Explanation for UF being ahead of USF in Coaches' poll

[Joe]

Who cares. Its week 5, call me in week 13.

[Juice813]

Correct me if im wrong but u cant vote for you own team. Buts its not out of the question for a coach to vote his own conference.

[mikebeau]

UF won't matter after LSU stomps them. 

[BurghBull]

If we take care of business on Saturday, we should be up at least two spots in the Coaches poll on Sunday, because of LSU/Fla and SoCarolina/Kentucky

[AUFan]

"Translation:  we will shamelessly stack the coaches poll in favor of SEC to maintain advantage"

Unfortunately, the SEC coaches are cutthroat.  In 2004 there was a big fuss about making the coaches poll public.  It was "thought" that very few of the coaches were actually voting for Auburn highly in the polls and were doing quite the opposite.  See, if one of your SEC teams wins a MNC, that could do alot of damage to recruiting for other programs in the conference.

If we wouldn't have been screwed in 04, UF would've never seen the BCS.

[8u11`o3]

Hey AUFan,

Go Tigers!

Interesting post.  I'm just trying to follow you here...are you speculating that the other SEC coaches kept AU out of the NC game in '04, and by doing so, schools such as UF were able to recruit well enough to bring the athletes that got them into the BCS last year?

[mpepper]

Correct me if im wrong but u cant vote for you own team. Buts its not out of the question for a coach to vote his own conference.

Sorry, but you are wrong... a coach can and does vote for his own team

[AUFan]

Hey AUFan,

Go Tigers!

Interesting post.  I'm just trying to follow you here...are you speculating that the other SEC coaches kept AU out of the NC game in '04, and by doing so, schools such as UF were able to recruit well enough to bring the athletes that got them into the BCS last year?

No, I personally believe, and some UF fans also, that because Auburn was left out, the media kind of felt obliged to put the Gators in there. 

As far as the coaches poll in 04, I'm pretty sure Shula didn't vote us #2, because that would be signing a death warrant for his recruiting class for in state prospects. 

I'm sure there are a few others in the SEC that didn't want AU in the BCS.

[MikeG]

It's a tad early to be worrying about most of this stuff

that we are ranked as high as we are now is incredible and we have just as much a chane as anyone to get into some huge game at the end of the season. And I don't think we've peaked as a team-- that wasn't suposed to be until next year or 2009 at the latest.