re: Would you rather your school be ranked #1 in football or academics?

All of those who are serious when answering football are case in point why academics in the south (including Texas) are a joke. To say all state schools are practically the same (especially when comparing Ole Miss to OSU) is absurd. While universities can undoubtedly offer more value than just what their US News & World Report ranking claims they do and in some cases offer much better educational opportunities than higher-ranked schools, to discredit the rankings because they don't cast your alma mater in a positive light when compared to universities across the country is just a head in the sand approach to higher education that is sadly way too similar to the culture of handing out participation awards to everyone in youth sports.