Monday, June 29, 2020
Identity Theft Feminism in ââ¬ÅFantomina; or Love in a Mazeââ¬Â - Literature Essay Samples
In a time when women were never considered victors in the realm of sexuality, author Eliza Haywood protests these standards in her writings. She creates female characters who show the world that women can win, even in patriarchal societies. Victorious female characters make the world a better place by further empowering other women. Whether they are accomplishing their dreams, raising a family, or finding a mate, women benefit from living their lives with the freedom to make their own choices. In Eliza Haywoodââ¬â¢s novella, ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or, Love in a Maze,â⬠the unnamed protagonist (Lady ââ¬â) represents a strong female character in an early example of feminist literature. The story ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or, Love in a Mazeâ⬠begins with a description of the protagonist as a ââ¬Å"young lady of distinguished birth, beauty, wit, and spiritâ⬠(Haywood 2740). Lady ââ¬â attends the playhouse one night and curiously notes the way men give attention to the prostitutes in another section of the audience. She decides to gratify her ââ¬Å"innocent curiosityâ⬠(Haywood 2740) and visits the playhouse the following night dressed as a prostitute herself. Men flock to her, praising her beauty. One man in particular, Beauplaisir, makes her swoon. She agrees to go with him the following night. Once Beauplaisir and the young woman have sex, she is afraid of her undoing. She backtracks and says that she is not actually a prostitute, but Fantomina, ââ¬Å"a daughter of a country gentleman,â⬠which is why she is ashamed of her actions (Haywood 2744). Nevertheless, they continue to meet, she assuming the identity of Fantomina. When he tires of her and travels away, she assumes a new disguise to attract him. Her new identity is a maid at the place he is staying, and she calls herself Celia. Beauplaisir becomes attracted to the protagonist as Celia (unaware that it is the same woman as before). After a month, he grows sexually weary of her as well and goes back home. Not to be forgotten, she assumes a fourth identity, calling herself Widow Bloomer. Once again Beauplaisir is beguiled, thinking she might be able to ââ¬Å"ease the burden of his loveâ⬠(Haywood 2749). Once again, they form a sexual relationship, but unsurprisingly Beauplaisir wants something fresh rather quickly. Finally, Lady ââ¬â (Haywood 2740) puts on her fifth and final identity, the mysterious and masked aristocrat who goes by the elusive title, Incognita. At last, she becomes tired of her scheme and trickery, not without discovering she is pregnant. Her mother visits, ââ¬Å"not approving of many things she had been told of the conduct of her daughterâ⬠(Haywood 2756). The young protagonist hides her pregnancy well until she goes into labor prematurely. Her mother demands Lady ââ¬â confess who the father is, to which she offers up Beauplaisirââ¬â¢s name. He comes, but denies he is the father, still not realizing the woman before him is the same as the other five women he has slept with. Lady ââ¬â confesses her trickery and must take full responsibility for her actions. When she is healed, she is sent off to a monastery. Readers struggle to interpret who Lady ââ¬â really is. Is Lady ââ¬â a strong, independent woman who is ahead of her time, or is Lady ââ¬â a self-conscious, fragile character who is so dissatisfied in her identity that her only option is to experiment with the identities of others? On the one hand, she makes her own decisions as she pleases and holds sexual power over a man, but on the other hand, she hides her true self from readers. Who really is Ladyââ¬â? She is a woman who defines independence and inner-strength. She defies societal expectations to become who she wants to be with no help from others. She, although excelling at mystery and multiple identities, does not become confused in her inner identity, ââ¬Å"one of distinguished birth, beauty, wit, and spiritâ⬠(Haywood 2740). Even though her final circumstances (of pregnancy and a monastery) appear to be her downfall, Lady ââ¬â does not surrender to the appearance of weakness. She holds her head high , still identifying with her real self ââ¬â a popular young woman who frequently attends high-class social gatherings. Finally, she ends up in a all-female society that empowers women to strip themselves from the bondage of men. Some critics disagree with the argument that Lady ââ¬â is a strong, independent woman who is ahead of her time. According to Kate Levin, Lady ââ¬â is not mature because she only acts in relation to Beauplaisir (Levin 1). Levin also argues that the protagonist is always saying yes and no at the same time, a weakness that she calls ââ¬Å"collusive resistanceâ⬠(Levin 2). Margaret Croskery believes that because Lady ââ¬â demonstrates ââ¬Å"collusive resistance,â⬠she is neither the victor nor the vanquished, a protest of both kinds of norms (77). Others note that Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s pregnancy takes away from the power of feminism (Ballaster 190). Pregnancy is a consequence that she cannot run from and ultimately shows the weakness of the female sex, something, though, that Lady ââ¬â herself cannot control. Lastly, while some say Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s transportation to a monastery is a continuation of the female society (Craft 831), others debate that it i s a punishment and an imprisonment of female freedom (Levin 1). Even the text itself is its own critic. At some points, it seems like Lady ââ¬â and Beauplaisir really love each other, and it is a mutual, loving relationship. In the beginning, Fantomina and Beauplaisir ââ¬Å"were infinitely charmed with each otherâ⬠(Haywood 2741). Lady ââ¬â even ââ¬Å"almost died for another opportunity of conversing with him,â⬠and calls him her ââ¬Å"beloved Beauplaisirâ⬠(Haywood 2742 2746). And ââ¬Å"nothing could be more tender than the manner in which he accosted herâ⬠(Haywood 2742). At other times, it seems that the relationship (in both their eyes) is simply a lustful and passionate affair. Beauplaisir quickly loses interest over and over again, ââ¬Å"the rifled charms of Fantomina soon lost their poignancy, and grew tasteless and insipid (Haywood 2745). Even Lady ââ¬â eventually reveals that it was fatal to have gotten involved with Beauplaisir because of the trouble it had caused her (Haywood 2757). Readers may que stion if Lady ââ¬â is a desperate woman who wants attention or if she is in search of a genuine lover but gets distracted by the game of identity. Because of the discrepancies and changes in feelings, especially Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s, some critics still debate if the protagonist is actually empowered and should be hailed as a heroine in feminist literature (Merritt 46). Despite all the criticisms, Lady ââ¬â does display a striking freedom in the way she expresses herself and is fearless in her quest towards the discovery of love, sex, and power. The feminist literary criticism approach can be used to study the protagonist, Lady ââ¬â, in ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or Love in a Maze.â⬠Elaine Showalter argues that there are three literary subcultures, or major stages of female development, in literature. The subculture itself means ââ¬Å"a habit of livingâ⬠(Showalter 14). The first is the Feminine Stage, which involves the ââ¬Å"imitation of the prevailing modes of the dominant traditionâ⬠and ââ¬Å"internalization of its standardsâ⬠(Showalter 13). The next, Feminist Stage, is ââ¬Å"a protest against these standards and advocacy of minority rightsâ⬠(Showalter 13). Finally, the Female Stage is a ââ¬Å"phase of self-discovery, a turning inward freed from some of the dependency of opposition, a search for identityâ⬠(Showalter 13). Showalter says that a character can display characteristics from more than one developmental stage, even though the stages roughly follow literary time periods (13). Ac cording to Showalter, the Feminine phase in literature included texts written between the 1840s and 1880s; the Feminist phase from 1880s to 1920; the Female stage from 1920 to the present (13). Eliza Haywood wrote this particular novella in 1724, long before females became common protagonists and long before the Female stage began. The protagonist in ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or Love in a Mazeâ⬠strongly illustrates the final developmental stage (Female) and demonstrates some characteristics in the Feminist stage as well. This is determined by the characterââ¬â¢s knowledge of what she wants and her desire to get what she wants, her protest against stereotypical female standards by advocating self-discovery of identity, her trickery that makes her the victor, and her continuous inner strength. Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s motives guide her during the process of getting what she wants. At first, her motives are ââ¬Å"no other aim than the gratification of an innocent curiosityâ⬠(Haywood 2740). According to one critic, Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s motives stay here the whole story, meaning she is only interested in learning more about what male attention feels like, nothing more (Merritt 49). Other textual interpretations acknowledge that her curiosity turns into sexual knowledge and experience because she keeps trying to sleep with Beauplaisir. A ââ¬Å"hope of interestâ⬠becomes her new motive in keeping Beauplaisir close at hand (Haywood 2743). She says that ââ¬Å"she loved Beauplaisirâ⬠(Haywood 2746). She wants have some sexual control and be sexually satisfied at the same time, hoping to ââ¬Å"once more engage him, to hear him sigh, to see him languish, to feel the strenuous pressures of his eager arms, to be compelled, to be sweetly forced to what she wished wi th equal ardorâ⬠(Haywood 2746). Once the fun becomes a glorious scheme to trick Beauplaisir into loving and lusting more than one woman, her motives finally turn to being the victor in the game of love and sex. According to Catherine Craft, this is Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"fantasy of female freedomâ⬠(830). Craft notes that she adopts disguises for her own pleasures and is proud and content with her actions during the game (830). Her motives, although shifting frequently, demonstrate character complexity and depth. Lady ââ¬â knows what she wants and will not stop at anything to get it ââ¬Å"no matter the consequenceâ⬠(Haywood 2742). In this, she defines strength and independence because what she wants defies what society says women should ââ¬Å"wantâ⬠in that day. Lady ââ¬â chooses to fight for what she desires, even if society opposes it. The exception to this rule is when her mother comes to town, because not only are there uninvited consequences (pregnancy), but she has to be responsible for them. Lady ââ¬â takes on five different identities to keep the game alive. With each disguise and performance, she prepares more, meaning that she learns quickly how to become someone else (Hodgson-Anderson 5). However, she does not lose sight of who she is and proves that it is okay for women to do whatever necessary to win. As her experiences broaden, she begins to understand the complex differences between the sexes. She learns quickly that men desire difference while women de sire sameness so she elegantly disguises her desire for the same object with his for a new (Merritt 53 55). Emily Hodgson-Anderson argues that although Lady ââ¬â plans everything out beforehand, her feelings for Beauplaisir are still genuine, which is why she succeeds overall (2). Thinking ahead and preparing how she will seduce Beauplaisir is, Hodgson-Anderson argues, what makes Lady ââ¬â a feminist character (6). Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s strong will and deep thinking further empowers her throughout the story. Lady ââ¬â actively protests stereotypical female standards as she discovers her own identity. First, she protests common gender roles. She promotes her own power when she first refuses Beauplaisirââ¬â¢s service, ââ¬Å"observing the surprise he would be in to find himself refused by a woman, who he supposed granted her favours without exceptionâ⬠(Haywood 2742). Although Lady ââ¬â is dressed as a prostitute, she does not live to the standard of one, which threatens Beauplaisirââ¬â¢s expectations of manliness and conquering. When Lady ââ¬â addresses Beauplaisir in a letter as Incognita, she calls him the ââ¬Å"all-conquering Beauplaisir,â⬠buttering him up and praising everything about him (Haywood 2753). However, when Beauplaisir responds to ââ¬Å"the obliging and witty Incognita he calls himself ââ¬Å"your everlasting slaveâ⬠(Haywood 2754). The way Lady ââ¬â writes Beauplaisir puts herself in the spot of the victor. No matter how powerful Bea uplaisir thinks he is, when it comes down to it, he is at the hands of Incognita because she has to make the first move. He never has to make the first move because he is being eloquently pursued, an ironic twist of gender stereotypes. Beauplaisirââ¬â¢s hands are tied ââ¬â he is subservient to a woman. Lady ââ¬â has great power over a man in this part of the story and she delights in it. The power she has promises a chance to finally control Beauplaisirââ¬â¢s attention, making him focus on Incognita alone. Lady ââ¬â even experiments with social class, creating identities as lowly as a prostitute and maid to as high as an aristocrat. Lady ââ¬â herself, being born of ââ¬Å"distinguished birthâ⬠(Haywood 2740) would have never experienced life from the perspective of lowly characters like the prostitute, Fantomina, or the maid. According to Craft, each disguise Lady ââ¬â assumes is a higher class than the last, but more sexually accessible, which is the opposite of standards of the day (829). As a prostitute, she is ââ¬Å"fearful, confused, altogether unprepared to resist in such encountersâ⬠(Haywood 2743). Although she may start out sexually weak, she develops her sexual strength and dominance, so by the time she is Incognita, she ââ¬Å"yielded without even a shew of reluctanceâ⬠(Haywood 2755). According to Hodgson-Anderson, Incognita is the identity most threatening to Beauplaisir (6). This is not because she is the highest class citizen, but because she refuses to share her real name or her face. A refusal to share these things makes Beauplaisir uncomfortable and frustrated because he has no power and may end up the fool in the end. A lack of accountability could mean the woman he is sleeping with is not an aristocrat, or worse (in his mind) ââ¬â ugly. But what really scares Beauplaisir, while empowering Lady ââ¬â, is her mask. Juliette Merritt suggests that masquerade is a game in which women win because in realigning femininity, women create a new identity that will not compromise their public identity (45, 47, 51). The mask also allows her to freely express her genuine desires (Hodgson-Anderson 6). According to Hodgson-Anderson, this is a positive personal demonstration called self-conscious performance, which is when women act out roles that they have internally conceived for themselves so they can achieve female passions that society would consider immoral or disastrous (1). Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s strength is further defined by the way she grows to handle the pressure sexual encounters create, and how she controls her own identityââ¬â¢s desires through the names and costumes of others. By creating false identities, Lady ââ¬â is freely expressing what society would not normally allow her to express ââ¬â her true desires. Lady ââ¬â uses trickery to first become and then stay the victor in the game of sex. She genuinely enjoys tricking Beauplaisir and being the master behind the curtain. She ââ¬Å"imagines a world of satisfaction to herself in engaging him in the character of such a oneâ⬠(Haywood 2742). She is convinced that no one knows of her scheme, proud that ââ¬Å"I shall hear no whispers as I pass, ââ¬â She is forsaken: ââ¬â The odious word forsaken will never wound my ears; nor will my wrongs excite either the mirth or pity of the talking worldâ⬠(Haywood 2745). Even the narrator brags on Lady ââ¬â in the text, ââ¬Å"she was so admirably skilled in the art of feigningâ⬠(Haywood 2749). This proves that whether or not Lady ââ¬â is actually interested in Beauplaisir, she wants to play a game, and Craft even argues that Lady ââ¬â gets tired of Beauplaisir just as often as he gets tired of her (831). ââ¬Å"She began to grow as weary of receiving his now in sipid caresses as he was of offering themâ⬠(Haywood 2756), which further suggests that Lady ââ¬â is interested in something short-lived that gives her power over a man. The complexity of her trickery and her character keeps the game alive. Instead of playing the typical weak female or the victim, Lady ââ¬â presents Beauplaisir as the fool in the relationship. He is ââ¬Å"both surprised and troubled at the mysteryâ⬠from the beginning when Lady ââ¬â tells him she is not a prostitute (Haywood 2743). Thus begins the more advanced labyrinth of deceit. She ââ¬Å"provided herself of another disguise to carry on a third plotâ⬠(Haywood 2747), and then ââ¬Å"she had prepared herself for it, and had another project in embryo, which she soon ripened into actionâ⬠(Haywood 2751), a deceit unmatched by any other. Her disguises empower her because only she knows what is real. Beauplaisir can only guess who these beautiful women are, clueless that is is all the same person. The mystery of the disguises keeps her reputation safe while allowing her to pursue her desires. She turns the relationship into a maze (and a game) that she gets out of, while he is still left clueless, ââ¬Å"But I have outwitted even the most subtle of the deceiving kind, and while he thinks to fool me, is himself the only beguiled personâ⬠(Haywood 2751). She lets Beauplaisir think he is seducing her, but she is seducing him and is in charge the whole story (Levin 4-5). Hodgson-Anderson points out that Beauplaisir thinks he has conquered four women, when he is actually making love to the same body every night (3). Such a belief on Beauplaisirââ¬â¢s part would make him feel like a male victor, a king in the field of sex. But when Lady ââ¬â confesses what she has done, he is ââ¬Å"more confused than ever he had known in his whole lifeâ⬠(Haywood 2758), an entire defeat on his part, one that will forever remain with him. Lady ââ¬â ultimately ââ¬Å"proves skill in a game against the man perceived to be the bestâ⬠(Levin 5). Finally, Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s inner strength throughout the novella proves her to be in the feminist and female stages of Showalterââ¬â¢s female development theory. First of all, she depends on only herself to get through the game and any pain it might cause her. She ââ¬Å"did in every thing as her inclinations of humours rendered most agreeable to herâ⬠(Haywood 2740) and ââ¬Å"depended on the strength of her virtue, to bear her fate through trials more dangerous than she apprehended this to beâ⬠(Haywood 2742). When she succeeds, she is proud of herself because ââ¬Å"I have him always raving, wild, impatient, longing, dyingâ⬠(Haywood 2754). Things start downhill because she is raped by Beauplaisir, ââ¬Å"she was undone; and he gained a victory so highly rapturous, that had he known over whom, scarce could he have triumphed moreâ⬠(Haywood 2743). Even so, she rises above, becoming the victor in an uncomfortable and taboo situation that first puts her on the bottom of the social pyramid (Ballaster 188). Next, she is accountable for her actions and accepts responsibility for them. Helen Thompson says it is important to note that Lady ââ¬â does tell Beauplaisir about the trickery she involves him in (207). Even if it would have cost her reputation and been completely terrifying, ââ¬Å"she related the whole truthâ⬠(Haywood 2758). Lastly, she does not get confused in her own identity, despite putting on so many others. Lady ââ¬â is able to maintain her personal identity so that ââ¬Å"she met him three or four days in a week, at the lodging she had taken for that purpose, yet as much as he employed her time and thoughts, she was never missed from any assembly she had been accustomed to frequentâ⬠(Haywood 2745). According to Croskery, her adopted roles reveal traits about her own identity because in the fake identities, she can express desires that she normally could not based on her sex and class (4). Her ultimate inner strength is her self-composure and belief in herself, which is how she presents herself to the world (Merritt 67). Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s inner strength continues even when she becomes pregnant and is sent to the monastery. Even though she is pregnant, she still retains her true identity, attending social gatherings appearing as a lovely virgin, ââ¬Å"by eating little, lacing prodigious straight, and the advantage of a great hoop-petticoat, however, her bigness was not taken notice ofâ⬠(Haywood 2756). She gives birth to a daughter, someone who will be pinned down by society as an illegitimate child. However, that child will grow to become a woman who will have the choice to be whoever she wants to be. Lady ââ¬â is the one the child can look up to in this way, because Lady ââ¬â not only defies stereotypical female standards, but pursues the self-discovery of identity. In the monastery, Lady ââ¬â has the opportunity to live in an all-female society, a society that is free from male bias, power, and control. Instead of living in a place where men rule and women submit, Lady ââ¬â can finally rest in a home that promotes female empowerment, something that Lady ââ¬â exhibits throughout the story. The archetype of seduction begins in the garden with Eve and the serpent (Levin 3). In this story, however, it is not the woman who is beguiled, but the man. This story weakens the criticism of women on the basis of the garden. Instead, men are attacked with the point that they are ââ¬Å"stupid and beguiledâ⬠(Craft 831). Seduction is a hot topic in literature, especially in Haywoodââ¬â¢s writings, who, according to literary critics, is known as the ââ¬Å"Great Arbitress of Passionâ⬠(Hodgson-Anderson, 1). Haywood writes ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or Love in a Mazeâ⬠to play with the idea that the best seduction is mutual (Levin 6). The passion in this story is a split flame ââ¬â one loverââ¬â¢s flame burns out over and over again (Beauplaisir) while the otherââ¬â¢s constantly grows stronger (Lady ââ¬â). Not only does the story ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or Love in a Mazeâ⬠frequent the topic of passion, it focuses on rising above the stereotypical gender roles i n the game of sexuality. According to Levin, the female protagonist learns sexual knowledge through experience, she jumps over conventional boundaries by becoming the teacher instead of the learner (5). As her sexual identity forms, so does her identity as a female. Her final identity settles as a mother when instead of creating another disguise, Lady ââ¬âââ¬â¢s body creates another being (Thompson 207). The introduction to ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or, Love in a Mazeâ⬠is a couplet by Edmund Waller which reads, ââ¬Å"In love the victors from the vanquished fly. ââ¬â They fly that wound, and they pursue that die.â⬠While traditionally Lady ââ¬â would be the vanquished, she is in fact the victor because she empowers herself and mystifies the sex that is usually all-powerful. Beauplaisir is the vanquished, weak, and confused one. The story ultimately proves the power women have when they are given the opportunity and freedom to express it. Lady ââ¬â is a woman who demonstrates incredible independence, empowerment, and control for a female of her time. Through her motives, quest for identity, trickery, and inner strength, Lady ââ¬â demonstrates that she is a strong female character in an early example of feminist literature. Works Cited Ballaster, Rosalind. Seductive Forms: Womenââ¬â¢s Amatory Fiction from 1684 to 1740. Clarendon Press, 1992. Craft, Catherine. ââ¬Å"Reworking Male Models: Aphra Behnââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Fair Vow-Breaker,â⬠Eliza Haywoodââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Fantomina,â⬠and Charlotte Lennoxââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Female Quixote.â⬠The Modern Language Review, vol. 86, no. 4, 1991, pp. 821-38. Croskery, Margaret. ââ¬Å"Masquing Desire: The Politics of Passion in Eliza Haywoodââ¬â¢s Fantomina.â⬠The Passionate Fictions of Eliza Haywood: Essays on Her Life and Work, edited by Kristen T. Saxton and Rebecca P. Bocchicchio, 1st ed., UP of Kentucky, 2000, pp. 69-94. Haywood, Eliza. ââ¬Å"Fantomina; or Love in a Maze.â⬠Nortonââ¬â¢s Anthology of English Literature, Edited by Stephen Greenblatt, W. W. Norton Company, 2012, pp. 2740-2758. Hodgson-Anderson, Emily. ââ¬Å"Performing the Passions in Eliza Haywoodââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Fantominaâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Miss Betsy Thoughtless.â⬠The Eighteenth Century, vol. 46, no. 1, 2005, pp. 1-15. Levin, Kate. ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËThe Only Beguiled Personââ¬â¢: Accessing Fantomina in the Feminist Classroom.ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, vol. 2, no. 1, 2012, pp. 6-19. Merritt, Juliette. ââ¬Å"Peepers, Picts, and Female Masquerade: Performances of the Female Gaze in Fantomina; or, Love in a Maze.â⬠Beyond Spectacle: Eliza Haywoodââ¬â¢s Female Spectators, University of Toronto Press, 2004, pp. 45-72. Showalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Bronte to Lessing. Princeton University Press, 1977. Thompson, Helen. ââ¬Å"Plotting Materialism: W. Charletonââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Ephesian Matronâ⬠, ââ¬Å"E.Haywoodââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Fantominaâ⬠, and Feminine Consistency. Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol.35, no. 2, 2002, pp. 195-214.
Friday, June 5, 2020
College Football Rankings Explained
College Football Rankings Explained Determining College Football Team Rankings Rankings for college football teams change every week throughout football season as aggregate performance impacts how each elite team compares against the others. Related Articles Understanding College Athletic Divisions Understanding College Athletic Divisions College Ranking College Ranking College Football College Football College Football Playoff Rankings The College Football Playoff (CFP) system began with the 2014 season, replacing the former Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The CFP ranking system is the one that, ultimately, is the most meaningful. That's because CFP rankings are the ones that determine which teams will be invited to participate in the playoffs, and the playoffs determine which teams have a shot at winning a national championship. CFP rankings are determined by a selection committee that consists of a mixture of people with expertise in football (such as athletic directors, former NCAA and conference representatives and former head coaches) and leaders outside the sport (as of 2015, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Lieutenant General Mike Gould (Ret., U.S. Air Force) serve on the committee). Unlike the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll that are published from the very beginning of football season, CFP rankings aren't released until mid-season, when teams have had a few months to establish their track records. After the initial release date, CFP rankings are updated each week throughout the season, until selection day, which occurs after the last conference championship game has been played. Even though CFP rankings aren't released from the beginning of the season, every game, and even every play, are taken into consideration when determining rankings. Factors taken into consideration include "conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparison of results against common opponents and other factors." Coaches Poll USA Today is behind the Coaches Poll, and Amway is the name sponsor, so it is referred to as the Amway Coaches Poll. Rankings are determined by a randomly selected panel of head football coaches at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools. Every week, panel members submit their recommendations for the top 25 teams in college football. The panel members don't just submit a list of team names. Instead, the votes they turn in specify which position they feel each team should be in based on performance-to-date in the season, taking any factors they feel are relevant into consideration. A first place vote is worth 25 points, a second place vote is worth 24 points and so on.
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