The first AP Poll of the college football season was released yesterday, and Buffalo Wild Wings was on it:
First off, credit to the wing folks for a #verygoodtweet.
Second, let’s see how they did:
1. Clemson
AP Poll: Clemson
Nailed it.
2. Alabama
AP Poll: Alabama
Two for two.
3. Perennial top 5 blue blood
4. Heisman-contending QB
5. SEC East favorite
AP Poll: Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State
Ohio State and Oklahoma are interchangeable here, so Buffalo Wild Wings got number four right on the money and nailed the trio as a whole. Not perfect, but very good work.
6. Returns 20 of 22 starters
7. SEC West team that “could challenge “Bama”
8. Top 5 recruiting class
AP Poll: LSU, Michigan, Florida
LSU is actually all three of these teams, or as close as we’re gonna get (Phil Steele has them listed as returning 16 starters, tied for tenth-most in the FBS). But both Michigan and Florida had recruiting classes I believe were in the consensus top 15, and both are in the top half in returning starters. Still a solid performance in this segment.
9. Convincing bowl win last year
10. AD calling for expanded playoff
11. Pac-12 favorite
AP Poll: Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon
Got Oregon right. One spot off for Texas. Notre Dame is none of these three things, but maybe this is a prophesy, and Notre Dame’s about to wind up in a non-Playoff New Year’s Six bowl with the same number of losses as a few conference champion playoff teams—which Notre Dame fans seem like they would love to whine about.
12. Landed major transfer QB
13. Won final six games last season
14. Won title in 90’s, looking to be relevant again
AP Poll: Texas A&M, Washington, Utah
Washington got the quarterback (Jacob Eason). A&M won their last four of 2018. Washington won a title in the 90’s. Utah doesn’t perfectly fit, but we’ll give the wings/beer/sports guys a pass on that one.
15. UCF
16. Defense will keep them in every game
17. Well-coached
18. Recent history of overachieving
19. Recent history of underachieving
AP Poll: Penn State, Auburn, UCF, Michigan State, Wisconsin
Two spots off on UCF. One spot off on Penn State. Both Penn State and Michigan State probably fit the “well-coached” reputation. Auburn and Wisconsin both memorably underachieved in 2018. Penn State memorably overachieved in 2016. Solid work.
20. Offense can score on anybody
21. Covered spread in 11 of 12 games last season
22. Easy schedule
23. The next UCF
24. Physical at the line of scrimmage
25. Four losses by combined 10 points last season
AP Poll: Iowa, Iowa State, Syracuse, Washington State, Nebraska, Stanford
Washington State had the best record in the FBS against the spread last year—a two-spot miss. Nebraska is expected to have a very good offense—a four-spot miss. Syracuse might be favored in eleven games—a direct hit. Iowa’s four losses came by a combined 21 points—an 11-point and five-spot miss. Iowa State’s offensive line has the fifth-most career starts in the FBS entering this year, and at least feels physical relative to most of the Big 12—a three-spot miss. Nobody really matches the “next UCF” description, but it was a good guess.
Others Receiving Votes: Head coach in year 2, Plays mistake-free football, lost 14 starters from last season, snapped long bowl-less streak last season, Head coach on the hot seat, basketball school, 10-win Group of Five team, new coordinators on both sides of the ball, 8-5 team four seasons in a row
AP Poll: Missouri, Army, Mississippi State, Miami, Northwestern, TCU, Virginia, Boise State, Cincinnati, more but I cut it off at nine because that’s where Buffalo Wild Wings cut it off
Virginia: Basketball school. Boise State/Army: 10-win Group of Five teams, probably pretty mistake-free. TCU: Feels like they’ve been 8-5 ever since that really good year when they only lost to Baylor, but who knows. Not finishing this, but you get the point.
And that point is that Buffalo Wild Wings did a good job with this. Would love their takes on other things—especially if those things can be bet upon.
