Was looking through the Register archives today and found an article from Sept. 21, 1980 discussing the Register's Top 10 poll, which, at the time, was entering its 20th year.

The poll turns 50 in 2010.

Anyway, here in 1980, a year when the state playoff system adopted by the CIAC was entering its 5th year, is an interesting quote discussing how voters decide to rank teams.

"The sportswriters who vote in the poll place a lot of emphasis on the difficulty of a team's schedule," said Mark Lewis, then the Register's Sports Editor (Lewis is currently a copy editor). "If there is an unbeaten team from the Fairfield County Conference, which usually has five or six strong teams, it has a better chance of recognition than an unbeaten team from the Naugatuck Valley League or the (now defunct) Metropolitan Bridgeport Conference, where there are a lot of urban teams that historically haven't been strong."

(and now the really interesting part)
Lewis continues: "Of course, there are years when there are exceptional teams in so-called weaker leagues. The state playoffs have helped a lot in this area and, I think, have opened some eyes around the state. Now if the CIAC would OK a playoff among the playoff champions, we'd be on Cloud 9."

Things that make you go hmmm.