“How can Penn State move up in the polls without beating anybody with a winning record?” - September 24, 2008
Penn State moves in the polls in the same way that any other team moves in the polls. In particular:
- Teams can move down in the polls by losing. (Note: This often causes other teams to move up in the polls.) - See: Oregon, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Kansas, Auburn, Clemson, West Virginia, Ohio State, and East Carolina.
- Teams can move down in the polls by winning close games against far lesser opponents. (Note: This also often causes other teams to move up in the polls.) See: South Florida, Ohio State, Wake Forest, and Brigham Young (cough, it’s about that time, cough).
- Teams can move up in the polls by winning games against quality opponents. (Note: This often causes other teams to move down in the polls.) See: Alabama.
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26. September 2008 | 10:15 hFrom the September 26, 2008 Fan Line: “For the person who can’t figure out why Penn State could move up without beating anyone with a winning record, if the people above you lose, they normally drop. If they drop, someone has to move up. I’m sure in the future if Penn State loses, they will also drop.”
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