Pac-12: Top 25 Coaches Poll – Eastern Bias or Western Apathy
Pac-12 Logo
Some people may blame the Pac-12’s poor showing in the first coaches poll on an eastern bias. The truth may be that the conference didn’t represent themselves when they needed to.
Anyone who follows college football is familiar with the debate. Many in the west, especially from Pac-12 followers, believe there is a bias that favors schools from east of the Rio Grande. That is quite possible, but are the colleges west of that line doing their part to stem the perception? The facts in 2020 say no.
The first USA Today-Amway Top 25 Coaches Poll was released this week. The Pac-12 Conference placed three teams in the Top 25. Ninth-ranked Oregon (1,164 points) led the way. Next was number 17 Southern California (521), followed by Utah (241) at 20.
No one is under the illusion that any current Pac-12 programs are at the same level as LSU, Clemson, Alabama, or Ohio State. During the Pete Carroll era, USC was at that level, but success came at the cost of integrity. It’s clear the conference has fallen in stature compared to the SEC and Big Ten.
The opening poll is more important than it should be. If a school isn’t in the Top 25, at the start, it’s hard to make a big run up the polls. It will be especially hard for Pac-12 schools this season due to a shortened conference-only schedule.
Rankings affect recruiting, and the cycle continues. The case can be made that coaches in the west, in general, and the Pac-12 specifically are responsible for failing to represent their area. There are 65 coaches in the poll, ten come from schools west of Texas.
Clemson was named No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll by USA Today for the second season in a row. https://t.co/CduMiQZJje pic.twitter.com/Z2vW89mqt5
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 6, 2020