Reader Questions Segment

    

       I received some feedback from the last couple of posts. Instead of listing the questions and comments, I have decided to group it all together. Many of you questioned my views on the SEC schedule, and I will gladly address those questions and comments. Understand this is an opinion. You have yours and I have mine. You don't have to respect mine, but I do respect your opinions. (More so, those opinions that make sense)

 

       For this segment, forget who your favorite team is, and try to take everything in as if you are totally neutral.

 

       When it comes to preseason rankings, do the rankings mean anything? Absolutely not.

 

       Why do we have preseason rankings? Hype. It's all about hype. Great example in Week 1 of the season: Alabama vs Michigan. Michigan was preseason ranked in the top 10. Now look at where Michigan is ranked. (unranked) They were hyped up just to make that game against Bama mean something,

when in reality, it meant nothing.

 

       Do preseason rankings hurt/help teams. YES! A team ranked 20 in the preseason has a tougher road to the BCS Title game than a team ranked in the top 10. On the flip side, it helps those teams that are ranked in the top 5. Too many times the preseason rankings cloud judgement because we take those rankings to mean way more than they should.

       BCS Rankings come out a little more than half way through the season and they are based on body of work up to that point of the season.

 

       Hopefully, we can agree with everything above.

 

       If the BCS takes in the body of work, then we should see a different #1 team when the first BCS rankings come out. Now that I have grabbed your attention with that statement, let me explain. How can Bama drop when they haven't lost? (Remember to remain neutral here and to forget your favorite team). Based on the body of work that Bama will have had when the BCS rankings come out, Alabama will have played 0 (ZERO) teams currently in the top 25.  To Bama's defense, they still will have Mississppi State and LSU  on the schedule. The LSU game will be more important; that will help them greatly if they win that game. However, if LSU drops because of losses to Florida, and South Carolina, then that means Alabama will have 0 (ZERO) games against top 10 opponents. Other teams will then have a better argument for being ranked #1. Not only that, but they will have the body of work to back it up. An undefeated Florida team would look good in BCS rankings. If not Florida, then South Carolina could make the same claim. Outside the SEC, other teams like Oregon and Florida State would have similar arguments. Maybe, West Virginia or Texas will be in the mix. If the computers do their job, then there should be a new #1 team come October 7th, and it may not be an SEC team. Another key element in the first BCS rankings will be that Alabama doesn't play on October 6th. They have a BYE week and that leaves the door wide open for another team to make a statement and move up.

    

     The human element wants to give all the credit to an SEC team because of what they have done in the past. The computers don't factor in who won the last 6 national championships. In fact, that's the reason we have the computer rankings in the first place. Don't be surprised when the first BCS ranks come out and it is an SEC East team at #1 and Bama at #3. I am not saying that Bama can't work its way in to #1, but they may not start there in week 1 of the BCS rankings. Obviously if Bama beats a high ranked east team in the SEC championship game, then they can make the argument.

 

    Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment or send questions. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com  Also, check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day. You can post questions and answer poll questions there. Our poll question for the week is: Who will be ranked #1 in the first BCS Rankings of the season?

 

    Next segment will feature Week 6 picks and games to watch this weekend.