[OutsiderFan]

As was typically predictable, a close Georgia loss to Alabama ensured 2-loss Georgia resulted in Georgia not falling behind Stanford in the rankings.  That puts Georgia and LSU ahead of Stanford with 2 losses.  I think think this is absurd.  Here's a look at all the SEC teams ranked ahead of Stanford:

Georgia beat #2 and lost to #2 and #6
LSU beat #9, #18, and #21 and lost to #1 and #10

Alabama beat #8, #11, #5, and #3, and lost to #15

And Stanford: beat #2, #11, #2, #16, and #17 and lost to #1 in OT and unranked by 4.

I just see a whole lot of bias in the polls toward the SEC based on nothing but media hype.  To me, Stanford should be ranked ahead of Georgia and LSU.  I'm curious what y'all think.

[OutsiderFan]

As was typically predictable, a close Georgia loss to Alabama ensured 2-loss Georgia resulted in Georgia not falling behind Stanford in the rankings.  That puts Georgia and LSU ahead of Stanford with 2 losses.  I think think this is absurd.  Here's a look at all the SEC teams ranked ahead of Stanford:

Georgia beat #2 and lost to #2 and #6
LSU beat #9, #18, and #21 and lost to #1 and #10

Alabama beat #8, #11, #5, and #3, and lost to #15

And Stanford: beat #2, #11, #2, #16, and #17 and lost to #1 in OT and unranked by 4.

I just see a whole lot of bias in the polls toward the SEC based on nothing but media hype.  To me, Stanford should be ranked ahead of Georgia and LSU.  I'm curious what y'all think.

[TreeFitty]

1. Alabama
2*. Ohio State
2. ND
3. Florida
4. Stanford
5. UGA

[TreeFitty]

1. Alabama
2*. Ohio State
2. ND
3. Florida
4. Stanford
5. UGA

[Gauss]

To answer this question, you have to answer first the age-old question about how to rank teams in general. Do you go by record (number of wins, and quality of wins), or perception? Or a bit of one, and a bit of the other?

Ideally, you'd go only on record, but 12 games are not enough to separate 120 teams with precision. There are great disparities of schedule, that have to be made up with perception.

To measure records, the computer rankings are the best (the ones that are well designed of course. Billingsley & co please abstain), because they fully account for all the games that all 120 teams play. But sometimes they unfairly penalize teams that could have beaten a harder schedule, but are stuck with weak teams for any reason (think of Stanford in 2010. We played terrible San Jose St and Wake Forest teams, and an average ND. Plus, the Pac-12 was down, so we ended having really poor computer rankings. However, if you watched the games, you could tell we were top 5 in the country).

Thus, the computers say that we have a better record and beaten better opponents than Georgia and LSU. With Georgia the computers are tight, and perception probably puts them ahead.
With LSU is trickier, as we have beaten better teams than they have. However, when you compare our 2 losses to LSU's, they have clearly the advantage. More critically, when you compare results against common opponents (Washington. We lost against them, and LSU blew them out), then it's understandable why people rank them ahead of us (I think we could beat them, though).

So using this magical mixture of record and perception, I'd rank the top 10 as
1. ND
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Kansas St
6. Georgia
7. LSU
8. Stanford
9. Texas A&M
10. Ohio St

Sorry.

[Gauss]

To answer this question, you have to answer first the age-old question about how to rank teams in general. Do you go by record (number of wins, and quality of wins), or perception? Or a bit of one, and a bit of the other?

Ideally, you'd go only on record, but 12 games are not enough to separate 120 teams with precision. There are great disparities of schedule, that have to be made up with perception.

To measure records, the computer rankings are the best (the ones that are well designed of course. Billingsley & co please abstain), because they fully account for all the games that all 120 teams play. But sometimes they unfairly penalize teams that could have beaten a harder schedule, but are stuck with weak teams for any reason (think of Stanford in 2010. We played terrible San Jose St and Wake Forest teams, and an average ND. Plus, the Pac-12 was down, so we ended having really poor computer rankings. However, if you watched the games, you could tell we were top 5 in the country).

Thus, the computers say that we have a better record and beaten better opponents than Georgia and LSU. With Georgia the computers are tight, and perception probably puts them ahead.
With LSU is trickier, as we have beaten better teams than they have. However, when you compare our 2 losses to LSU's, they have clearly the advantage. More critically, when you compare results against common opponents (Washington. We lost against them, and LSU blew them out), then it's understandable why people rank them ahead of us (I think we could beat them, though).

So using this magical mixture of record and perception, I'd rank the top 10 as
1. ND
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Kansas St
6. Georgia
7. LSU
8. Stanford
9. Texas A&M
10. Ohio St

Sorry.

[oman]

1. ND
2. Oregon
3. Alabama
4. Kansas State
5. Stanford
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. LSU

[oman]

1. ND
2. Oregon
3. Alabama
4. Kansas State
5. Stanford
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. LSU

[washingtonismoney]

ND/Alabama/Oregon/Florida/K-State/Georgia/Stanford/LSU/A&M/tOSU.

[washingtonismoney]

ND/Alabama/Oregon/Florida/K-State/Georgia/Stanford/LSU/A&M/tOSU.

[Bruce Wang]

#1

[Bruce Wang]

#1

[TreeFitty]

Why the heck was I downrated for my harmless opinion?

Geez, guys.

[TreeFitty]

Why the heck was I downrated for my harmless opinion?

Geez, guys.

[Roberton3]

1. Alabama
2*. Ohio State
2. ND
3. Florida
4. Stanford
5. UGA

It's silly that people keep ranking Ohio State so high.  Yes, they're undefeated, but they played a very soft schedule.  It seems like a big part of the way they're ranked in the AP poll (and in your ranking) is just because they're Ohio State (or because people are somehow offended by the idea of punishing a team for getting caught breaking the rules).  Objective rankings put them a lot lower.  For example, Sagarin's ranking used by the BCS puts them at #10, and his "predictor" ranking (which is more accurate) puts them at #23.

[Roberton3]

1. Alabama
2*. Ohio State
2. ND
3. Florida
4. Stanford
5. UGA

It's silly that people keep ranking Ohio State so high.  Yes, they're undefeated, but they played a very soft schedule.  It seems like a big part of the way they're ranked in the AP poll (and in your ranking) is just because they're Ohio State (or because people are somehow offended by the idea of punishing a team for getting caught breaking the rules).  Objective rankings put them a lot lower.  For example, Sagarin's ranking used by the BCS puts them at #10, and his "predictor" ranking (which is more accurate) puts them at #23.

[pincemob]

The only teams with strong cases to be ranked ahead of us are ND and to a lesser extent Alabama.  I don't think Alabama played enough good teams, and they also lost at home. 

There is no excuse for Georgia to be ahead of Stanford.  Georgia has nowhere near the quality wins, and has 2 losses.  Alabama is their "good" loss, while 7-35 to South Carolina was their "bad" loss.  They also had close calls with Kentucky & Tennessee which should cost them major style points.  I think our "good" loss is comparable (although they got to play it in Atlanta not on the road), while our "bad" loss was "better" due to the margin. 

I think it's also unfair to put Florida ahead of us.  They never played Alabama, and their non-conference wins were Bowling Green, Jacksonville, LA-Lafayette.  They did not win their league.  I would say they also fail the "eye test".  Think if Stanford had not played ND or Oregon, then went 11-1 playing ugly games.  That is what you have in Florida. 

We beat Oregon at their place, and they also did not play anyone in non-conference.  They rely on the "eye test" and admittedly they look pretty good.  If we had to play ND or Oregon again, I think everyone would pick ND in a heartbeat.

As for KSU, it sure would have been nice if they'd played Oregon.  The case for us over KSU is that they never played anyone on Oregon or ND's level (Oklahoma their best win, by 5, and OU got killed by ND).  Also, their loss was a spanking by an unranked team.  We were never blown out. 

So I might go:

ND
Stanford
Alabama
K-State
Oregon

[pincemob]

The only teams with strong cases to be ranked ahead of us are ND and to a lesser extent Alabama.  I don't think Alabama played enough good teams, and they also lost at home. 

There is no excuse for Georgia to be ahead of Stanford.  Georgia has nowhere near the quality wins, and has 2 losses.  Alabama is their "good" loss, while 7-35 to South Carolina was their "bad" loss.  They also had close calls with Kentucky & Tennessee which should cost them major style points.  I think our "good" loss is comparable (although they got to play it in Atlanta not on the road), while our "bad" loss was "better" due to the margin. 

I think it's also unfair to put Florida ahead of us.  They never played Alabama, and their non-conference wins were Bowling Green, Jacksonville, LA-Lafayette.  They did not win their league.  I would say they also fail the "eye test".  Think if Stanford had not played ND or Oregon, then went 11-1 playing ugly games.  That is what you have in Florida. 

We beat Oregon at their place, and they also did not play anyone in non-conference.  They rely on the "eye test" and admittedly they look pretty good.  If we had to play ND or Oregon again, I think everyone would pick ND in a heartbeat.

As for KSU, it sure would have been nice if they'd played Oregon.  The case for us over KSU is that they never played anyone on Oregon or ND's level (Oklahoma their best win, by 5, and OU got killed by ND).  Also, their loss was a spanking by an unranked team.  We were never blown out. 

So I might go:

ND
Stanford
Alabama
K-State
Oregon

[oman]

Why the heck was I downrated for my harmless opinion?

Geez, guys.

I only down rate spelling and grammer or grammar smack. 

But Alabama? 

[oman]

Why the heck was I downrated for my harmless opinion?

Geez, guys.

I only down rate spelling and grammer or grammar smack. 

But Alabama? 

[fullmetal]

Georgia did enough to make Alabama look mortal, but the Dawgs couldn't pull out the victory.  Stanford did both against Oregon.

Call these power rankings: which teams are hottest right now:

1. ND
2. Stanford
3. Oregon
4. Alabama
5. K-State
6. Georgia

[fullmetal]

Georgia did enough to make Alabama look mortal, but the Dawgs couldn't pull out the victory.  Stanford did both against Oregon.

Call these power rankings: which teams are hottest right now:

1. ND
2. Stanford
3. Oregon
4. Alabama
5. K-State
6. Georgia

[TreeFitty]

Why the heck was I downrated for my harmless opinion?

TreeFitty, you went 168 posts with blaming anything on Trent Johnson. Slide and 76lsjumb wanted to kill you, but we were able to plea-bargain them down to a "thumbs down." Oh, also, you have to name your first child "Johnny" and the second "Dawkins." Hope you weren't planning on having girls right away.

I guess if you do the crime you do the time. :)

[TreeFitty]

Why the heck was I downrated for my harmless opinion?

TreeFitty, you went 168 posts with blaming anything on Trent Johnson. Slide and 76lsjumb wanted to kill you, but we were able to plea-bargain them down to a "thumbs down." Oh, also, you have to name your first child "Johnny" and the second "Dawkins." Hope you weren't planning on having girls right away.

I guess if you do the crime you do the time. :)

[OutsiderFan]

OK, my turn.

1. N.D.
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Kansas State
6. Stanford
7. LSU
8. Georgia
9. Florida State
10. Oklahoma

[OutsiderFan]

OK, my turn.

1. N.D.
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Kansas State
6. Stanford
7. LSU
8. Georgia
9. Florida State
10. Oklahoma