Preseason AP Poll Released
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5481489
- Alabama
- Ohio State
- Boise State
- Florida
- Texas
- TCU
- Oklahoma
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- VT
- Oregon
- Wisconsin
- The U
- USC
- Pitt
- GT
- Arkansas
- UNC
- Penn State
- FSU
- LSU
- Auburn
- Georgia
- Oregon State
- WVU
Still no UConn in the top 25 which seems kind of suprising considering all the offseason hype. LSU isint the 21st best team in the country. I thought USC was supposed to be banned from the polls for 2 years? 4 Big Ten teams.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
I think USC is banned from the Coaches Poll and the BCS.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
The AP Poll has a lot of clout and people still turn to it for a second opinion at the end of the season once the MNC has been decided, especially if there are 2 teams undefeated at the end of the season (I'm looking at you Auburn circa 2004). It would be interesting to see who that 26th team is without USC in the mix.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:35 AM ^
August 21st, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
They can't win a national championship through the AP poll. The national championship in FBS college football is the winner of the BCS championship game. That's it. Beginning with 1998, the winner of that game is the sole national champion for FBS college football. Whatever the AP decides to do after the season has as much weight as if they decide after the NCAA basketball tournament was done to give a trophy to some team knocked out in the Final Four and declare them the national champion because they felt said team was more deserving than the tournament's winner.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^
Did you forget about 2004, when they were #1 in the AP but not the BCS, which isn't supposed to happen but did?
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:25 AM ^
No, but my point is the AP can vote give the #1 ranking and a trophy to any team that they want, but that said ranking and trophy have absolutely no bearing on who the national champion is that year. The last year that it had any bearing was 1997. We now have an official way to determine a national champion, one that was agreed to by the schools before the 1998 season. That method is to win the BCS National Championship Game. Do that and you're the national champion. Not a national champion, THE national champion (for FBS college football at least). Lose that game (or don't even play in it) and you aren't a national champion at all, at least for that season
August 21st, 2010 at 12:36 PM ^
Based on the "others getting votes", without USC, Cincinatti would be #25.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^
ohhhh my bad
August 21st, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
Yeah, USC is only banned from the polls that actually factor into the BCS rankings. Since the AP removed itself from the formula, USC can take solace in being ranked in a poll that really doesn't mean anything. Man it felt great to say that.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:00 AM ^
So your saying Michigan's AP National Championship for the 97 season doean't mean anything? Ouch man, ouch.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
No that's not what I'm saying. In '97 there was not BCS so the AP was still relevant in determining a national champion. They don't have a vote in that now.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:06 AM ^
The AP can still crown a different team as the champion though.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:09 AM ^
True, but it's kind of a hollow victory don't you think. It won't show in the record books. The people still look at the AP. I just don't think it's as important as it used to be.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^
To these guys (and they were awarded National Champs by Fanspoll.com!).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Tigers_football
August 21st, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
Texas and Oregon are my top 25 busts, come end of the season they will both be out of the polls.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^
Ooooooh, I don't know. Oregon maybe, but I think Texas will stil be hanging around the top 15. We'll see how well the new QB handles a full season. It should be interesting for sure.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^
do the drugs you're on make you think Michigan's toughest game is UMass, too?
August 21st, 2010 at 11:06 AM ^
Does anybody actually think that Oregon or VaTech could beat Wisconsin? No? Then why rank them ahead of Wisco?
August 21st, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^
The Mag ran a poll in a recent issue (the one with the Georgia State baby on the front) showing not only the ranking of a team, but the range of individual rankings that team received. One of the writers had them at 4. Another had them unranked. I think there are a lot of folks who don't really know how good (or bad) Wisconsin will be this year. We'll all find out over the course of the next few months, I guess.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^
VaTech is a top 5 team.
I'm not buying the Wisco hype - I think it is largely based on that win over Miami. Plus Wisco has Brent Bielema I know he will do something stupid in at least one game.
Oregon's D is fraudulent, add in a new QB and I'm not sure they will remain in the top 25. I will say that their young runningback (James IIRC) is a stud.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^
it's largely based on them returning 10 starters to what was already the best offense in the B10.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:12 PM ^
They'll easily have one of the best offenses in the nation, and their defense should be semi-competent. They've got a LB (Chris Borland) who could be a legitimate 3 year All American (he was a freshmen all american, too). They've got a solid safety, too. So long as Wisconsin doesn't faceplant - as they have done from time to time - they should make a BCS game over Iowa (and possibly OSU).
I don't understand the VT hype, myself. My buddy is a VT grad and he is baffled, too. They've got Evans and Williams at RB (which, if it's anything like Evan Williams Whiskey, should be delicious), but that's about it. Tyrod Taylor is entering year 4 of his Pryor-esque THIS IS THE YEAR! tour, and I just don't think he's all that. The defense will be the usual: good, but not good enough to carry the offense. I think they'll win 10 games, but mostly because the ACC sucks. I don't think they'll beat Boise State (although I hope they do).
Oregon still has LaMichael James, but they're in trouble at QB. They're not quite Penn State Fucked at QB, but they're damn close. Coupled with a defense that is a liability at times, and you've got a recipe for trouble. I figure they'll win 8-10 games, depending on the turnover margin.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
rushing offenses in the country. But their passing game will be meh as always. I wouldn't go so far as to say they are one of the best offenses in the country.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^
...no, their passing game will be very good. Tolzien is one of the best QB's in the country.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:45 AM ^
That's pretty sad if you get hype for beating the Canes these days. In the last 4 seasons, Miami has gone 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 and 9-5.
I don't buy the Wisconsin hype either. I never have. The program is obviously much better now than the joke it used to be. They're good enough to put in a 9/10 win season every so often and they'll probably do that this year. But they still can't play with the big boys. They have just one win this past decade over a top 10 team; Ohio State in 2003.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^
By
They're good enough to put in a 9/10 win season every so often...
do you mean "5 of the last 6 years they've won >9 games"? Of course, they schedule incredibly weak OOC games, and I agree that they're not an elite team year in and year out, but this year they have the makings of a very good team.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:31 PM ^
I'll give them the hype solely because of John Clay. That guy is the definition of a beast.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
that Virginia Tech finishes in the Top 5, but I do think they are better than Wisconsin. We should learn a lot about the Hokies very early as they play Boise State at FedEx Field in Maryland on Labor Day.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:56 AM ^
i definitely think va tech could beat wisconsin. senior QB, 2 solid RBs, always solid D and special teams
August 21st, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
They have the talent to beat anyone, but don't always show up.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^
The most useless poll in sports. All the biases created early in this poll is what causes most of the problems at the end of the year. A total joke.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^
Michigan is #13? I didn't expect that.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:03 PM ^
I'm glad I read the comments. I almost put the same thing down. Contemplating putting Minnesota as I've heard the locals actually call it that, unlike most in Ann Arbor.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^
They got screwed in the poll, they are definitely higher than 10th.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^
Has there really been that much UConn offseason hype? It gets a lot of attention on MGoBlog because of the upcoming game but I don't sense that much hype on the national scale. With only 8 years as a BCS program they are noteworthy in what they have built but I would have been surprised to see them in the top 25 preseason.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
I don't think there has been UCONN hype.
I think the hype has been: "Michigan is no good so they will lose to UCONN."
August 21st, 2010 at 12:40 PM ^
The Huskies did receive 32 votes for the top25 but this was not enough to get them in.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^
Seems about right given how they finished last season - they beat ND on the road and won a bowl game in convincing fashion - but I am not surprised they are not in the Top 25. They are however a very credible opponent and this is a big, big game for us. By September 4th the hype machine will be running big-time, especially with the 3:30 start.
I live in CT and fully expect the NY area media to give this more attention than a Michigan opener would normally get. The buzz level will be high come game time.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:56 AM ^
are your overrated teams of the year
i think they'll both be in the 8-4 range
August 21st, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^
Serious question: Who is going to be able to put up point against that defensive line of Clayborn, Klug, Ballard and Binns? Plus above average to good linebackers and DBs.
They won't win every game, but I don't see them losing four. Last year's team overacheived.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^
"F" that punk *** D, your right they overacheived last year, and they know it, they will be 8-4 this year maybe even 7-5, this is not a top ten team, a top ten crunch time D, with a lilttle luck from the opposing Offense maybe, but not a top ten TEAM.
OVERRATED!!
August 21st, 2010 at 1:30 PM ^
in the overrated list. They have no qb -- see UM 2008 -- and their offensive line has little experience -- also see UM2008. Remember how Michigan was going to ride its defense to seven or eight wins. That worked out. Didn't it.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^
Mark this post. Wins against PSU & Wisconsin get us in the top 25. A win against tOSU seals the deal.
August 21st, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
And rightly so, the b10 was a tough conference last season
August 21st, 2010 at 1:41 PM ^
Oregon seems pretty overrated to me. No way they are a top-10 team without Misoli (top-25 maybe), and the Pac-10 will be tough with USC on the war path, Stanford being good again, Oregon State always lurking, and Washington with Locker always being a threat to steal a game or two.
I'm buying the Wiscy hype right now - that was a scary-good team last year, and while they certainly could scuffle with heightened expectations, they should be one of the favorites in the Big 10 along with OSU. PSU is going to struggle, but still probably win 7-8 games depending on the bowl game. Iowa won a couple of games last year with near-miracle finishes (MSU, IU, to an extent UM), and that luck will probably run out with some of their defensive losses. Still a top-25 team, but they will not play in a BCS bowl this year.
August 21st, 2010 at 2:06 PM ^
sleeper picks: Auburn and UNC. UNC is sort of a boom or bust pick; they have a fantastic defense but a terribly inconsistant offense. Auburn should be overlooked even though the SEC is a (bit) weaker than last year. They should be pretty good with Cameron Newton and that defense is always good.
August 21st, 2010 at 2:21 PM ^
I hope you're wrong about Auburn. It would really help us landing Dee Hart and Kris Frost if they have a sub-par season and we come out gangbusters. That's just me hoping though. I think Auburn is in pretty good shape for a solid year. Should be a good Iron Bowl at the end of the year.
August 21st, 2010 at 3:31 PM ^
Boise at #3 is a joke, I still can't believe they get serious title consideration with that oh-so-difficult schedule they go up against. (OMG they're playing Virginia Tech this year! They have the toughest schedule ever!!) Also, noticed that Middle Tennessee got 2 votes for the top 25, but Michigan didn't get any. That kind of thing needs to stop, now.
August 21st, 2010 at 3:38 PM ^
Middle Tennessee won 10 games last year and returns 14 starters. If Michigan had numbers like that, then they would have a lot more than 2 votes for the top 25.
August 21st, 2010 at 8:05 PM ^
Yeah, but it's Middle Tennessee, what confernce do they play in, the SWEMEAC or something like that? My point was mostly that Michigan should never be in a sitiuation where the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are thought of more highly.