... time of the year, the bowl season provides us with a unique, in-depth look at how the top tier schools from each conference stack up against each other.

With so much emphasis placed on conference strength and shedule difficulty to valuate a team's rankings, the objective, on-the-field outcomes from the bowls will go a long way in shaping future public and voter perceptions.

For example, in the 2009 pre-season poll we saw a significant correlation between last year's strong bowl performers (SEC, Pac-10 and the MWC) and higher rankings.

Although pre-season polls have zero tangible value, they do help establish vital (unfortunately) pole positions entering the season that can have a dramatic impact on who winds up in the National ...

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