AP Poll

As you are probably aware, WVU is ranked 8th in the recently released preseason AP football poll. This website has decided not to release a preseason poll and if you compare the two major preseason polls, it becomes evident why. I'm was no statistics major at WVU, but given how similar these polls are, you would have to believe that the AP voters have been tremendously influenced by the coaches' preseason poll. Of the 27 teams ranked in the preseason poll by both organizations, only 2 teams differ by more than two spots between them. (Michigan (24,32) Pitt (32,25)) Da Geek makes a valid argument that coaches manipulate the polls by favorably voting for schools on their schedule (ergo more teams from their own conference), but the AP inexcusably mimics their predictions without doing any individual contemplation of their own.