Football AP Poll #16 USF

[Rocky Style]

I am currently caring.  It means we are on some radars.

[NewEnglandBull]

3 hours ago, Mama_Bull said:

Apparently, RECRUITS still do.

We were NOT ranked in the final CFP poll last year.

However, we were ranked #19 in both the final AP and Coaches Polls.

As a result, we were ranked by them in their first poll this year.

So, while those polls, presumably, have no bearing on what the CFP committee does in their poll, IMO, they are something that many recruits notice and take seriously, when considering going to a school.

I have seen this stated by others. I would love to see the evidence. We did pretty well after finishing with only 2 wins. At best I would think it is a zero sum game (just like bowl practices help toward next year...so overrated). 

[Mama_Bull]

30 minutes ago, NewEnglandBull said:

I have seen this stated by others. I would love to see the evidence. We did pretty well after finishing with only 2 wins. At best I would think it is a zero sum game (just like bowl practices help toward next year...so overrated). 

I don't know exactly what evidence would satisfy you.

Look, we are in the G5.

Our ceiling for recruits is limited just by our conference affiliation.

You can count  "on one hand" all the four star recruits the ENTIRE conference gets each year in football.

 Recruits  are just getting accustomed to seeing USF in the top 25 football polls. This week, USF broke its historical record for the most consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Poll.

When recruits go to ESPN and the other major football channels and read football magazines they keep mentioning  USF in the AP top 25 teams constantly.

So, when P5 schools recruit against USF they say mainly that we aren't in a major conference and a recruit can answer back, "but at least they are ranked and you are not."

Now there is an early ranking period in football.

Most D1 type HS players have already committed and the CFP poll haven't even been released.

When you go on twitter there are numerous tweets by many recruits about whether the school they committed to is ranked in the AP/Coaches polls.

A successful head coach is usually a good salesman. If his team is good he can argue one thing and if its bad he argues another to a prospective recruit.

Perhaps, someone should do a doctorate on the subject. I presume, that has already been done.

Edited October 16, 2017 by Mama_Bull

[NewEnglandBull]

29 minutes ago, Mama_Bull said:

I don't know exactly what evidence would satisfy you.

Look, we are in the G5.

Our ceiling for recruits is limited just by our conference affiliation.

You can count  "on one hand" all the four star recruits the ENTIRE conference gets each year in football.

 Recruits  are just getting accustomed to seeing USF in the top 25 football polls. This week, USF broke its historical record for the most consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Poll.

When recruits go to ESPN and the other major football channels and read football magazines they keep mentioning  USF in the AP top 25 teams constantly.

So, when P5 schools recruit against USF they say mainly that we aren't in a major conference and a recruit can answer back, "but at least they are ranked and you are not."

Now there is an early ranking period in football.

Most D1 type HS players have already committed and the CFP poll haven't even been released.

When you go on twitter there are numerous tweets by many recruits about whether the school they committed to is ranked in the AP/Coaches polls.

A successful head coach is usually a good salesman. If his team is good he can argue one thing and if its bad he argues another to a prospective recruit.

Perhaps, someone should do a doctorate on the subject. I presume, that has already been done.

I guess my point is that I have never heard a recruit say I am signing with college x because I see they are ranked # 15 consistently. Sure “a few may have that quality. Overall,  it may be a factor but I would put way down on the list why a recruit chooses a school (campus, facilities, coaching philosophy, players in the nfl, playing time, etc). 

[NYCbull]

I agree with Mama here. Why do you think all those recruits go to Bama? They're consistenly winning and alway being mentioned on tv.  Fact of the matter is recruits want to win. So while we may not be in the best conference, us being ranked all the time will help with recruiting.  You can stay home rep for the city and be ranked or go to a mid to lower tier P5 school where odds are you'd be just another number.  We have a great city, Good coach and great educational school.  Now add that were a darn good football team again.

[NewEnglandBull]

8 hours ago, NYCbull said:

I agree with Mama here. Why do you think all those recruits go to Bama? They're consistenly winning and alway being mentioned on tv.  Fact of the matter is recruits want to win. So while we may not be in the best conference, us being ranked all the time will help with recruiting.  You can stay home rep for the city and be ranked or go to a mid to lower tier P5 school where odds are you'd be just another number.  We have a great city, Good coach and great educational school.  Now add that were a darn good football team again.

Apples and oranges. Bama been doing this for years. I am talking about a team whose ranked #20 for about 10 weeks and then goes off the grid for a season or two. Do those 10 weeks matter? I say no. 

[Guest PCBull14]

8 minutes ago, NewEnglandBull said:

Apples and oranges. Bama been doing this for years. I am talking about a team whose ranked #20 for about 10 weeks and then goes off the grid for a season or two. Do those 10 weeks matter? I say no. 

No they haven't. Look pre and post Saban. What happened with Saban? They started winning again, back in the spot light. People make this topics to be so complex. It's really quite simple.

[NewEnglandBull]

Just now, PCBull14 said:

No they haven't. Look pre and post Saban. What happened with Saban? They started winning again, back in the spot light. People make this topics to be so complex. It's really quite simple.

Yes, but we are talking about today’s recruits. Most can’t tell you who Bear Bryant was. They only know Satanic Saban. 

[Guest PCBull14]

1 hour ago, NewEnglandBull said:

Yes, but we are talking about today’s recruits. Most can’t tell you who Bear Bryant was. They only know Satanic Saban. 

Thanks my point. Saban is the face of that team. They rebounded because winning is the only option for his program. Alabama was never a slouch, but poor coaching led to the need for great coaching to get them where they are now.

Saban rebuilt Alabama all they do is win. Its like UConn in women's basketball, unless someone grows up hating them, its hard to turn down that scholarship offer.

[bullsfan1983]

Rankings matter in terms of perception of program quality. To what degree is debatable, but it certainly doesn’t hurt when a recruit sees the team on the ESPN ticker week after week.