These coaches' votes don't add up
Posted: Monday, December 03, 2007 9:15 PM
Although some of it isn’t in line with the spirit of the holiday season, it’s like Christmas come early when the ballots that make up the USA Today Top 25 coaches' poll are made public. There’s so much to look at and discuss, much of it quite frightening.
Let’s start with Bob Stoops, who went all out to support his Sooners, placing them in the top spot, while also slotting LSU all the way down at No. 6. However, the Youngstown native didn’t attempt to do any sabotage to Ohio State’s point total, ranking the Buckeyes at No. 2. Too bad his brother Mike doesn’t vote in the poll. It would have been interesting to see how the Arizona head coach felt about such matters.
In a similar circumstance, Frank Beamer tried to help his Hokies as best he could, ranking them at No. 2, just behind the top-ranked LSU, the team that beat Virginia Tech 48-7. If he had known what Bob Stoops was going to do, maybe Beamer would have said, “Aw, heck,” and went for it as well.
Judging by his perception of the Big 12, Howard Schnellenberger of Florida Atlantic might be a little bit dizzy. He has Kansas at No. 2, Missouri at No. 4 and Oklahoma at No. 7. Let’s recap. The league champion Sooners are outranked by the Tigers, whom they just beat by 21 points to claim that title. And both of them are looking up at Kansas, the team that Missouri beat out for the Big 12 North title two weeks ago.
Although he’s sadly not alone in his botching of the Big 12 -- Steve Kragthorpe was nearly just as clueless, while Mike Bellotti (still steaming over the onside kick play?), Bobby Bowden and Tommy Bowden each had Missouri inexplicably ranked ahead of Oklahoma (Bobby has the Sooners way down at No. 10) -- we’re not done with Schnellenberger.
While some think that USC is playing just about as well as anyone in the nation, he has a vastly different opinion, ranking the Trojans well down the ladder at No. 12. Don’t expect Schnellenberger to be tuning into the USC’s Rose Bowl game against Illinois, which he placed way down at No. 18. I guess the former Miami boss doesn’t think much of the Fighting Illini’s victory at Ohio State, which, of course, is his top team.
Clearly a fan of the little guy, Schnellenberger ranked Hawaii at No. 3 and Boise State at No. 10. But he’s got nothing on Hal Mumme of New Mexico State, who is the lone coach who gave the undefeated Warriors a first-place vote. Mumme must have been impressed by the Warriors’ 50-13 victory over his own passing circus. Perhaps better than anyone else, Mumme knows that winning games and throwing the football all over the yard aren’t easily joined.
I’m surprised that more coaches didn’t reward Hawaii for going 12-0 and downright shocked that former Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione (or whoever is filling out his ballot these days) had the Warriors at No. 22.
You’ve got to seriously wonder if these coaches knew that this information would be made public. I have to believe that they did, but it sure doesn’t look like it.
To end up on a positive note, the coach with the best ballot in my opinion is Joe Glenn of Wyoming. I’d like to thank him for paying attention and giving credit where it’s due.
