2022 Football Deacs Season Thread (what a shitty end. fuck duke.)

[PhDeac]

Sports Illustrated ranked WF in their preseason top 25 that year. WF was getting preseason buzz for the first time in decades. It all came crashing down.

Preseason polls and preseason all American and all conference teams are dumb.

There should be no rankings before October. Usually WF has to face an uphill battle to get ranked. It’s nice to get preseason juice, but no one will care about preseason rankings as the season moves forward.

Completely agree about no rankings before October. Completely disagree about the importance of preseason rankings. That's the starting point for actual rankings. It definitely matters as the season moves forward.

 

[19deac92]

Completely agree about no rankings before October. Completely disagree about the importance of preseason rankings. That's the starting point for actual rankings. It definitely matters as the season moves forward.

TITCR

 

[deacdiggler]

that's impressive that 3 of you remembered the SI #22 ranking (i remembered 22, just not that it was SI) and all responded at the same time. we are scarred.

 

[DownEastDeac]

Completely agree about no rankings before October. Completely disagree about the importance of preseason rankings. That's the starting point for actual rankings. It definitely matters as the season moves forward.

I think the people who are not in favor of preseason polls would agree with this statement.

 

[Biff Tannen]

I'm trying to go back and remember all of the teams that have been harmed by preseason rankings.

 

[buckets]

preseason rankings make a big difference for ole wake forest

should help on the recruiting trail as well

 

[Deacon92]

for some reason i thought we were ranked pre-season when we shit the bed against Air Force but I guess not. I wonder why i was so mad?

you'll be less mad when you think -- hey at least we didn't hire the football equivilant of redacted after that..

(of course I would have taken Fisher Deberry as a coach more often than not)

 

[deacon14]

I'm trying to go back and remember all of the teams that have been harmed by preseason rankings.

It's a lot easier for Wake Forest to sell tickets as the #16 (or whatever) team in the country facing Liberty or Army than it is as an unranked team.

 

[Biff Tannen]

It's a lot easier for Wake Forest to sell tickets as the #16 (or whatever) team in the country facing Liberty or Army than it is as an unranked team.

So if there were no rankings, everyone would be unranked.

 

[york1313]

Just being ranked in the preseason allows for this season to play out differently than any other year. Fairly or unfairly, preseason rankings matter. You start the season ranked 19 and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a top 10 team with 9 more chances to prove itself. You start the season unranked and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a lower top 25 team that beat a Clemson program that is in a decline. Preseason rankings matter.

 

[deacon14]

So if there were no rankings, everyone would be unranked.

I didn't make an argument there should be no rankings. Even if there were no official rankings someone at ESPN would publish a preseason list that essentially served the same function to shape public perception of teams.

I pushed back on your idea that preseason rankings have no consequences by pointing out a very tangible one in ticket sales.

 

[PhDeac]

Just being ranked in the preseason allows for this season to play out differently than any other year. Fairly or unfairly, preseason rankings matter. You start the season ranked 19 and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a top 10 team with 9 more chances to prove itself. You start the season unranked and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a lower top 25 team that beat a Clemson program that is in a decline. Preseason rankings matter.

Exactly. There's a huge difference in #4 Clemson losing at #12 Wake vs. #4 Clemson losing at unranked Wake. After a 30-27 Wake win in the first scenario, Wake moves up to #7 or 8 and Clemson drops to #9 or #10. In the second scenario, Clemson drops to #15 and Wake debuts at #19 or so.

 

[Biff Tannen]

Just being ranked in the preseason allows for this season to play out differently than any other year. Fairly or unfairly, preseason rankings matter. You start the season ranked 19 and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a top 10 team with 9 more chances to prove itself. You start the season unranked and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a lower top 25 team that beat a Clemson program that is in a decline. Preseason rankings matter.

What would Wake be missing out on ? Either they win the division and conference and go undefeated and make the CFP and win the National Championship or they don't. Being ranked #8 after Week 4 instead of #11 under your scenario because of a preseason ranking isn't ultimately going to matter. Either you win the games in front of you or you don't. If you're anywhere close to good enough to beat a Top 4 Clemson in Week 4, the voters will know it before it happens.

And Ph was advocating for no rankings before October.

Preseason rankings are good for the game because you're sitting here in early August debating them. Are people not supposed to pick a Super Bowl favorite too ?

 

[BarcaDeac]

Exactly. There's a huge difference in #4 Clemson losing at #12 Wake vs. #4 Clemson losing at unranked Wake. After a 30-27 Wake win in the first scenario, Wake moves up to #7 or 8 and Clemson drops to #9 or #10. In the second scenario, Clemson drops to #15 and Wake debuts at #19 or so.

and if Wake beats Clemson in scenario 1, the narrative is (hopefully) "Wake is for real," but in scenario 2 it's "Yep, the ACC is down like always"

 

[Biff Tannen]

Exactly. There's a huge difference in #4 Clemson losing at #12 Wake vs. #4 Clemson losing at unranked Wake. After a 30-27 Wake win in the first scenario, Wake moves up to #7 or 8 and Clemson drops to #9 or #10. In the second scenario, Clemson drops to #15 and Wake debuts at #19 or so.

It helps Clemson a little because they won't drop as much. BFD. Wake's going to climb either way.

 

[PhDeac]

What would Wake be missing out on ? Either they win the division and conference and go undefeated and make the CFP and win the National Championship or they don't. Being ranked #8 after Week 4 instead of #11 under your scenario because of a preseason ranking isn't ultimately going to matter. Either you win the games in front of you or you don't. If you're anywhere close to good enough to beat a Top 4 Clemson in Week 4, the voters will know it before it happens.

And Ph was advocating for no rankings before October.

Preseason rankings are good for the game because you're sitting here in early August debating them. Are people not supposed to pick a Super Bowl favorite too ?

The NFL has an actual playoff system. Picking the Super Bowl favorite doesn't put them in a better position to make the Super Bowl. But an 11-1 team who was #4 preseason has a much better chance of making the CFP over an 11-1 who was unranked preseason.

 

[york1313]

What would Wake be missing out on ? Either they win the division and conference and go undefeated and make the CFP and win the National Championship or they don't. Being ranked #8 after Week 4 instead of #11 under your scenario because of a preseason ranking isn't ultimately going to matter. Either you win the games in front of you or you don't. If you're anywhere close to good enough to beat a Top 4 Clemson in Week 4, the voters will know it before it happens.

And Ph was advocating for no rankings before October.

Preseason rankings are good for the game because you're sitting here in early August debating them. Are people not supposed to pick a Super Bowl favorite too ?

I already explained why it matters. If you don't understand it, I can't help that.

 

[Deaconblue]

I didn't make an argument there should be no rankings. Even if there were no official rankings someone at ESPN would publish a preseason list that essentially served the same function to shape public perception of teams.

I pushed back on your idea that preseason rankings have no consequences by pointing out a very tangible one in ticket sales.

Could add to that more favorable TV time slots. More eyeballs watching a "top 20" or "top15" matchup, leading to more advertising revenue. More favorable impression on potential recruits. More exposure in newspapers (dead tree and electronic) across the country. Many do a "top 25 teams" roundup article in the Sunday Sports section.

 

[TheAbster]

Just being ranked in the preseason allows for this season to play out differently than any other year. Fairly or unfairly, preseason rankings matter. You start the season ranked 19 and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a top 10 team with 9 more chances to prove itself. You start the season unranked and go 4-0 beating Clemson along the way, now you're looking at a lower top 25 team that beat a Clemson program that is in a decline. Preseason rankings matter.

TITCR

 

[Pilchard]

So, if BC and WF both finish the season 9-3 and BC beats WF head to head, would WF be ranked higher because of the preseason bump for WF? Don’t think so.

Also, by the time the season ends, if there are two 12-1 (or 11-2) teams vying for a playoff bid everything would be scrutinized and don’t think preseason rankings would matter. Each week the importance of early season rankings mean less.