The voters who dropped Oregon after 24 point win on road against #16 - East Coast or anti-Oregon bias?

In analyzing the AP poll, I discovered that Oregon lost 4 points while Florida gained 91 and moved ahead of them.  This after both won on the road against similar opponents (Oregon State was and still is #16, Florida State was #10 and is now #13), Oregon winning far more convincingly (by 24 vs 11 and Oregon game wasn't in doubt late, FSU had a chance in the 4th quarter).

To understand how this happened, I looked for the voters that flipped the two teams and here they are:

• Axe - Moved Florida from 7 to 5 and dropped Oregon from 6 to 7.
• Bohls - Moved Florida from 7 to 6 and dropped Oregon from 3 to 7!
• Cripe - Moved Florida from 6 to 3 and dropped Oregon from 4 to 7.
• Emerson - Swapped the teams at 5 and 6.
• Fowler - Moved Florida from 6 to 4 and dropped Oregon from 5 to 7.
• Giglio - Moved Florida 5 to 2 and dropped Oregon 4 to 5.
• Gimino - Moved Florida 6 to 4 and kept Oregon at 5.
• Hlas - Moved Florida 7 to 2 and kept Oregon at 4.
• Hurt - Moved Florida 7 to 4 and dropped Oregon 4 to 5.
• Lesmerises - Moved Florida 5 to 4 and dropped Oregon 4 to 6.
• Marcello - Swapped the teams at 5 and 6.
• Murray - Moved Florida 6 to 3 and dropped Oregon 4 to 5.
• Staples - Moved Florida 12(!) to 4 and dropped Oregon 4 to 5.

Some of these moves are to put it bluntly, baffling.  Bohls thought Oregon was still #3 last week, and they go out and beat Oregon State by 24 on the road and drop them 4 spots?  And he actually moves Oregon state up from #19 to #18 with the loss?

Staples thought FSU was a top-5 team (had them #5 last week) despite all the evidence to the contrary, and when proved wrong with Florida beat them, moves Florida, who he had #12 all the way to #4, higher than the overrated FSU team.

It was pointed out to me that Oregon's game was televised only regionally while Florida's was nationally televised, and I can understand the general public being swayed by that, but I thought the AP voters could be held to a higher standard.

Analyzing the 11/25/12 AP Poll - Bias against Oregon?

Here is week 13 of analyzing the AP poll.  Thanks as always to the AP publishing their voting.

All 13 charts are displayed below to make it easy to see the changes.

The top-4 remain the same this week with very little change for each.  Alabama gained 1 point, Georgia 15, and Ohio State 2.  Where it gets interesting is behind them.

Last week Oregon was #5 with a 75 point lead over #6 Florida.  This week, Florida turned that around to a 20 point lead over Oregon.  Oregon beat a then and still #16 Oregon State on the road by 24 and actually lost 4 points.  That isn't to say that Florida didn't do well, they did win by 11 on the road against a then #10 and now #13 FSU.  But both win on road against similar competition, and the team that wins by more loses points while the one that wins by less gains 91?  There seems to be some serious bias against Oregon with these voters.  Oregon even got a 2nd place vote this week, they didn't last, and lost points.

Ohio State still has the largest spread of the top teams garnering 2nd to 12th place votes.  You have to drop all the way to Stanford to get to the next team getting a 12th place vote.  And like last week, Texas A&M is getting a 2nd place vote ahead of a bunch of 1-loss (and Ohio State with no losses) teams.

Analyzing the 11/18/12 AP Poll - Notre Dame clear #1, but then what?

Here is week 12 of analyzing the AP poll.  Thanks as always to the AP publishing their voting.

All 12 charts are displayed below to make it easy to see the changes.

Where there was clarity before, there is confusion now.  Notre Dame is the clear #1 according to the writers garnering all the 1st place votes, but after that it isn't as clear.  Alabama is #2 but they get votes as low as #6!  Georgia ranges from 2nd to 8th, and Ohio State ranges from 2nd to 14th!  Oregon doesn't get any 2nd place votes and is as low as 10th, but is ahead of Florida who does get as high as 2nd but as low as 12th.  South Carolina is #13 overall but gets a 4th place vote.  Opinions certainly vary!

So, what about some of these on the edge votes?

One voter that has Alabama 6th has Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, and Florida ahead of them.  The other has Texas A&M ahead instead of Florida.  A voter that has them 5th has Georgia, Florida, and Texas A&M ahead.

Ohio State is 2nd on 20 ballots, but 10th or lower on 5.  Florida is 2nd on one ballot by the voter from South Bend and he also has South Carolina 4th ahead of Kansas State, Oregon, and Georgia.

The Coaches and Harris polls will be interesting.

Analyzing the 11/11/12 AP Poll - Alabama drops to #3 but ahead of Notre Dame on one ballot

Here is week 11 of analyzing the AP poll.  Thanks as always to the AP publishing their voting.

All 11 charts are displayed below to make it easy to see the changes.

With Alabama losing, there are some changes.  Oregon is up to #1 and receives only 1st and 2nd place votes.  Kansas State at #2 receives 1st thru 3rd place votes, and Notre Dame gets a 1st place vote but also two 4th place votes.  One voter has Alabama ahead of them, and one has Ohio State.  Note my computer agrees Notre Dame is too high, but voters don't always vote like they should :)

Florida is the first team that has varying opinions being votes everywhere from 4th to 18th.  Oregon State also has a bit of a range from 12th to 25th.

Analyzing the 11/4/12 AP Poll - Kansas State and Oregon benefit from Notre Dame's slight drop

Here is week 10 of analyzing the AP poll.  Thanks as always to the AP publishing their voting.

All 10 charts are displayed below to make it easy to see the changes.

The top-4 are still clear, but there have been some changes.  Notre Dame lost some votes (26) with Oregon and Kansas State picking up most of them (9 and 13).  The 2 voters that had LSU ahead of Notre Dame are gone, but there are now 5 voters with Ohio State at #4.  Four of these have Notre Dame #5 but one has Georgia at #5 and Notre Dame at #6.  Interestingly, Georgia's highest vote is #6, and that is their overall ranking too.

Analyzing the 10/28/12 AP Poll - LSU ahead of Notre Dame on 2 ballots

Here is week 9 of analyzing the AP poll.  Thanks as always to the AP publishing their voting.

All 9 charts are displayed below to make it easy to see the changes.

The top-4 are even clearer now with Notre Dame replacing Florida, although it is interesting that there isn't perfect consensus.  LSU is getting two 4th place votes ahead of Notre Dame in each case.  Who is doing this?  Voters from Arkansas and Alabama, no big surprise.

Ohio State has convinced some voters with their range now being just 5th to 11th now where they were 6th to 21st last week.  South Carolina and Stanford are now the teams the voters are having the most trouble with.