Fresno State's Due and Proper

After posting the latest top 25, I received a lot of e-mails suggesting that Fresno State was ranked far too high. After all, the three human polls (AP, Coaches, Harris) have the Bulldogs ranked 16th. Furthermore, I'll admit my personal bias would likely cause me to rank the Bulldogs in that vicinity if I were to vote subjectively.

However, the computer poll is an implementation of a philosophy, not an implementation of biases and preconceived notions. That philosophy is one that rewards a team for what they have proven on the field and does not punish them for lacking great tradition, a "sexy" name, or inclusion in a major conference.

While Fresno State does play in the second weakest league in Division I-A (WAC), they should not be punished for simply existing in such a conference. Conference affiliation, in many regards, is completely out of their control. All they can do is go out and prove they are better than the teams they are scheduled to play. Thus far in the 2005 season, they have done just that ... winning six of their nine games by a minimum of 30 points. The only flaw on Fresno's record so far is a 37-34 early season loss to 9-1 Oregon on the road at Autzen Stadium. The story of that game ... 16 Fresno State penalties for 155 yards.

While the experts and talking heads can sit back and claim that Fresno State would not be 8-1 if they played in a major conference, they can not realistically justify it. Furthermore, it is unfair to penalize Fresno State with such an argument. They are already at a disadvantage as their opportunities to capture quality wins are sparse while there are many potential traps against bad teams. Still, the Bulldogs have taken care of business this season and have looked good doing it.

This weekend's match-up against many people's #1 team, USC, should prove to be a great one. If the Trojans make the mistake of looking past the boys from San Joaquin Valley, they may see the following headline all over again.