EA: The Poll/BCS Ranking Logic is BROKE

[JohnDoh]

I am in an online dynasty as Alabama and we just completed the first season. I finished 11-1 with my only loss to the Gators and wound up at #4. Ahead of me was an undefeated Ohio St, Georgia Tech, and West Virginia, and behind me was an undefeated Nevada. So I'm thinking if I beat Florida in the SEC Championship (Florida ranked #12) and a loss by Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship then I might have an opportunity to hop West Virginia and play Ohio State in the BCS NC game. After all, West Virginia only plays 11 games and does not have a conference championship and their schedule is weak compared to alabama's schedule.

Ok, so I smash the Gators in the SEC Championship 30-3 and think I'm in good position with a Geogia Tech loss. Well, to my dismay Georgia Tech wins the ACC title game and holds onto their #2 spot... but that isn't my rub. West Virginia ends the season still ahead of me at #3 even though I just won the SEC Championship and finished 12-1, BUT also Nevada hopped me for the #4 spot in both polls and the BCS rankings. What the frick!!??? Nevada??? Really?? Nevada didn't even play another game the week I smashed the Gators and they still hopped me in the polls.... WTF? I finished #5 and will play in a BCS bowl but give me a frickin break on West Virginia and Nevada finishing ahead of me.

EA is putting waaaaay too much value in going undefeated with small schools. I know Boise and TCU are the catalysts to this change this year but this is just stupid. The toughest team Nevada played all season was Cal and they're not even ranked. I am pissed about this and EA needs to address the ranking logic in a bad way.

[ndfan1993]

You weren't going to play in the National Title game anyway so why does it matter?

An undefeated Nevada team deserves a BCS bowl bid would you not agree in this scenario? Bowl logic in real life is confusing sometimes and it is all up to the voters who can pick and chose how they like. In the end you still got your BCS bid so everything seems good to me and seems modeled to real life.

[Nextel Husker]

So as a one loss Bama team you thought you'd jump an undefeated WVU team after winning the SEC CCG? Why do you think you'd jump a no loss BCS conference team with a one loss team?

Perhaps Nevada I see your point.

[SuperBowlNachos]

It matters because it's a flaw in the game.

The game uses only the coaches poll anyways from what I can tell. I was #6 in the BCS, but on the game and on the website it always said I was #7.

They did get the ridiculousness of it right though. Me, Standford and Boise all finished with 1 loss. I beat boise, stanford beat me and stanford lost to someone random. At the end of the season in the coaches poll Stanford was behind me and Boise. I was 5-1 against the top 25 and it finally took a win against the #10 team to push me to 6-1 against the top 25 to finally push past Boise in the BCS polls in week like 13 even though I had beaten them by 27.

[ndfan1993]

Quote: Originally Posted by olliethebum85

It matters because it's a flaw in the game.

What is the flaw with the game, that it uses the real life style and crazy format/selection of the BCS and Coaches Poll?

[georgiafan]

A undeafted WVU being ranked ahead of a 1 loss SEC team is realstic. Also like a undeafted small school being ranked ahead of you is reasonable also in real life Boise is ranked 3rd.

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Quote: Originally Posted by georgiafan

A undeafted WVU being ranked ahead of a 1 loss SEC team is realstic. Also like a undeafted small school being ranked ahead of you is reasonable also in real life Boise is ranked 3rd.

Yeah I have no idea why he has a problem with that. You lost, they didn't. You can't hold them not having a conference champion game against them. They won the Big East and went undefeated.

[JohnDoh]

Quote: Originally Posted by ndfan1993

You weren't going to play in the National Title game anyway so why does it matter? An undefeated Nevada team deserves a BCS bowl bid would you not agree in this scenario? Bowl logic in real life is confusing sometimes and it is all up to the voters who can pick and chose how they like. In the end you still got your BCS bid so everything seems good to me and seems modeled to real life.

Well you see, ndfan - it's not always about "being happy with what you got" as opposed to questioning the validity and sensibility that a team like Nevada would be ranked ahead of a 1 loss SEC team who won their conference championship. Whether or not they deserve a BCS bid is questionable in itself but my concern was that they hopped Alabama in the polls which is what needs fixing.

Are you really trying to convince me that this scenario is legit in real life? Let me break it down for you chronologically again so you can re-evaluate your stance:

Week 15:
Nevada does not play a game and is 12-0, they are ranked #5 behind Alabama
#4 Alabama plays #12 Florida in the SECCG and wins 30-3.

Bowl Week
Nevada which did not play a game moves up to #4 over Alabama who beat the #12 ranked team in the country and wins the sECCG and finishes 12-1.

There is NO FRICKEN WAY you can rationally say that Nevada should hop Alabama. If you do, well, then you are just irrational.

While WVU is not a small school I still have a bit of a problem that they would be ranked ahead of a 1 loss SEC team who wins their conference championship. Keep in mind that the loss taken was to Florida in teh regular season who was ranked #2 at the time and not some no-name team. WVU played 11 games with no conference championship. In real life they WOULD NOT be ranked ahead of ANY SEC team who accomplished the season I just did.

I know some of this rationale is falling on deaf ears to those who are anti-SEC because we have owned college football for the past several years, but the fact remains that the SEC is the toughest conference in the nation and our schedules each year dwarf what any other conference faces week in and week out. The only conference that comes close is the Big XII but even then there is really only 2 teams that challenge for the title each year. I guess I don't expect any Independent schools to be objective enough to open their eyes to the facts... so be it.

However, EA has to take notice of this and do something to change the ranking logic of this game. NCAA 11 is a great game that I thoroughly enjoy but this is an area that needs addressing.