Again, that's never happened before...but keep trying

Posted on: December 30, 2020 at 11:52:47 CT

Just last year, Auburn was undefeated at 15-0 but was ranked #4 in mid-January, still ranked behind teams with losses (Gonzaga, Duke, and Baylor).

AP Poll (December 23, 2019)
1) Gonzaga (13-1)
2) Ohio State (11-1)
3) Louisville (11-1)
4) Duke (10-1)
5) Kansas (9-2)
6) Oregon (10-2)
7) Baylor (9-1)
8) Auburn (11-0)

By your argument, if all eight of those teams keep winning, then Auburn will rise through the ranks and eventually be #1, right? Let's see what happened...

The following week, Louisville and Ohio State both lose while everyone else in the top 8 wins. Auburn DOES NOT leapfrog either Louisville or Ohio State as the next week poll is:

AP Poll (December 30, 2019)
1) Gonzaga (13-1)
2) Duke (11-1)
3) Kansas (10-2)
4) Oregon (11-2)
5) Ohio State (11-2)
6) Baylor (9-1)
7) Louisville (11-2)
8) Auburn (12-0)

Furthermore, no other team leap-frogged any other team that kept winning. The next week, Oregon, Ohio State, and Louisville all lose and Auburn jumps over them but does not leapfrog any other team that kept winning, despite having fewer losses. What you are suggesting DOES NOT HAPPEN.

AP Poll (January 6, 2020)
1) Gonzaga (16-1)
2) Duke (13-1)
3) Kansas (11-2)
4) Baylor (11-1)
5) Auburn (13-0)

Edited by Bad Breath at 11:54:36 on 12/30/20