Many cougar fans are upset that BYU was not ranked in the preseason coaches poll. Not a 17 or an 18, no not even a lowly 24. BYU is not as highly thought of in the coaches minds as they are crazed fans in early August. We really need to manage our expectations and ask some critical thinking questions. Most importantly, does it matter?
Do pre-season polls matter? What does the historical data say?
Kind of yes, kind of no. There are certain financial implications that Matt Brown points out where the AP poll certainly can have an impact, but what about historical data? Take 2021 for example. Fourteen teams were ranked at the end of the year that weren’t listed in the coaches preseason poll. Three of the four teams that made the CFB playoff were ranked in the preseason coaches poll in the top 10, Michigan was unranked.
While in 2020, eleven teams ended the year ranked while not making an appearance in the initial preseason coaches poll. However in a covid crazy year, some conferences playing and some not, you can throw that data out. All four CFB playoff teams were ranked in the preseason coaches poll top 10.
Going back to 2019 there were seven teams ended the year ranked that weren’t ranked in the coaches preseason poll. All four CFB teams were ranked in the preseason top 6 that year. I miss smokin’ Joe Burrow in college football.
So what did we learn here?
We learned that when it comes to the top half of the preseason rankings, the coaches poll is pretty dang accurate. When it comes to the bottom, not so much. The majority of the teams that moved into the rankings over the years resided from number 15-25. The teams that start the year from 15-25 generally either move up or out.
I’m going to say something here and then completely ignore my own advice. Fans should enjoy football however they wish. However it seems like there is outrage, disrespect and venom coming from some fans just because BYU wasn’t in a poll and they feel slighted. If BYU really is good, then why are you worrying? I saw no less than 20 fans today who said the poll is worthless and clueless. They would not be saying that if BYU was ranked in the top 10.
BYU returns over 80% of their production, and an amazing signal caller in Jaren Hall and a proven coach in Kalani Sitake. They finished last year ranked at 15 in 2021. The fact that BYU was not ranked in a preseason coaches poll is probably an oversight. They should be a good team in 2022. But it’s the rankings at the end of the season that truly matter, not the ones in early August.
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