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Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Printable Version

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Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Griffins78 - 08-04-2011

Here's the artilcle here.Oregon is No. 3 and plays No. 4 LSU

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Nan3cy - 08-04-2011

That feels awfully high for a team with a brand-new coaching staff and 60% of a new offensive line. I'm in agreement with the camp that prefers it when Stanford comes in under the radar...

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - needle - 08-04-2011

The main reason for my pessimism can probably be summed up by DL Coach Randy Hart, in last year's defensive line preview:

Quote:“Any team that has a championship year, you’ll find the seniors predominantly have had their best years,” says Hart. “It will be critical for Sione and Brian to have their best years in football this season and we’ll see where the chips fall.”

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072010aaa.html

Here's this year's preview:

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072911aaa.html

Neither projected starters Stephens nor Gardner have had more than one tackle in a game.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Farm93 - 08-04-2011

(08-04-2011, 10:11 AM)Nan3cy link Wrote:That feels awfully high for a team with a brand-new coaching staff and 60% of a new offensive line. I'm in agreement with the camp that prefers it when Stanford comes in under the radar...

Stanford is the second most likely to win the Pac-12 conference based on the media poll.  The toughest opponent on the schedule, Oregon, plays AT Stanford where they were soundly beaten back in 2009.  The Pac-12 is the second best conference in the land and appears top heavy this year, which could lend itself to a winner take all style game at Stanford in November.  Some Vegas houses put the odds of Stanford winning it all at 16-1.  Those betting odds implied Stanford was/is solidly in the top 10.  And we know, there is very little Vegas money that blindly follows Stanford.

Unless Luck gets hurt, Stanford will be favored in every game before November.  Some preseason magazines have Stanford at #4 and ahead of Oregon.  So why not #6?

To me under the radar has translated into "no one in the stands" as there is no way Stanford fills the house without a touch of media hype and coverage.

Look at it this way.  There is probably not going to be another time in the next 10-20 years where Stanford will be on the radar.  We almost certainly will have ample opportunity to live the "Under the Radar" way in the years to come, so embrace the once in a generation+ opportunity to live the LSU, Oregon, Alabama, tOSU, Texas, Oklahoma style football hype.  It has not been the Stanford football way, but is the Stanford W Volleyball, Cross Country, Swimming & Tennis way.  Living with the expectations has turned out OK for all of them, so why not football?

Additionally #6 at the start greatly improves the odds of a BCS at-large invite at the end, and recruiting and TV possibilities throughout the season.  All good things.

Finally, spin it the other way.  Imagine Stanford was #24.  Every opponent on the schedule would still want to punish Luck, the #1 QB in the land and projected #1 draft pick.  The opponents  would also want to blast through the OL that plowed them with powered last year.

12-1 teams don't get to live under the radar the next year.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - yvonne - 08-04-2011

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18597868?source=rss
Quote:"If they used preseason polls as toilet paper, at least they would be of use," Shaw said Monday at a preseason media gathering in San Francisco. "It's all about the postseason."

I'm with the coach on this one. Preseason hype is fun to talk about, but it's the postseason result that's earned. What concerns me is what the team earns on the field.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Farm93 - 08-04-2011

Now, the BCS process could be associated with toilet products too, but if the objective is to win in a BS process then it is important to have some toilet paper.  #6 does not give you as much of the needed product as starting at #1, but it could be enough.

FWIW - Preseason polls are of use.  In recruiting, in TV scheduling, in ticket sales, in advertising and for in-season voting that preseason hype can be helpful.  It is cute to say that are of little value, but if that were really true then they would simply not exist.  And then the BCS formula would not use polls.  In this process the people voting results before and during the season matter, and matter a lot.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Griffins78 - 08-04-2011

Unfortunately, the polls affect the BCS formula rankings too - even from the outset. The rankings of other teams we play affect our strength of schedule and vis-a-versa. USC not getting ranked must hurt all the teams USC plays in the strength of schedule and therefore rankings. How we end up at the end - is affected by how we start out too. If we have a low ranking to start - every team we beat will get a lower ranking after the game. But if we start out high - the teams we beat may keep a higher ranking - which affects us going forward too.

I LOVE that we are ranked highly. It does mean something about the program and the respect that is being built - last year's success, the depth of talent, the recruiting of new talent, and the growth and improvement of players. So it is somewhat earned from all the work in the past.

Does it mean we deserve it? We won't know until they prove it on the field. But starting out higher certainly helps.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - washingtonismoney - 08-04-2011

If 3 teams end the season undefeated, it's a good bet the two who were regarded most highly at the beginning of the year will be playing each other in the national championship. That's the sole use of preseason rankings.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Pastor - 08-04-2011

Preseason rankings (as irrational as they are) probably play a role with some recruits but they for sure 'anchor' a school in the minds of the pollsters and voters.  If a program starts high it tends to remain higher that it would had it started lower with the same record.  We got to 4 last year because we had a monster year.  Starting higher, we should be part of most conversations and likely have an easier time getting to a BCS game and a higher ramking.  So I am good with 6....remember the JH attitude...come and knock the chip off our shoulder.  It is time for a certain amount of arrogance and swagger.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Pastor - 08-04-2011

BTW, don't you just love a poll that has been cleansed of anything East Bay and the only the U.S.C.is South Carolina?

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Hank 91 - 08-05-2011

(08-04-2011, 04:19 PM)Farm93 link Wrote:Preseason polls are of use.  In recruiting, in TV scheduling, in ticket sales, in advertising and for in-season voting that preseason hype can be helpful.
Agreed. Just five years ago Stanford football was completely irrelevant on the national landscape. There were years when you could pick up a college football preview and not find a single word about Stanford. This year, I firmly expect Andrew Luck to be on the cover of SI's preview edition. I understand Shaw's point that none of this helps him in the locker room, on the practice field, or on game day, but it will definitely help recruiting. Any time that anyone anywhere is writing or talking about your team -- for positive reasons -- there can be a lasting impact.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - terry - 08-05-2011

(08-04-2011, 05:20 PM)Griffen78 link Wrote:Unfortunately, the polls affect the BCS formula rankings too - even from the outset. The rankings of other teams we play affect our strength of schedule and vis-a-versa. the University of Spoiled Children not getting ranked must hurt all the teams the University of Spoiled Children plays in the strength of schedule and therefore rankings.

I believe Southern California didn't get ranked in the coaches poll because they're on probation.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - Griffins78 - 08-06-2011

(08-05-2011, 08:01 PM)terry link Wrote:I believe Southern California didn't get ranked in the coaches poll because they're on probation.
That's correct. But they are included in some other rankings.

Re: Stanford Ranked No. 6 in USAToday Coaches Poll - bulldogbigred - 08-07-2011

By week 3, if Stanford takes care of business, we could be looking at a #4 ranking because Oregon and LSU play on the first day and Oklahoma and Florida State playing each other in week 3.