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1. Trevor | September 9, 2012 at 12:29 pm

   When was the last time Boise State was not in the poll? Wisconsin?

   I think ULM’s upset of Arkansas was the biggest one yesterday. Who would have thought that Arkansas would be the one to blink first? As Travis Williams pointed out on his blog, many experts said Arkansas was poised for a breakout against the LSU and Alabama’s stranglehold on top of the West division. I think the experts threw up in their lunch bag after seeing the final score.

   The name of the game is “Any Given Saturday.”
2. Andy Bitter | September 9, 2012 at 12:30 pm

   Arkansas’ not in that position if Tyler Wilson doesn’t get hurt, though.
3. Dan | September 9, 2012 at 1:02 pm

   True enough Andy, but an SEC team’s 2-deep is still supposed to be light years better than any other team in the country… at least to hear an SEC fan tell it. So against a perennial cupcake with sprinkles like ULM, they still should have dominated, Tyler Wilson or no… again according to SEC fan wisdom.
4. Andy Bitter | September 9, 2012 at 1:14 pm

   A) SEC fans aren’t that wise, just louder.

   B) Remove any team’s starting QB against a capable opponent and it changes the game’s entire dynamic.
5. proof reader | September 9, 2012 at 1:32 pm

   How is it that UNC is even given a vote. No wonder this poll doesn’t even matter anymore.
6. Zman | September 9, 2012 at 3:13 pm

   I watched the UL Monroe – Arkansas game on ESPNU once it got close and went back and looked at the CNN box score play-by-play yesterday.

   The loss of Wilson did not help but UL M rallied from 3 TDs down. That is a defense problem. True, if Wilson was on the field maybe Arkansas holds the ball longer but their defense just plain collapsed, particularly in the 4th qtr.

   Contrast that to the Missouri – Georgia game. This was a 3 TD score difference but not a 3 TD game. Missouri could have won this one as they were driving for the lead score in the 4th when Georgia’s D really asserted itself. After that it was just a Defensive beatdown. A very close shave for UGA until about 7 min left in the game.

   I have to say that Arkansas was either over rated or just fell asleep.

   As for SEC superiority over the rest of the world, anyone notice that Auburn is 0-2? Florida lucked out against A&M.

   I agree that LSU and ‘Bama look tough but the rest look like everyone else this year.

   And did you see UCLA take down Nebraska? Jim Mora is doing wonders out there. Maybe the USC – UCLA game will look like those Beban – OJ games of the 60′s.

   I wasn’t happy at all with the VT – AP game but considering what happened around the country ……..
7. Trevor | September 9, 2012 at 3:53 pm

   Zman, great take on the UCLA. Suddenly things looks to be interesting in Southern California.
8. don | September 9, 2012 at 7:48 pm

   Say what you want about the SEC, but how many national championships has the ACC won and how many has the SEC won? If Virginia Tech was in the SEC they would never have a winning season. They win because of the easy schedule they play. Next they will schedule Liberty. Another easy win and then by easy schedules they get in a bowl game they should never be in and tell us what a great coach Beamer is.
9. Rich | September 9, 2012 at 9:00 pm

   Don, don’t let the facts get in the way of your tired Hoo argument. VT hasn’t scheduled cupcakes to win 7 conference titles since 1995…they’ve lost 3 BCS games by 3 points each and have won 2 (yes the 1995 sugar bowl counts). They’ve beaten WVU (twice), Nebraska (twice), Texas a&m (twice) and LSU in the last decade in non-conference games. They beat Michigan on the field only to have a blind official watching a TV take it away. Plenty of other teams schedule cupcakes but don’t have 8 straight years with double digit wins. Jealousy is very unbecoming of you
10. If Truth Be Told | September 9, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    The SEC is strong from top to bottom. Vandy could easily win the acc. Texas A&M has a good football team. They just beat each other up in the SEC. I don’t understand how you play someone like the PEAY and move up. I can understand if you lose, and drop, but not up by playing these type of teams. Pitt will be another blown out. I hate it for the kids. It is just a matter of time and it will be the same old story. Bring on Liberty, Richmond and ODU!
11. BJ | September 9, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    If Truth Be Told, are you talking about the same Vanderbilt that just lost to Northwestern?
12. pete | September 9, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    Great insight, proof reader….
    keep up the good blogging.
13. Beamer Best all-time | September 9, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    Don we go around with the SEC talk every year. We are not in that conference so who cares about it. And yes we had to do some last minute fill ins on scheduling but its not like Notre Dame,Penn St, or TCU come knocking on our door for a game. Makes you think that they are just scared to come to Blacksburg and get beat. Can you blame them.
14. don | September 9, 2012 at 10:54 pm

    Rich, Sorry to hear that you had to go back ten years to find a good tech team. Tech has and continues to schedule cupcakes. If I was going to be jealous I would find a lot better teams to be jealous of than Tech. If Tech is good then play good teams and prove it. The only way Tech can get a bowl bid is to play cupcakes. Join the SEC and then we will see how good Tech is.
15. Donald | September 10, 2012 at 7:57 am

    Proof Reader,

    Unlike the Coaches and Harris polls, the AP is fully allowed to vote for teams who are under probation, such as UNC and Ohio State.
16. Donald | September 10, 2012 at 8:24 am

    Don,

    SEC non-conference schedules for 2012:
    East
    Florida – Bowling Green, Louisana-Lafayette, Jacksonville State, FSU*
    Georgia – Buffalo, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech*
    South Carolina – ECU, UAB, Wofford, Clemson
    Tennessee – NCSU, Georgia State, Akron, Troy
    Kentucky – Louisville*, Kent State, Western Kentucky, Samford
    Missouri – SE Louisiana, Arizona State, UCF, Syracuse
    Venderbilt – Northwestern, Presbyterian, Massachusetts, Wake Forest

    West
    Mississippi State – Jackson State, Troy, South Alabama, Middle Tennessee
    Alabama – Michigan, Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Western Carolina
    LSU – North Texas, Washington, Idaho, Townson
    Mississippi – Central Arkansas, UTEP, Texas, Tulane
    Arkansas – Jacksonville State, Louisiana-Monroe, Rutgers, Tulsa
    Texas A&M – Louisiana Tech, Southern Methodist, South Carolina State, Sam Houston State
    Auburn – Clemson, Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State, Alabama A&M

    Sorry, but those don’t look like world beater schedules to me. Looks like an awful lot of cupcakes, there, if you ask me. Bear in mind, too, that schedules are usually made years in advance. I say usually because there are always last minute changes – such as WVU hopping to the Big 12 which forced Florida State to schedule Savannah State a secnod I-AA game. There’s also the 2013 game against Alabama causing VT to push back the ECU games for this year and next year, thus how Austin Peay was a last minute addition to the schedule. Had the Alabama game not come up, the Hokies’ 2012 schedule would have been:

    Cincinnati @ FedEx Field (originally scheduled in 2009 as a road game, pushed back to play Alabama in 2009)
    @ Pittsburgh (scheduled in 2005 after Illinois backed out)
    ECU (multiple games have been pushed back with ECU to accommodate for the 2004 USC and 2013 Alabama games, among others)
    Bowling Green (scheduled in 2003 for 2008. Pushed back to 2012)

    Four I-A opponents. Two from a BCS conference, even if one of those teams is horrible so far.
17. Donald | September 10, 2012 at 8:25 am

    Also, blame the NCAA for almost every team scheduling a I-AA opponent every year. The adoption of the 12 game schedule also resulted in the I-AA rule for bowl eligibility being changed from once every four years to once a year.
18. Breeze | September 10, 2012 at 1:34 pm

    Besides the first couple of games VT can’t help who they play. They are in fact in the ACC. They do have the capability to lay with a very god team as mentioned in an earlier post. Look back on last season against Michigan. Who else basically shut down Denard Robinson last season. He is the most dominant QB in the country. They had Boise Beat up until the last few seconds of the game. They lost to the National Champion Alabama by merely 10 points (might I add that they played a close game until near the end of the 4th due to lack of depth)I cant stand when people hate on VT because of who they play. They can play with any team in the country!