Jeff Sagarin Should Be Removed from the BCS Formula

HG is questioning the credibility of the “Sagarin Rankings.”

What are the Sagarin Rankings? If you got a sport, Jeff Sagarin’s got a ranking based on statistical analysis.

(Translation: This was the last guy picked in gym class.)

What he tries to do is put some numerological reason for what we call "subjective bullsh*t."

Yes, you can program a computer to rank football teams, but it takes a functioning human being with half a brain (aka sportswriters) to get a good feel for the teams.

Judging football by stats doesn’t do anything.

First, using statistics is a majorly flawed method of football analysis because it gives equal weight to all parts of the game.

Oklahoma beat TT by a pretty impressive margin, but only those who watched the game really appreciated what an ass-kicking it was. You can’t quantify that in a number.

Plus, the big thing about Sagarin’s Rankings, according to Wikipedia, is its "comfortable score" feature:

"

(a) football team that wins a game by a margin of 7-6 is rewarded less than a team that defeats the same opponent under the same circumstances 21-7, but a team that wins a game by a margin of 35-0 receives similar ratings to a team that defeats the same opponent 70-0. This characteristic is highly regarded by many as it recognizes "comfortable" victories, yet reduces a team’s incentive to run up the score.

"

Now, for the Indictment of Jeff Sagarin.

This week's Top Six:

1) Texas

2) Texas Tech

3) Alabama

4) Oklahoma

5) Oklahoma State

6) Florida

Huh? How is Texas Tech ranked second after getting their ass kicked by OU in front of the whole nation!

How is Oklahoma State ahead of Florida?

Who is paying Jeff Sagarin? What are his motives?

This is complete nonsense, and the BCS schools should be ashamed that they are involved with statisticians.

Statisticians, more than journalists and coaches, are prone to corruption since the main reason they exist is for gambling purposes.

Hey Myles Brand, you should take notice of that fact.

Yes, the “Power Rankings” are nothing but another thing for Vegas to look at when they set point spreads! Get them out of college sports!

I understand the BCS is what we got to work with, but a BCS formula, with Jeff Sagarin in it, threatens to comprise the BCS Championship game.

To paraphrase Churchill:

The BCS is the worst form of a postseason, except for all the other forms of the postseasons that have been tried from time to time.