Do Pre Season ranks matter??

[wvumaryjane]

I'm really on the fence about this honestly.. On the one hand one would think that your record and field play would speak for itself.. However... This is a popularity contest in 2 polls and a funky computer tabulation in a third to make up the wacky BCS system. I also feel that there is a bias amoung voters in the coaches poll and AP and its really unfavorable to the Big East. I've seen it over the years.. Hell WVU even WON games in that time frame and sank in the opinion polls.. But if they gained stature finally and then lost, they sank 5-8 numbers in the opinion polls.. This is the same for others in the big east like south florida, rutgers, cincinatti and even Louiville. Too many people still look at the Big East as the Big least and it worries me about securing validation for decent bowls and even in the future for the abilty for obtaining better bowl bids than our pitiful options now.

What do you all think?

[elp525]

Realistically the only poll that truely matters is the one that comes out after all the bowl games have been played. Everything up to that is hype. I agree the Big East doesn't get respect.

smurph posted this on 7/23/09 titled '5 thoughts on the Big East'. I think this exerpt says alot about why we get overlooked sometimes. Check this out...

"Q: 5 Thoughts on the Big East.

A: In the ongoing discussion of the top conferences, and which BCS conferences are best, the Big East always seems to come in last. Not only is the league No. 6 in the pecking order, but there are some who put it seventh behind the Mountain West. However, it would be cool if the the Big East put the system to the test and made everyone reevaluate the state of the current BCS format.

In 2006, Louisville would've played for the national title if it didn't lose a 28-25 heartbreaker at Rutgers, but instead it was Florida who got to go to Glendale to beat up Ohio State. The Big East had a chance to put the pressure on the BCS and be in the big show, but didn't.

Just two years ago, West Virginia was in. All the Mountaineers had to do was beat a mediocre Pitt team at home and they'd have been in the 2008 BCS Championship against Ohio State, while LSU would've sat at home and watched. A 13-9 Panther win later, and the Big East missed out on a chance to take home a national title. But at least the shot was there, even though West Virginia already had a loss.

The real test for the league will be to see if it can get the nod for the national championship over one of the other BCS leagues when things aren't quite equal. What happens if one spot is available (after a shoo-in like an unbeaten USC or Texas is obviously in) and it comes down to a 12-1 SEC champion Florida and a 12-0 West Virginia? A lot of it would depend on the Florida loss, but if it's a close one at LSU, and the Gators beat the Tigers in a rematch in the SEC title game, then who'll get the benefit of the doubt? Will the Big East get enough love to get a shot at the title? It's up to a Big East team to put the system to the test.

West Virginia should be the league's best team this year, and with non-conference games against Auburn and Colorado, it'll have earned its stripes if it can go unbeaten. And while the rest of the conference will be better than it'll get credit for, even though most of the top contenders are rebuilding, it'll all come down to non-conference play.

Few conferences play as many decent non-conference games against the Big East, with South Florida facing Miami and Florida State, Cincinnati playing North Carolina, Cincinnati playing Illinois and Oregon State, Pitt facing Notre Dame, and it goes on and on. The best way to generate a conference buzz is by winning games like those, and to have at least one team that captures the national attention. Two would be even better, like South Florida and West Virginia were able to do two years ago.

Richard Cirminiello, CFN"


The Big East needs to win big time games against top teams in different strong conferences for the Big East to emerge as a strong conference in football. I think this guy hit the nail square on the head with this synopsis of BEC football.

[rainman]

I agree with both of you, it's a given that a Big East team has to be 10 times better than a team from the SEC to get equal respect in the eyes of some and that is total BS but sadly true