itd have to be a lot of road losses and espn has shown their everywhere-but-the-sec-bias over the years. recently, our NC coverage(im including ABC on this one), auburns NC coverage(?), rankings, interconference sec play on espn(they loved ASU last year but couldnt root too hard against the hurricane ravaged LSU storyline). the list goes on. they all end up eating crow, just look at each college gameday helmet sticker thing, half of em end up in the SEC. each year, there end up being atleast 2 in the top ten, usually more. some people just dont learn from their repetitive mistakes this is all excluding lou, who is the man and should be on gameday and every telecast he can be on! go lou!
Yawn -- preseason poll -- yawn.... I do like having some college football talk though! ANY talk is better than none...
So how does going to a BCS bowl game make them worthy of a #2 ranking. You think they will be in the national title game this year? I don't think so. They might win the big 12 and go to a BCS game but they will lose at least 2 games.
Georgia will reload... with 5 top 10 recruiting classes in a row, it is fine with me that Georgia is once again being underestimated. After watching the Georgia Spring Game, this may just be the best defense that Georgia has ever put on a football field. Time will tell...
A good synopsis, I pretty much agree. I pick us 10-2, but 3 losses wouldn't shock me. 11 wins would not shock me either. I feel like we'll have a crackerjack offfense. I think our receiver corp will play better than last year, Russell will have a year of SEC experience under his belt, should improve. AB at running back, or maybe Keiland W or Charles Scott, or Hester. I like our young linebackers, I think this unit has good upside. Secondary should be good (go LaRon!). D-Line will have to earn its credibility, but they can do it. The coaching staff is not that unproven in my book, except D-Line coach. Bo proved Bo knows defense. Jimbo knows offense. I think 13 is a tad low, maybe 10th. It just depends if some of the younger players mature, gel, and can step up to the Rivals 'stars' they had when they were in high school. I'm willing to take the optimistic view, based on what I saw from the coaching staff last year, they got the kids ready to play, except for 2 games, Tenn. and SECCG. With the hurricane stuff and brand new staff, it may have been asking too much, and with no week off break after the season re-started. I expectantly await the start of summer camp. :geauxtige
I'm not one to usually underestimate Georgia. I predicted ya'll to win the East last year despite not many people having faith in Shockley. Georgia will be a solid team, probably be 8-4 maybe even 9-3, but you won't be ranked that high because your wins won't be very pretty and the media will continue to underestimate you throughout the season.
Well if they are expected to win the Big 12 and go to a BCS bowl, that's reason enough to rank them in the top 5. And this year there is no clear cut #1, and even the top 10 is really a crapshoot because so many different things could happen next season. So perhaps he was going for some shock value with the #2 ranking, or perhaps it's just because nobody else seemed like a better choice.
Okay then.... we hereby offer offer you our #10 slot in exchange for your #13. We're better when we start out of the top ten. One quick comment, have you ever seen a top "15" with more unproven QB's? This is gonna be some year. There is no clear #1, regardless of logic. For the Hawkeyes, I was the guy last year who said we were ranked too high. This year, we will be right back in the mix. Our offensive and defensive lines are rated best in the Big Ten. Ferentz says this could easily be his best offensive line ever. Tate's back for his senior year and was pushed hard this spring by 5 star redshirt Jake Christensen. Albert Young quietly led the Big Ten in rushing last year as a soph. And, finally, we have some "Blazers" at WR... now, if they can just catch the ball!! All the freshmen and redshirts, who played on the Dline last year at 250 lbs or less, showed up this spring at 280+, ala Jonathan Babineau of a few years ago. Our D will be very good. We get tOSU at home in late September in a nationally televised night game. The house will be rockin'. Win that... and we should be in the hunt.
OU has a 4 new starters on the OL, one returning starter at WR, will rely on a true freshman to back up AP, and has a QB returning who everyone is giving a mulligan to for last year. On defense they replace two starters on the DL, one at LB and only one DB, so there defense should be very strong. I think they are expecting OU to beat Texas due to UT having no QB with any experience and losing their best defensive player. If the Big 12 is as weak as it has been lately and if OU can get past Oregon on the road, a tough test, they could be in the hunt for the national title. But I have a feeling they lose to both UT and Oregon.
Hawker - I agree with your analysis of the Hawkeyes. How do you think the linebackers are going to perform though? I think if there is one question mark surrounding the team, it is how they are going to develop in that area. Losing both Hodge and Greenway is going to place that much more emphasis on the d-line and secondary to step up to the challenge. What those two were able to do behind a inexperienced defensive line was nothing short of amazing. Fortunately for them though they get a couple of games under their belts before they have to match up with the Buckeyes... :geauxtige LSU!
