(03-06-2019 11:24 PM)timxlydon Wrote: The only surprise is Ohio at 72 sitting 17 spots higher than the next MAC team. They are expecting a down year for the MAC with no teams projected in the top half of FBS.
121. BGSU
120. CMU
118. Akron
116. Kent St
115. Ball St
104. EMU
99. Miami
98. Buffalo
91. NIU
90. WMU
89. Toledo
72. Ohio
https://athlonsports.com/college-footbal...pring-2019
Any preseason poll is based off prior year's results and returning/loss of talent that played. I mean NIU did lose 2 guys that will be drafted no worse than 1st 4 rds. Outside of the top handful of teams can the judge talent that did not play, if that. They know AL and the likes have top recruiting classes every year and a team like NIU, on paper, does not.
While preseason rankings kill a team like NIU and many others not ranked, NIU has the advantage of playing in a weak conference. Go 2-2 OC, 6-2 with conf championship and you are getting votes likely. 7-1, maybe ranked. Undefeated, you are ranked. And for what? Succeeding in a crap conf? Then getting toasted in a bowl?
And I am not talking beating 2 P5, which should get you ranked if you run the table. But how do you judge that vs. a P5 who losses 4 games to T25?
And if you want real proof of how they pretty much look at ly to make up 90% of their decision, as most sites do, just look at t10. Pretty much the way it ended ly. And am I to really think FSU, USC, OK St, UCLA to name a few all won't rebound as they are ranked 45 or worse? In actuality, I give them a little credit for putting a FSU or USC there.