Dennis Dodd hates PSU

by jcierski on Jul 2, 2008 11:15 AM EDT Comment 12 comments

Does anyone else read what Dennis Dodd writes on CBS sportsline? He always trashes PSU and his latest "Top 25" is no different. For some unknown reason he has dropped out PSU from the top 25 without any explination.

Teams in front of us? Cincinnati (25), Fresno State (24), Mich State (23), Pittsburgh (22), Connecticut (21)

Are you freaking kidding me?! Seeing Connecticut at #21 makes me want to throw up.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10813944

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Yeah

This is why I don’t get worked up over preseason polls.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Jul 2, 2008 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just win our games and we will be fine

Pat Devlin in '08

by Nick7 on Jul 2, 2008 11:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I object to this sentiment on the whole.

The end value of Dennis Dodd’s preseason rankings is nil, since he does not serve as a panelist in the Harris Poll, and hence is not worth any further discussion. However, the sentiment to put one’s head down and “just win games,” while an excellent coaching tactic to focus actual players, is by and large not a great way to avoid fretting about success in the upcoming season. As evidence, here are the preseason AP rankings of the last 10 BCS champions, in parentheses:

2008: LSU (2)
2007: Florida (7)
2006: Texas (2)
2005: USC (1)
2004: LSU (14)
2003: Ohio State (13)
2002: Miami (2)
2001: Oklahoma (19)
2000: Florida State (1)
1999: Tennessee (10)

This is presented as a correlation that may suggest more about the quality of AP rankings than any particular team’s ceiling, but if our measure of success is “BCS Championship”, and no team ranked lower than 19 in the AP poll has ever crabbed its way to the top of the bucket, it suggests our ultimate fate may not be entirely in our own hands. Seven of those years the ultimate champion could be found in the top ten before a game was even played. And as a fan, I am annoyed with that glass ceiling, I think you should be too, and I certainly do not want to relive a 2004 Auburn debacle if this team happens to gel.

Also, www.appollarchive.com is a pretty cool website.

by gumbercules on Jul 2, 2008 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

well

I think that if this team does play hard and works well together and ends up with 11-1 or atleast a share of the big ten title and does not comete for atleast a BCS bowl let alone a NC then there will be massive public outcry…nothing against Auburn but if a PSU team goes undefeated in the “BCS era” and no title is given there will be riots o’ plenty my friends

by Lion Alum on Jul 2, 2008 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Penn State has and can throw a temper tantrum with the best of ‘em.

by gumbercules on Jul 2, 2008 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point, but

I think this is one of those things where it isn’t exactly black and white. It helps to be ranked high to begin with, but for the most part if Penn State wins 11-12 games they are going to be in the thick of the national title chase. I think another issue is the fact that WHEN you lose is so important.

by speedomike on Jul 2, 2008 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Litmus test

The top-25 you reference has a certain degree of legitimacy. I do not think anyone will deny that Penn State stands the potential for losing four games this season, just as they stand the potential to do better. With an 8-4 record, you almost have to rank teams like UCONN and Cincinnati ahead of PSU, simply for the fact that they will only have two losses.

As for my personal opinion, if I were allowed to vote, all teams given rankings would have to pass the following litmus test:

Do they utilize alternative punting formations?

Do they play more than two games on days other than Saturday?

If the answer to either one of those questions is yes, they’re out.

by cpm126 on Jul 2, 2008 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Zook

Illinois is ranked that high? Really?!? They need to quit paying these blowhards for their pre-season analysis. I’d do a better job chucking darts at a wall of logos.

Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.

by 06Lion on Jul 2, 2008 12:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dodd has been doing this for years

He’s by far my least favorite sports keyboardist.

Grumber is totally correct: the problem with pre-season polls is that they do actually effect the outcome of the BCS selection process. Dodd doesn’t vote, but like I’ve suggested in the past: it’s probably correct to assume that the people who do vote do most of their research by looking up polls written by idiots like Dodd.

As far as why PSU is left out, its pretty simple: CBS is a message board driven site. The sports ‘writing’ they do all feeds into commenters and, therefore, anything that is not directly news related is written to encourage arguements.

It’s not just Dodd, either. They all do it. I’ve read enough total bullsh*t on there to realize no one can possible be as stuid as he pretends to be. But then sometimes I think I’m wrong.

Kevin @ Black Shoe Diaries

by Kevin HD on Jul 2, 2008 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

ha!

there is something ironic about the word “stuid”.

Kevin @ Black Shoe Diaries

by Kevin HD on Jul 2, 2008 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dudd

They don’t call him Dennis Dudd for nothing….

by Screen Name 20 on Jul 2, 2008 3:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

'The Keyboardist'

I love it! Take out the quality label ‘writer’ altogether. I think we should try utilizing this Parcells technique, and not give any of em any of our valuable (web)ink—don’t actually name em and refer to them only in the generic-est of terms. ‘Cbssportsline’s college footbal keyboardist is a dbag. ‘Cnnsi’s keyboardist’ should stick to people magazine where he can write about his teenage crushes. I swear, we in the blogosphere (or commentosphere in the case of their online postings) give so much juice to these toolsacs.

BSD for national writers of the year!

Convivite Nudem!

by jtothep on Jul 3, 2008 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs