(09-05-2017 02:18 PM)fanhood Wrote: (09-05-2017 02:13 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote: (09-05-2017 01:57 PM)fanhood Wrote: USF - #21
Boise State - Receiving Votes (22)
Houston - Receiving Votes (14)
SDSU - Receiving Votes (11)
Navy - Receiving Votes (1)
No one but some wacky message board posters thinks P6. What? Coaches Poll and AP Poll results show that there IS a general perception that the AAC is better?
Well, all of us are really just the same - it isn't an actual difference. What? These results are statistically significant and show AAC separation?
Well, it's all just cyclical. What? It's like this year after year and trending in the AAC's favor?
But, but, but, BOWL RECORDS!!!
SLH, I am actually confused by your post. What are you saying?
The polls generally indicate that people think USF is good, and that Houston, SDSU, Boise, and Navy are on the cusp.
Polls are useless, but that is what they indicate here.
I. I will stop short of "useless" - if designed properly polls can definitely provide you insight into opinions. In the case of the AP and Coaches Polls, they pretty accurately measure the perception / opinion of a cross-section of college football journalists / college football coaches. Now, with one game completed for the vast majority of teams, the week two poll reflects opinions based on very little DATA, but they reflect the opinions. They identify a total of 56 teams this week (26 ranked between the two polls, another 30 receiving votes). So I wouldn't necessarily say "on the cusp" for others receiving votes, just that there is sufficient perception of value to put a team in the top half+ of college football teams.
The two polls together indicate that 5 AAC teams, 2 mwc teams, and no other G4 teams are perceived to be above the top half of college football teams.
II. So REALLY, these results show that the AAC is closer to P5 conferences than to G4 conferences in the perception of journalists/coaches of the top half (57th percentile even!). Big12 has 6 schools in this top 56. Closer to Big12 than to the mwc and other three G4s don't even register.
P6!
III. I was framing it to mock the refrain we keep hearing here from G4 fans triggered by the P6 info op.
First step is to stay that the AAC fans here are crazy - no one else thinks that way. That is quickly rebutted by the fact that it is a conference HQ effort, and in this case there is evidence that broad-based opinions outside this board esteem the AAC as closer to the P5s than the G4s.
Second step then is to claim that in fact there is no material difference in quality between AAC and the other four. This is evidence otherwise, on-field performance as reflected by Massey Composite ratings is evidence otherwise, TV ratings data is evidence otherwise. There is a difference, and it is significant.
Third step then is that it is cyclical. Nope, sorry G4s, these data hold up year after year since the American rose from the ashes of the football BigEast conference. In most cases trending is to MORE separation not less.
Then finally in desperation, G4 fans point to two years of bowl records, ignoring that in the same two year window AAC was 20-2 against G4s in the regular season. Now 24-2 for a running total 2015-2017.
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