Alabama Football: New AP Poll more or less accurate than Coaches?

For Alabama Football fans questions of accuracy between the Coaches and AP polls are not especially important. The Alabama Crimson Tide was ranked No. 1 last week by the coaches. On Monday, AP Poll voters agreed, choosing the Crimson Tide as No. 1.

There is an annual debate over which poll is most important. The AP Poll has the greater stature, though a strong argument can be made the coach voters are more informed than media voters. The Coaches Poll is often suspect based on a presumption few head coaches have the time to vote, delegating the responsibility to staff. The head coaches filling out their own ballots do not have time to research many teams beyond their opponents.

The later College Football Playoff rankings will trump both the traditional polling groups. Until the first CFBP rankings, the AP and Coaches polls are good barometers.

The AP Poll voters were in slightly less agreement in choosing a No. 1 team. Alabama Football got all but two of the 65 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll. AP voters gave the Crimson Tide 47 first-place votes. Oklahoma and Clemson, each got six, Georgia three and Ohio State one first-place vote.

Alabama Football and other SEC teams

Five SEC teams were in the Top 13 in the Coaches Poll. The same five; Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida and LSU were in the Top 16 in the AP Poll. At No. 1, No. 5 and No. 6, the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs and the Aggies were ranked the same in both polls. Florida was two places lower in the AP Poll at No. 13 and LSU was three places lower at No. 16. Ole Miss made the Coaches Poll at No. 25, but was not in the AP Poll Top 25. In the AP Poll, Ole Miss was in the ‘Others receiving votes’ at No. 27.

In the group of ‘others’ Auburn was at No. 30. Though not ranked quite as high as the Coaches Poll, Billy Napier’s Louisiana team and Coastal Carolina made the AP Top 25, thereby ranking them above nine SEC schools.

Pac 12 fans will like the AP Poll, with five of the league’s teams in the Top 25 compared to three in the Coaches Poll. As it was in the Coaches Poll, Oregon was the Pac 12’s highest-ranked team, tabbed at No.11 in the AP Poll. The additional AP ranked, Pac 12 teams were Utah and Arizona State at No. 24 and No. 25.

The Miami Hurricanes were two places higher in the AP Poll at No. 14. Given the positive quarterback news at Miami and the less certain QB situations at Florida and LSU, the Canes might be the Tide’s second-toughest, regular-season test.