Who *SHOULD* be #1?

Submitted by Eye of the Tiger on

Now that we've got the AP Poll, Coaches Poll and various preseason rankings, which team do you think looks like the #1 team going in to the season, and why

For me, it's USC. I think they are the most talented and the most balanced, and have a clearer path to 12-0 than LSU (who I would put #2) or Alabama (who I would put #3). OU also has a clear path, but I don't think they would match up well with any of the other three I just mentioned. I'd finish the top 5 off with Oregon, as most seem to do.

[I'd love to see us up there, but I think there are still too many questions that need to be answered before we could even dream of the top 5.]

 

Leaders And Best

August 18th, 2012 at 4:36 PM ^

Ohio State will not feel any effect of their sanctions unless they are in a position to win the Leaders division or compete for a National Championship this year (1 year bowl ban).

Their scholarship sanctions are a joke with a reduction to 82 total scholarships per year for the next 3 years. For comparison, Michigan has been under 80 scholarships for the last 5 years just due to attrition alone (2013 will be the 1st year Michigan will be at or close to the 85 scholarship limit in a long time). The only effect this has on Ohio State is a couple walk on players will lose the potential of earning a scholarship. Every year a school will lose at least 1-2 scholarship players during the offseason due to transfer, academics, or personal conduct and those scholarships would usually be transferred to walk-ons for one year. Ohio State received no yearly limit in new scholarships like USC or PSU so they will be able to make up for any personnel losses the following year.

GoBlueInIowa

August 18th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^

You may have just hit my issues with this, tt probably does really come down to the frustration that the "sanctions" that ohio got are not going to have any negative effect on them unless they light it up this year.

Well, I guess there has been benefits based on the ohio scandal, getting rid of vest for urban, who has decided to allow Ohio to open up has been nice (of course I do think that Hoke and team have more with opening up Ohio then what happened at ohio, but urban’s national view has helped). I hear there are issues trying to find tee-shirts down there.

Gobgoblue

August 18th, 2012 at 3:36 PM ^

Most Important:   Veteran and top Quarterback in the country.  

High-powered, slashing offense and a very solid addition of Silas Redd.

 Doubt their D with get "gashed," but even if they do let some teams put up numbers on them I am sure the Offense will be more than up to the task.  

Tater

August 18th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^

Until somebody beats them, I have to go with Alabama.  If it happens the first game of the season, I will be happy to change my opinion to Michigan.

Eye of the Tiger

August 18th, 2012 at 4:48 PM ^

If you read the original statement, you'll see USC was picked because they were argued to be "the most talented and the most balanced." AND THEN "they have the clearest path to 12-0."

The other team mentioned as having a "clear path" to 12-0 is OU, who were put 4th. Why? Because they "don't match up well" with #s 1-3. That would be a talent/coaching/performance-based argument, wouldn't it? 

Similarly, that would indicate schedule was not the major factor in determing the relative placing of the top 5, wouldn't it?

[Now, of course, if you want to argue why those actual picks are wrong, as some have, I think that's a-ok. USC may indeed turn out to be paper tigers. All we really know at this point is the paper element, and that's highly debatable.] 

Perkis-Size Me

August 18th, 2012 at 5:17 PM ^

EMU. They goin to the 'ship.

My gut says USC, but I don't think they'll go undefeated this year. They have studs all over the field, but some serious depth issues. In fact, I don't think its a stretch to say that no BCS team will go undefeated. Maybe Oregon, depending on how well they can replace Darron Thomas and LaMichael James. But they're going to have to play USC twice in all liklihood.

Oklahoma is overrated, and I think LSU and Alabama will both lose at least once. Alabama loses too many playmakers, and LSU's offense is meh.

snowcrash

August 18th, 2012 at 6:24 PM ^

They shouldn't do rankings at all until at least the beginning of October. Preseason rankings are just guesswork, and it often works out that team A stays ranked above team B all season not because team A played better, but just because they started with a higher ranking.