Best Season, Not Team.

Submitted by WalterMitty on

As any conversation regarding a playoff system tends to ultimately frustrate me on a number of fronts, I am calling for  improvement to the BCS without any mention of 4 8 or 16 teems. I simply would like to fix what we have now. In my opinion, the polls are the problem, and not in the typical "They should not come out until the midway point in the season" way. Right about now, everyone comes out with a top 25 ranking based on what? Based on a prediction for who is going to end up with the least amount of losses at the end of the season. How many pundits come out and say" Team X is loaded but with that schedule, they are going to trip up." or " Team Y has their tough games at home so I am picking them in the title game." The polls that matter follow suit.  My gripe calls for 3 changes in thought process by the polls.A: The first poll determines the ranking of the  best teams in the country, without regard to how the records will unfold. B: The subsequent polls determine rankings of the teams having the best season. The best seasons and the best teams can often vary substantially, proven nearly every season in college basketball.C:The polls should have no problem moving like mad. They will if the polls keep in mind changes 1 and 2. If Oklahoma is thought to be the best team going in, but loses 7 fumbles and loses to EMU on the first weekend of the season, EMU is the new #1. No one thinks they are the best team but they have had the best season to date.    The polls will always suck, but should they not at the very least have some structure to what the hell they are voting on? I know this, preseason rankings should not be what they currently are, a prediction for the end of the season. They become self fulfilling to some extent.  WM

 

Comments

formerlyanonymous

July 3rd, 2008 at 3:18 PM ^

number of games, would best record not be indicative of best season? Am I to assume that since Hawaii was having the best season (undefeated with several blow outs) deserved to be in the title game? To further that point, what constitutes "best season" anyway?

WalterMitty

July 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 PM ^

Strength of schedule would mean more if valuable wins and strong showing road losses counted more toward "best season" than crap wins. A team is encouraged toward the wrong behavior in scheduling because the preseason prediction thing sets them artificially low if their schedule is tough. My point is that I don't care if you are the best team, go out and schedule tough games if you want to move to the top of my theoretical polls.