Bottom trolling

As I was saying, the college football season opens tonight. (In fact, by the time I get to post this, it will have been well underway. Four games were slated to kick-off at 7:00 PM and another bunch start at 7:30 PM more at 8:00 PM and one at 9:00 PM. All times EDT.)

That means the silliness with Top 25 Polls has started. There are three major polls out there (four if you count the BCS which doesn't kick in until later in the season): The AP Poll (allegedly from knowledgeable and fair writers), The Coaches Poll, and the CBSSports.com Poll which uses the first two and then throws their own curves in here and there to rank all 120 Div FBS teams. (It’s always fun to look at the complete rankings from time to time and see just who ranks as the worst. Currently the cellar dwellers, along with last year’s final ranking and record, are:

111 Middle Tennessee 102 , 5-7
112 UAB 112, 2-10
113 Western Kentucky 99, 7-5
114 Northern Illinois 113, 2-10
115 Army 109, 3-9
116 Eastern Michigan 93, 4-8
117 Idaho 120, 1-11
118 North Texas 115, 2-10
119 Utah State 111, 2-10
120 Florida International 119, 1-11

You will note that several of these teams were at the bottom at the end of last season. I know for a fact that if I went back five or six years Idaho would appear down here in every single one of those years. I think you have to go back to pre-2000 for a winning season at Idaho.

It’s just sad to see Army listed down here….again.

The only real “new comers” to the list are #113 Western Kentucky and # 116 Eastern Michigan. I’m not sure how the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers got ranked last year in the 99th slot with a 7-5 record unless it was due to the fact they played many Division II schools in their first transition year into Division I. They open this season against Indiana.

The Eastern Michigan Eagles are opening against the Division II Indiana State. A team that was 1-11 last year in the Missouri Valley Conference.

If you are a graduate or student at any one of these institutions and a football fan...my condolences.

(For what it's worth, my son holds a degree from Idaho. He enrolled there in 2002 and graduated in 2007 with one year in Iraq courtesy of the Marines. At least he didn't have to watch the Vandals play that year too. A guy can take only so much suffering.)