Preseason College Football Rankings 2011: Why BYU Is Outside the Top 25

College football preseason polls are fun—but they’re also futile.

They're fun in that they give us something to talk about, and they provide fuel to keep the CFB fire burning strong into opening weekend.

But they're futile in that picking the best 25 teams in the country without seeing them is like picking the 25 hottest models without seeing them—and it’s plain stupid that starting position in these polls influences who plays for the National Championship.

BYU finds itself outside the preseason Top 25 in both polls this August after a down year where they finished 7-6. The Cougars did receive votes in both, putting them somewhere in the 30s range in the AP and USA Today versions.

But Texas, a school that was downright awful last season, cracked the Top 25 in one of the polls.

So why are the Longhorns and their kind in the mix, but BYU ends up in the "Also Receiving Votes" section?

BYU Didn’t Beat Anybody Last Year

Keep in mind that it’s not that BYU didn’t play anybody last year.

It’s that they didn’t beat anyone.

Now, I personally think San Diego State was a good team, and that was a good win. But aside from that, the Cougars misfired against teams like Florida State, Air Force, Nevada, Utah and TCU.

Blowouts against mediocre-to-bad teams like New Mexico and Wyoming don't raise voters' temperatures; Timpview High School could have won those games.

Their Bowl Game May as Well Have Not Happened

Honestly, nobody outside of the BYU fanbase watched the New Mexico Bowl. Pollsters didn’t exactly put the Dec. 18 game at the top of the DVR priority list, either.

So very few voters got to see BYU beat the tar out of a decent UTEP team and see the offensive firepower the Cougars can bring.

The Cougars Got Zero Exposure to Pollsters Last Season

The Mountain West Conference’s TV  deal and its network (The MTN) is a black hole. It’s the CW of sports television.

No, that's not fair to the CW.

Look at the ratings of BYU's big games that were aired on networks like Versus and CBS Sports, and it’s clear that nobody outside Utah watched.

Pollsters didn’t find these games or see the highlights, either. Nobody channel surfs in the 600s for a Saturday afternoon game; it’s ESPN or nothing.

So, as a result, most voters have yet to see Jake Heaps connect with Cody Hoffman or watch Bronco’s defense confuse an opposing quarterback.

That’s why you see schools like Penn State, Notre Dame, Texas and Florida at the bottom of the polls. They are well-known programs who are on TV weekly.

And they are respected. Speaking of which…

BYU Still Lacks National Respect

Texas, Florida, Georgia, West Virginia, Penn State.

These schools scrapped their way into the Top 25 in one or more preseason poll, simply on reputation.

Much of BYU’s lack of respect is due to the lack of exposure that came from the MWC TV deal. BYU has been winning since Bronco Mendenhall took over as head coach, but winning alone hasn’t brought respect. Every year BYU has to fight its way back into (or back up) the polls from its preseason starting position.

But now, add exposure to the equation.

If BYU wins this season, with the nation watching on ESPN, you can bet that voters will have the Cougars top of mind next season, and it will reflect in the polls.

Exposure plus winning equals respect—neither one alone gets it done.

The Defense Is Full of Question Marks

While the offense learned to shine last season, and returns a ton of talent and experience, there are still plenty of issues on the defensive side of the ball.

The D-line is solid, and Bronco has proven he can groom good linebackers. But the defensive backfield is a perennial Achilles' heel, and this season is no different.

Pollsters worry that this team may be like the BYU of old—one that can score with anyone, but not get enough stops to win games.

It Doesn’t Matter

As I said in the opening, preseason polls are a joke, but especially at the bottom of the list. If the best 15 teams are tough to prognosticate, how much more difficult are the next 15?

Nearly impossible.

But winning in Week 1 will take care of things. Should the Cougars travel to Oxford, Miss. and beat the Rebels on the road, they’ll find themselves in the Top 25—even if it is a week late.