Chop Chat
Fansided

FSU football: Why football AP voter poll needs reform immediately

By Kelvin Hunt

TALLAHASSEE, FL - DECEMBER 2: A general view of a Florida State Seminoles Helmet on the field before the game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on December 2, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State defeated Louisiana Monroe 42 to 10. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - DECEMBER 2: A general view of a Florida State Seminoles Helmet on the field before the game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on December 2, 2017 in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State defeated Louisiana Monroe 42 to 10. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

FSU football didn’t receive any votes for the AP Preseason Top 25, and I had no problem with that, considering they finished the season 5-7 and didn’t make a bowl game.

However, I did have an issue with the 2022 AP Preseason Top 25 poll when it came out. I was quick to point out that Texas A&M (No. 6) and Miami (No. 16) had no business ranked where they were.

Clemson didn’t belong at No. 4, and NC State didn’t belong at No. 13. This isn’t a conference thing because I could care less where other ACC teams rank in the polls, but I do care about inherent bias.

I believe all preseason AP polls should be done away with because they are useless, only providing talking points while influencing polls later. Here’s what I mean. The latest edition of the AP Top 25 is below:

I don’t have a problem with the top handful of teams, but there needs to be some sort of standard criteria these voters go by when casting votes. How is it that at least one voter has the Noles at No. 20 and several have them at No. 17 or No. 18? ESPN’s FPI metric has them at No. 13 and all of the advanced metric composites have them at No. 10.

I don’t have a problem with the top handful of teams, but there needs to be some sort of standard criteria these voters go by when casting votes.

These rankings were before they beat the Florida Gators Friday night. How is it that all the data suggest this team is around the No. 10 best team nationally, but most AP voters have them several spots worse? Better yet, how can FSU beat LSU head-to-head (in Louisiana) and have the same record (9-3) and not be ahead of LSU?

FSU lost to three teams who were ranked at the time by a combined score of 18 points. LSU lost to a Texas A&M team that lost to Appalachian State and isn’t bowl-eligible just last week. Make it make sense! A handful of voters got it right. I have to give a special shout-out to Michael Lev who had the Noles at No. 10. A few others had the Noles rightfully above LSU, but some that cover FSU needs to have their votes taken away. Matt Murschel, Matt Baker, and Tom D’Angelo in particular.

Next. 5 Takeaways From FSU's Win Over Florida. dark

Home/FSU Football