Just a question. How can South Dakota St. be ranked higher than Cal Poly?

[daneboy]

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Okay, I am a Mustang fan of long standing, but still, I can't understand how South Dakota St. can still be ranked higher than Cal Poly. I just saw this on the TSN poll. I know that both teams only received honorable mention votes, but considering the fact that Poly beat South Dakota St. pretty badly a few weeks ago, I just don't understand the thinking of the voters...can anyone explain?

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[mvemjsunpx]

Two reasons


1. They see Cal Poly is 2-3 and don't look further (ignoring that their losses are to 2 FBS teams & Montana on the road).

2. Some people confused South Dakota State with South Dakota.

[frozennorth]

Two reasons

2. Some people confused South Dakota State with South Dakota.
I am told by reliable sources that this is impossible.

[beauspencer]

Polls are often misinterpreted, especially in the "receiving votes" category. It only takes a couple of ballots to really skew things. SDSU received just 17 pts, while Cal Poly received 8 pts. There are 166 ballots cast in the TSN poll. One of them could rank SDSU 15th, and that gives them 11 points right there, add a couple of ballots putting them at 22 or 23, and there you go. Just a couple or small handful of ballots cast, and you have a team near the middle of the receiving votes category, skewing the look of the rankings.

[Strommer10]

Polls are often misinterpreted, especially in the "receiving votes" category. It only takes a couple of ballots to really skew things. SDSU received just 17 pts, while Cal Poly received 8 pts. There are 166 ballots cast in the TSN poll. One of them could rank SDSU 15th, and that gives them 11 points right there, add a couple of ballots putting them at 22 or 23, and there you go. Just a couple or small handful of ballots cast, and you have a team near the middle of the receiving votes category, skewing the look of the rankings.
Confusing teams should not happen in these polls. If you don't know the difference between the two teams, you shouldn't have the right to vote.

[beauspencer]

Confusing teams should not happen in these polls. If you don't know the difference between the two teams, you shouldn't have the right to vote.

Not sure how the TSN polls work, but some polls work with drop down menus and if a person isn't careful, you can click on the wrong team for that particular spot. It also may not be the case of misinterpretation, some instances may be homering.

[Strommer10]

Not sure how the TSN polls work, but some polls work with drop down menus and if a person isn't careful, you can click on the wrong team for that particular spot. It also may not be the case of misinterpretation, some instances may be homering.

If it is a drop down menu, I can see it happening once or twice. But if they is that error, it should be a fill in the blank or some other way that can reduce this. As for homering, that will happen no matter what the format and nothing can change that.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Obviously people were more impressed with SDSU's win over Youngstown than your win over them...

[LakesBison]

polls are confusing all dakota teams, its just worthless

[NDB]

definitely confusing.

as i've understood it dakota teams only go up in the rankings after losses or wins against NAIA teams.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

polls are confusing all dakota teams, its just worthless

Not as much as some like to think. I saw that being thrown around with the AGS poll discussions early in the season and it just wasn't happening.

If a vote were to come in for UND in the top 10 for instance the voter is pm'd to clarify if they actually meant UND or if they meant NDSU. Then it's fixed. I happens real infrequently to beging with.

I did let a Delaware St. vote slip through the cracks last week though. The Dakota's though, it just isn't happening.

I can't speak for the other polls though. I assume they may have something to catch em' too.

[bojeta]

Obviously people were more impressed with SDSU's win over Youngstown than your win over them...

The SDSU/Cal Poly ranking issue existed the week before SDSU played Youngstown. This one just boils down to uninformed voters casting votes. PS, SDSU's win over Youngstown should have moved Cal Poly up in the polls, not SDSU. Cal Poly put up 51 points against defending bowl champion FBS teams and lead Montana into the third quarter. Bottom line is... the polls don't mean a thing beyond roughly #20. They certainly have no meaning for Cal Poly. They are either going to run the remaining schedule and be IN or they don't and they're OUT. Biggest concern right now is winning the final Great West Conference title.

[UNIFanSince1983]

The SDSU/Cal Poly ranking issue existed the week before SDSU played Youngstown. This one just boils down to uninformed voters casting votes. PS, SDSU's win over Youngstown should have moved Cal Poly up in the polls, not SDSU. Cal Poly put up 51 points against defending bowl champion FBS teams and lead Montana into the third quarter. Bottom line is... the polls don't mean a thing beyond roughly #20. They certainly have no meaning for Cal Poly. They are either going to run the remaining schedule and be IN or they don't and they're OUT. Biggest concern right now is winning the final Great West Conference title.

I should have added one of these :) because it was meant as a joke

[bojeta]

I should have added one of these :) because it was meant as a joke

I suspected as much, but it was just something I wanted to say anyhow. Like I said, the polls don't really mean a thing to me or the CP program right now. If they don't win, it's a mute point.

[Twentysix]

The SDSU/Cal Poly ranking issue existed the week before SDSU played Youngstown. This one just boils down to uninformed voters casting votes. PS, SDSU's win over Youngstown should have moved Cal Poly up in the polls, not SDSU. Cal Poly put up 51 points against defending bowl champion FBS teams and lead Montana into the third quarter. Bottom line is... the polls don't mean a thing beyond roughly #20. They certainly have no meaning for Cal Poly. They are either going to run the remaining schedule and be IN or they don't and they're OUT. Biggest concern right now is winning the final Great West Conference title.

You lead montana, congrats. I heard SDSU did that once.

[darell1976]

definitely confusing.

as i've understood it dakota teams only go up in the rankings after losses or wins against NAIA teams.

And I understood NDSU is the only North Dakota team to ever get votes regardless of record or opponents. Thats the rule according to the Fargo Forum, Craig Bohl, NDSU, Bisonville, God. Did I forget anybody?xcrazyx