And pre-season polls mean everything, don't they?
Here's a look at this past season's NFL pre-season playoff teams as brought to you by SI magazine:
AFC playoff teams: Ravens, Jets, Steelers, Chiefs, Colts, Patriots
NFC playoff teams: Cowboys, Vikings, Falcons, Rams, Panthers, Eagles
Of those 12 teams, only the Steelers, Colts, Patriots, and Panthers made the playoffs. Now, seriously, would anyone think the Patriots or Colts could have missed the playoffs? That would mean SI picked 1 out of 10 other playoff teams not named New England or Indianapolis.
What's that all spell? It's nice to debate, but pre-season polls and rankings don't mean a thing.