By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Over the next week Season 21 Conference’s Coaches Polls are going to be released. This is a series of articles where I asked the AD of each team to give me their preseason conference standings (minus their team) and I averaged them to find the projected rankings.
However, before we get into them, I thought we would take a look back at how close the ADs were last season. Let’s start with the ACC.
Note: Last season I only had them do the top four. This season we will be doing the entire conference.
ACC
Projected Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Florida State |
| 2 | Miami |
| 3 | Notre Dame |
| 4 | North Carolina |
Actual Final Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina* |
| 2 | Miami* |
| 3 | Florida State* |
| 4 | Clemson |
| 5 | Notre Dame |
| 6 | Syracuse |
As you can see, the ADs were off on this one. North Carolina controlled the ACC last season, going a perfect 5-0 in conference play. They were expected to be a potential wild-card team instead they won their first conference title.
The ADs were far off in their estimation of Florida State and Miami. Instead of first and second, they were second and third. They were a little off on Notre Dame, who finished 5th, but we can’t blame too much. The real standings ended in a five-way tie with everyone besides the Tar Heels finishing 2-3 in the conference. So, to be fair to the ACC ADs, no one would have guessed that.
We will see if the ACC ADs are better this time around.
Big10
Projected Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | USC |
| 2 | Michigan |
| 3 | Penn State |
| 4 | Illinois |
Actual Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Michigan* |
| 2 | USC* |
| 3 | Oregon* |
| 4 | Penn State* |
| 5 | Illinois* |
| 6 | Michigan State |
| 7 | Ohio State |
The ADs had a pretty good idea of who the top-end teams were in the Big10, but not quite the order. USC did win the National Championship last season, but they didn’t take the conference as predicted. Michigan won the Big10 after finishing a perfect 6-0 in the conference. Flip the top two, and the coaches got it right.
Oregon, oh, Oregon. Everyone’s favorite Big10 underdog does what they do every season. They weren’t on the ADs’ radar, but still finished in the top 3. Penn State finished one spot behind what they were predicted. Illinois did not have the season that many expected them to have. That shocked not only the ADs but the league as a whole.
Overall, the Big10 coaches were not far off the mark with this one.
Big XII
Projected Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Cincinnati |
| 2 | Texas |
| 3 | Colorado |
| 4 | Texas A&M |
Actual Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Texas* |
| 2 | West Virginia* |
| 3 | Cincinnati* |
| 4 | Baylor |
| 5 | Texas A&M |
| 6 | Colorado |
This was a mixed bag. The ADs were high on Texas, who went 6-0 in conference play. Cincinnati might not have been quite what the coaches expected, but they were still a playoff team.
However, West Virginia was severely overlooked. They weren’t in the top four at all but finished 2nd with only one conference loss (to Texas). The Mountaineers were one of the best surprise teams of Season 20. Baylor was also overlooked. The Bears were close to clinching a playoff spot.
SEC
Projected Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Kentucky |
| 2 | Auburn |
| 3 | Georgia |
| 4 | Alabama |
Actual Standings
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Auburn* |
| 2 | LSU* |
| 3 | Kentucky* |
| 4 | Alabama* |
| 5 | Georgia* |
| 6 | Florida |
| 7 | Tennessee |
The ADs of the SEC had three of the top four correct, just not in the right spots. Auburn went undefeated in conference play and earned the SEC crown. That wasn’t far off the expectation of them finishing in second.
They weren’t too far off with Kentucky, and the ADs picked Alabama in the exact right spot. The one shocker was LSU. But who could blame them? Their AD jumped ship in the middle of the off-season and interim AD Drake Babineau was left to take over. He did a great job, leading LSU to a 7-1 record in the regular season.
Overall, not a bad effort by the SEC ADs.
