CFN Preview 2013 Preseason Rankings
I'll preface this by saying that I loathe preseason rankings, but it's a slow board month, and figured this could generate some discussion or at least a few laughs. This may in fact be the most asinine ranking list I have seen in awhile. I'll also post the dreaded SIAP, but I did a rather thorough search and could not find anything.
Anyway, College Football News released their 2013 pre-season rankings yesterday, ranking every FBS team. I'm impressed simply by the massive undertaking of writing even brief Offensive and Defensive previews on EVERY team. I'm unimpressed by their completely crazy rankings and half-baked analysis.
They separate their ranking classes (and of course separate links) into:
1 to 5 - The Elite | 6 to 10 - BCS Title Contenders | 11 to 20 - BCS Contenders | 21 to 30 - Potential Stars | 31 to 40 - Fringe Conference Contenders | 41 to 50 - Mid-Level Bowl Teams | 51 to 60 - In the Bowl Hunt | 61 to 70 - Searching For A Bowl | 71 to 80 - Also-Rans | 81 to 90 - Not Awful, But ... | 91 to 100 - Sure To Struggle | 101 to 110 - In For Tough Seasons | 111 to 125 (why no cute name?)
Big Ten:
#11 OSU
#13 MSU (!!)
#18 Wisconsin
#21 Michigan
#23 Nebraska
#31 Northwestern
#45 Iowa
#49 PSU
#53 Indiana
#54 Minnesota
#58 Purdue
#60 Illinois
Other Opponents:
#19 ND
#64 UConn
#94 Central Michigan
#116 Akron
Other Odd Choices:
#2 FSU (REALLY?)
#5 Texas
#22 Ole Miss
#25 Mississippi State
#26 Louisville
The rankings are clearly all over the map, with no justification as to why one team is put where. There are, however, some OK brief previews for some teams. The Michigan preview is pretty worthless in my opinion, but judge for yourself. They even found a way to take a RichRod jab... how original.
August 13th, 2013 at 3:36 PM ^
pre-season ranking, only time will tell...If Sparty or Texas finish the season near the top 10 I will be amazed
August 13th, 2013 at 3:44 PM ^
Dang, I was just going to say something like that about MSU. I predict their offense may be even worse than it was last year, if that is possible.
August 13th, 2013 at 3:40 PM ^
I see that our future conference compatriots are 48th (Rutgers) and 63rd (Maryland) as well. I was reading both entries and was reminded of something when I saw this:
"Rutgers remains in a rut. The Scarlet Knights have ranked no higher than 97th nationally in total offense over the last four seasons, slipping to 104th a year ago."
Oddly enough, had Rutgers been in the Big Ten last year, it would have still been better on offense than Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. Maryland, had they been in the conference, would have been the cellar dweller. To be fair, of course, Maryland's QB situation had come to a point where they had a linebacker under center behind a paper-thin offensive line.
August 13th, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^
That new offense is going to be innovative and exciting.
August 13th, 2013 at 3:45 PM ^
Yup, I did forget.
August 13th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
but not insane. I know the lost Manuel, but Winston is supposed to be The Truth and I believe they're returning a bunch of starters from a BCS bowl winning team, plus the ACC isn't exactly the SEC. They may not actually be the 2nd best team, but I could see them getting to the championship game
August 13th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
August 13th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
FSU @ #2 sounds like the same story over and over again.. they'll lose to teams they shouldn't lose to and still somehow win the ACC.. what a joke.
Texas @ 5 (see above)
MSU @ 13 works if you're just ranking defenses.. if you add offensive play in they're probably more like 58.
Northwestern and Nebraska seem a bit low to me but hey.. what the hell do I know?
August 13th, 2013 at 4:05 PM ^
August 15th, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^
I'm not mad at that comparison. Very fitting!
August 13th, 2013 at 3:57 PM ^
MSU loses their lone consistent contributors in what was a horribly anemic offense last year, and they are rewarded with #13 ranking in this joke poll? I get that they are probably going to have another top tier defense this year, but it means nothing if your inept offense has to be carried on the defense's back every game. I'm shocked that anyone in their right mind would even think of ranking Sparty in their top 25 at this point.
August 13th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
The idea that Texas is a Top 10 program is based on what record of recent achievement, the idea that overrating its annual recruit classes which then fail to perform, ought to make this year different than the recent past? The evidence: nowhere to be found.
Typically, when teams lose senior quarterbacks, head coaches or have only one side of the ball figured out and are then projected to succeed at levels they haven't accomplished except under the most optimum conditions and schedule, you could actually think someone who his now claiming they will rule the world, is either high or a genius. In college football, claiming Texas for the Top Ten is likely happening is based on regression to the Vince Young years and thinking the Yankees will always make the postseason.
The Longhorns need to prove themselves ala Notre Dame before we consider them worthy. And that means beating Oklahoma, which is under the same microscope. And, Florida State, really? Clemson is better on paper.
Oregon, because its head coach is gone, is also a question mark for national title contention. And this is because somebody has to play Alabama, which is always a legitimate choice given their Darth Vader leader and the Evil Empire which is the SEC, and can claim envy for being the clubhouse leader for every national award winner and the best conference in the land only because its true, until its not. Which is where and why college football previews like this are stupid, only because you can't foretell the future but in college football, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And then, noboby remembers the results. And so previews like this get printed and people like me bitch about them.
August 13th, 2013 at 4:04 PM ^
FSU at #2 made me cry tears of mirth. CFB writing would be incomplete if not for FSU's domination of preseason polls. Texas at #5 is almost as good for the same reason.
August 13th, 2013 at 4:10 PM ^
LOL at the words "Michigan State" and "BCS contenders" being in the same sentence. They won't get there this year and when the new alignment occurs next season, MSU will never sniff a BCS game.
August 13th, 2013 at 4:11 PM ^
It's good to see that Florida State continues their perennial streak of being way overranked.
August 13th, 2013 at 4:19 PM ^
they produce offensively, they have to contend by attempting to shutout every team they play. And last year was their year to contend. Their quarterback is better than he showed last year, but I'm not sure how much better that is, or how much better the receives who dropped so many of his passes will make this team this year, minus the same kind of running game the team could rely on in the past and now doesn't have to mask what has always been an average at best Oline, which is always plays above itself against Michigan. Even if your best offense is your defense, Sparty has been operating on the train going up the hill mentality and Dantonio's I think we can mentality for the last few years, always crapping out before they reach the summit. Why is that going to change this year?
August 13th, 2013 at 4:25 PM ^
I believe Michigan will be better this year because I believe Devin Gardener is a better QB than Denard. Throw all of your total yards and NO NO YES! dead duck pass aside. Devin is a better player. An offense that is steady and a D that is going to be very good should be a hugh improvement. Our O-line is going to be improved even with the lack of experience. The D is better as well, better dbacks and a line that has better depth and more talent. I doubt this coaching staff is going to be worse with better talent, even young talent. I think they are under ranking Michigan, though I can understand why. I couldn't care less where State is ranked #11 or # 111 either way we have a better team this year and for the future.
August 13th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
I wouldn't be making any guarantees regarding the O-Line at this point. More talented? Certainly! They're young, though, and being young is very rarely beneficial in that department. Any line we field would probably be an improvement from last year but that isn't saying much.
August 13th, 2013 at 7:29 PM ^
August 13th, 2013 at 4:41 PM ^
August 13th, 2013 at 5:22 PM ^
When does the AP poll come out?
August 13th, 2013 at 6:04 PM ^
August 14th, 2013 at 9:57 AM ^
Hahaha. Perfect. Worth a good laugh out loud
August 14th, 2013 at 9:55 AM ^
I'll have what they're having!
August 14th, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^
Apparently the strange juju that the state of Mississippi holds over in-state recruits has now affected the mainstream media as well. Ole Miss will be no better than 7-5 this season and Miss State will be fighting for bowl eligibility.
Not even going to bother discussing Michigan State at #13 except to point out that Pete Fiutak is usually involved in these predictions and he has a crazy hard mancrush on Dantonio and MSU, so not really all that surprised.