Preseason College Football Rankings, Polls, and Betting

College football betting enthusiasts know that the wait is just about over: With the opening of camps nationwide, the season is officially (almost) here!

But, with so many opinions out there, it’s hard to know where exactly to go to get your information when you bet on college football. Before making your wagers, let’s look at a few of different polls, and determine which ones to use, and which to avoid.

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USA Today Coaches Poll: For many who bet on NCAA football, this is the gold standard of power rankings, and with good reason. After all, the coaches on the sidelines are the ones doing the voting.

However, before placing wagers, remember that the coaches voting only actually get to see a handful of teams a week; usually their own, their upcoming opponent, and maybe a game or two here and there. Therefore, history shows us that the coaches tend to put teams with “name recognition,” in their top 25, rather than the ones who may actually warrant praise.

Looking at the preseason poll this year, you could make a pretty strong case that some of the teams at the bottom (West Virginia, Georgia and others) are there more on their name, than the actual talent they’ll bring to the field.

At BetOnline, you can actually wager on college football teams’ finishing position in USA Today’s final poll!

Keep this in mind when doing your college football handicapping.

Yahoo User Rankings: If you’re looking for a little more of a fan perspective, then there might not be a better place to go than the Yahoo User Rankings. This is where the people who sit on the couch every single Saturday, and actually watch the games, make their votes. They’re just average folks like you and me, but unlike the coaches poll, they actually get to see all the teams they’re voting for.

Of course, the one down side to this is simple bias and grudges. After all, how high will an Alabama fan really rank Auburn? Or a Texas fan Oklahoma? Also, many times you’ll see fans of a certain team flood this ranking system. For example, Ohio State is currently No. 1 in their poll. Is that because all fans think they’re the best, or just because the most Ohio State fans voted?

Rivals.com Preseason Top 120 Countdown: Every year, Rivals.com (one of the top college sports sites online) does a detailed breakdown of all 120 FBS teams, and it’s as good of a preview as anywhere.

If you’re looking to know who the long snapper is on your favorite team, or the new coach is at a school you’re thinking about wagering on, this is the place to go.

Really, there might not be a better poll for college football betting fans to check out before making their picks.

AP Poll: Finally, there’s the Associated Press poll, which hasn’t actually been released for 2010 yet.

The AP Poll is exactly what it sounds like, the press getting together and voting for who they believe to be their top teams.

While the AP Poll is probably more accurate than the Coaches Poll, there is still cause for concern. After all, much of the press is covering an individual team every Saturday and doesn’t get to watch every game. They do get to watch more than most coaches do, but certainly not to the level that an average fan can.

We hope this guide to the preseason polls helped, and NCAA Week One spreads are up now, so go make your NCAAF wagers today, football betting fans!!