AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USCrunching the coaches’ poll
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A lot of you might have already seen this, but the final coaches ballot for the USA Today poll is made public. The USA Today website did a great job with the ballot; it’s interactive and allows you to look at the voting in a couple different ways. You can see it here.
I’ll give you some stuff I found interesting. Tech finished 15th, the third-highest team with three losses after No. 13 Oregon and No. 14 Oklahoma State.
Most coaches had them in the 14-15-16 range. Here are the outliers (I limited it to the coaches who slotted them four or more spots away from No. 15)
No. 9 Gary Pinkel, Missouri
No. 10 Tommy Bowden, Clemson
No. 11 Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
No. 19 Rich Rodriguez, Michigan; Jim Tressel, Ohio State
No. 20 Joe Glenn, Wyoming; Pat Hill, Fresno State
As best I could tell, out of the 61 coaches, 57 selected the Jackets as the top ACC team.
The four that didn’t -
Jeff Genyk, Eastern Michigan (Virginia Tech 15, Georgia Tech 16)
Pat Hill, Fresno State (Virginia Tech 12, Georgia Tech 20)
Steve Spurrier, South Carolina (Virginia Tech 16, Georgia Tech 18)
Jim Tressel, Ohio State (Virginia Tech 15, Georgia Tech 19)
Coaches who faced Tech, other ACC coaches, Les Miles and George O’Leary
Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech - 13 (Virginia Tech 23, Boston College 25)
Tommy Bowden, Clemson (formerly) - 10 (Virginia Tech 13, Boston College 16, North Carolina 25)
Bobby Bowden, Florida State - 16 (Virginia Tech 20, Boston College 23)
Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State (formerly) - 15 (Virginia Tech 19, Boston College 23)
Butch Davis, North Carolina - 14 (Virginia Tech 17, North Carolina 24)
Jim Grobe, Wake Forest - 14 (Virginia Tech 20, Boston College 25)
Les Miles, LSU - 12 (Virginia Tech 23, Boston College 24)
Tom O’Brien, N.C. State - 15 (Virginia Tech 20, Boston College 24)
George O’Leary, Central Florida - 13 (Virginia Tech 17, Boston College 22)
Mark Richt, Georgia - 15 (Georgia 16, Virginia Tech 23, Boston College 24)
The six ACC coaches with ballots ranked Tech an average of 13.7. The seven SEC coaches ranked Tech an average of 14.4.
I’m wondering, but are you more bothered by the coaches who ranked Tech lower than the average than you are pleased about the ones who ranked them higher?
I’m asking more out of curiosity and because I suspect that is the case. This is going way outside the realm of football, but I think that fans, and people in general, are more aware of when they think they’ve gotten worse than they think they deserve than they are of when they think they’ve gotten better than they think they deserve.
For instance, you often hear fans (or coaches or players) say, “The referees stole the game from us,” but you rarely hear, “Wow, we really got some lucky breaks.”
But, anyway, enough dime-store psychology. What do you think about the rest of the stuff?
P.S. this is totally non sequitur, but an answer to a question that was asked in the last blog and that I’d seen posed elsewhere. Tech will be the home team and, as such, will be allowed to choose its uniform (presumably white). Home-team status alternates between the SEC and ACC teams.
Comments
By RAMBLE ON!!!
December 10, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
Ken, why doesn’t the greatest coach in the NCAA today, Paul Johnson, vote?
By John
December 10, 2008 8:32 AM | Link to this
As a Tech fan, I really don’t have a problem with how any of the coaches voted. It’s understandable why Pat Hill of Fresno State would vote Tech lower than most. He probably doesn’t get to see much of Tech on TV, and the only 2 times he’s faced a GT team, we completely laid down for Fresno State and made a complete joke and mockery of ourselves.
By John
December 10, 2008 8:36 AM | Link to this
Couple of other comments: Jim Tressel probably holds a little bit of a grudge against PJ for trampling his Youngstown team underfoot while coaching at GSU. Rich Rodriguez probably doesn’t want PJ to look too good, because as another first year coach installing a new system at Michigan, he doesn’t want people pointing to PJ and saying, “Why can’t you get immediate results like that guy?”
By Too Easy
December 10, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this
Incredible waste of space splitting hairs over votes for a 15th-ranked team. 3 losses, not in the acccg, not part of any BCS discussion, lucky to be bowling in Atlanta so some fans will actually be there. Could’ve been summarized thusly: GT is ranked 15th; some coaches voted them higher, some lower. Comments?
And I thought Winklejohn got paid by the word.
By inveniojacket
December 10, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
I hope they choose to wear all white unis. It’s a much more striking image and we do very well in games where we have worn all white. Look at the Miami and uga games. We scored more than 40 in each of these outings! I know the unis have absolutely nothing to do with that, but it is worth noting.
GO JACKETS!!!
By Bob
December 10, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
Ken must have missed the memo from Tech fans that they do not care about rankings. Well, that’s what they say when they aren’t ranked at least. Its very convenient.
By BigP
December 10, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this
They should publish how the coaches voted for each of the last 10 weeks. Then you could really get some insight into their thinking.
I would also like to know who administers the vote, how do they keep it objective (or do they?) are there any guidelines provided (seems like a loser late in the season drops 6-8 positions on average). Do they question the coach when they turn in a vote that is really weird from all the others (to make sure they meant to do it or was it a mistake). I’m guessing no. It is a free for all and many of the coaches probably see it as a pain in the butt. It’s just hard sometimes to see the reliability, predictability, and validity of the statistics that result. It just appears to be a free for all but I guess that’s just the way it is.
By GO Tech610
December 10, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
RAMBLE ON!
PJ said a while back on the Paul Johnson radio show that he thinks the coaches poll is stupid and he himself chose not to vote.
His reasoning is that “all week you tell your team that they’re the best, that they are winners, and then you go out and vote them number 20? It makes no sense.”-PJ
So there you go….You probably will never see PJ in the coaches poll.
By GT45
December 10, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
Whereever we finish the season is where we will start the season next year! Does it matter? Yeah, from a national attention and media coverage standpoint, it certainly does. But, like the pups found out, it’s how you finish that matters. Go Jackets-
By morgwreck243
December 10, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
It’s nice to be thought of as a Top 15 caliber team, but until the team wins a conference title the rankings really don’t matter.
On completely different topic. If the team starts wearing an all-white uniform they should switch the helmets to white. Just a thought.
By RAMBLE ON!!!
December 10, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this
GO Tech610 thanks!
By Here's why
December 10, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
State of Georgia poll:
Tech #1 Ugag #2 The rest…..
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
By BobbyG
December 10, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
In looking at the full coach’s poll, I’m wondering what Oregon State’s Mike Riley has against CMR and/or UGA.
Folks are talking about how Meyer and Pat Hill both put UGA at #21…the lowest they appeared on any ballot….but Riley left them off COMPLETELY.
By John
December 10, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this
I’ve commented above, but let me also add that this topic seems a little trite, compared to other things that could be covered. For example, Auburn has been trying to go after PJ. This is obviously of enormous concern and interest to Tech fans. I’ve been able to gather from a few news sources in Alabama that the search has moved away from PJ, but what has the AJC learned? Are you hearing the same thing? Any hints or clues, other than the previously reported meeting with DRad to maybe upgrade the contract?
By Tech82
December 10, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
Bobby G - Mike Riley sounds like a really smart guy. A see a bright future for him.
By jabster
December 10, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this
Remember all of the whining at the beginning of the season about “ugly uniforms”? I said that they will look great in the opponent’s end zone, and that’s all that matters.
I rest my case.
Also, I think Spurrier is still holding a grudge against Tech for firing him in the post-Pepper Rodgers housecleaning (almost 30 years ago!). He was a loudmouth when he was at Duke (“welcome to the basement of the ACC”) and until he produces again, he needs to sit down and STFU.
I also think that O’Leary still feels a little remorseful about what happened when he left Tech and wonders if he should have just stayed put.
By NCAA Rules Committee
December 10, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
You have to be asked to take part! Not every coach gets to vote as there are a specific number allowed.
Realistically, the Pac Ten and Big Eleven should certainly have fewer voters since they are truly not as tough. Yet they have as many voters which truly distorts which teams are really best simply because they give votes to a Michigan State team that is truly pathetic except for one playmaker at running back. Yet they are ranked??? You have to be kidding. Top 50 at best.
By Gay Fashion Statement
December 10, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
Jim Tressel is real cute in his Ohio State sweater vest.
By GT
December 10, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
The best thing is to beat other teams as much and as many times as possible. You can’t control the polls and people have their agendas. What I do wonder is why Gary Patterson the TCU coach is not mentioned in any of these openings. He would be great at Auburn and his stock should have risen as the Texas teams and Oklahoma has risen. This is where the agendas and perceptions cloud good judgment. You hear about Dooley at La. Tech which barely broke even or even the one year wonder at Ball State but you don’t hear much if anything about Patterson who has done it for years or the BYU coach or the Utah coach. When Tech had Gailey those kinds of guys feasted off misperception and beat us routinely. Getting a guy out of Ball State reminds me of getting Lewis out of East Carolina, maybe the worse coach in Tech history or even the state of Georgia. Why isn’t anyone looking at the App. State coach after the success of Johnson and the coach at Vanderbilt who got their guy from Furman? The Southern Conference recruits down here and these kind of guys establish recruiting ties with local talent. Seems like App. State would have compared to Tennessee more favorable than a guy from Southern California, but that is just me.
By Mentally Challenged Beaver
December 10, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
Coach Mike Riley of Oregon State did’nt even have Georgia in the top 25, yet he had his sorry Beavers with 4 losses ranked #24 and Ball State #15.-We need a real playoff system to get rid of this ridiculous BCS JUNK.
By Buzzeng
December 10, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
I think, from my quick review, only one coach (Wyoming?) had UGa ranked ahead of GT. THAT shows some progress! Go Jackets!
By Ben Gilbert
December 10, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
I thought we were treated pretty fairly over all. Most coaches don’t have the time to watch a lot of football and have to rely on other sources for thier info so the coaches poll is kinda bogus in that respect. Like Ken Swilling said when asked about sharing the National Championship with Colorado in 1990…..”Suit’em up and let’s play”
By GotOut07
December 10, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this
Mark Richt voted Georgia below Tech!
By BuzzFactor
December 10, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this
I really don’t care too much about who voted us where, it’s just good to be on peoples radar now. We just need to take care of business against LSU, overcome our winless streak in the CFA bowl, and keep those recruits coming. White unis are probably what we’ll see, but we haven’t seen navy blue all year…. just a thought, but it doesn’t matter what they wear as long as we win.
By bb
December 10, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this
Beating UGA, FSU, Miami and Clemson is the same year and being co-champions of the Coastal Division is what really matters.
The polls are meaningless unless you are in the top 5 and have a shot at the BCS championship. Win the games you play and don’t worry about the rest.
I seem to recall SEC fans (and the media) crowing in September that the SEC had 5 teams in the top 10 (never been done before). Two of those great teams are not even ranked now (one didn’t even qualify for a bowl game) and another is not in the Top 15. That’s what the polls mean. Nothing.
GT is ranked right now and LSU is not. If GT loses, their ranking means nothing. Win the game, that’s what matters.
By BLAZER
December 10, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
start the polls after october 15th
By Pi$$onaDawg
December 10, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this
Agree that the pols should start after League Play starts not the Money Pu$$y Games. ASK the Seniors what color and Style UNIs they want to ware. Since both have the same basic colors and pattern (Yellow & Blue/black or Yellow and Purple) I would like to see the the 1990 Dark Navy Tops with the White & Old Gold pants. New years Eve will be great all the Dawgs will be sleeping in order to get up at 8:00 am to start their party with few people watching.
By StingerSplash
December 10, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this
GT,
Jerry Moore, the coach at App, is getting a little long in the tooth and likely will retire at App. Not this year, but eventually. (An aside - he and PJ were good friends in the days against each other in the SoCon).
OK, AJC, how about a look at the coaches who voted Georgia AHEAD of Tech in the last poll: Rodriguez at Michigan and Gary Patterson at TCU. A pox on both their houses and programs. Oh, wait, looks like somebody beat me to one of them. Nice 3-9 season there, Rich-Rod. Hope you’re cashing those fat maize and blue checks with a straight face or at least an embarrassed look.
By redblood
December 10, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
yawn, this is boring.
Watch us show you how a tickle pile really works!!!
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENuMxL6dHMk&feature=related *
By Brian
December 10, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this
Actually, it appears that 4 coaches ranked Tech below UGA on this final ballot- Joe Glenn (Wyoming), Gary Patterson (TCU), Rich Rodriguez (Michigan), Jim Tressel (OSU). Seems more like non-sense than “progress” to me… beating a team at THEIR house doesn’t make you better than them???
By Tokyo jacket
December 10, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this
Rich Rodriguez, Tressel and Spurrier all have skin in the game. R-rod needs us to look worse than we are to save his own skin (why can we install a spread O with pro players and he can’t?). If the vest loses and we win, we’ll jump OSU most likely. So, he starts us lower to try to prevent the jump. The Ol’ Ball Coach is out there telling recruits (that we’re fighting for) that the SEC is way better to lure them away.
Their voting is transparent!
By RamblinWreck25
December 10, 2008 6:02 PM | Link to this
You can do all sorts of number crunching, complicated math, whatever you want to call it. But Tech’s ranking won’t matter if the play LSU on New Year’s Eve like they played UNC and UGA (first half).
By Upset YJ
December 10, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
Hey Ken,
Can you find out & help shed light why CPJ wasn’t one of the finalists for national coach of the year, despite being # 1 in fan voting?
By UGA is so last year
December 10, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this
I was happy to see Richt ranked us ahead of UGA. That was classy and I think, overall, all the rankings averaged out and we are placed in the correct spot. Those losses to UVA and UNC still bother me. We should not be ranked higher at this time. But, beat LSU and we may see an 11 or 12 ranking.
By RAMBLINWRECK
December 10, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
Rumor has it GT will wear the new Gold uniform tops that they have yet to sport on the flats this year. It’s their version of the ND green uniforms and they only wear them on special occasions. Kind of like when GT wore the Black tops in the ACC title game against Wake in 06 with run up the middle on 3rd and 20 Gailey. Thank God for greyhound and PAUL JOHNSON! GO JACKETS IN WHATEVER UNIFORM THEY CHOOSE!
But dont be surprised if they go with the Gold tops with the white pants. It will look good
By Jujst WIN
December 10, 2008 11:30 PM | Link to this
Unless you’re undefeated or with 1 loss, and ranked in the top 4 or 5 before the final weekend is played; who gives a damn about the rankings!
JUST WIN ON 12/31/08 JACKETS!!!
By wreckmaniac
December 11, 2008 12:10 AM | Link to this
Tech was treated very well in all polls that I have seen. No complaints at all. The key is that we ended up ahead of UGA which is where we belong and should be most seasons.
By GeorgePBurdell
December 11, 2008 1:30 AM | Link to this
Who really cares about where everyone ranks right now, there’s still one more game to play and we have don’t have a push-over in LSU. However, overall I think Tech and the dogs are where they should be.
By macrotech
December 11, 2008 1:48 AM | Link to this
bb B RIGHT!!! Win the game and the polls will work themselves out!!! I’m too lazy to scroll back towards the top, but AMEN to the gentleman that pointed out the state of Georgia poll! Tech #1 and uga #2! GO TECH!
By John in Marietta
December 11, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this
The SEC coach who rated Tech the highest was Les Myles. I’m guessing he knew he would be in the Peach Bowl when he voted.
By jacketexan
December 11, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
It doesn’t bother me…There was a lot of parity in the ACC, and GT didn’t even win the division, so we shouldn’t expect to be the highest ranked ACC team on anybody’s ballot. But apparently we have shown them something and they are impressed.
The lower rankings from Wyoming, Fresno State, Wyoming, and Michigan coaches don’t bother me a bit. Those guys have probably never even watched a GT game and their conferences are so detached from the ACC that they don’t have to pay attention.
By jacketexan
December 11, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this
I would have loved to have been in the room where Mark Richt was filling out his final ballot….Just to see him squirm when he was trying to figure out how many spots above Georgia he should rank GT.
hehehe
By Old GT Nut
December 11, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
Would be nice to see GT wear the new uniforms with the “championship” navy blue tops with gold letters.
By buzzie
December 11, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
Tech needs to step up big on contract for Johnson. If Notre Dame has another .500 or less season they will come after him. Hard-nosed service academy style is perfect for ND. He has shown he can win sooner rather than later, and his offense would give ND a distinct style that they would really embrace.
By Ramblinwreck
December 11, 2008 9:54 AM | Link to this
I get pretty tired of hearing step up the contract or you’ll lose him…blah blah blah. When Paul Johnson came to GT he said that he was going to win a NC. I believe him to be a man of his word and I do not expect him to leave without GT winning at least 1 NC.
By RE Dawg
December 11, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
Brian -
beating a team at THEIR house doesn’t make you better than them???
By this logic Ole Miss would be “better” than Florida
By TechCrybaby
December 11, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this
Tech rated 15th is about right.
Funny, though - after 1980 (UGA’s first NC), and 1990 (Tech’s fourth NC), I was thinking, “Neither of those two will ever win another National Championship, because it’s partly a POPULARITY CONTEST, and we’ll always be outnumbered and outgunned by Yankee voters.”
Now, lo and behold, comes the BCS, touted as super-science, and it proves to be another popularity contest!”
By gtne80
December 11, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
First, I think our current rating is about right. Third among the 3-loss teams is the only place that we have any room for debate.
OK State faced a pretty hefty in-conference schedule (their 3 losses were Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma). But they played no one of consequence out of conference.
So, what’s the diff between being ranked 15 and being 13? Not spit.
Win our bowl game convincingly, and we have a shot at slipping into the top 10.
Oregon lost at home to Boise State, got creamed by USC, and lost to Cal. Their only out of conference win of note was against Purdue (4-8). Otherwise, they pretty much stayed in the Pac-10 (Big One, Little 9) conference.
Our only out-of-conference game of note was at UGA (which we won).
By Always Correcting Techies
December 11, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
First the obligatory correction for “TechCryBaby”:
UGA claims 5 MNC’s, Tech Claims 4 MNC’s UGA claims 2 consensus MNC’s, Tech should claim 2 consensus MNC’s But UGA has the only undefeated, untied, unanamous MNC (1980).
Technically there has never been a NC in D1A college football because the NCAA doesn’t award them.
Now on to what matters……..congrats to Tech for kicking UGA’s behinds on the field where it counts.
By Politicians-R-All-Crooks
December 11, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this
Well, ya win or lose on the field, not in some poll…but in my opinion, it is better to be a water boy at Georgia Tech than to be a quarterback at UGAY…Especially given UGAY’s history as reported this week wrt to Jan…..