Understanding The CFB AP Poll: A Complete Guide

The College Football AP Poll is a highly influential ranking of the top college football teams in the United States. For fans, players, and coaches alike, the AP Poll serves as a crucial benchmark throughout the season, influencing everything from team morale to bowl game selections. This guide dives deep into the history, methodology, and impact of the CFB AP Poll, providing you with everything you need to understand this cornerstone of college football.

What is the CFB AP Poll?

The CFB AP Poll, short for the Associated Press Poll, is a weekly ranking of the top 25 college football teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters across the nation, the poll has been a consistent presence in college football since 1936. Each week during the season, voters submit their rankings, awarding points based on a team's position in their top 25. The team ranked #1 receives 25 points, #2 gets 24 points, and so on, down to #25, which receives 1 point. The points are then tallied to determine the official AP Poll rankings.

Understanding the mechanics of the AP Poll involves recognizing its structure and the individuals who contribute to it. The AP Poll is more than just a list; it’s a culmination of informed opinions and observations throughout the college football season. Each of the 63 voters brings a unique perspective, influenced by their regional focus, historical knowledge, and real-time evaluation of team performance. This diversity of viewpoints is crucial in ensuring the poll reflects a comprehensive view of the national landscape of college football. The points system, which assigns decreasing values from the top-ranked team down to the 25th, creates a weighted hierarchy that rewards teams highly rated by the majority of voters. This system aims to balance consensus with individual assessments, producing a ranking that is both representative and nuanced. Beyond the simple numerical ranking, the AP Poll fosters weekly discussions and debates among fans, media personalities, and even within the teams themselves. It sets the narrative for the season, highlighting rising contenders and signaling potential upsets. The poll’s historical context is equally important, as it provides a benchmark for comparing teams across different eras and evaluating the long-term success of college football programs. The AP Poll isn't just a snapshot of the current season but a continuous thread in the tapestry of college football history.

A Brief History of the AP Poll

The AP Poll's origins trace back to 1936 when the Associated Press began polling sportswriters to rank college football teams. At the time, college football was rapidly growing in popularity, and a national ranking system was seen as a way to generate interest and provide a definitive measure of team success. The first poll was released before the start of the season, and it quickly became a standard part of the college football landscape. Over the years, the AP Poll has evolved, but its core mission – to identify the nation's best teams – has remained unchanged. It's gone from a simple ranking to a cultural touchstone, sparking countless debates and influencing the sport in numerous ways. From its humble beginnings during college football's burgeoning era, the AP Poll has adapted to the changing landscape of the sport. The poll's longevity speaks to its inherent value and the vital role it plays in shaping perceptions and discussions around college football. The AP Poll has proven its resilience and relevance through decades of evolution in media coverage, rule changes, and the expansion of college football programs. It’s a testament to the poll’s adaptability that it remains a crucial element of the sport's narrative, continuing to spark debate and interest among fans and analysts alike. As we explore the historical milestones, it becomes clear that the AP Poll is not just a ranking system but a chronicler of college football history, reflecting the sport's growth and evolution over the years.

Key Milestones in AP Poll History

• 1936: The first AP Poll is released, consisting of a top 20 ranking.
• 1950: The poll expands to rank the top 25 teams.
• 1968: Computers are first used to generate a separate ranking, though the AP Poll remains human-voted.
• Present: The AP Poll continues to be a primary factor in determining the College Football Playoff participants, even though the CFP committee has the final say.

How the AP Poll Works: The Methodology

The AP Poll's methodology is based on a simple yet effective system. A panel of 63 sportswriters and broadcasters from across the country submit their individual rankings each week. These voters evaluate teams based on a variety of factors, including their win-loss record, strength of schedule, and performance against ranked opponents. There is no specific formula or algorithm used; instead, voters rely on their expertise and judgment to assess the teams. The AP Poll's reliance on human voters is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it allows for a more nuanced evaluation of teams, taking into account factors that a computer algorithm might miss, such as injuries, coaching changes, and the