Those three teams cleaned up on weak competition.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

The #2 team in the BigTen does not deserve a title shot over the SEC Champ. Besides that if UM beat OSU why do they get to claim that they're champions? They'll finish with the same record as OSU both having beat each other once. A rematch doesnt settle things imo.

Conference championship means nothing. It's a joke.

If UM beats OSU on a NEUTRAL field, it proves everything. It would prove straight out that UM was the best, period.

This whole BS about rematch is a joke...it's an excuse to screw over UM from the game they deserve to play.

 

[MightyK]

Conference championship means nothing. It's a joke.

If UM beats OSU on a NEUTRAL field, it proves everything. It would prove straight out that UM was the best, period.

This whole BS about rematch is a joke...it's an excuse to screw over UM from the game they deserve to play.

I don't know how you can say Michigan got screwed.

We'd all love a playoff, but until that happens, the most deserving team ought to go. Two one loss teams, both with respectable schedules. One has already had at least an opportunity to try to beat #1, maybe not the best circumstances, but an opportunity. The other hasn't.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I don't know how you can say Michigan got screwed.

We'd all love a playoff, but until that happens, the most deserving team ought to go. Two one loss teams, both with respectable schedules. One has already had at least an opportunity to try to beat #1, maybe not the best circumstances, but an opportunity. The other hasn't.

They were #2 and dropped TWICE just so Florida could play and UM could be excluded. That's a screw job if I ever saw one.

It's not like Florida took Arkansas to the woodshed. They played well, but not well enough to move them above Michigan.

 

[Pete]

When do these ballots become public knowledge?

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

When do these ballots become public knowledge?

HERE YOU GO!!!

http://www.pollg.com/g/w27236/w27236gateway.htm

 

[MightyK]

They were #2 and dropped TWICE just so Florida could play and UM could be excluded. That's a screw job if I ever saw one.

It's not like Florida took Arkansas to the woodshed. They played well, but not well enough to move them above Michigan.

No head to head, no common opponents, decent schedules each; boils down to the better quality loss argument. Has its place, but to exclude another team that is comparable when the loss is to the very team they both want to play?

Doesn't take a screwjob to give Florida the nod.

Michigan had a chance (with, what was it, a +3 turnover differential?).

 

[johnnd05]

How is that collusion? Maybe it just has to do with Florida winning a big game, while Michigan sat at home not playing, having lost their last game.

You mean, like cheeseburgers?