People with Top 25 ranking votes....

[raleighpanther]

...obviously don't put time into their votes beyond the top few teams. Consider this:

Pitt is 4-1 in-conference, sole position of 1st place; Duke is 2-3, in a 5th/6th place tie.
Pitt beat Duke a weak ago.

In both the AP and coaches polls, Duke has more votes than Pitt.

Rather than going with the conclusion that Pitt isn't being given the respect their due at this point relative to Duke, or there is homer favoritism for Duke, or blaming it on OOC scheduling (all of which may be partial factors), my guess is that the biggest reason the votes came in for Duke rather than Pitt, is that these voters just didn't care enough to consider the facts when throwing votes to teams in the 24th and 25th slots. If presented with the facts, I'd guess that most would get it and want to change their votes, rather than arguing that Duke deserves the vote over Pitt. Its just simple laziness.

 

[joeydavid]

...obviously don't put time into their votes beyond the top few teams. Consider this:

Pitt is 4-1 in-conference, sole position of 1st place; Duke is 2-3, in a 5th/6th place tie.
Pitt beat Duke a weak ago.

In both the AP and coaches polls, Duke has more votes than Pitt.

Rather than going with the conclusion that Pitt isn't being given the respect their due at this point relative to Duke, or there is homer favoritism for Duke, or blaming it on OOC scheduling (all of which may be partial factors), my guess is that the biggest reason the votes came in for Duke rather than Pitt, is that these voters just didn't care enough to consider the facts when throwing votes to teams in the 24th and 25th slots. If presented with the facts, I'd guess that most would get it and want to change their votes, rather than arguing that Duke deserves the vote over Pitt. Its just simple laziness.

They only look at preseason hype and overall record. That's it.

 

[Saboteur]

...obviously don't put time into their votes beyond the top few teams. Consider this:

Pitt is 4-1 in-conference, sole position of 1st place; Duke is 2-3, in a 5th/6th place tie.
Pitt beat Duke a weak ago.

In both the AP and coaches polls, Duke has more votes than Pitt.

Rather than going with the conclusion that Pitt isn't being given the respect their due at this point relative to Duke, or there is homer favoritism for Duke, or blaming it on OOC scheduling (all of which may be partial factors), my guess is that the biggest reason the votes came in for Duke rather than Pitt, is that these voters just didn't care enough to consider the facts when throwing votes to teams in the 24th and 25th slots. If presented with the facts, I'd guess that most would get it and want to change their votes, rather than arguing that Duke deserves the vote over Pitt. Its just simple laziness.

College football rankings are perception, not fact based.

 

[PittAU]

This is why that loss at UNC stings so badly.

 

[Mikefln]

This is why that loss at UNC stings so badly.

This is why all 4 of Pitts loses sting so bad. I don't care what anyone says, they were all winnable.

PSU game our special teams did us in. We also was jamming the football down their throats with power running only to abandon it.

UNC just no excuse. Pitiful to lose that one.

UFC they won fair and square but this was still Duzz round hole square peg style of coaching. He still does not use a round peg but at least he is sanding down the square peg some now. If he did that this game, it could have been better. Plus the refs f'd us big time this game

ND- we just couldn't hold on to victory. Dominated the whole game until the last few minutes. Unfortunately that is all it takes.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

It's also why a bowl WIN is important.

The final results this year determine the pre-season hype next year, and if a team begins the season with votes it's more likely to remain getting votes.

Lazy

 

[pitt-girl]

The media are lazy. Period. If you're not "there" preseason, it's a difficult climb out. If you do (i.e. Syracuse) they can't be bothered to dig under the W-L record. Like it or not, college football is a racket. That's why the NCAAT is arguably one of the finest sports events out there. You want it - earn it.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Pitt is 5-4
Why would we get any votes?

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Colley Matrix and Sagarin ratings both have Duke somewhat above Pitt and both of us outside the top 25. Their schedule is 25ish in the country and their record is better. It's hard to take every head to head into account as a voter. There are problems with the AP and Coaches (aka graduate assistant coaches) Polls but neither are used for the playoff committee anyway.

 

[mbe 34]

Pitt is 5-4
Why would we get any votes?

Isn't Pitt over performing this season?
Only one of our losses could be called an upset.
The other three were all to teams still ranked in the top 20.

At least 3 of Pitt's wins were upsets.
Also Pitt has beaten ranked teams.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

If we beat Virginia Tech, we're probably in for the coaches poll where we're already at "10" points of votes. If we win 2 of the next 3, we're probably in the top 25 in both basically meaningless polls.

I don't think we're getting unfair blame for losing to three top 20 teams because we're hanging around in others receiving votes. But they're not exactly going to give us credit for losing either.

 

[joeydavid]

Pitt is 5-4
Why would we get any votes?

Hi, I'm David
@ADavidHaleJoint
There are 9 teams with 4+ wins vs. the current FPI top 50. Eight of them are ranked in the top 25.

The other? Pitt, which wasn’t among 41 teams earning a vote.

-Who you beat should be more important than losing to top teams.

 

[Mikefln]

Hi, I'm David
@ADavidHaleJoint
There are 9 teams with 4+ wins vs. the current FPI top 50. Eight of them are ranked in the top 25.

The other? Pitt, which wasn’t among 41 teams earning a vote.

-Who you beat should be more important than losing to top teams.

That is where the UNC game bites Pitt in the ass.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Colley Matrix and Sagarin ratings both have Duke somewhat above Pitt and both of us outside the top 25. Their schedule is 25ish in the country and their record is better. It's hard to take every head to head into account as a voter. There are problems with the AP and Coaches (aka graduate assistant coaches) Polls but neither are used for the playoff committee anyway.

Yes Sagarin has Duke #37, Pitt #57 for entire season so far. On the other hand, Sagarin's rating focusing only on recent games has Pitt is #35 and Duke #45.

I don't believe it is just that we lost to PSU, UCF and ND that is hurting our perception with the voters. It is the blowout nature of the PSU and UCF losses that continues to really hurt perception of Pitt--most especially the size of the loss to PSU and now that they have self-destructed in the BIG.

The reality is, I believe, that we are a much better team than we were early in the season but polsters are looking at the entire season--and with a bias toward the early poor results which created a bad first impression.

 

[upj87]

...obviously don't put time into their votes beyond the top few teams. Consider this:

Pitt is 4-1 in-conference, sole position of 1st place; Duke is 2-3, in a 5th/6th place tie.
Pitt beat Duke a weak ago.

In both the AP and coaches polls, Duke has more votes than Pitt.

Rather than going with the conclusion that Pitt isn't being given the respect their due at this point relative to Duke, or there is homer favoritism for Duke, or blaming it on OOC scheduling (all of which may be partial factors), my guess is that the biggest reason the votes came in for Duke rather than Pitt, is that these voters just didn't care enough to consider the facts when throwing votes to teams in the 24th and 25th slots. If presented with the facts, I'd guess that most would get it and want to change their votes, rather than arguing that Duke deserves the vote over Pitt. Its just simple laziness.

Pitt is 5-4... these people fill out a ballot every week and are not sitting around doing team by team analysis on who beat who and when and why. Especially so of 5-4 vs 6-3 teams.. Pitt is right where a 5-4 team with no real significant wins should be...

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Pitt is 5-4... these people fill out a ballot every week and are not sitting around doing team by team analysis on who beat who and when and why. Especially so of 5-4 vs 6-3 teams.. Pitt is right where a 5-4 team with no real significant wins should be...

I don't disagree. However, I also don't believe teams that are no better than Pitt in reality: but, because of easier schedules have more wins should be in the top 25 either. I have a lot more faith in Sagarin's (and similar) computer ratings which correctly do not have such teams in their top 25.

 

[upj87]

I don't disagree. However, I also don't believe teams that are no better than Pitt in reality: but, because of easier schedules have more wins should be in the top 25 either. I have a lot more faith in Sagarin's (and similar) computer ratings which correctly do not have such teams in their top 25.

no, they just put Penn State and Iowa in the top ten this week...no faith there for me...computers that receive big ten garbage in from humans get big ten garbage out (four of the top 9 teams, two of which that are 6-3, are you kidding me?)..

 

[ThePanthers]

Pitt is 5-4... these people fill out a ballot every week and are not sitting around doing team by team analysis on who beat who and when and why. Especially so of 5-4 vs 6-3 teams.. Pitt is right where a 5-4 team with no real significant wins should be...

According to them we beat the #13 team in the nation.

 

[Pitt69]

Pitt is 5-4
Why would we get any votes?

From the Cheap Seats; good point. You are what your record says you are.

 

[Jpripper88]

Which Pitt games do you think the media watched? My guess is 90% have watched only 1 game: Penn State. Pretty tough hole to dig out of for any respect.

 

[McKee Place]

I think Ron Cook still gets a vote in whatever poll is of media types, so that should explain a lot

 

[President Stache]

...obviously don't put time into their votes beyond the top few teams. Consider this:

Pitt is 4-1 in-conference, sole position of 1st place; Duke is 2-3, in a 5th/6th place tie.
Pitt beat Duke a weak ago.

In both the AP and coaches polls, Duke has more votes than Pitt.

Rather than going with the conclusion that Pitt isn't being given the respect their due at this point relative to Duke, or there is homer favoritism for Duke, or blaming it on OOC scheduling (all of which may be partial factors), my guess is that the biggest reason the votes came in for Duke rather than Pitt, is that these voters just didn't care enough to consider the facts when throwing votes to teams in the 24th and 25th slots. If presented with the facts, I'd guess that most would get it and want to change their votes, rather than arguing that Duke deserves the vote over Pitt. Its just simple laziness.

THIS IS WHY WE SAID SCHEDULE DOES NOT MATTER!!!!


Happens every single year.

The only time schedule matters is if you are Boise St or UCF and trying to push a weak big 10 team out of a major bowl. THAT IS IT

 

[upj87]

THIS IS WHY WE SAID SCHEDULE DOES NOT MATTER!!!!


Happens every single year.

The only time schedule matters is if you are Boise St or UCF and trying to push a weak big 10 team out of a major bowl. THAT IS IT

yep, if "matters" means getting your name in the paper for beating up on cupcakes...

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

THIS IS WHY WE SAID SCHEDULE DOES NOT MATTER!!!!

Yet it's possible to likely this week the playoff committee (who's opinions actually impact things more than the AP or Coaches) will have 7-2 LSU above 8-0 UCF; 6-3 Mississippi State above 7-2 Boston College; 5-3 Iowa State may still be above 8-1 Fresno; 7-3 Washington over 8-1 Utah State.

That doesn't even include the obvious how we'd expect "same record" 8-1 Georgia to be above 8-1 Ohio State or 6-3 Florida above 6-3 PSU based on schedule as well.

 

[President Stache]

yep, if "matters" means getting your name in the paper for beating up on cupcakes...

Sure, that was what the post I was quoted mentioned.

Is it better to not have your name in the top 25 for losing?

Of course it is better to be 10-2 and tell recruits you are 14th in the country on the AP poll.

 

[PittFanDan17]

I dont think we should be nearly ranked yet, and that's OK and quite understandable. I think we sweep the final 3 games and will be ranked when the season ends.

 

[fairgambit]

In fairness, Pitt has one more loss than Duke, and Pitt's losses include North Carolina which counts Pitt as its only win.

 

[Pitt79]

...obviously don't put time into their votes beyond the top few teams. Consider this:

Pitt is 4-1 in-conference, sole position of 1st place; Duke is 2-3, in a 5th/6th place tie.
Pitt beat Duke a weak ago.

In both the AP and coaches polls, Duke has more votes than Pitt.

Rather than going with the conclusion that Pitt isn't being given the respect their due at this point relative to Duke, or there is homer favoritism for Duke, or blaming it on OOC scheduling (all of which may be partial factors), my guess is that the biggest reason the votes came in for Duke rather than Pitt, is that these voters just didn't care enough to consider the facts when throwing votes to teams in the 24th and 25th slots. If presented with the facts, I'd guess that most would get it and want to change their votes, rather than arguing that Duke deserves the vote over Pitt. Its just simple laziness.

Just goes to show you that an extra win or two with an easy schedule pays off, nobody cares that your 5-4 has 3 losses to highly ranked teams, they just see a bigger number in the L column, they'd vote you in if you had beaten Bethune Cookman and Akron instead.

 

[Pitt79]

yep, if "matters" means getting your name in the paper for beating up on cupcakes...

yeah and 2% of obsessive fans notice and the other 98% say, "Hey, Pitt is 7-2"!

 

[Pitt79]

I don't disagree. However, I also don't believe teams that are no better than Pitt in reality: but, because of easier schedules have more wins should be in the top 25 either. I have a lot more faith in Sagarin's (and similar) computer ratings which correctly do not have such teams in their top 25.

You're looking at it the wrong way, have Pitt get an easy schedule, beat up on some cream puffs, and the voters will say, "Hey Pitt is 7-2, let's vote them in!" Nobody will notice who they beat.

 

[upj87]

Sure, that was what the post I was quoted mentioned.

Is it better to not have your name in the top 25 for losing?

Of course it is better to be 10-2 and tell recruits you are 14th in the country on the AP poll.

"It is better to have played noble foes and lost than to play cupcakes and find joy in being ranked #24 in the AP poll"...

don't blame me as that's some Alfred Lord Tennyson right there..dude had a pair...


Is it better to not have your name in the top 25 for losing? yes, for by losing one aspires to win (that might have been Keats, I'm not sure)...Let me ask you, would you rather have had a number 14 rank by not playing Penn State or not be ranked and beat them in the midst of a tough schedule?

 

[steel_curtain]

-Teams with 4 losses dont deserve to be ranked.

-Any why is anyone ripping Duke? Duke went out and played at Northwestern, at Baylor, and beat 7-2 Army. They didnt load up the cupcakes at home like SEC teams But people are ripping on Duke? Why? Thats idiocy.

-The real fraud is Texas A&M.

-The bigger question, why do Pitt fans put down ACC teams? The SEC is a fraud. Florida, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, these are fraud teams.

-People on this board were ripping Clemson and Clemsons schedule and Clemson's division has the most ranked teams right now then anyone in the ACC

-Bama has a great win with LSU. But the SEC West is dogshit. Clemson would clown any team in that division not named Bama. Its not even possible to prop those teams up anymore. Texas A&M wants to be a .500 team. They stink. But because they kept the score within 3 TD's of Bama, they get put in the Top 15.

 

[Jpripper88]

yeah and 2% of obsessive fans notice and the other 98% say, "Hey, Pitt is 7-2"!

True. 90% don't even know Pitt played because they don't show up on the "Top 25" scoreboards, unless it is by way of the opponents.

 

[Jpripper88]

-Teams with 4 losses dont deserve to be ranked.

-Any why is anyone ripping Duke? Duke went out and played at Northwestern, at Baylor, and beat 7-2 Army. They didnt load up the cupcakes at home like SEC teams But people are ripping on Duke? Why? Thats idiocy.

-The real fraud is Texas A&M.

-The bigger question, why do Pitt fans put down ACC teams? The SEC is a fraud. Florida, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, these are fraud teams.

-People on this board were ripping Clemson and Clemsons schedule and Clemson's division has the most ranked teams right now then anyone in the ACC

-Bama has a great win with LSU. But the SEC West is dogshit. Clemson would clown any team in that division not named Bama. Its not even possible to prop those teams up anymore. Texas A&M wants to be a .500 team. They stink. But because they kept the score within 3 TD's of Bama, they get put in the Top 15.

Clemson beat Texas A&M by 2, thanks to a missed 2 point conversion.

 

[Pitt79]

"It is better to have played noble foes and lost than to play cupcakes and find joy in being ranked #24 in the AP poll"...

don't blame me as that's some Alfred Lord Tennyson right there..dude had a pair...


Is it better to not have your name in the top 25 for losing? yes, for by losing one aspires to win (that might have been Keats, I'm not sure)...Let me ask you, would you rather have had a number 14 rank by not playing Penn State or not be ranked and beat them in the midst of a tough schedule?

I'd rather be ranked. I enjoy beating Penn State, but in the end, the most joy is by the most wins possible, no matter who it's against. YES I'd rather have beaten bunch of cupcakes and be #14 right now, absolutely, 100%

 

[steel_curtain]

Clemson beat Texas A&M by 2, thanks to a missed 2 point conversion.

-Texas A&m sucks. Dont play the we kept the score close card. They stink. If thats your way of flexing for Bama so be it. A&M stinks and shouldnt be close to any Top 25 ranking. Texas A&M stinks.

 

[McKee Place]

The way we played most of the PSU game, all of the UCF game, all of the UNC game, almost anyone would have beaten us. The way we played Cuse, and defense against Duke might have lost to just about anyone those days too.

Conversely we would have beaten just about anyone the way we played ND, so that works both ways. But just saying an easy or hard schedule alone doesn't dictate what happens.

 

[steel_curtain]

The way we played most of the PSU game, all of the UCF game, all of the UNC game, almost anyone would have beaten us. The way we played Cuse, and defense against Duke might have lost to just about anyone those days too.

Conversely we would have beaten just about anyone the way we played ND, so that works both ways. But just saying an easy or hard schedule alone doesn't dictate what happens.

-Why cant Pitt play a schedule normal to everyone else?

-Do you see the excuses built into your post? If Pitt played Savanaah State the game would be over 2 minutes into the first quarter and the team has zero injuries.

-I want Pitt to schedule like an SEC or Big Ten team. Hell, I want Pitt to schedule like any P5 team, any P5 team in the country. Pitt plays 2+ ranked teams per year in the non conference every single frigging year. No one does this, I repeat, NO ONE

-Pitt is the only school wanting to play 7 ranked teams per year. Every single year.

-Pitt played a team who hasnt lost in 2 years, Notre Dame who is going to the playoff, and Penn State. You have to be a complete imbecile to schedule like this

 

[McKee Place]

-Why cant Pitt play a schedule normal to everyone else?

-Do you see the excuses built into your post? If Pitt played Savanaah State the game would be over 2 minutes into the first quarter and the team has zero injuries.

-I want Pitt to schedule like an SEC or Big Ten team. Hell, I want Pitt to schedule like any P5 team, any P5 team in the country. Pitt plays 2+ ranked teams per year in the non conference every single frigging year. No one does this, I repeat, NO ONE

-Pitt is the only school wanting to play 7 ranked teams per year. Every single year.

-Pitt played a team who hasnt lost in 2 years, Notre Dame who is going to the playoff, and Penn State. You have to be a complete imbecile to schedule like this

I've seen Pitt play poorly and tank against too many "easy" teams, way too many times to have the same kind of confidence. Certainly I've seen us escape similar games with wins too, which likely doesn't happen playing the same way against a stud opponent; but have lost enough so that it's no guarantee either, like many of you believe. Im not against scheduling easier (if that is even possible for us, or much in the thinking of our ADs, which I contend it usually isn't)... but ther team still has to show up

 

[steel_curtain]

I've seen Pitt play poorly and tank against too many "easy" teams, way too many times to have the same kind of confidence. Certainly I've seen us escape similar games with wins too, which likely doesn't happen playing the same way against a stud opponent; but have lost enough so that it's no guarantee either, like many of you believe. Im not against scheduling easier (if that is even possible for us, or much in the thinking of our ADs, which I contend it usually isn't)... but ther team still has to show up

Plum high school would put a beating on Savannah State. Any more exucses?