2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Encyclopedia
Three human polls and one formula
ic ranking make up the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sport
s, college football
's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a National Championship title. That title is bestowed by one or more of four different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason: the AP Poll
and the Coaches Poll
. Two additional polls are released midway through the season; the Harris Interactive Poll is released after the fourth week of the season and the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) Standings is released after the seventh week. The Harris Poll and Coaches Poll are factors in the BCS Standings. At the end of the season, on Sunday, December 6, 2009, the BCS Standings determines who plays in the BCS bowl game
s as well as the BCS National Championship Game
on January 7, 2010 at the Rose Bowl Stadium.
The initial BCS Rankings came out on October 18, 2009 with Florida
as the top rated team. Over the years, the Nos. 1–2 teams in the initial BCS standings have played just once in the BCS National Championship – USC
and Texas
(2005). Five times in the first 10 years of the system, the No. 1 team from the initial selection week has advanced to the title contest, and Florida State (1999) and USC (2004) are the only two first-week No. 1 schools to capture the eventual crown. Every year (excluding 1998 when UCLA and Ohio State opened at 1–2) at least one of the top two first standings’ squads has advanced to the BCS National Championship. The Florida Gators, last year's national champion, made their debut in the first BCS standings at No. 10, and fought all the way into the title game.
Formula
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language....
ic ranking make up the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s, college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a National Championship title. That title is bestowed by one or more of four different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason: the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
. Two additional polls are released midway through the season; the Harris Interactive Poll is released after the fourth week of the season and the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) Standings is released after the seventh week. The Harris Poll and Coaches Poll are factors in the BCS Standings. At the end of the season, on Sunday, December 6, 2009, the BCS Standings determines who plays in the BCS bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s as well as the BCS National Championship Game
2010 BCS National Championship Game
The 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game was the finale of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was played between the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California,...
on January 7, 2010 at the Rose Bowl Stadium.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| Selected for BCS National Championship Game | ||
| |
Selected AP National Champion | |
| Italics | Number of first place votes | |
| (#-#) | Win-loss record | |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
Function
As the 2009 football season progresses, rankings are updated weekly. The team voted number one in the final AP and Coaches Polls can claim the title of National Champion. The BCS Rankings and Harris Poll do not vote in a final poll as their sole purpose is to determine who plays in the BCS National Championship Game. Other polls exist and may vote for different schools which causes confusion, especially for split titles. But generally, only the AP and Coaches Polls are used in crowning the National Champion.The initial BCS Rankings came out on October 18, 2009 with Florida
2009 Florida Gators football team
The 2009 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2009 college football season...
as the top rated team. Over the years, the Nos. 1–2 teams in the initial BCS standings have played just once in the BCS National Championship – USC
2009 USC Trojans football team
The 2009 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2009–2010. The team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and was coached by Pete Carroll, who was in his ninth and final...
and Texas
2009 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2009 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who has a contract lasting through the 2016 season...
(2005). Five times in the first 10 years of the system, the No. 1 team from the initial selection week has advanced to the title contest, and Florida State (1999) and USC (2004) are the only two first-week No. 1 schools to capture the eventual crown. Every year (excluding 1998 when UCLA and Ohio State opened at 1–2) at least one of the top two first standings’ squads has advanced to the BCS National Championship. The Florida Gators, last year's national champion, made their debut in the first BCS standings at No. 10, and fought all the way into the title game.
AP Poll
USA Today Coaches' Poll
Harris Interactive Poll
BCS standings
Preseason polls
Various publications release their preseason top 25 months before the season commences.| Athlon | Lindy's | Phil Steele | CCR | Sporting News | College Football News |
Sports Illustrated |
CFP Users | BCS Fan | ESPN | Rivals.com | USA Today Coaches' Poll |
NationalChamps .net |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida (12–0) | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | Florida | 1. |
| 2. | Oklahoma | Texas | Texas | Oklahoma (12–0) | Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas | 2. |
| 3. | Texas | Oklahoma | USC | USC (12–0) | Oklahoma | USC | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | USC | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | 3. |
| 4. | USC | USC | Oklahoma | Texas (11–1) | USC | Oklahoma | USC | Virginia Tech | USC | USC | Oklahoma | USC (1) | USC | 4. |
| 5. | Ohio St. | Virginia Tech | Penn St. | Utah (12–0) | Ole Miss | LSU | Virginia Tech | Ohio State | Virginia Tech | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | 5. |
| 6. | Alabama | LSU | Mississippi | Alabama (12–0) | Virginia Tech | Ohio State | Ole Miss | USC | Oklahoma State | Ohio St. | Virginia Tech | Ohio State | Oklahoma St. | 6. |
| 7. | Penn St. | Alabama | Notre Dame | Michigan St. (12–0) | Oregon | Virginia Tech | Oklahoma St. | Alabama | Alabama | Virginia Tech | Ohio State | Virginia Tech | Ohio St. | 7. |
| 8. | Virginia Tech. | Ohio State | Alabama | Virginia Tech (11–1) | LSU | Alabama | Alabama | Penn State | Ohio State | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Penn State | Virginia Tech. | 8. |
| 9. | Oklahoma St. | Ole Miss | California | Ohio St. (11–1) | Ohio State | Boise State | Boise State | Mississippi | Ole Miss | Penn State | Boise State | LSU | Mississippi | 9. |
| 10. | Ole Miss | Oklahoma State | Ohio St. | Tulsa (11–1) | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Ohio St. | Georgia | Penn State | LSU | Oklahoma State | Ole Miss | LSU | 10. |
| 11. | California | Penn State | Virginia Tech. | Boise St. (12–1) | Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | Oregon | Oklahoma State | Boise State | Oklahoma State | LSU | Oklahoma State | Penn St. | 11. |
| 12. | Boise St. | California | Boise St. | Pittsburgh (11–1) | Penn State | California | Georgia Tech | LSU | LSU | California | Penn State | California | Georgia Tech | 12. |
| 13. | Oregon | Boise State | Georgia | Texas Tech. (10–2) | Alabama | Penn State | LSU | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | California | Georgia | Oregon | 13. |
| 14. | Georgia | TCU | Oklahoma St. | Georgia (10–2) | Boise State | Ole Miss | Penn St. | Utah | Georgia Tech | Georgia | Georgia Tech | Oregon | Boise St. | 14. |
| 15. | Florida St. | Oregon | BYU | Penn St. (10–2) | Georgia | Oregon | Georgia | Florida State | California | Boise St. | Georgia | Georgia Tech | Georgia | 15. |
| 16. | Nebraska | Georgia Tech | Rutgers | Florida St. (10–2) | Oregon State | Florida St. | Florida St. | California | TCU | Georgia Tech | Kansas | Boise State | California | 16. |
| 17. | LSU | Georgia | LSU | California (10–2) | Florida State | Utah | TCU | Boise State | Georgia | TCU | Oregon | TCU | Utah | 17. |
| 18. | Cincinnati | Florida State | TCU | TCU (10–2) | Notre Dame | Georgia | Oregon St. | Georgia Tech | Utah | Notre Dame | Iowa | Utah | TCU | 18. |
| 19. | North Carolina | North Carolina | Illinois | BYU (10–2) | Utah | Kansas | Utah | TCU | Florida State | Nebraska | West Virginia | Florida State | Kansas | 19. |
| 20. | Michigan St. | West Virginia | Iowa | West Virginia (10–2) | Texas Tech | Texas Tech | North Carolina | Michigan State | BYU | Florida St. | TCU | North Carolina | Florida St. | 20. |
| 21. | Utah | Kansas | Miami | Rutgers (10–2) | California | Iowa | California | BYU | Kansas | Iowa | Texas Tech | Iowa | Iowa | 21. |
| 22. | Georgia Tech | Nebraska | Nebraska | Temple (11–1) | BYU | BYU | BYU | Texas Tech | Iowa | North Carolina | Utah | Nebraska | North Carolina | 22. |
| 23. | Iowa | Utah | Pittsburgh | Troy (10–2) | North Carolina | Notre Dame | Iowa | Nebraska | Oregon State | BYU | Florida State | Notre Dame | Texas Tech. | 23. |
| 24. | Notre Dame | Michigan State | UCLA | Oklahoma St. (9–3) | TCU | South Florida | Kansas | West Virginia | Nebraska | Miami (FL) | Notre Dame | BYU | BYU | 24. |
| 25. | Oregon St. | BYU | Clemson | LSU (9–3) | Kansas | Oregon St. | Notre Dame | Kansas | North Carolina | Kansas | South Florida | Oregon State | East Carolina | 25. |
| Athlon | Lindy's | Phil Steele | CCR | Sporting News | College Football News |
Sports Illustrated |
CFP Users | BCS Fan | ESPN | Rivals.com | USA Today Coaches' Poll |
NationalChamps .net |
Timeline
- Spring practice and games were started as early as Friday, February 20, 2009 and must end no later than Tuesday, April 28, 2009
- First Associated Press Top 25 Poll was released on Saturday, August 22, 2009
- First games of the season were played on Thursday, September 3, 2009
- First Harris PollHarris Interactive College Football PollThe Harris Interactive College Football Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams. The rankings are compiled by Harris Interactive, a market research company that specializes in Internet research....
was released on Sunday, September 27, 2009 - First BCS standings were posted on Sunday, October 18, 2009
- BCS Selection Sunday is scheduled for Sunday, December 6, 2009