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2009
College Football
Season Preview

Preseason Rankings Comparison

Also See:
2006 Preseason Comparison
2007 Preseason Comparison
2008 Preseason Comparison

2009 Preseason Rankings Comparison
Updated 8/22/09

It is our recent tradition to provide a comparison of our CCR Top 120 rankings, preseason voter polls, and a selection of widely-read season preview magazines.

The Harris Interactive Poll, which replaced the AP in the BCS in 2005, will continue in that roll this year. Harris does not publish a preseason poll and will not release its first rankings until September 27. The AP still releases a preseason poll and regular weekly rankings, and could determine a number one team independent of the BCS.

There are often amazing similarities between the preseason "voter polls" (coaches, Harris, AP) and the "computer rankings". Those similarities would seemingly defy logic. After all, there is an inherent difference between a "poll" and a "preseason magazine prediction". The magazines are typically picking where they think the teams will be at the end of the year. The polls are determining where the teams should be ranked to begin the year. The Congrove Computer Rankings (CCR) actually release one of each method. The CCR Preseason Rankings are the "projections" of what the rankings will look like at the end of the regular season, and the CCR Current Rankings are how the teams supposedly stack-up on day one of the season.

Who was better last year? The Congrove Computer Rankings ruled the roost. The CCR opening day Top 25 and Phil Steele's preseason forecast each had 16 teams that finished in the top 25 of either the AP or Coaches poll. CCR's preseason projections had 15, along with Game Plan and Sports Illustrated. The consensus rankings (shown below in shaded gray) pegged 14 teams. Athlon's, Blue Ribbon/ESPN, Lindy's and the Sporting News each had only 13 teams. The AP preseason poll was correct with 14 teams while the Coaches' poll hit on 13 teams.

Here is a sampling of this season's rankings, listed in alphabetical order of the teams that appear on at least one published Top 25 list.

Abbreviation descriptions
TSN - The Sporting News/Street & Smith's combined publication.
SI - Sports Illustrated
CCR Proj - Congrove Computer Rankings - Projected Final Regular Season Rankings.
CCR Wk. 1 - Congrove Computer Rankings - Opening Week Rankings.
Cons. Rank - Consensus rankings exclude both Congrove Computer Rankings to allow for comparison to the CCR.

Click on column heading to sort.

Team Coaches AP Athlon Lindy's Phil Steele TSN Game Plan SI Cons. Rank CCR (Proj.) CCR (Wk.1)
Alabama
5
5
6
7
8
13
4
8
6
6
6
Arizona
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
36
22
Boise State
16
14
12
13
12
14
7
9
11
11
12
BYU
24
20
*
25
15
22
*
22
23
19
25
California
12
12
11
12
9
21
9
21
13
17
17
Cincinnati
*
*
18
*
*
*
*
*
29
32
36
Clemson
*
*
*
*
25
*
*
*
36
42
42
Florida
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Florida State
19
18
15
18
*
17
19
16
17
16
16
Georgia
13
13
14
17
13
15
13
15
14
14
11
Georgia Tech
15
15
22
16
*
11
17
12
16
50
35
Illinois
*
*
*
*
19
*
*
*
30
62
55
Iowa
21
22
23
*
20
*
15
24
22
26
19
Kansas
*
25
*
21
*
25
*
23
26
27
24
LSU
9
11
17
6
17
8
16
13
12
25
18
Miami, Fla.
*
*
*
*
21
*
*
*
33
59
40
Michigan State
*
*
20
24
*
*
25
*
27
7
20
Mississippi
10
8
10
9
6
5
14
6
8
30
32
Nebraska
22
24
16
22
22
*
24
*
24
49
30
North Carolina
20
21
19
19
*
23
22
20
21
53
41
Notre Dame
23
23
24
*
7
18
12
25
19
45
47
Ohio State
6
6
5
8
10
9
10
10
7
9
8
Oklahoma
3
3
2
3
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
Oklahoma State
11
9
9
10
14
10
8
7
10
24
14
Oregon
14
16
13
15
*
7
21
11
15
34
13
Oregon State
25
*
25
*
*
16
*
18
25
28
27
Penn State
8
9
7
11
5
12
11
14
9
15
15
Pitt
*
*
*
*
23
*
*
*
34
12
21
Rutgers
*
*
*
*
16
*
20
*
28
21
37
TCU
17
17
*
14
18
24
23
17
18
18
23
Temple
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
22
66
Texas
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
4
3
Texas Tech
*
*
*
*
*
20
*
*
31
13
9
Troy
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
23
43
Tulsa
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
10
10
UCLA
*
*
*
*
24
*
*
*
35
73
72
USC
4
4
4
4
3
4
5
4
4
3
4
Utah
18
19
21
23
*
19
18
19
20
5
5
Virginia Tech
7
7
8
5
11
6
6
5
5
8
7
West Virginia
*
*
*
20
*
*
*
*
31
20
26


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