Colleges Will Get New Poll Latest Entry Into Poll Wars Eliminates Preseason Hype

With various factions moaning about college football’s polls - coaches about The Associated Press media Top 25, the media about the inherent bias of the coaches’ Top 25 and others about computer polls - one of two things had to happen.

Either the polls would cease (unlikely), or we’d get another measuring stick.

Now we have one more.

Angling to become the poll of record for the bowls’ Super Alliance, the Football Writers Association of America will unveil its new survey this season. In at least one way, the poll will distinguish itself from others.

AP and CNN/USA Today soon will release their preseason rankings. For better or worse, the FWAA’s inaugural poll will be published on Oct. 6.

The delayed start addresses concerns about unfounded preseason speculation about all teams.

College football’s newest ranking may have its kinks, but an early season bias won’t be one. The FWAA contracted computer whiz Jeff Sagarin to compile the poll, but it will not be the same poll as his Sagarin Ratings that are published weekly in USA Today.

The Sagarin Ratings include in its first set of rankings a mathematical element of a team’s history. That means, say, Florida, by its recent history of sterling success, would have a built-in edge over Louisiana State, which has struggled in recent seasons. (Even if LSU were projected to have a stronger team.)

The FWAA poll removes that element, FWAA secretary Steve Richardson said. Every team starts with a clean slate.

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Polling place Football writers poll will debut Oct. 6