Way-too-early Preseason Top 25 (according to ESPN)
Because they have a long stretch of minimal college football activity ahead of them, ESPN has naturally released an early preseason poll. I don't have a problem with too many of the rankings, but Notre Dame at 14? Really? I know it's unofficial but ND's preseason rankings surprise me without actually surprising me every year. Some are head scratchers.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=6087284
4. LSU Tigers
5. Oregon Ducks
12. Texas A&M Aggies
17. Auburn Tigers
18. Georgia Bulldogs
19. Texas Longhorns
20. Florida Gators
21. Missouri Tigers
.24. Nebraska Cornhuskers
25. Mississippi State Bulldogs
February 4th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
Really?
February 4th, 2011 at 2:07 PM ^
Notre Dame name + Brian Kelly in his second year is what I'm thinking has them this high. Their win over Miami certainly didn't hurt either.
I'd love to beat a preaseason top fifteen team at the Big House under the lights. All the better for us.
February 4th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
where would you put ND?
February 4th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
........confuses me. Didn't they lose a ton of players? Didn't they get their ass handed to them against Alabama? Just thinking that they had their one really good year out of a decade and now it's time to go back to the middle of the B10 again.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^
I believe they lost a lot on defense but their offense looks to be loaded for next year.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:58 PM ^
I believe they lose 3 OL as well.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:17 PM ^
February 4th, 2011 at 1:26 PM ^
They're losing Mark Dell too
February 4th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
But don't they get several guys back who were in prison?
February 4th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
Dantonio's been signing their work release forms for strength and condition sessions, so they should be fit for spring practice.
February 4th, 2011 at 5:49 PM ^
Dude, you just made me laugh hard... out loud. That came totally unexpected and woke me up on this late Friday afternoon as I was browsing through blogs passing time.
Well Played and I'd buy you a beer if I could!
Still laughing...
February 4th, 2011 at 4:40 PM ^
but they were utterly embarassed in their two losses and luck swung their way in all of their close contests. There's no way they replicate what they did this year.
February 4th, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^
Essentially, they were '09 Iowa.
Edit: Sorry, already mentioned below.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
Hey they did only lose one BT game, and they go have almost all the skilled positions back. But they lose a lot of keys on D and on the O line, so it's a stretch. But not nearly as bad as ND.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
Are you shitting me?
Did ESPN not watch their bowl game?
February 4th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
We should be in the top 25 too then with their logic.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
Texas really? They didn't even got to a bowl.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:12 PM ^
They will never leave out huge programs no matter how bad they were.
<br>We're just the embarrassing exception
February 4th, 2011 at 1:54 PM ^
I was thinking the same exact thing. They have no answer at QB and Gilbert has actually gotten worse (if that's possible). I don't see them winning more than 6-7 games again.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
Wow, putting ND that high is kind of ridiculous. Just wow. That being said, I would not be surprised if they earned that ranking by the end of the season.
February 4th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
I think ND will be good this year with the possibility of a lot of upside. They improved over the course of the year, especially on defense, while they had quite a few injuries on offense. With some stability at QB I wouldn't doubt their appearance in a quality bowl.
February 4th, 2011 at 3:01 PM ^
You lost me at "the possiblity of a lot of upside". Because that means absolutely nothing at all. Next time just kick it street like "you know I'm sayin'".
February 4th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
these two statements seem at odds with each other:
1. putting ND that high is kind of ridiculous
2. I would not be surprised if they earned that ranking by the end of the season.
February 4th, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^
February 4th, 2011 at 12:58 PM ^
ND started out slow, but finished 7-2 and 4-0, including a win @USC. They look like they could have a very big breakout season this year. Keep in mind that they were 8-5. Finishing 9-3 or 10-2 next year will probably be enough to get them up there.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
They were a drop from a wide open USC WR from being 6-6. I think ND's ranking is the classic overreaction to a bowl win. They spanked Miami, a team in disarray that had just seen its head coach fired. Makes people look past the fact that they got drilled by Navy and lost to Tulsa at home.
I think ND will end up in the 15-20 range, there schedule is really easy, but I think it's silly to rank them this high to start the season. Oh well, it'll just make our leap into the top 25 quicker after we beat them Sept. 10.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:44 PM ^
Well, what do you think the rankings are for? It should theoretically be where you think they will be ranked by season's end. If you think that 15 is acceptable, then 14 should be acceptable as well.
February 4th, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
That's where they will be ranked, based on wins against a weak schedule, and everyone's need to overrate them (see every time they've made it to a BCS game). I won't know how high they deserve to be ranked until I see them play.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^
Oklahomeslice
February 4th, 2011 at 1:21 PM ^
Oklah-nohomo
February 4th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
Oklahomo Spooners?
February 4th, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^
Michigan State at 16 is more surprising to me than Notre Dame at 14. Notre Dame started playing decent football toward the end of the year. MSU was the luckiest team I have ever seen this past season. No way lightning strikes twice for them. They will be lucky to get to 7 wins next year and thats if they can keep all their players out of prison over the off season. They will be heading back to the being the best of the worst in the big ten over the next couple years.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
MSU this year was the Iowa of last year. They won close games by having the ball bounce their way on numerous occasions. We all know what happened to Iowa this year.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
And Iowa beat Sparty by about 217.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^
Was that all? That might have been the halftime score.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:58 PM ^
February 4th, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^
doesn't really bother me. But FSU at #3? Maybe if Ponder was still going to be there, but not while breaking in a new starting QB.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
Yeah and Arkansas loses Mallet, what is ESPN thinking?
February 4th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
See: Texas Longhorns @5-7 ...
February 4th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
FSU at 3? wow
Stanford at 7? Not without Harbaugh and Fangio. No chance.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
with ND at 14. They were play pretty good ball to end the season.
There are some other teams that I'm not sure even belong on that list.... Arkansas for example. We'll see how they survive the SEC West sans Mallett.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:26 PM ^
Arkansas is the one that jumps off the screen to me. These preseason polls actually do matter despite the obsurdity by which they are put together. It's hard for an unranked team to climb the polls by the end of the year and play in the championship game. At least wait until week 4 to realese them in my opinion.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
Arkansas at 11 without Mallett?
February 4th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
February 4th, 2011 at 1:12 PM ^
I don't see a game that isn't in their favor other than @Stanford.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
February 4th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
Well, you're still only listing 3 games which are not in their favor. If they win the games they are supposed to, that puts them at 9-3, which could be enough to get them to 14.
I still think that many people on this board are under estimating ND, though.
February 4th, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
I don't know if 9-3 without beating anyone good (except maybe MSU) will be good enough for #14 in the country. There will be at least 10 teams from BCS conferences with better than a 9-3 record and another half dozen sitting at 9-3 over tougher schedules. That's a minimum.
EDIT: Last year, pre-bowls, the highest ranked 3 loss team was Alabama at #16. Nebraska was #18 at 10-3, so 9-3 ND would certainly be behind both, since both of those teams faced a number of ranked teams and actually beat some of them (namely @ OK St. and against Mizzou, and two of their losses were Oklahoma and TAMU).
February 4th, 2011 at 8:39 PM ^
And in 2007 there were lots of teams ahead of 14 with 3-4 losses. It just depends on what happens. I, personally, think they are a 10-win team and they are ranked accordingly.
February 4th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
"Notre Dame's a lock for MNC"
EDIT: should read "Dame'th"