[Farm93]

Here's the data for football.

https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2013/8...-bell-8-19

Over the last 15 years (i.e. the "BCS era"), the writers have been pretty good at spotting the frontrunners: Almost half of eventual BCS champions (7 of 15) began the season ranked No. 1 or No. 2, and all but three started in the top ten. Of the 120 teams in that span tabbed to finish in the top eight, 104 of them landed somewhere in the final poll, and well over half finished in the top ten.

BC

Of course in football the pollsters and media types have always played a role in picking the winner so I don’t think this sport reveals much.  

I would be more interested in knowing if the #1 in preseason polls goes on to win a real nationwide postseason tournament in that sport.  Where no more than one team can finish undefeated and the postseason process included most teams with credible title aspirations

[Farm93]

Here's the data for football.

https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2013/8...-bell-8-19

Over the last 15 years (i.e. the "BCS era"), the writers have been pretty good at spotting the frontrunners: Almost half of eventual BCS champions (7 of 15) began the season ranked No. 1 or No. 2, and all but three started in the top ten. Of the 120 teams in that span tabbed to finish in the top eight, 104 of them landed somewhere in the final poll, and well over half finished in the top ten.

BC

Of course in football the pollsters and media types have always played a role in picking the winner so I don’t think this sport reveals much.  

I would be more interested in knowing if the #1 in preseason polls goes on to win a real nationwide postseason tournament in that sport.  Where no more than one team can finish undefeated and the postseason process included most teams with credible title aspirations