This week’s BCS shuffle exposes computer polls’ flaws
It’s Week 3 in the BCS poll, which can only mean the standard deviations and quartiles and the infamous Sagarin ELO-Chess formula is now officially unbiased in the computer poll portion of our program.
My kingdom for a dork translator.
Fortunately, this is also the moment where the computer polls are exposed for what they are: just another poll with human flaws.
How else can you explain Florida, third in two computer polls last week and No. 2 overall with the slide rules, moving to No. 1 in the computer polls with a victory over four-loss Georgia? Or Iowa, the No. 1 last week in five of six computer polls, thumping five-loss Indiana and dropping to No. 2?
Or Oregon, embarrassed by Boise State in the season opener—I’m going to say this one more time: The Ducks didn’t get a first down until midway through the third quarter—passing the Broncos in the computer polls?
“I don’t understand any of that stuff,” said Florida defensive endJermaine Cunningham. “All I know is we have to keep winning.”
Don’t panic
No. 5 Cincinnati. The Bearcats are more than a full point behind Texas and Alabama for what would be the second spot in the BCS championship game. And it doesn’t matter. Cincinnati still has games against BCS Top 25 Pittsburgh (No. 13) and West Virginia, and the Texas schedule is full of gimme putts.
No. 9 LSU. It starts this week for the Tigers, who will play in the national championship game if they win out—ahead of any non-BCS unbeaten and more than likely ahead of Cincinnati. Winning out means wins over No. 3 Alabama and (if no upsets occur) No. 1 Florida, which handed the Tigers their only loss, in the SEC championship game. No team will have better wins.
SportingNews.com
11/4/9
