I have voted in the AP football poll 3 times in my career but I still wish the first poll would not come out until after 3 weeks of play.

It's great chatter to follow your team in the poll but really, do we know much about teams until 2 or 3 games ? Not without a preseason schedule.

My one big beef about the first week of the AP poll was the omission of East Carolina. They fit the criteria to make the poll. They beat a ranked team last year in a bowl, had 6 offensive and 9 defensive starters returning AND they beat 17th ranked Virginia Tech in the opener.

The Pirates missed the poll by 39 points trailing South Carolina. Let's see, the Gamecocks lost their final 5 games last year to finish 6-6....didn't go to a bowl game much less win one. Then in the first game of this year, South Carolina shutout a team that was picked last in their division, NC State.

AND THE GAMECOCKS GOT IN OVER ECU?

Regardless of what happens between the Pirates and West Virginia, it won't compare to South Carolina's loss at Vanderbilt Thursday night.

The BCS standings have been criticized many times but at least they let teams play a month before releasing the first poll. I wish the other polls would wait until after the first 3 weeks.