Polls 2021

[Lobot]

The USA Today Coaches preseason poll will release at Noon ET today.

[red_n_black_attack]

These are only predictions of how AP and Coaches will vote. Yes, this is exciting because the higher we start, and the higher our opponents start, such as ND, IU, and conference foes, the easier it is to climb into top 4, especially with victory after victory against those highly ranked opponents.

Cincinnati 8
https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/a...25-2021-season

Cincinnati 11
https://247sports.com/LongFormArticl.../#168695190_11

Cincinnati 8
https://collegefootballnews.com/2021...GVVMWvK37M00q2

[Lobot]

And we are at #10.

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaa...22/2021-08-10/

[Lobot]

AP pre season poll doesn't come out until next week by the way.

[GoBearcats31]

And we are at #10.

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaa...22/2021-08-10/

Notre Dame 7

Indiana 17

[red_n_black_attack]

Notre Dame 7

Indiana 17

Beat ND and we were under-ranked, should've been 8th.

Lose to IU and we were over-ranked, should've been 81st.

Edit- add-n. Looking at that list of programs in the 11-21 range and they are all storied national brands except IU. That is an impressive list as we build our own national brand and story.

[coach]

IU opens at Iowa on 9/4. If IU wins that one on the road they will jump after the initial poll. I've talked to some folks who know IU and ND pretty well and they feel IU is the better of the two. We'll see.

[Lobot]

UCF at #34 (Sad Trombone)

[Bearcat93]

UNC jumps 9 spots from end of 2020 poll,
leap frogging UC. Conference bias much?

[red_n_black_attack]

UNC jumps 9 spots from end of 2020 poll,
leap frogging UC. Conference bias much?

I think that has more to do with QB hype. Much the same way pollsters are rewarding UC for starting to believe in Ridder, they believe in Sam Howell a little more. I'm okay with NC getting this jump and more upset about the blind faith in Notre Dame. ND lost a ton on defense and offense: too many losses to think they are number 7. I hope the Irish only lose that one game to us, but could easily see them with 3-4 losses

[Lobot]

Pre-Season SP+ Rankings for every team from Bill Connelly. Unfortunately they put this behind the ESPN+ paywall ($).

We come in at #19.

https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...a-crimson-tide

[swilsonsp4]

Pre-Season SP+ Rankings for every team from Bill Connelly. Unfortunately they put this behind the ESPN+ paywall ($).

We come in at #19.

https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...a-crimson-tide

I read the article. While the rating was 19.9 for the 2020 season, the ranking was #8. Alabama led with a rating of 35.6.

UC's offensive efficiency rank was #22, defensive #5, & special teams #49.

BYU ranked #7, while App State and CCU finished #24 & #25, respectively.

[red_n_black_attack]

So UC is getting pre-season respect. Do we have a realistic shot to make CFP if we are undefeated? One of The athletic writer responded to a mailbag question about potential first time CFP candidates and he gave arguments for Texas A&"M and N Carolina. I know that this ranking and schedule gives the best set-up for any G5 team in CFP or BCS eras, but do we have a realistic shot even if we go undefeated?

[London 'Cat]

So UC is getting pre-season respect. Do we have a realistic shot to make CFP if we are undefeated? One of The athletic writer responded to a mailbag question about potential first time CFP candidates and he gave arguments for Texas A&"M and N Carolina. I know that this ranking and schedule gives the best set-up for any G5 team in CFP or BCS eras, but do we have a realistic shot even if we go undefeated?

The $1M question. It depends on what those teams ahead of UC do and how the rest of UC’s opponents’ schedules end up. All UC can do is win the games one at a time and hope that it all works in its favor. I know if UC does finish the regular season undefeated there is no doubt it should be in but I am not a CFP member. Go Bearcats!!

[Lobot]

Throwing a curve into this is how the Committee would address teams with Covid forfeit losses. I think all the conferences are going with forfeits instead of no contests this year. There's a real possibility that the SEC could lose multiple teams to this issue.