Sunday, December 2, 2012
Analyzing Hoke's poll vote
By Michael Rothstein
Michigan coach Brady Hoke was one of three coaches who vote in the USA Today coaches poll to have the Wolverines as the No. 15 team in the country, the highest spot the team achieved in the final poll of the year.
Michigan was ranked No. 22.
The other two coaches who voted Michigan at No. 15 also have ties to Michigan -- Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly and Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez. Kelly coached at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan earlier in his career and Kelly’s team also beat the Wolverines this season.
Rodriguez recruited the majority of the playmakers on this season’s Michigan team.
Michigan was on all but eight of the ballots, with former Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren, Miami coach Al Golden, Arizona State coach Todd Graham, Louisiana-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth, Ball State coach Pete Lembo, San Jose State coach Mike McIntyre, UCF coach George O’Leary and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney leaving Michigan off.
This is Hoke’s final poll of the year:
1. Notre Dame
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Oregon
6. Kansas State
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. Stanford
10. South Carolina
11. Oklahoma
12. Florida State
13. Clemson
14. Oregon State
15. Michigan
16. Texas
17. UCLA
18. Nebraska
19. Northwestern
20. Vanderbilt
21. Boise State
22. Wisconsin
23. Louisville
24. USC
25. Northern Illinois
The only teams ranked in the final Top 25 which Hoke did not rank are Nos. 20 Utah State and No. 24 San Jose State. Hoke didn’t show much love for his former conference, either, voting Northern Illinois No. 25 -- the lowest of any pollster. The Huskies finished No. 16 in the poll.
