Trains Long Ago Left These Two Writers’ Polling Station

Wow! Another split poll! Mike Downey and Chris Dufresne are co-champions of the crybaby poll.

STEVE KUHLMANN

Apple Valley

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In blasting the coaches’ poll for tagging Nebraska as champion, Chris Dufresne rails so much you’d think they had picked Marshall. Quivering and righteous with his pile of statistics, he somehow forgets to mention that the AP poll, riddled with bias and suspect credentials, is equally bogus.

The truth is, all these sportswriting gurus and geniuses have to keep voting for the best team week after week because they all keep getting it wrong. Unable to get a handle on the part emotion plays in college football and barely able to put together 50% prediction averages during the season, they crow at the end they finally know who the greatest is (not so much different from Vegas when you think about it).

So congrats, Chris. After months of touting North Carolina, I’m glad you finally know that Michigan is No. 1.

BRUCE FINDLEY

Los Angeles

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Why your reporters are morons:

* Suggesting a publicized voter list makes the AP poll more valid (see you in Beijing, Comrade Dufresne).

* Suggesting that Nebraska won the title because of CBS’ coverage (did you miss the four-hour Griese-Jackson love-fest on ABC?).

Why the AP poll is a joke:

* Proclaiming Colorado champion in 1990 despite the infamous fifth down.

* Picking Alabama over USC in 1978 despite USC’s head-to-head victory.

* Giving Notre Dame’s six-loss underachievers three votes in this year’s final poll.

DANE EURICH

Redondo Beach

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We can go back and forth forever, debating whether Nebraska or Michigan had the better stats, played the tougher schedule, had the fewer bad games, etc., but in the end, only one question has any relevance: After the final gun has sounded, which is the better team?

If you honestly answer “Michigan,” you are a certified idiot in 48 states.

The exceptions: Michigan and North Carolina.

FRANK L. HUGHES

Long Beach

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The ridicule and name-calling Mike Downey directs on anyone hailing from Nebraska would be frightening, if it weren’t so laughably immature.

There are always what-ifs during the football season, especially when we have no playoff system. Nebraska-Michigan is a game every single Nebraska fan would have wanted. Yes, Mike, we take our football very seriously. Yes, we love and respect our coach of 25 years. Yes, we love the state where we grew up. And yes, we deserve the co-national championship. And Mike, we deserve some respect from you.

LISA CHAPMAN

Los Angeles

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Chris Dufresne’s assault on the coaches’ selection of Nebraska as national champions was simply childish. Considering who would be favored has nothing to do with “promoting the evils of gambling.” It is a valuable tool and fair criterion in determining rankings.

Voting for Nebraska had nothing to do with sentiment. A more accurate statement would be that a vote for Michigan was a vote for charity. As it is, Wolverine proponents should be grateful the stars lined up the way they did and enjoy. It happens only every 50 years or so.

DOUGLAS LITTLETON

Dana Point

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Randy Harvey is correct in saying (1) something is rotten in the coaches’ poll (and has been for years) and it has no remaining credibility and (2) no one can accurately predict the outcome of a game between two good teams.

Lacking a playoff (which will ruin the Rose Bowl) or elimination of the coaches’ poll, then let us refer to the world famous alliance poll, or better yet include class and character as criteria: Lloyd Carr vs. Tom “Let the Bookies Decide” Osborne, Brian Griese vs. Scott “The Nomadic Mouth” Frost, Charles Woodson vs. Any Cornhusker (Lawrence Phillips disqualified).

Looks like a no-brainer in selecting America’s Team.

D.F. REEVES

Rancho Palos Verdes

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To Chris Dufresne and Mike Downey:

I read your stories in the Jan. 4 edition about the split polls. I agree with the polls even if you two don’t. Here’s some information you two left out of your articles:

* Michigan beat Notre Dame by seven points and Notre Dame needed a field goal to beat Hawaii. Hawaii?

* Michigan did win a game in the last second. Washington State. Washington State had at least one second remaining in the game, but the referee wanted to go home so he let the clock run out.

* Nebraska was leading, 21-0, when Washington’s quarterback got hurt.

* Tennessee’s backup quarterback led it to a touchdown when Nebraska already was leading by 26 points.

* It really doesn’t matter what the team’s ranking is when they played them. Look at Colorado and Notre Dame. In the AP’s final ranking, Nebraska beat Nos. 7, 8, 18, 20 and 23. Michigan beat Nos. 9, 12 and 16.

CUONG TONTHAT

North Hollywood

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Earth to Chris Dufresne:

Look at the fine print in USA Today’s Sagarin computerized college football ratings:

Nebraska’s cupcake schedule: 42nd-toughest in the nation. Michigan’s killer schedule: 36th-toughest in the nation.

Wow. Huge difference. So you’re obviously right, we should all disregard Nebraska’s 13-0 season as bogus. We should all walk in lockstep with the myth weavers in the media who were so charmed by the Michigan story and had grown so tired of the same old Nebraska story.

Speaking of computers, just about all the computer rankings had Nebraska ahead of Michigan. I suppose you will try to tell us that microchips, like the voters in the coaches’ poll, were swayed by sentimentality for Tom Osborne.

JOE HUDSON

Littleton, Colo.

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Mr. Dufresne chastised the 24 coaches who switched their vote but failed to mention the 17 1/2 first-place writer votes that switched as well.

Remind me to bow next time I read the sports page.

JIM ESTES

Santa Monica

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What a great tournament for Division I-A this year if there had been one.

Using the polls to seed, you get a first round of:

* No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 Washington State.

* No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Florida.

* No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 6 North Carolina.

* No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 5 UCLA.

Think they would have had any difficulty selling out stadiums and getting corporate sponsorships for seven games?

On TV, I see Lou Holtz talk about $10-12 million paydays for a “Super Alliance” game--while the other bowls play in half-full stadiums and newspapers report schools losing money to play there. That is peanuts compared to what a tourney could generate--see the NCAA basketball championships.

RAYMOND CAMPBELL

Tustin

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How sad to see your writer join the bowl promoters in urging a multi-bowl playoff elimination series to crown a so-called national champion. Who else but those with a financial interest cares to see the season so prolonged?

While wondering how long a season Randy Harvey ever played, I remain . . .

T. BRUCE GRAHAM

Port Hueneme

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I was astounded to wake on Jan. 2 to see the front page of The Times boldly proclaim that “The Last 2 Seconds Make Michigan No. 1.” Even more incomprehensible was Mike Downey’s unequivocal statement that Michigan had become college football’s “undisputed” undefeated national champions. Even the casual college football fan knew that there was another undefeated team that would play that evening.

Whatever one’s view of the relative merits of Michigan and Nebraska, there was a significant likelihood, which indeed came to pass, that the national title would be disputed. As I read the article, I mused about whether Mr. Downey was just stupid, whether he was trying to further his own Rose Bowl, Pac-10, Big Ten or Michigan agenda, or whether he, with no particular agenda, was simply seeking to create some controversy. Whatever Mr. Downey’s purpose, or lack thereof, it was incredibly shoddy journalism.

MICHAEL MONK

Santa Monica

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Your college football reporter apparently has no problem awarding the championship trophy before all of the bowl games have been played, yet the next day he writes that the difference between the writers’ poll and the coaches’ poll is “degrees of credibility.”

Mr. Dufresne has shown his true colors, and the only thing red is his face.

WILLIAM T. REID

Agoura Hills

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I have three words for those who voted Nebraska No. 1.

Akron. Central Florida.

ARMEN DUMAS

Northridge