About theFanPoll
Welcome to TheFanPoll! TheFanPoll aims to bring together college football fans from around the country to create a truly representative Top 25 poll. We carefully select voters that represent every team and every part of the country. We let them vote their conscience, but we have safeguards in place to identify abuse.
What sets TheFanPoll apart from every other human poll is the depths to which you can explore the ballots. Every ballot is public, but beyond that we are constantly adding tools to allow you to better organize and understand ballots easily and effectively.
- Want to know how many 1st, 2nd, and 25th place votes your favorite team got? Sure, we can do that
- Want to know how voters from your school's rival voted as a group? Sure, we can do that.
- Want to see a Top 25 poll with just voters from the SEC and ACC? Sure, we can do that.
This site was created with two goals in mind: (1)To create a way to feel the 'pulse' of fan opinion arond the nation and (2)to develop a common ground for fans from any and every team to discuss college football. Our message boards are open to both voters and non-voters, so we welcome you introduce yourself and join in on a great discussion of the greatest sport in the world.
If you have any questions, refer to the following FAQ or contact us.
To a great football season,
Michael Thompson
TheFanPoll.com
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this that People's poll from last December?
- What good is a poll with a bunch of biased fans?
- What makes the FanPoll superior to other polls?
- Does theFanPoll have any affiliations?
- How do you select voters? Can I be a voter?
- How is the FanPoll calculated?
- Why is my team ranked below my rival's team when my team has a higher/better vote distribution on the team page?
- What can I do if I find a ballot that is an obvious case of abuse?
- When does the FanPoll come out?
- How can some teams have more voters than others?
- Where do your loyalties lie?
Q. Is this that People's poll from last December?
No. TheFanPoll has no affiliation with that poll.
Q. What good is a poll with a bunch of biased fans?
Well, plenty. For one, the FanPoll provides the "pulse of the nation". That is, the FanPoll gives insight into how fans across the country rank and view the top teams in college football. While our voters are biased to the extent that every human being has preferences and inclinations, our voters are by no means 'homers'. Homers will be quickly weeded out by the review system.
While bias is certainly not an ideal, it is by no means a deal breaker. There are worse factors for a ranking system than bias (such as incompetence). Human perception and bias is ingrained into football, and probably always will be. After all, we don't exactly use sensors to determine if the ball has broken the plane of the endzone.
Q. What makes the FanPoll superior to other polls?
The FanPoll seeks to be revolutionary in terms of human polls by offering unprecedented access to the results of each poll and ballot. Unlike other fan polls that allows anyone to vote, the FanPoll is not a popularity contest or a race to see who has more fans online. The FanPoll also equally distributes voting power to every team's fanbase. Finally, voters are required to stay knowledgeable about college football around the nation, and voters who abuse their discretion are removed from the system.
Q. Does theFanPoll have any affiliations?
The FanPoll is independently run. We are, however, proud to be selected as a component of the Franklin Poll Top 25.
Q. How do you select voters? Can I be a voter?
For the most part, voters are recommended by administrators or moderators from team fan sites. Voting is by invitation only, so please do not ask to be a voter. Understand that we have this procedure in place because it is otherwise impossible to know with reasonable certainty that a voter is actually a fan of the team he represents.
Q. How is the FanPoll calculated?
All ballots are weighted based on the number of voters representing each individual team. For example, if Michigan has 2 voters and Ohio State has only 1 voter, the Michigan ballots would each have half the weight of the 1 Buckeye ballot. Combined, the Michigan voters would have the same voting power as the Ohio State voter(s). This ensures that each team has equal 'representation' from their fanbase in the poll even if the number of voters from each team varies slightly.
Q. Why is my team ranked below my rival's team when my team has a higher/better vote distribution on the team page?
Because power is distributed evenly by team, individual voters may carry more weight if there are fewer fans representing their team or less weight if there are more fans representing their team. The votes listed on a team's vote distribution table do not indicate weighting.
Q. What can I do if I find a ballot that is an obvious case of abuse?
First, ask yourself "Is this actual abuse or do I simply disagree with his rankings?" Disagreement is unavoidable, and we encourage voters to vote their conscience.
If you truly feel that a voter is attempting to manipulate the voting process, contact us and the voter's ballot will be given to a group of voters (the Voting Council) to review.
Q. When does the FanPoll come out?
Weekly polls are released Tuesday mornings.
Q. How can some teams have more voters than others?
See: How is the FanPoll calculated?
Q. Where do your loyalties lie?
I am a USC Trojan student and fan. I do not have a vote in the FanPoll.