Here is my preseason Top 25. Keep in mind a couple of things when reviewing the list. First, this is not an attempt to predict order of finish. Rather, this is what is commonly referred to as a "power ranking." That is, this is the order of the best teams as I see them (not who will win the national championship). If I was ranking who I thought had the best chance of going undefeated, West Virginia would obviously be at the top since they play in the AAA of D-IA football.
Second, it is a strange year in college football. There is no clear-cut favorite to win it all and every one of the teams in the top 10 has some issues to overcome. Let me know what you think.
Top 25
Numbers 1-10 with explanations
1. Ohio State: I know they need to replace 9 starters on defense but I simply cannot get past what tOSU did to ND in the Fiesta Bowl. The game was a lot more lopsided than the final score. Btw, I watched that game via satellite in Jamaica. That island is still pissed at me for the damage I did to the hotel room following that debacle.
2. Texas: scary team even without Vince Young. Obviously, either tOSU or UT loses early, but -- again -- this is not a predicted order of finish. There is a lot of NFL talent on this team.
3. LSU: a stacked team. Like all SEC schools, though, they play an absolutely brutal schedule. I may end up looking like a moron when they season is over because this team could go undefeated or have three losses.
4. Auburn: see LSU
5. Notre Dame: possibly the best offensive team in the country. Heisman candidate at quarterback. But.....defense was atrocious, despite what many ND fans have talked themselves into. I watched every one of the ND games last year. People seem to forget that Stanford almost beat ND. They stay at #5 until the defense proves it can hold good opponents under 500 yards.
6. USC: new QB but lots of talent. Hard to evaluate given the soft schedule the Pac-10 has historically provided. Won't really know about this time until late in the year.
7. West Virginia: can run on almost anyone. The real question will be can they pass?
8. Florida: Will this be the year Chris Leak gets it?
9. Louisville: The only team in the top 10 with 2 legitimate Heisman contenders. If they beat Miami early, watch out.
10. Cal: early game at Tennessee will answer a lot of questions
Numbers 11-25
11. Florida State
12. Miami
13. Oklahoma
14. Michigan
15. Iowa
16. Georgia
17. Penn State
18. Nebraska
19. Virginia Tech
20. Oregon
21. Tennessee
22. Clemson
23. Arizona State
24. TCU
25. Georgia Tech
2 comments:
Trying to post a ranking of what the season will look like at the end of the year is hard enough, and that's before taking the annual BCS mess into account.
As for power rankings, I learned my lesson back in September 1995 when "unheralded" Northwestern came in and beat the Irish 17-15 for my first game as a Freshman. Lately I've become a lot like the state slogan of Missouri: "Show Me".
I do think there are some teams that are out there that will be loaded, but how they will fare will be a big ?. Most of the traditional powers have returned to the top of the list, so you can take your pick from any of the team that have talent but glaring holes (ND, OSU, USC, TX, PSU, TN etc). Michigan will be tough. Virginia Tech is a team to watch out for, as well as CAL.
Here's a question for you: if you were in charge of College Football for a day, what sweeping changes would you make?
Good question. There are a number of changes I would love to see in college football -- I'll post another column with them in a little while.
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