The final regular season ballots of coaches who vote in the USA Today poll has been released and we've just started picking through the carnage. The coaches poll is one-third of the BCS formula (the Harris poll and compilation of six computer rankings make up the other two-thirds), so there are plenty of shenanigans involved in "selecting" the two best teams to play in the BCS title game.
Louisiana State swept all the No. 1 votes and Alabama was No. 2 on 42 of the 59 ballots cast by coaches. No coach voted the Crimson Tide below No. 3.
Oklahoma State got 17 second-place votes and 36 third-place votes. It's from this point where the fun begins.
Alabama's Nick Saban, who voted LSU No. 1 and the Crimson Tide No. 2, voted Stanford No. 3, one spot ahead of Oklahoma State. That's the same order of the ballot turned in by Stanford's David Shaw.
Air Force's Troy Calhoun had the same top three, but put Arkansas at No. 4, one spot ahead of Oklahoma State. No other coach had Arkansas ranked as high or Oklahoma State ranked as low. Duke's David Cutcliffe, Syracuse's Doug Marrone and Missouri's Gary Pinkel, whose team will soon be moving to the SEC, voted Oklahoma State No. 4.
Other votes considered extreme:
- Mark Richt of Georgia voted Oregon No. 8.
- Todd Berry of Louisiana Monroe voted Boise State No. 13.
- Art Briles of Baylor voted Wisconsin No. 16.
- Kansas State was No. 6 on Briles' ballot and No. 7 on the ballot turned in by Iowa State's Paul Rhoads. The Wildcats were No. 17, according to LSU's Les Miles.
- Michigan State was voted No. 9 by Berry and No. 21 by Briles, Doc Holliday of Marshall and Kevin Sumlin of Houston.
- Texas Christian was voted No. 9 by Pat Hill of Fresno State and No. 21 by Miles.
View the ballots of all the coaches by clicking here.
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