text: Meeting of the Minds: Do preseason polls matter? | August | 2012 Articles
  Written by Crystal Ball Run Staff on Monday, 20 August 2012 14:54. The Associated Press preseason top 25 was released over the weekend, placing the USC Trojans in the pole position for the national championship race, just ahead of defending BCS champion Alabama and runner-up LSU. This year's poll reignites a conversation that seems to take place every August, which is just how much emphasis should we give the preseason AP and coaches polls, and any other poll worth noting? Because nobody has taken the field for a game yet, should these preseason rankings be viewed more as a predictor for how the season will end?