The Final Coaches poll ballot has been released. Below is how Nebraska coach Bo Pelini voted:
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Florida
- Southern Cal
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- Penn State
- Utah
- Boise State
- Ohio State
- TCU
- Cincinnati
- Oklahoma State
- Oregon
- Georgia Tech
- Ball State
- Brigham Young
- Georgia
- Oregon State
- Virginia Tech
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Mississippi
- Michigan State
- Pittsburgh
Note Pelini put Missouri on the ballot, and just like I did, one place above Nebraska. Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News calls Pelini's vote "utter shamelessness", so I assume that he'd say the same about me.
Nebraska lost four games - to Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Virginia Tech. Two of those teams are in the top five. Virginia Tech won their conference, and Missouri was the Big 12 North representative. Not a bad group of losses. Is it really that shameless that Pelini would be voting for his own team?
Mississippi and Oregon State both finished the season 8-4. Mississippi lost to Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Alabama. Urban Meyer had them ranked 11th (big shock there), but otherwise, not a great group of losses.
Oregon State lost to Stanford, Penn State (45-14), Utah, and Oregon. Stanford is a head scratcher (beginning of the season), but the others are at least respectable.
Still, why not Nebraska?