Pretty much! It doesn't have to be a computer poll, it can be just your opinion, or a hybrid.

I do a computer poll, because a) I don't watch enough games to make an informed ranking and b) it's a fun exercise in coding and tuning the algorithm(s) for me.

You also don't need to share your ballot in the comments, but I also enjoy sharing and explaining what my algorithm is doing and if/where I disagree with it.

!WVbrU@lemmy.world took the words right out of my mouth. I agree that it can be pretty intimidating at first. Either to put together a computer poll (which I still haven't done as I haven't found one that represents my big orange bias well enough) or to put together a human poll. I would say if you're interested in the former most of the commenters around here are huge nerds (no offense y'all) and would likely be willing to show you a thing or two. Putting together a human poll is probably easier, but at least for me starting out I was certainly worried and sometimes blocked by my own perceived "correctness". Remember though, there are no right or wrong answers.

Part of the reason we have this open poll is to get as many ballots as possible, and smooth out any noise from strange rankings. We also have a lot of fun with those strange rankings, at least once a season we get a ballot with someones favorite team taking the top spot with no justification other than "Go " and it always brings a smile to my face at least. Again some advice if you're interested in starting your own human poll, a good place to start is by "correcting" the AP poll so that you think it's good. After a few weeks of this you start to get a hang for your own ranking system and again, there are no right or wrong answers. As an added bonus we're doing a cfb bracket prediction contest next week that you still have time to become eligible for! More information in the pinned post here.