Getty ImagesAs we mentioned earlier, the USA Today coaches’ poll plays a role in determining the BCS standings, which will be revealed later tonight. Among the more pressing questions is whether Northern Illinois, at No. 16 in the coaches’ poll, received enough of a boost to make it into the top 16 of the BCS to secure an Orange Bowl berth against Florida State.
(For what it’s worth Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated is reporting that NIU will go to the Orange Bowl)
In the meantime, at least you can see how each coach voted this weekend via a USA Today chart, which you can conveniently view right HERE.
Some of the more interesting votes include:
- Notre Dame got 56 first-place votes. Not among them was Vanderbilt coach James Franklin, who ranked the Irish at No. 4 behind Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
- Oregon received two second-place votes from Oregon State’s Mike Riley and Fresno State’s Tim DeRuyter. Dana Holgorsen from West Virginia voted the Ducks as the eighth-best team in the country, the lowest by any coach.
- Two coaches — Baylor’s Art Briles and Washington’s Steve Sarkisian — voted Georgia outside the top 10 at No. 11.
- Northern Illinois was ranked as high as No. 11 (UCF’s George O’Leary) and as low as No. 25 (Michigan’s Brady Hoke). Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops voted the Huskies No. 24. OU’s BCS at-large hopes likely hinge on whether NIU receives an at-large bid or not.
- Less than half the coaches voting ranked Big Ten champion Wisconsin at all. The Badgers are 8-5.
I was excited until I realized you have to pay to see it
Or do you? I’m on a phone
Who is more likely to give a balanced and thoughtful rating? A coach who has something to gain or lose or a sports writer?
Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia) voted Oregon #8.
Holgerson also ranked LSU #3 for what its worth. And Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) ranked LSU #11.
Steve Sarkisian and Art Briles (Baylor) voted Georgia #11.
Joker Phiilips (Kentucky) voted Kansas State #11.
They should start throwing out the highest 4 and lowest 4 each team receives. Too much manipulation.
james franklin shouldn’t be allowed to vote in this anymore. vanderbilt and miss st. in the top 25? in what alternate universe?
Art Briles. A Kevin Sumlin-wannabe. Are any of the SEC schools that are looking for new coaches thinking Art Briles?? Nope. Why does he get to vote, anyway?
James Franklin voting the company line I see. He has Georgia, Mississippi St and Vandy higher than any other voters, ND and K-State lower than any other voters and Oregon the second lowest of any voter.
Seriously, who decided that giving guys with blatant conflicts of interest was the best way to rank teams? Thanks the BCS there are now millions of dollars riding on these guys biases.
Mike Riley = Traitor.
Why would you vote ‘Bama #3 man? Didn’t expect a #1 vote, but #3? From you?
James Franklin….. I want what you’re smoking.
Interesting to see, but nothing new. The Coaches’ Poll has always had some participants that will vote their own team as 25 (or 20, in the old days), especially early in the season, and there’s going to be some bias regarding “teams we’ve played” vs. “Teams we haven’t played”.
Same goes with the AP Poll. There will likely always be a renegade or two. Back in 2008, one of the AP voters voted Richmond at 25 after they won their FCS Championship, on the theory they were probably as good as any of the lower-ranked teams.
I thought James Franklin was the biggest homer until I saw Todd Graham vote his 7-5 Sun Devils #20.
And did you see the Big 12 coaches voting Oklahoma as high as #6 and Northern Illinois as low as #24?
The AP poll has its flaws, but nothing screams conflict of interest as the Coaches poll.
Look, Oklahoma lost to 2 teams. One will play for the title, the other is #6. Yet Stanford loses to Washington who sucks, and South Carolina, who lost to NC State are ranked higher. No way NIU shld play in a BCS game ahead of OU. It’s all politics. And the best from the big least…I mean east gets a bid? BS!!!
Hey nighttrain42, South Carolina didn’t even play N.C.State, let alone lose to them, clown. Pay attention.
Rah rah rah…my conference is far superior to all others and I will rank all reams thusly.
Notre Dame 4th?? Classic
ronin262 says:
Dec 2, 2012 9:14 PM
Hey nighttrain42, South Carolina didn’t even play N.C.State, let alone lose to them, clown. Pay attention.
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Perhaps he is confusing NC St with LSU and Florida. I can see how that could easily happen (sarcasm intended).
“Dana Holgorsen from West Virginia voted the Ducks as the eighth-best team in the country, the lowest by any coach”
Guess the rabbit ears don’t pick up the west coast games from Morgantown. Younz all had a Hizemen Trophy candidate early on, but golleeeee yourz qwarterbak adn team ended up short of the Mason Dixon line, and proofed overrated. Your coaches voting be unedjucated.
Should be a requirement that to vote in this poll, you have to have at least three 10-win seasons as a head coach at an FBS school.
So everyone that would still be eligible, please step forward….oh, not so fast Art Briles and Steve Sarkisian…(and yes, James Franklin, too)
tmb333 says: Dec 2, 2012 7:41 PM
They should start throwing out the highest 4 and lowest 4 each team receives. Too much manipulation.
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#tmb333, best idea of the BCS era. Of course, you know that means it has absolutely zero chance of ever being implemented. It makes too much sense and would actually eliminate self-serving votes like Stoops’.
Even Saban voted ND #1, which really makes Franklin look like a total jacka$$.