Tigers Talk: Bonner and Martin on the significance of this season
Memphis Tiger quarter back Seth Henigan (9) looks to pass the ball during the spring game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on April 20 in Memphis. (Wes Hale/Special to The Daily Memphian file)
Welcome to this edition of Tigers Talk with The Daily Memphian’s Tigers football beat writer Frank Bonner and college sports columnist John Martin.
Bonner and Martin answer will address some of the most pressing topics and storylines throughout the season.
1. Memphis was the top-voted Group of Five school in the USA Today Coaches Poll but was the third highest in the Associated Press Poll. Were you surprised by either poll?
Frank Bonner: I was a little surprised by the AP Poll.
The love Memphis received from media across the country as one of the leading candidates to claim that Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff didn’t reflect as heavily in the AP Poll votes as much as I expected. I thought the Tigers would at least be ahead of Liberty in the voting.
The Tigers were voted as the 30th-best team in the Coaches Poll with 44 points, and Boise, with 30 points, was right behind them. Even if Memphis switched spots with Boise State, having both schools stacked right on top of each other appeared pretty accurate to me.
What’s strange is how differently the coaches and the media voted Liberty compared to Memphis. Liberty was five spots behind Memphis with 15 points in the Coaches Poll. The AP Poll, however, voted Liberty (32 points) three spots ahead of Memphis (16). Boise State (47) received the 28th-most votes as the best Group of Five team, which was three rankings higher than Liberty. For the Tigers to go from the top Group of Five team in one poll to being voted significantly behind the top spot in another poll was unexpected.
Silverfield focused on penalties after Tigers’ first scrimmage
John Martin: I think I was probably a little bit more surprised by the coaches’ poll, if I’m being honest. Not because I think it’s wrong, but because it’s not typically a poll that projects forward, and that’s how it felt with Memphis being 30th when counting up votes. AP voters are predictable creatures and going off what they saw last season. Liberty was in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon (the Flames weren’t competitive, but still). Boise State finished the regular season strong despite firing its coach and pummeled UNLV in the Mountain West title game. Memphis undressed Iowa State in its bowl game — an impressive win, to be sure — but the Tigers didn’t even make the AAC title game.
With less emphasis on any given random bowl game, the voters weighed the totality of each season, and my guess is that’s why Memphis came in behind both Liberty and Boise State. Do I believe that Memphis is the worst of those three teams? Certainly not. I side far more with the Coaches Poll in this instance and think it’s actually a pretty fair slot for the Tigers before the season kicks off.
2. Is it too hyperbolic to say Memphis is entering the most important season in program history?
Topics
Memphis Tigers Football Tigers Talk Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Frank Bonner II
Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.
John Martin
John Martin is a contributing college sports columnist for The Daily Memphian. Martin is a lifelong Memphian who’s covered the Memphis Tigers’ basketball program for more than a decade. Before joining The Daily Memphian team, he was the Memphis beat writer for The Athletic. Currently, he is the co-host of the Jason and John Show on 92.9 FM ESPN, weekdays at 11 a.m. Martin is a graduate of White Station High School and the University of Memphis.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.