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2012
College Football
Season Preview

Preseason Rankings Comparison

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2012 Preseason Rankings Comparison

Updated 8/27/12

It is our tradition to provide a comparison of our Congrove Computer Rankings 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 October 14. 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 preseason annuals which 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.

However, it is NOT the goal of The Congrove Computer Rankings (CCR) to try to match the year-end rankings of the AP or Coaches' Poll, but rather to present a more accurate and unbiased ranking.

The CCR Preseason Rankings are the "projections" of how teams should perform through the regular season, and the CCR Current Rankings are how the teams stack-up on day one of the season.

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
BLS - Big Lead Sports (USA Today Sports Media Group)
TSN - The Sporting News
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 ESPN
Live		 BLS TSN SI Cons. Rank CCR (Proj.) CCR (Wk.1)
Alabama 2 2 3 3 5 3 1 3 1 3 31 19
Arkansas 10 10 13 9 16 9 10 18 12 10 5 6
Auburn 25 * * * * * * * 24 29 16 18
Baylor * * * * * * * * * * 37 15
Boise State 22 24 24 24 * 23 22 * 23 24 35 31
BYU * * * * * * * * * * 20 24
Cincinnati * * * * * * * 23 * 34 24 32
Clemson 14 14 15 13 14 18 23 15 14 15 39 23
FIU * * * * * * * * * * 18 40
Florida 23 23 * 20 10 25 14 25 * 23 10 17
Florida State 7 7 9 8 1 7 7 7 11 6 9 16
Georgia 6 6 8 6 8 6 12 14 9 7 33 22
Georgia Tech * * * * * * * 21 20 27 42 38
Houston * * * * * * * * * * 17 39
Kansas State 21 22 * 22 * 13 25 6 16 22 23 7
Louisville * 25 23 23 * * * * * 26 22 30
LSU 1 3 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 2 32 14
Michigan 8 8 7 7 22 10 9 8 13 8 3 3
Michigan State 13 13 18 12 19 12 20 13 8 14 6 8
N.C. State * * * * * * * * 25 35 38 47
Nebraska 16 17 14 25 17 17 18 17 19 16 7 9
North Carolina * * * * 13 * * * * 30 80 72
Notre Dame 24 * 20 * 21 24 19 16 * 25 47 25
Ohio * * * * * * * * * * 19 42
Ohio State * 18 6 14 11 20 8 22 22 18 44 51
Oklahoma 4 4 5 4 2 5 5 4 5 4 2 1
Oklahoma State 19 19 19 16 12 21 17 * * 20 14 4
Oregon 5 5 4 5 6 4 4 11 4 5 11 20
South Carolina 9 9 10 11 23 8 6 9 7 8 15 11
Stanford 18 21 21 21 18 15 21 * 17 19 8 13
TCU 17 20 22 15 * 14 15 * 21 21 59 21
Texas 15 15 11 19 7 22 11 10 15 12 25 12
UCF * * * * 15 * * * * 31 65 53
USC 3 1 1 2 4 1 2 2 2 1 4 5
USF * * * * 20 * * * * 32 58 52
Utah * * * * * * * 20 * 32 13 26
Virginia Tech 20 16 16 18 24 19 24 5 18 16 1 10
Washington * * 25 * * * * 19 * 28 64 48
West Virginia 11 11 12 10 25 11 13 24 10 13 12 2
Wisconsin 12 12 17 17 9 16 16 12 6 11 21 27


Go here for more preseason ratings comparisons.