The AP has Annointed its Chosen One

You’re probably aware that the AP poll came out on Saturday. How could you miss it, what with all the trumpets blaring and angels singing? The media did its best to make it sound as though the Gators are the only team in the history of football that’s ever been predicted to be kind of good.

Yet the dirty little secret that they didn’t share is that Florida is the “MOST PROHIBITIVE FAVORITE EVER” by a smaller percentage than the number of fans who actually liked those Dr. Lou segments.

The smart people over at the AP Poll Archive have posted the percentage of first place votes of every #1 team in the history of the AP preseason poll.  2007 USC received 62 of 65 first place votes, or 95.38%. 2009 Florida has received 58 of 60 first place votes, or 96.67%. The difference? A whopping 1.29%. This fact was buried in fine print this weekend if it was even mentioned in the orgasmic media coverage at all.

Although the media is presenting 2009 Florida as a foregone conclusion, the last two “sure bets” in college football, 2005 USC and 2003 Oklahoma, both met spectacular demises. OU’s epic flame out against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game and USC laying out a red carpet for Vince Young and Texas are both the stuff of legend.

So even though the gators are a near unanimous number one, it's not as if this is without precedent. and we all know what happened to 2007 USC- they lost to a 40 point underdog. So...Vanderbilt, Kentucky, or Mississippi State...are you guys up to the challenge??

-Drew