| Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley | | | | Those following my College Football 2007 weekly |
| Many sports fans who anxiously await the release | | | | reports during the first two weeks of the season |
| of the weekly football polls really miss one of the | | | | know that I have already been spot on in |
| best parts of the poll when searching only to see | | | | identifying teams rising and falling. |
| where their favorite is ranked. | | | | Before the polls were even out, I correctly |
| Many newspapers and online services do not give | | | | identified South Florida, Alabama, Washington, |
| the total results of the polling, they only list the | | | | Arizona State, Cincinnati and Kansas as teams on |
| Top 25 picks for the week. | | | | the rise. |
| You have to dig a little deeper to discover which | | | | I correctly identified these teams as falling in the |
| teams received votes but not enough votes to | | | | polls: Michigan (No. 5 to out of the Top 25), Florida |
| make it into the Top 25. Look at the bottom of | | | | State (No. 19 to out of the Top 25), Boise State |
| the poll results for this entry in small print: Others | | | | (No. 22 to out of the Top 25), Auburn (No. 17 to |
| Receiving Votes. | | | | out of the Top 25), Georgia (No. 11 to No. 23), |
| In Tuesday's AP Poll (9-11-07) it showed these | | | | Wisconsin (No. 5 to No. 7), Hawaii (No. 20 to No. |
| entries: South Florida 220, Missouri 144, Alabama | | | | 24) and Texas A&M (No. 23 to No. 25). |
| 116, Washington 95, Arizona State 28, Appalachian | | | | The two most overrated teams among those |
| State 19, Cincinnati 12, and Kansas 1. All of these | | | | slipping are Wisconsin and Hawaii. Why Hawaii and |
| teams started their season by winning their first | | | | Texas A&M are still in the polls is beyond me. |
| two games, many times impressively. | | | | One or more of the Top 25 teams will lose this |
| I am ignoring five other teams which garnered | | | | weekend, just as Michigan, Florida State, Boise |
| votes in the AP Poll to make a point. These five | | | | State, Georgia and Auburn have already been |
| were TCU 66, Auburn 23, Florida State 2, Iowa 1 | | | | ranked in the Top 25 and lost during the first two |
| and Purdue 1. Iowa and Purdue are 2-0 but have | | | | weeks of the season. |
| not won as impressively and the others are 1-1. | | | | Let me predict that Alabama, Washington, |
| USC (Southern California) is No. 1 in the AP Poll | | | | Michigan State, South Florida and Arizona State will |
| with a 1-0 record and 1594 total points. Texas | | | | all be ranked among the Top 25 in the AP Poll |
| A&M is No. 25 with 243 points. Sportswriters cast | | | | before the season is over. |
| ballots giving their 1st place pick 25 points and | | | | I would also note that in the Coaches Poll, South |
| their 25th pick 1 point. | | | | Florida, Washington, Alabama, Arizona State and |
| Notice that Texas A&M had 243 points, and | | | | Cincinnati did not make the Top 25 but did receive |
| South Florida which did not make it into the Top | | | | points. |
| 25, had 220 points, only 23 points behind. Had | | | | Heck, in the Coaches Poll, even the Wyoming |
| South Florida gotten 24 more points, the Bulls | | | | Cowboyswho I love because they are tough to |
| (their nickname) would have been No. 25. | | | | beat at homereceived points. |
| If the Top 25 this week had instead been the | | | | Receiving points in the Coaches Poll with 2-0 |
| Top 36, then South Florida would have been No. | | | | records were Missouri, Texas Tech, Iowa, |
| 26, Missouri No. 27, Alabama No. 28, Washington | | | | Kentucky, Maryland and Purdue. I have not |
| No. 29, Arizona State No. 31, Appalachian State | | | | identified any of these teams as on the rise |
| No. 33, Cincinnati No. 34, and Kansas No. 36. | | | | because they have not played good teams or |
| This information is significant to fans like me | | | | won impressively. |
| because of my interest level. One game I play | | | | Keep your eye on Alabama, Michigan State and |
| every week is to discern which teams are rising | | | | Arizona State because they all have first-year |
| and which teams are falling in the polls. | | | | coaches in Nick Saban (the Crimson Tide), Mark |
| While many of our wives, sweethearts and | | | | Dantonio (the Spartans) and Dennis Erickson (the |
| significant others may find this activity to be | | | | Sun Devils). These three coaches are excellent |
| terribly boring, it is a habit that is far superior to | | | | and all come from great teams with winning |
| other habits such as drinking, drugging, sleeping | | | | traditions. |
| around, lying, cheating and stealing. This is why I | | | | Erickson's offensive savvy is so good he could |
| feel no need to justify, apologize or defend | | | | probably make a winning player out of a blind |
| myself in this practice. | | | | mole in the Arizona desert. |