Meet the Two AP Top 25 Voters Who Think Florida State Is Better Than Alabama

Alabama and Florida State share the same record of 9-1. In the latest Associated Press Poll, the Crimson Tide come in at No. 4, while the Seminoles are ranked at No. 10 in the poll. However, out of the 60 media members who voted in this week’s poll, two voters thought that Florida State should be ranked above Alabama. 

Maybe they were right, and maybe they were wrong.

It’s their opinion and they probably have good reasons as to why they placed Florida State ahead of Alabama on this week’s ballot. 

So who were these two AP voters? 

Let’s take a look and try to see why Alabama was placed behind fellow one-loss team Florida State. 

Kyle Ringo

Affiliation: Daily Camera, Boulder, CO and Buffzone.com

Twitter: @KyleRingo

Where Alabama Was Ranked Last Week: No. 1

Where Alabama Is Ranked Now: No. 6

Ringo is a writer for the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, and he’s a contributor for the website Buffzone.com. 

In defense of Ringo, he doesn’t have any other one-loss teams ahead of Florida State. Aside from Alabama at No. 6 then Florida State at No. 5, his next four teams are all unbeaten squads: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Kansas State and Oregon.

However, you have to wonder what made him put the Seminoles ahead of the Crimson Tide? 

Maybe it was because he rewarded the Seminoles for a tough road victory over Virginia Tech, 28-22. And maybe he placed Alabama as the second-best one-loss team because in back-to-back weeks the Crimson Tide defense has gave up over 400 total yards of offense.

For whatever reason he may have had, he hasn’t listed it. 

But in defense of Alabama, it has beaten three ranked teams, while Florida State has only beaten one. 

Mark McCarter

Affiliation: Huntsville Times, Huntsville, AL

Twitter: @markmccarter

Where Alabama Was Ranked Last Week: No. 1

Where Alabama Is Ranked Now: No. 7

From McCarter’s profile page at Collegefootball.ap.org:

"

Mark McCarter is a columnist at The Huntsville (Ala.) Times, covering local, college and pro sports. Twice weekly, he also writes a column for the Times' local section. A three-time Alabama Sportswriter of the Year, he has been with The Times since 1998. Prior to that, he was sports editor of The Anniston (Ala.) Star and assistant sports editor at The Chattanooga (Tenn.) News-Free Press

"

As you can see, McCarter has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the state of Alabama and the Crimson Tide. 

However, McCarter, unlike Ringo, thought Alabama’s loss to Texas A&M was so bad that it places it as the third-best one-loss team. 

But just like Ringo, McCarter hasn’t made his thoughts public as to why Alabama should be behind a Florida State team that lost its only game on the road to an unranked North Carolina State. 

Maybe McCarter didn’t want to show a favoritism to the Crimson Tide by voting them as the best one-loss team after their loss to Texas A&M. However, anyone who would have watched that game could agree on voting Alabama at No. 4 or 5 in the AP poll.

I’m sure these two well-esteemed writers had some great reasons for their voting. But looking at what Alabama has done this year and how it lost its only game of the season, and it is hard to imagine Florida State being better than Alabama. 

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