The Lack of Data in Rating the FCS Top 25

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-lack-of-data-in-rating-fcs-top-25.html


At the halfway point of the FCS college football season, chances are you're mad.


You're mad that the human pollsters, who comprise the voters in the Sports Network or Coaches' poll, don't properly value your team, or your team's opponents.


You're mad that the folks who program the computers, who either underrate your favorite team or overrate something in another team that you, yourself, don't value in your own rankings.


It's just like the picture above: everyone sees the statistics and stories, and part of a football helmet, without really seeing the accurate picture.


It begs the question: is there really, honestly, a way to get an accurate picture of how to rank the Top 25 teams in the country?


Or will arguments on the relative worth of one football team vs. another always be a part of the fabric of college football, never to be settled - even after the end of the regular season?

[IBleedYellow]

So, basically you're mad that Lehigh isn't high enough in the polls.

God it.

[fmrbearkat]

Good thing about fcs is they get most of the playoff teams right and if you are good enough then you get to prove it. I understand that gripe in FBS.

[penguinpower]

Excellent article. Well thought out and articulated

[Bisonator]

Good thing about fcs is they get most of the playoff teams right and if you are good enough then you get to prove it. I understand that gripe in FBS.

Agreed. FCS does it right. I like settling it on the field!xthumbsupx

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Computers don't think, and every algorithm has some deficiency.

Of course, people have biases but with a good eclectic mix of voters they cancel each other out. As an example, the AGS poll threads have some whacky ballots in them but the poll usually looks okay and most people will only think there are 1 or 2 teams out of place, especially in the second half of the season.

[lionsrking2]

Computers don't think, and every algorithm has some deficiency.

Of course, people have biases but with a good eclectic mix of voters they cancel each other out. As an example, the AGS poll threads have some whacky ballots in them but the poll usually looks okay and most people will only think there are 1 or 2 teams out of place, especially in the second half of the season.

Said it before and I'll say it again: Humans are biased and computers lack common sense. There is no perfect way to rank teams though a combination of human polls and computer rankings probably give you about as good a chance as any.

[HailSzczur]

The only fair way is to scratch the polls entirely. I move we adopt a FCS wide, 124 team, round robin tournament.