GT #17 in Coaches Poll

[Whiskey_Clear]

Starting ranked matters. Polls unfortunately matter too much and determine in large part who goes to what bowl. It's a helluva lot harder to climb up the polls if you start on the outside looking in.

 

[iceeater1969]

P

Exactly. All 4 in the top 15! Plenty of opportunity to climb to the top. Take care of business.

Can't wait to see us do this to ND...

Made me lol
Like ric james is saying.

Passes! You said Do we haves passes? We don't need no stinking passes, xxxx

 

[deeeznutz]

In theory, the recruiting average should be a better indicator of what is to come instead of what just happened. In practice, it depends.

That theory only works if recruiting rankings are objective and based on facts. In reality, those rankings really don't mean jack so it's hard to draw any legit conclusions from them.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I think it may be helpful for some to consider a likely starting point: 4yr recruiting average.

We aren't that far below the average ACC recruiting ranking at #54. Why shouldn't we be picked #1?

 

[redmule]

Did anybody improve their ranking from the beginning of the year to the end more than we did? From only two votes to #7? I know MS State went from unranked to #1, but they didn't stay there.

 

[awbuzz]

Beats not getting any (or just 2) votes. Personally I wish no "polls" were allowed to come out until after at least the 4 week of the season.

 

[TheGridironGeek]

If any team in the SEC would've finished the way we did they would be in the top 10 easily...

Yeeeeah I'm gonna have to go ahead, and, "disagree" with the posters who think #17 is so righteous. Imagine a glamor (read: SEC or traditional Big 10) team that was 11-3, whipped several highly ranked teams to end the season, won a Big Six bowl, returned their star QB, their most exciting RB, and were up on D with a few extra pieces added in. Top 15 preseason rank for sure.

Deep down a lot of coaches still have a cynical view of any Flexbone team, not to mention the ACC.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

#17 is statistically in the right ball park ...... https://gtswarm.com/threads/111-years-of-gt-football.6986/reply?quote=163676

We can talk trash when we win for a bunch of years. Till then I hope the players just use it as a reason to get better.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

Regardless of how good they are, if an SEC team beats a highly ranked SEC team early in the season, they automatically jump into the playoff picture. (See A&M and both Mississippi's last year)

 

[TechnicalPossum]

That theory only works if recruiting rankings are objective and based on facts. In reality, those rankings really don't mean jack so it's hard to draw any legit conclusions from them.

I wouldn't go that far. I think that 1-10 or 1-15 in the rankings could be fairly reasonable based on high school tape. After that, I would say it is a crap shoot. I am near the front of the line to throw stars and recruiting under the bus, but I think there is some reality at the top end of it.

 

[Sean311]

I think #17 is right on the money

 

[Buzzoff]

Regardless of how good they are, if an SEC team beats a highly ranked SEC team early in the season, they automatically jump into the playoff picture. (See A&M and both Mississippi's last year)

I agree. If we were a SEC team we would have been at least 12

 

[awbuzz]

I agree. If we were a SEC team we would have been at least 12

You mean behind tOSU and ten other SEC teams??? [emoji5]

 

[CuseJacket]

 

[UgaBlows]

Part of me agrees with this, except that when you start at 17 and have a loss at some point before halfway, you dang near drop out (especially if you're in the ACC). If you start top 10, and early loss only drops you a few spots. Not saying we are definitely a top 10 team, but we are good enough now to start considering these implications to our season goals.

You know it really doesn't matter where your ranked starting out. Win your conf with 1 or fewer losses and your pretty much in. two losses and it's very unlikely to make the playoff's, especially coming out of the acc with all the media bias against us.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Those tie breaker decisions...who to place in playoff between one loss teams, or even 2 loss teams potentially, is very dependent on poll rank. Thus where you start is important.

 

[SecretAgentBuzz]

When we win the National Championship this year, and next year's preseason rankings come out and we are ranked #14 (behind UGA and a 5-loss Auburn, because...SEC!)....then we can complain.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Nah....I feel free to complain now. I ain't crying or losing sleep but preseason polls are a bunch of speculation that have a big effect on things well into the season.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

..........but preseason polls are a bunch of speculation that have a big effect on things well into the season.

I agree the only impact is the ranking early in the season .... and that affects the time slot for games.

It's very bad if we get more noon games since the tailgating isn't as good. Now there's a real effect!

 

[Skeptic]

Starting ranked matters. Polls unfortunately matter too much and determine in large part who goes to what bowl. It's a helluva lot harder to climb up the polls if you start on the outside looking in.

This is it, right here. We like to say polls don't matter, and I get what Johnson means by telling his players they mean nothing, and in on the field they don't. But as a fan I like to see us in the top ten, the higher the better. And the best way to get there is to start there. But I will surely take #17 with ND up third.