Advantages of the Legends Poll system

Advantage, Legends Poll.

The 19 coaching greats who form the Legends Poll watch more football than the 59 coaches who currently vote in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, which accounts for 1/3 of the BCS formula.

That’s a concern for the credibility of college football — a concern the Legends Poll, now in its sixth season, is looking to address with a smarter, more accurate system to determine the nation’s most deserving teams.

The success of the Legend Poll is built on proven commodities — accomplished coaches, who, with seven national championships among them, know what a championship-caliber team looks like.

Thanks to the Legends Poll’s partnership with XOS Digital, the coaches have weekly access to specially designed game breakdowns. This allows each coach to analyze multiple teams from his area of expertise. For example, Bobby Bowden closely tracks Florida State and Miami, and Gene Stallings keeps the group in tune with Alabama. Their longstanding connections to these programs keep them updated with information and input from trusted sources.

In addition, Legends Poll voters conduct a Monday conference call, during which coaches share information and analysis with the group.

The result is a nationwide network of authorities with the knowledge and resources to accurately gauge the nation’s most talented and most deserving teams.

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Advantage, Legends Poll.

Vince Thompson, media relations director for the American Football Coaches Association, admitted to the Birmingham News last month that “it’s hard to get 59 or 60 to vote each week.”

Don’t blame the current coaches, though. Trying to accurately rank the top 25 teams isn’t and shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of their priority lists. It’s been that way for decades.

Many of the Legends Poll members remember how difficult it was just to find time to cast their votes in the Coaches Poll, let alone getting a chance to see the teams they’re voting on play. Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry recalls having to scramble to get his vote in after late games on the West Coast. Former USC coach John Robinson admits voting was often a last-minute thing.

“You play on Saturday, everybody else does, so you kind of wake up Sunday morning, read the papers, find out how teams did,” Robinson explained. “The chance to see other teams was limited. We didn’t see a lot of other games.

“I wouldn’t give myself a great grade on it,” Robinson added. “I tried to do it, but it wasn’t my No. 1 priority. It was always like, Oh my God, I have to get those in.”

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Advantage, Legends Poll.

Transparency is a pillar of the Legends Poll. The ballots of each voter are released and made public at LegendsChannel.com.

In contrast, the American Football Coaches Association elected to use a secret ballot in this season’s Coaches’ Poll, despite the objections of several high-profile coaches including South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Georgia’s Mark Richt. Spurrier infamously used to vote Duke at No. 25 in the preseason and would stick with the Blue Devils until they lost. There’s no way to tell if something similar happens this season.

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