Pre Season College Football Poll; History Lesson

Burnt Orange Nation has a post about the history of the college football preseason polls and the eventual national champion for that same season. The rankings in question are the AP rankings. I believe that too much emphasis is given to these preseason polls, but at the same time I always look forward to reading them.

Only four times since 1980 has the preseason pick for national champion pulled through in the end. Oklahoma did it in 1985, Florida State in 1993 and again in 1999, and USC in 2004.

Penn State defied the odds, so to speak, in 1982 when they were picked to finish #8, and again in 1986 when they were predicted to finish at #6.

Only three teams have entered the season unranked and won the national championship. Clemson did that in 1981, Miami did it in 1983 and BYU followed the next year in 1984.

No team has ever started at #22 and finished as national champion. Penn State will be the first to ever do that in 2008.