So, we know a little more about how NCAA Football 14 is handling its social media vote-off to determine the game’s cover subject this summer. Apparently there were some other polls on the game’s Facebook page factoring into a school’s overall vote popularity.
https://kotaku.com/sports-cover-voting-craze-gets-really-out-of-hand-goes-5968616
While that means Penn State and Kentucky are not actually No. 1 and No. 2 among the 32 teams looking to make a second round of voting, they are in the top 15 and still practically assured of advancing to the second round.
https://kotaku.com/of-course-penn-state-is-leading-ea-sports-ncaa-football-5972633
Either would be, by far, the most unfortunate choice for the game’s marketing operation. Even Navy and Army, which clock in at No. 30 and No. 32 and were last relevant as football powers about 50 years ago, would be a winning choice because, hey, it’s Army and Navy. Patriotism sells well. Arkansas and Tennessee would be amusing after the kind of year they had, but overall defensible, with no shortage of recognizable alumni and symbols to depict.
But for Penn State, it’s going to take a hell of a long time before people hear that name and think of something other than Jerry Sandusky, child sex abuse and the ignominious end of Joe Paterno. And for Kentucky, it’ll take a hell of a long time before anyone hears that name and thinks of a winning program.
EA Sports, in revealing the true top 32 vote-getters, also said that voting is being extended through halftime of Monday’s BCS National Championship Game, at which the final cut will be made. They’re trying to take advantage of the exposure of college football’s last big weekend to gin up activity on their Facebook page. A news release said USC, the Other USC, Virginia Tech and Boise State all were in reasonable striking distance if their fans get out the vote.
The current top 32:
1. Notre Dame
2. Oregon
3. LSU
4. Ohio State
5. Texas A&M
6. Nebraska
7. Michigan
8. Kansas State
9. Stanford
10. Penn State
11. Florida State
12. West Virginia
13. Florida
14. Kentucky
15. Clemson
16. Wisconsin
17. Alabama
18. TCU
19. Miami
20. Utah
21. Georgia
22. Oklahoma
23. Missouri
24. Oregon State
25. Georgia Tech
26. Arkansas
27. Iowa
28. Texas
29. Tennessee
30. Navy
31. BYU
32. Army
