A couple of points of clarity on the Texas vote:
• I think Texas is the best team in the country, based on the talent they have returning and the motivation they have after watching a team they beat (Oklahoma) play for the national title.
Texas returns 16 starters from a team that won 12 games in 2008, including the quarterback, four offensive linemen and the top five tacklers from last season.
I predict Texas will beat Florida in the national title game, for reasons outlined in the print edition, but that's not the basis of the preseason ranking.
• The aforementioned quarterback, Colt McCoy, threw for more yards (3,859), touchdowns (34) and completed a higher percentage of passes (76.7) than Florida's Tim Tebow (2,746-30-64.4). Tebow did throw fewer interceptions (4 to McCoy's 8).
Their rushing statistics are comparable — Tebow 673 yards-12 touchdowns to McCoy 561-11 — and each led their respective team in rushing.
Point is, if Tebow is in the conversation as one of the best players in college football history, where does that leave McCoy, who statistically had a better season in '08?
I'm not saying McCoy has accomplished more than Tebow in his career, only that they're comparable players, with comparable, experienced talent around them.
• This entry on collegefootballtalk, "Revealed: The voters who dissed the Gators," was particularly amusing.
1) The AP vote is no secret. My archives are listed on the left side of this page and I published my vote on Friday, the day before the AP vote was public.
2) The people at Pollspeak really should work for the White House, or the cure for hunger in Africa, because their organization and dedication could solve a lot of the world's problems.
They have organized the data for all 60 voters. If my archives aren't good enough, you can find my ballot history there as well.
• I'm genuinely surprised more people didn't vote for Texas or that another team didn't get a vote in the writers' poll. In the coaches' poll, Texas got four votes and Oklahoma and USC got one each.
I must have missed the voting regulation that required the '08 national champion to be No. 1 in '09. I didn't realize we were all supposed to vote the same way. I didn't realize a difference of opinion was unwelcomed in this country.
Lastly, the feedback I have received, or read elsewhere, hasn't been from Florida fans, but others. Maybe it's because Florida fans are too busy celebrating two national titles in the past three years to worry about one person's difference of opinion in an opinion poll.
Comments
Qualified okay
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 21:31 — TarGatorA gator fan here.
I have no problem with people not voting Florida #1. I think that they are wrong, but to each its own (at least until the final poll).
My problem with your original post is that your reasons that you cited were:
1) that USC lost to Texas when they were highly favored four years ago;
"The last time the defending national champion was the overwhelming preseason No. 1 was 2005.
That's also the last time the national title game was played at the Rose Bowl.
Now let's connect the dots: Texas derailed Southern California in the Rose Bowl after ESPN spent a month declaring the Trojans, national champs in 2004, the "Greatest Team Ever.""
Why does USC-Texas from four years ago matter? None of the players are the same. There is no logical connection between that and the current season. Other than a lame example of "anything is possible."
and
2) no one has won the AP title 3 times in 4 years:
"2. Florida (13-1): There's no reason to think the Gators won't win every game. Except in the past 60 years, nobody has won the AP title three times in four years."
What does the fate of teams over 60 years have to do with this year? Logically nothing.
In summary, not saying that your pick was wrong. Just your logic can use some assistance.
Your reasons in this article are at least defensible (although Florida is returning more starters than Texas, including all defensive starters from a top ten defense).
Agreed.
Mon, 08/24/2009 - 15:40 — JPDOhioAgree or disagree, at least JP has reasons for his picks and shares those reasons.
He also didn't include Notre Dame in his top 30. Any voter having Notre Dame in the top 25 has made, by definition, an "extreme" pick.
Such drama
Mon, 08/24/2009 - 14:10 — heelsno1There is no need to justify an opinion.