College Football 2011: Why Polls Make It the Greatest Sport to Debate

College sports polls may be the most controversial topic in all of sports. As much as we would all love some accurate way to rank such a large number of teams, it just doesn't exist.

That being said, the polls are awesome.

While enjoying a nice long day of watching ESPN, it was reported that Novak Djokovic will be replacing Rafael Nadal as the new number one in men's tennis. That means that before the two even play on Sunday, we already know what the rankings will be.

Now I have no idea how those rankings are determined, and I am sure they are based on some huge mathematical formula, but it is boring, plain and simple.

One of the most anticipated things about college football season is waiting for the AP and coaches' polls to come out each week. We spend all day Saturday enjoying the glory that is college football, and then we anxiously wait to see how the results will affect the polls.

Sometimes there is not much intrigue, such as when all of the top teams win, but as the season rolls on and there is more on the line, the new polls are often the lead story on every sports network and website.

The lack of science behind the polls make them that much more intriguing. There is only one team that feels they are ranked properly, and that is the one at the top. The fans of every other team will defend their team to the death.

It is so exciting to see how far teams will climb after a big win, and sometimes even more exciting to see how far a team will fall after being upset. You just never know.

How boring would it be to have Texas and Oklahoma ranked in the top five playing the Red River Rivalry if, before the game even started, we knew that Texas would be receiving the number one ranking? 

Now, I realize the BCS rankings are mathematically formulated, and that they ultimately decide the national champion, but they also include a human factor, so you never really know how they will sort out until they are actually released.

As a BYU fan, I am even more intrigued by the polls, because that is all my team has to play for as an independent. I would venture to guess that Notre Dame fans feel this way every year.

So while the polls will never be agreed upon, and the debate will continue to rage, remember that that debate is exactly what makes the polls great.