The BCS thought it was improving its poll to find the two true "worthy" opponents for its title game and to make the pollsters accountable for their votes by releasing their results. Hence, they created and adopted the Harris Interactive College Football Poll consisting of 113 voters that are supposed to represent ex-coaches, players, and sportswriters knowledgeable about the college football landscape. They are supposed to be unbiased.

The first Harris Poll was announced yesterday, and it's nothing short of ludicrous. For instance, it ranks Michigan, which is ranked in neither the AP nor USA Today coaches poll, 25th. Even more appalling is that Illinois received 13 votes to rank them 38th -- ahead of 3-0 Nebraska -- after they were beaten 61-14 on Saturday. Idaho (Idaho!), which is 0-4 with losses to Washington and Hawaii, received 5 votes (which could mean that 1 of the voters ranked Idaho 21st, or that 5 ranked them 25th).

The poll was created to get rid of pre-season ranking bias (following Auburn being left out last year). However, Texas Tech is ranked 16th, even though only 1 win came against a Div. IA opponent. Meanwhile Vanderbilt (3-0), with wins against Wake Forest, Arkansas, and Mississippi, is ranked 32nd. Lovely.

Oh, and another thing, the pollsters don't have to reveal their votes until the second-to-last vote of the year on Dec. 4th -- the same vote that determines who plays in the BCS. By then it will be too late. The Harris Poll counts for 1/3 of the BCS vote. What a joke.

Hahhaha fantastic.

why cant they just name Notre Dame #1 for the rest of time and stop the insanity? hmmm?????

Bwahahaha, ridiculous.

Might have something to do with Michigan State and USC kicking their ass every season.

Is there a link to the poll?

Go here and then click on the PDF link in the middle of the page.

The poll system is the reason why I don't watch college football.

Right, no enjoyment is to be found in the competition itself. None whatsoever.

1. USC
2. the field....

They weren't THAT dominant against Oregon.

It was 31-16 when a horrible call negated an UO TD that would have made the score 31-23. An Oregon player scores TD, clip occurs AFTER he was in end zone, the play is called back!
Then an awful non-call allowed SC to score making it 38-16(clip on Bush's otherwise amazing run, should have been a penalty, USC shouldn't have had the ball anyway).
Nothing like a 14 point sway due to god-awful officiating. Without those 2 calls that game is 31-23 with lots of time on the clock and a madhouse crowd in Eugene.

yup. USC can be beat. only problem is I dont know if theres a team on their schedule left who can do it. it would have to be on the road.

MAYBE Cal.

va tech coulda beaten them last year had it not have been for the shitty calls during the game.. it was the worst officiating ever and i think it was rigged.

USC has to go to Arizona State next, that's a challenge.
Notre Dame and UCLA are the only other teams with a shot.
Then again, the Coliseum isn't much of a home field advantage.

Nope, none whatsoever! I'm a complete moron!

This Harris poll is the dumbest thing i've seen yet in college football rankings. it's a fuckin joke and i can't handle the incompetence of the NCAA for not being able to get this thing right. I'm just gonna watch the games and enjoy them and pick my own champion at the end of the year. Wake me up when they finally go to a playoff. And btw, if you don't support a playoff you deserve to be shot

Oh, god, here we go again. You guys NEVER just flat out lose a game on your own, do you?

Rigged??? Ha ha ha..........I would LOVE to see them play USC this year. Keep in mind the best team they will face this year is Miami.

I agree totally, but if we have to have polls, why can't they come out week 6? If they did, the ranking would be a lot different that they will be this year's week 6.