Analytics don’t use eyeballs. Hence oregon is ranked 4th
plus, algorithms must have memories. How else are PAC teams SOS so high when they have played nobody out of conference? They started with high rankings from last year and carried them over to this year. Hence, Oregon is 4th.
humans know that Oregon is not the 4th best team in the country. Algorithms don’t.
Massey uses previous years stats until a team hits 10 games, which is about now this year. And the lack of inter-conference opponents may reduce the predictability of Massey, something they have done very well over the years. As for humans and what they know or think they know ??? History is filled with tragedies due to "what humans knew".
The polls start the year as a 100% subjective opinion and once the pecking order is established preseason a team moves slowly up or down, because voters are reluctant to admit they were dead wrong about a team they started at 10th so that team stays on the ranked list while teams left off in preseason don't climb unless the teams ahead lose.
This is a crazy season and teams seem to be playing very inconsistently. Stanford has been living in hotels for a month now. That has to be a strain.
The teams that can keep their focus and peak late will be there. Who they are is another question at this point.