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Associated Press Top 25 poll voters hit a new, ridiculous low with this week’s results
The AP Top 25 poll has drawn criticism for ranking teams in ways the article argues reward conference reputation and preseason expectations over results. It says the latest rankings especially favour SEC teams, while leaving stronger records elsewhere under-recognised.
Texas is ranked 10th despite two losses, while one-loss Texas Tech is 13th. The article questions Florida’s and South Carolina’s places at 19th and 23rd despite each having three losses, and contrasts them with unranked two-loss Northwestern. It also challenges Notre Dame’s fourth place, given its one loss and comparatively easy schedule, above undefeated UCLA and one-loss Indiana.
In short
- The article says the AP poll gives SEC teams too much credit.
- Florida and South Carolina are ranked despite three losses each.
- Notre Dame’s fourth place is questioned against unbeaten UCLA.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The poll should reward what teams have achieved on the field, so records, strength of schedule and head-to-head results ought to carry more weight than conference reputation or preseason expectations. Ranking two-loss Texas above one-loss Texas Tech, or Notre Dame above undefeated UCLA, can look inconsistent unless voters explain what evidence justifies the difference.
The case against
A poll is meant to assess teams’ overall quality, not simply sort them by win-loss record. Voters can reasonably weigh schedule difficulty, injuries, close results and how a team is playing, and may judge that a team with more losses faced tougher opposition or is stronger than its record suggests; rankings also involve uncertainty and subjective comparisons.
Explained simply
The Associated Press Top 25 is a weekly ranking of the leading teams in US college football, chosen by a panel of sports journalists. Voters consider teams’ results and performances, but the poll is a judgement rather than a league table, so different voters can weigh factors differently.
The teams mentioned play in several conferences, which are groups of universities that organise much of the sport’s competition. The SEC is a prominent conference, while Texas Tech, Northwestern, UCLA and Indiana compete elsewhere; Notre Dame is independent of a conference in football.
Rankings can shape public perceptions of a team’s strength and influence discussion of which teams deserve places in the postseason. Comparing a team’s position with its wins, losses and schedule is one way readers assess whether the poll is consistent.
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