Last week I posted that Mel Kiper loves Notre Dame after looking at his draft rankings. Well this week I’m looking at the opposite end of the spectrum at Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star. Whitlock has the Irish ranked 14th in his current poll behind two teams with two losses. Here’s his top 14…
- Ohio St.
- West Virginia
- Michigan
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Southern Cal
- Arkansas
- Auburn
- Florida
- California
- Louisville
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
Now, there are other voters who have Notre Dame 14th or lower other than Whitlock, but this guy’s top 14 is so far out of whack, I couldn’t help but disect it. Let’s start off at the top. West Virginia over Michigan? I realize Michigan wasn’t exactly impressive in their win over Northwestern this weekend but come on, Michigan has wins over Notre Dame and Penn State on the road while West Virginia hasn’t played any real quality opponents to date. I don’t like Michigan as much as the next guy, but I can give them credit where it is due.
Next, Tennessee at #4??? The Vols are pretty good, but they have three close wins over unranked teams (Air Force, South Carolina, and Alabama). They did beat Cal handily in week 1, but that seems like a long time ago and their other big win was over Georgia – a team with three losses.
And how about USC at 6. The Trojans just lost to an unranked team and had three close calls against unranked team in their last three games previous to losing to Oregon State. How on earth can he justify ranking the Trojans so highly?? USC has not looked impressive at all since week 1 yet, they are 6th in Whitlock’s poll.
By the way, did Florida beat Tennessee heads up this year? Last time I checked they did, and they have the same record as Tennessee, but somehow the Gators are 5 spots lower than a team they beat and have the same record as.
If West Virginia is good enough to be second in Mr. Whitlock’s poll, how is Louisville only 11th? Lousiville is in the same conference and has played a similar schedule with the same record as West Virginia, but they come in nine spots lower.
Now to my gripe about Notre Dame in his poll. LSU and Oklahoma both have WORSE records than Notre Dame and have a combined 0 wins over ranked teams. Now what have these two teams done that is more impressive than Notre Dame who has a better record?
It amazes me that someone’s poll could be this messed up. I guess it shouldn’t since it amazes me that Whitlock even has a job as a professional journalist. Am I the only one who is concerned that people like this have a say in who is the national champion (even if the AP isnt part of the BCS anymore)? Let’s just say for arguments sake that a one loss team beats an undefeated team in the BCS title game – imagine what is going to happen with AP voters like this.
Heh, I was doing a google search for Whitlock and Racism. I think you are right, the AP should take away his vote, he ranked the Irish way too high.
LSU beat top 10 Tennessee and top 5 Arkansas. They also played 4 top ten teams on the road. You guys are completely irrational.
Please explain how USC will play for a national championship if they beat ND and UCLA(who lost to Notre Dame), but Notre Dame hasn’t a chance should they beat Southern Cal?
Also, people continue to say how Notre Dame was crushed by Michigan, yet 14 of the points scored were gifts — a missed pass by Carlson and Brady Quinn dropping the football without being tackled for Michigan’s last score.
FUNNY hESS, i don’t recall an outcry when USC fired Paul Hackett after 3 years.
here’s the thing about Whitlock, he hates Notre Dame. he can have any opinion he wants but at least be straight forward about your hatred towards ND.
By the way i did email jason Whitlock very respectfully and he declined to answer. i asked him to justify how racism played a part in the decision by ND to extend Weis 10 years. I also pointed out facts to him: Weis was offered head coaching jobs of at least 5 nfl teams during the 2005 season, Willingham was not. willingham won 11 games his last two years, there is a good chance during his first 2 years Weis will equal Willingham’s 3 year win total of 21.
By the way Hess, I have a feeling Notre Dame is going to rock the college football world with a 45-21 thumping of USC that propels them to the title game. and please note, the talent level in 2007 and 2008 at Notre Dame will be more in line with USC, texas, Florida etc especially on defense. I just hope after the USC game you will be a good troll and come on this board and take the verbal beating you will receive like a man. trolls like yourself ten d to vanish when they lose
I don’t see how you can criticize a man whos job is to give his opinion. Obviously you are all Irish faithful and can’t take it when someone else puts them down. Let me give you a forecast, you guys are gonna get ROCKED when you go to USC. Be prepared for that. Whitlock does play the race card, but he also defends white coaches/people as well. Big Sexy is pretty consistant in what he writes and I give him props for that. He’ll be the first to tell you when he thinks somebody got a raw deal. He’ll also be the first to tell you when someone needs out. That is his style. Maybe if Notre Dame fans weren’t such babies, then they’d realize he is paid to give an OPINION. It doesn’t make it the law. It is just the mans feelings. Rahter than criticize him on some public forum, why don’t e-mail him or give him a ring and ask for his thoughts. He is a big anti-Jim Boeheim fan. Wrote about how he can’t win big games, yada yada yada. I wrote to him and he wrote me back and justified his opinion a little bit more. And lastly, don’t bash a guy because of his weight. That has NOTHING to do w/ his writing and all it does is expose what a bunch of babies you fans are. Enjoy your cakewalk to LA, but be prepared to get smacked around be the men of troy…
Whitlock is not the only one. Let’s not forget the following talking heads that have an axe to grind w/ ND: Mark May, Rodney Gilmore, John Saunders, Craig James, Tim Brando, Lee Corso, Brent Musberger, Jay Mariotti & Michael Wilbon.
Whitlock is a mess, I have emailed ESPN repeatedly to stop allowing this guy to guest host their shows. He is nearly as bad as Stephan A. Smith and they both have the same agenda.
jason whitlock is an idiot. played at ball state and knows nothing about the game. he is totally anti ND because of willingham being dismissed. He is a total bias joke my brother sent him and e-mail last year that picked his article apart with the truth. Never had the guts to even respond, What’s willingahm’s record now jason 4-6.
i dig it
Guys, Who cares how the voters in the AP vote? The AP is not relevent, Its not used in the BCS. The only effect it may have is to influence the coaches in their voting.
No dude, your right Whitlock is a clown, in fact this is the guy who was the one of the first to start trumpeting the ND is racist for firing his BOY Tyrone! Jason was completly right ND fired Willingham cuz he was black, not because he couldn’t coach his way out of a wet paper sack! And obviously ND is no good because they only lost to the #2 team in the nation, and only beat 2 ranked oppenents. Not to mention a really underated UCLA team. Someone should give Whitlock a raise, lord knows he needs it to buy all that health food cuz he’s got to watch his figure!
You know if Notre Dame had beaten Texas tech the exact way texas did, Whitlock and his ilk would have been on here saying how bad ND was for giving up over 500 yards passing. If texas had beaten Michigan State the way Notre Dame did Whitlock and his ilk would have been saying how much courage Texas showed.
There is a double standard when it comes to Notre Dame. Notre Dame gets held to standards other programs don’t get held to. Funny I don’t remember Whitlock criticizing Florida for firing Ron Zook after 2 and a half years even though he had more success than Willingham did at ND. Funny I don’t remember whitlock bashing USC for firing Paul Hackett after 3 years, or IU for firing Gerry Dinardo after 3 years. But after Notre Dame fires Willingham a coach who had plummeted this program into ineptitude (going 13-16 with 11 blowout losses in his last 29 games) performace wise and recruting wise he cries racism. If Whitlock wants to talk racism he should look at himself in the mirror first
I have a hard time understanding how these “journalist” get a vote at all. Here you have most of the people whodecide who the NC will go to have never played a down of football. The only thing the know about it is what they’ve read in the paper or seen on TV. But once you get a job at a newspaper or on a TV program you’re somehow an expert.
What is the website where you can see how each AP member voted? I think you published it before, but I can’t find it.
A number of voters on various polls are far from impartial – always was and always will be. As for Whitlock – he is just a jerk and has always made his true hatred of Notre Dame known. He still feels ND is ‘racist’ for letting Willingham go and will never let it go. He’s a jerk and we all know the only reason he even has a vote – but we won’t go there.