this is no different than anything else in the us. there is a shock factor and people focus on the bad. it will correct itself over time as people focus on the big picture. not to mention these analysts don't know anything about the teams that they dont follow personally.
good story about that, because it is very true. One of the Louisiana writers who has an AP vote (won't mention who) was in the press box during the season and he said his No. 1 and No. 2 were Kansas and USF, I believe? It may have been two other teams, but it neither was a prominent team. When asked how many people he could name on that team's roster, he named 1 person off each. I have always said and always will say that the NCAA needs to hire people who's job is to keep up with the polls. They need to hire a committee who's job is to just sit down and watch all 100 games or whatever on every Sat, so the polls can really be reflected by people who actually know a little bit about teams other than their own.
If the defending National Champion goes undefeated and does not get into the BCS Championship game, the world will end.
Notre Dame has caused this to happen before...and I suspect if given the opportunity they will let it happen again. :rolleye33: And I agree with Clair and hiring certain people to watch teams and vote. For some reason things that were put in place 80 years ago cant be changed.
I agree... I honestly don't know why Auburn is ranked in the top 10. They have a new OC and a new QB at the same time. The learning curve is going to be a huge barrier all by itself. Auburn doesn't play Florida, but other than that, I just don't see Auburn as having a significant edge over anyone in the West, including Alabama.
:wink: clair, I agree with most of your posts in this thread (and in general), but I would respectfully suggest that there are many versions of the "spread offense," including the versions used by UF and UT in securing their most recent MNC titles. It is important to consider that the air raid version of Franklin's offense is significantly easier to learn and execute than the version used by Rodriguez. That is why the air raid version is so popular among HS teams in the southeast. The Franklin version is much more about the HUNH and creating mismatches than it is about the timing required by RichRod's version, which is predicated upon the QB reading the DE and reacting with wishbone-like expediancy. Now an offense like that takes a "long time to master" .... Just ask Chip82 ....... lowly Troy hung 34 points and 488 yards on a solid Georgia defense last season ...... a defense that ranked 3rd in the SEC. :wink:
.........if you think that College preseason polls don't matter you need to stick your head back in the hole or actually pay attention during college football season.
Troy had a very good team last year but still couldn't overcome any of the 3 SEC teams that they played. (Georgia - Florida - Arkansas) Troy had a Senior QB, Omar H., who knew how to read defensive alignments well and was able to exploit the mismatches that you spoke of. I won't say that it can't be done, but I'm more inclined to believe that it will take Auburn, with a rookie QB, at least half the 2008 season before it will become a well oiled offense.
We could easily substitute LSU in that statement. Should be an exciting season. But then again, when is it not?
