Cougar don't crack AP Top 10, but grab 10th spot in coaches' poll

BYU fans were hopeful that the Cougars would crack the AP Top 10 this morning, but they actually came in about where I thought in the 12th spot. I figured Tennessee and Pittsburgh would fall behind the Cougars, but didn’t think voters would drop Kansas State (which beat Texas but lost to OKlahoma State) and Texas (which lost twice after reaching No. 1) down lower than BYU. I felt Duke, which lost to N.C. State, might drop farther. Interestingly, the coaches think BYU is better than three teams ranked ahead of the Cougars in the AP poll – Purdue, Kansas State and Georgetown, but not as good as Gonzaga. Myself, of those three teams, I think BYU would have an easier time with Gonzaga than it would Purdue or Georgetown. In fantasy, the Cougars playing any of those teams right now would be fun to watch.
I’m sure fans have mixed reactions, and many are probably disappointed that the Cougars are not Top 10 in both polls.
One interesting note: SI’s Seth Davis, who votes in the AP poll, had BYU at 17 in his ballot last week, but dropped the Cougars to 23rd in his ballot this week. Here’s his reasoning.
“The thing I am looking for most right now is quality wins. In other words, did that team beat someone else on my ballot? If not, they paid a price. That’s why I dropped BYU six spots even though the Cougars did not lose last week. BYU’s best wins this season were over Arizona State and UNLV at home, and Arizona and UTEP on the road. They can make a better case by winning Wednesday night at New Mexico, but for the time being I felt the need to make a course correction.”

I guess Davis doesn’t consider winning at San Diego State a quality win, where the Aztecs have lost only twice in the past 26 games, and both to BYU.