Blame the media

(Above: USA Today media jackal says: "Coaches' poll ... Mmmmm, good.")

Never been a huge fan of Gregg Doyel. Nice guy in person, but professionally his approach is a little harsh.

Where some needle in their criticism, Doyel rips to shreds. Then he applies the blowtorch. Then the spit.

It can be quite entertaining, which is why I read him from time to time. But again, it's generally just too over the top for my tastes.

But I'm trying to figure out why this column from Doyel, a column that contains a startling revelation from the deputy managing editor of USA Today, has not generated more of a stir over the last few days.

Or any stir at all.

Doyel decided to give the guy a call to talk about the newspaper's coaches' poll, which happens to be part of BCS's formula for putting teams in its championship game.

Turns out the coaches wanted to get rid of the preseason poll. But the paragons of journalistic virtue at USA Today talked them out of it because ... well ... because the newspaper needs stuff to write about.

Last year the American Football Coaches Association commissioned the Gallup World Poll to study its poll and to make recommendations for improving it. One of those recommendations, Welch said, was to do away with the preseason poll -- and to not release its first poll until a month into the season.

"The coaches seemed to agree with that," Welch said.

So why didn't it happen?

"We don't view that as a good idea," Welch said.

Doyel also spoke with the sports editor of the Associated Press. She told him the AP has "never considered" scrapping its preseason poll.

"Our members like it," Taylor said, referring to news outlets that subscribe to the AP. "They call ahead of time because they want to plan pages around it."

There's much less of a problem with the AP's preseason poll because the AP removed its poll from the BCS formula. The AP can say, with no conflicts of interest, that its poll is purely for entertainment.

The coaches' poll? Much different story, obviously. Aren't we supposed to cover the news and not create it?

Welch:

"Operationally, [eliminating the preseason poll] wouldn't be a problem at all. If it ever comes down to doing that ... that's a tough one. We value that relationship [with the AFCA], but at the same time feel we strongly that [a Top 25] is something that should be out there sooner. It helps shape our coverage, and it helps fans size up the field."

What a total joke. What a sham of an operation. What an indictment of the whole BCS process.

So now, not only do we have a poll with dubious credibility to begin with -- heck, most of these coaches just get their sports information directors to call in their vote -- but a poll that exists in August and September because ... a newspaper wants to shape its coverage and help its fans size up the field?

It's been my position all along that polls are largely a farce. A bunch of coaches who are too focused on their own teams and games have no business assessing teams they never watch -- not when that assessment plays such a vital role in determining a champion.

The AP's move to remove itself from the BCS equation was the right move, because a bunch of sportswriters also don't have any business being such a major influence on the process.

Speaking of those sportswriters, it's awfully odd that none of them have called attention to the revelation unearthed by Doyel.

Maybe it's because we protect our own. We fail miserably at scrutinizing ourselves with the same vigor we scrutinize the people we cover.

Blame the media? Dang right.

What a shame that Miami players have been muzzled -- or Tweetled -- because of this Tweet from Jacory Harris a few hours before the game at Ohio State:

"Middle fingers everywhere. This is why you play college football!"

That's actually quite cool. Time for Randy Shannon to let his hair down a little.

Not asking for a return to Luther Campbell U., but come on...

Speaking of Miami, they were not as bad at Ohio State as some folks are saying. I feel fairly confident in saying that's the best team in the ACC at the moment, with the right reserved to alter that evaluation at about 10:30 on Saturday night.

This guy shreds the ACC and says the damage suffered last weekend is irreparable.

Florida State and Miami's high-profile losses last Saturday were just the latest Winnebago-sized holes in the ACC's national football reputation. Throw in Virginia Tech's home loss to what normal people call a "I-AA" team, and you would hope someone in Greensboro had enough sense to remove all the belts, shoelaces and cutlery from the ACC headquarters.

The ACC is off to an 0-5 start against teams from the other five major conferences in the Bowl Championship Series. In 2009, the ACC went 12-15 against BCS opponents, tying the Big 12 for the worst winning percentage within the BCS group ("AQ" or "automatic qualifiers" in BCS vernacular, but do we really need more acronyms?).

Ouch!

I'll say this after watching a replay of Duke-Wake Forest last night. The Blue Devils' Sean Renfree is legit, and Duke will not be an easy out this year.

How's this for an ACC motto: "Our worst team is better than your worst team!"

Or: "Not as awful as you think!"

Pete Iacobelli of the AP says Clemson's receivers are ready for their big test.

"I think they're making progress," Swinney said. "But it's a work in progress."

Hey, wonder what our favorite pirate is up to?

Turns out Mike Leach was the color analyst for last week's N.C. State-Central Florida game, and he got some favorable reviews thanks to these pearls of wisdom:

-- Leach on the UCF offense (6:25): “They’ve had trouble with the N.C. State d-line all day. They need to spread the set out. Once in awhile you wanna get everybody’s butt together so one grenade can kill them all.”

-- Leach waxing on Fourth of July (6:05): “I remember when I was a kid Fourth of July was big for me ’cause in Wyoming you could have fireworks all over the place and we’d literally have wars with our neighbors with them.”

-- On UCF’s timeout situation (3:05): “The timeouts, it’s a little bit like money, you don’t want to die with them and give them to your kids so you might as well use them if you need them.”

Man, so glad I DVRed that game last week.

At Auburn, Gene Chizik attends a pep rally and urges his students to be "All In" for Saturday's game on The Plains.

The real gem of the story is the earth-shaking rumor that Auburn will -- gasp! -- wear different uniforms Saturday.

During a practice Wednesday, Chizik confirmed Auburn will be wearing its traditional uniforms.

"Our uniforms are our uniforms, and we love them," Chizik said.

Sources originating close to the team have revealed a photo depicting a navy blue Under Armour helmet that has potential to be sported during Saturday's game.

So not only has the rumored uniform combination dominated message boards over at Auburn the last couple of days, but now there's a Deep Throat who's covertly providing a photo of a blue helmet that "has potential to be sported."

And here's another story that leads with said fashion statement ... er, potential fashion statement.

Despite what appears to be a very legit picture there, a high-ranking source in the Auburn athletic department said the Tigers will wear their white helmets Saturday, just like they always do.

And it strikes again in The Birmingham News.

Only in college football, folks.

Anyway, here's the photo of said helmet (from our highly-placed Auburn sources, of course):



LW