Monday, August 23, 2010

Some respect and stats

Stewart Mandel sees us as a sleeper for the BCS. See people who aren't fans can be optimistic about this year too! I will make my predictions next week, but these will probably be my most optimistic since I've been blogging.


Brian is actually using some stats and history to conclude that BC is one of the least respected teams in AP polling history. I think the AP situation is easy to explain -- not enough voters in the New England. Even those in New England who have a vote don't take BC seriously.

14 comments:

mod34b said...

This theory does not work: "I think the AP situation is easy to explain -- not enough voters in the New England. Even those in New England who have a vote don't take BC seriously"

UConn got 32 votes; BC got 1 vote.

Better theory: Big East writers stick together; ACC writers still do not accept BC as legit force in the conference. Just a guess. Could also be totally wrong

blist said...

Good post by BCi though, on the AP disrepect for BC. I'm surprised by UConn's votes though, that team did not look very good to me last year, and while they did beat a ND team we lost too, both ND and UConn looked inept. I think it's a matter of BC being blown out a few times last year, and the fact we have yet to win that game that gets us over the hump, going back to Syracuse in our last Big East game.

mod34b said...

see http://www.pollspeak.com/index.htm

The Herald's Steve Conroy did not vote for BC. He did however vote Uconn #22, which was the second highest vote UConn received (the Hartford Currant reporter, voted UConn #21, and did not vote for BC). UConn!!! was a joke. (Note to GDF: maintain the no-UConn policy)

Our traitor Conroy also voted ND #24, Clemson #25, VT #10, GT #14, FSU #15, MIA #16 and UNC #19

BCDoubleEagle said...

Respect is earned. I love BC as much as anyone, but in more than a century of organized football we have zero national titles and zero outright conference titles. And although we consistently win 8-10 games per year, we also consistently lose 3-5 per year. Heck, our best season in recent memory still included a loss to a team that finished with a losing record (Maryland) and a home loss to a team that finished 7-6 with no votes in any major poll (Florida State).

Let's stop griping and just win some damn hardware. The poll votes will follow. Go Eagles.

blist said...

1940 national champs - split verdict among the various pollsters then, but still, let's claim it

BCDoubleEagle said...

I am aware of 1940. Exactly which poll crowned BC as its national champion?

blist said...

There are a couple of polls I don;t see offhand (forget where I saw them), but Minn won more polls . Anyway, trolling google news archive at the time shows a lot of easterners considered BC national champs and the AP reported them as national champs as did the hartford Courant (guess Des Conner wasn't writing for them then) after the sugar bowl win, but, like today, a lot of the chatter was about how there is no true champion, it's mythical etc.

mod34b said...

Also, not correct to imply that BC has not won its conference in 100 years. Only been in conference play for 20 years. Independent before joining Big East

BCDoubleEagle said...

mod-
I am well aware that BC has only been playing in a conference for about 20 years, and that occurred to me when I wrote my post.

Quibbling over which obscure pollster might have crowned BC a national champion 70 years ago, and clarifying that we've only failed to win an outright conference title in 20 tries pretty well illustrate my point: history is not on our side.

So let's change history. Go Eagles.

EAGLE_IN_LA said...

Actually we won the Big East in 2004, even if it was a tie (four-way).

Ryan said...

Who cares if we haven't won an NC? That didn't stop a ton of other teams from getting ranked or receiving votes. It's a consistent disrespect year after year.

BCDoubleEagle said...

LA-
Hence my consistent use of the phrase "outright" conference title.

Ryan-
No one is saying that you have to win a NC to be ranked in the preseason poll. Reread my post.

Dan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
eagleboston said...

Bc Double Eagle is spot on. You have to earn respect. BC has done little to earn respect over the years. Every single time they need one win to get to the BCS, they choke. They play in a crypt that barely attracts 35,000 people and they compete with the Red Sox on a Saturday afternoon. It is just not a big time college football scene. BC needs to win the games that count and pack Alumni and then the respect will follow.