College Football Rankings Can Be Problematic

College Football Rankings Can Be Problematic
Patterson April 2010026

Image by srpatterson via Flickr

NCAA College football rankings can sometimes vary with the day of the week or so it seems. Consider number 19 in the 2011 football poll – The Ohio State Buckeyes. Magazines with deadlines back in April selected OSU to finish much higher, as high as #9 in one case. They were also chosen to triumph in the Big Ten Conference at that time. Now, it seems, Ohio State’s fate will be up in the air until sometime in October, when four crucial players are reinstated after a five-game suspension for NCAA violations.

Ohio State could have survived this challenge since their first couple of games should be easy romps over mid-level competition. Coach Jim Tressel who, along with other key players, was suspended in the scandal dubbed “Tattoogate” was given a vote of confidence by University president Gordon Gee at the time. Since they would have the services of Heisman candidate Terrelle Pryor as quarterback for their October 8th meeting with Nebraska, it seemed the #9 ranking was still realistic.

But Memorial Day changed all that when Tressel was forced to announce his resignation. Athletic Director Gene Smith, once supportive of the coach, apparently caved to pressure. Then Pryor decided to forgo his senior year and try to enter the NFL supplemental draft. Defensive Coordinator Luke Fickell became interim head coach and Ohio State’s fate suddenly became very cloudy.

Coach Fickell may not be up to the job, but everything happened so quickly that he has not had much time to consider any such doubts. He is a native Columbus guy, and has played for John Cooper, so he has faced the responsibility squarely. The Buckeyes have gone from being a contender for the national title to an unknown quantity. They still have quite a bit of talent, and if they can hold on for their first five games, they might have a chance. They had all their 2010 wins vacated due to the scandal, but all the blame was assigned to Coach Tressel, so they have suffered no punitive sanctions for the University failing to monitor their programs. Time will tell the story and hopefully the original rankings will be more accurate than the new adjusted rankings.

 
print
Relatd Articles
Braxton Miller Named Big 10 Freshman of the Week
Former Buckeye Coach John Cooper Thinks the NCAA Should look at SEC Schools
John Simon, Big 10 Defensive Player of the Week
Luke Fickell Faces Significant Challenges
NCAA Yet To Decide Ohio State Sanctions
Ohio State Buckeyes Ready for Quarterback Rotation
Ohio State Buckeyes v Miami Hurricanes 2011, Questions I Have
Ohio State Collapses after 35 minutes of great Play in Nebraska
Ohio State Receiver DeVier Posey Ready to Play for First Time Against Penn State
Ohio State Takes Colorado with Turnover Free Play
Ohio State v Nebraska 2011 On the Road
Ohio State vs Wisconsin: Russell Wilson Creates Defensive Challenge
Spring Football Kicks Off at Ohio State
Super conferences: The Future of College Football
Talent Rich Ohio State Drops Akron 42-0
Terrelle Pryor Leaves Ohio State Early
The Scoop on New NCAA Guidelines
This Weekend: Ohio State Buckeyes v University of Miami Hurricanes
Urban Meyer is the Next Ohio State Football Coach



blog comments powered by Disqus