The results of the first in-season S.E.C. Power Poll are up, and, quite frankly, they are nonsense.
Georgia and Florida each received 13 first-place votes, but the Gators edged the Bulldogs by a 3.5-point margin.
What are the justifications for this silliness? Garnet and Black Attack quotes Orange and Blue Hue as having argued, "Georgia depth is being pushed to the limit this year." The ‘Dawgs have had two high-profile injuries. Why is it that these push the Red and Black’s depth "to the limit" if Florida’s corresponding rash of A.C.L. defections does not operate against the Saurians?
Likewise, the Mississippi State Sports Blog asked of Georgia, "Did they put in the second string defense in the fourth quarter?" Yes; it’s called building depth and showing class. While I agree that the overall superior performances by Ohio State and Southern California called into question the Bulldogs’ present worthiness for the No. 1 ranking in the country, why is responsible coaching considered a basis for declaring the ‘Dawgs less than the best team in the league when no other S.E.C. squad put on a show comparable to that exhibited by the Trojans?
I addressed this issue before, when C&F argued that "Georgia looked less impressive" than Florida did on Labor Day weekend. In response, I wrote:
[T]he Gators were deadlocked with the Warriors in a scoreless tie for almost the first third of the contest. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were up by seven less than three minutes into the game, led 10-0 after one quarter, and led 17-0 three minutes into the second quarter.
The Red and Black tallied 535 yards of total offense. The Orange and Blue tallied 406.
Other than the fact that Urban Meyer lacks both the good sense to pull his starters and the class not to run it up on an overmatched opponent, in what sense was Florida more impressive than Georgia?
The S.E.C. Power Poll is a fine institution comprised of many quality webloggers and the fellows who run the operation do a good job, but the voters this week dropped the ball, producing results which are ridiculous when viewed in light of the available evidence.
Go ‘Dawgs!