BlogPoll Calling: Preseason Top 25 - #1-#5
by Todd on Aug 20, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
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PrintYeah, so my top five pretty much looks like everybody else's, though the homer in me has our beloved Tide ranked a little higher.
1. Florida Gators - They return just about every key member of last year's MNC winning team and are stocked with ridiculous talent across the board. Though Percy Harvin and both OTs are gone, they will still be ridiculous on offense, and the defense isn't anything to sneeze about either. Their own worst enemy is themselves (see Ole Miss '08), and if they can keep from getting arrogant (by which I mean both players and staff) it's all theirs.
2. Texas Longhorns - Again, a pretty standard pick, and one could make the case that their offense will be just as prolific as Florida's and they should be at #1 because of it. But their losses in the front seven look bad and they don't really have a feature back (though Fozzy Whitaker can stay healthy and McGee can be more consistent they may have the answer they are looking for), so they have a few extra questions to answer that the Gators don't.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide - Am I drinking the kool-aid? Yes, and its delicious. Most have OU here, but they are due for a step back on offense without four of five starters on the line (and last year's RT moving over to LT) and their defense gives up way too many big plays to be considered "dominant." Meanwhile, our own beloved Tide should improve on both offense and defense from last year despite it's personnel losses (o-line has had plenty of time to gel since spring with only the RG spot having really been in question since, and the emergence of more playmakers at WR can only help, while defense has huge influx of talent and will be a much meaner pass rushing team than previously). We're not there like Florida and Texas are, but we're close.
With just a little more of this, it could have all been ours last year. Thankfully, that little more should be there this year.
4. Oklahoma Sooners - See above.
5. USC Trojans - After all the talent drain and no one really buzzing at QB, I'm even tempted to bump them down a fewer pegs than this.....except, just like Alabama, they will have a swarming horde of evil for a defense and it's USC. They may inexplicably drop a game to a double digit underdog at some point, but when they are truly on there is just no one that can play with them.
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I just don't like USC this year.
Yes they will be good, but I can see them losing two games. A RFr QB, all of those losses on defense, the inability to find a go-to back (the platoon works most of the time, but you need one horse), breaking in new coordinators, and early injuries…it just makes me bearish on the Trojans.
Fortunately for them, they play in the slapfight Pac 10, and should crush at least 65% of their opponents on talent alone.
I just won a t-shirt tearing contest against the Tennessee coaching staff
by Stuck in the Plains on Aug 20, 2009 8:07 AM CDT reply actions
Ah, the Kool-Aid
I love how Oklahoma losing four starters on the O-Line is a major problem for them, even through they return the Heisman Trophy winner. However Alabama losing three linemen is okay, because they’ve gelled since the Spring. Apparently they don’t play Spring Ball in Oklahoma, who knew.
While the Sooners defense wasn’t a world beater, it did rank second in the Big 12 last year (not necessarily the greatest comparison, but that also says something about the offenses in the league). OU also held the Florida Gators to just 24 points, its lowest total of the season and seven fewer than the vaunted Tide defense.
I’d also mention about Alabama’s defense, they held six opponents under 10 points, which is really good. On the other side, those opponents (national offensive ranking) were Tulane (80), Western Kentucky (I-AA but would have been (112), Tennessee (115), Arkansas State (38, via the Sun Belt), Mississippi State (!13) and Auburn (104).
I want some of whatever is in that kool-aid.
You already had some Kool Aid...
See: 2003 MNC, bedrock recruting; continued success based on said recruiting; and, generally pulling a Lazarus on you after two decades of suck.
It was tasty when the Kool Aid was purple, wasn’t it?
I just won a t-shirt tearing contest against the Tennessee coaching staff
by Stuck in the Plains on Aug 20, 2009 9:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Two Decades?
I’ll have you name them sir. Do it. Go. What were they? LSU won SEC Championships in 1986 and 1988. They won three bowl games and shared two SEC Western Division titles from 1995-97. If my math is correct, and it always is, that’s a six year gap.
In the future, if you feel the need to talk out of your ass, please wipe first.
by Purple Reign on Aug 22, 2009 10:53 PM CDT up reply actions
I'll always give the benefit of the doubt to the team with the better D...
…and if Alabama and Oklahoma played in week one, our front seven would demolish their line.
man
everyone is so touchy of late… i have never seen so many fans get upset when we rank there team behind bama…jeez…
Scoring against Alabama will be like birthing a child: rare, painful, and messy. - The Ghost of Jay Cutler
Easy to understand
LSU knows they’re captained by a knucklehead, and they feel their grasp relenting…and Ole Miss is, after having their once a decade decent year, getting bent out of shape b/c knowledgeable fans are skeptical of a repeat.
Again, Guys….you’re both in the TOP FREAKING 10.
I just won a t-shirt tearing contest against the Tennessee coaching staff
by Stuck in the Plains on Aug 20, 2009 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions
It's the anticipation...
I think everyone’s blood jumped up to “simmer” once practices got under way.
"Nick Saban is the Robert Mugabe of college coaches."
-Paul Finebaum
by Bubba Chang on Aug 20, 2009 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions
It's not that LSU is behind Bama
I get it, I’m rational. Yall are homers. I’m a homer. I’d have LSU fifth going into the season. The point was that he made one argument against Oklahoma and then completely ignored the fact that Alabama is going through the same transition (O-Line) without a Heisman winning quarterback (although, I’m sure Greg McElroy is sure to be invited to New York this year). I know the defenses are different, but as the comment said, Oklahoma’s defense was better against Florida than Alabama’s was. I have yet to see/hear anything to refute that. Until someone makes a valid, rational point against that, Alabama can’t call a better defense. Period.
by Purple Reign on Aug 22, 2009 11:02 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd probably rank OU ahead of Bama
But whatever. We either vault up or drop down after VT, so 4-5-7 on 8/20 doesn’t really mean anything. OU beating BYU in week one could end up being a pretty valuable win for the Sooners, just like last year.
"That rug really tied the room together."
Very good 1 - 5!
That’s the good news. The bad news is that, anyone can pick a 1 – 5 no matter what the respective teams’ placing, so long as the respective representative teams are legitimate. These 5 are just that.
The Big 12 will be an exciting year this year. Not like it wasn’t last year- but what’s different about it is- THE SPOTLIGHT is on each contender for the Big 12 title. Which means, they’re all under the scrutiny of the pundits and fans and will be microscopically dissected ad nauseum. Last year it was, “Oh, that Colt this” or “My, SamBrad is special that”- completely overlooking the fact that the defenses in the Big 12 were JUCO and I mean- HELL, T-Tech with Crabtree and Harrell made mincemeat outta Texas. (didn’t T-Tech get squashed by Ole Miss? Ole Miss over-stepped their potential last year and were on a roll, but still! The supposed “vertical machine” that was T-Tech would have been righteously overwhelmed by a Florida or ’Bama defense had they played either one of ’em.
Now, they’re saying we gotta give Okie State some attention this year? Good grief, why can’t either one of the recently 2 successful programs in the Big 12 (Texas & Oklahoma) actually give us more bang and themselves more credibility already- by maintaining some semblance of super-badassness BY taking it to their conference pretenders. Granted, the Big 12 went 4-3 in last year’s bowl games- but bowl wins over Northwestern, Minnesota, and Clemson aren’t exactly accomplishments of any note.
Texas, eh?
Oklahoma, you say?
Gimme a break on Okie St, will you?
Nebraska? Maybe.
Missouri, Kansas, and T-Tech? No way they should be on the same level as last years’ teams.
So give it to us Texas and Oklahoma, will ya? We’re practically begging you step up and shine. If any 2-loss Big 12 gets any consideration for another shot at the national title, we’ll know for sure the BCS is bunk and that unicorns DO get caught humping!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Aug 20, 2009 11:52 AM CDT reply actions
Mizzou
goes .500 this year —at best: Think Okie St…without an offense! Nebraska is better, but on par with So. Car, 8-9 wins is the ceiling for this team…and they’ll still run away with the North.
I just won a t-shirt tearing contest against the Tennessee coaching staff
by Stuck in the Plains on Aug 20, 2009 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions
That's spot on for Nebraska, hell- all of those that you mentioned
For some reason I’m pulling for Bo Pelini at Nebraska, and to that end LSU’s demise. I didn’t much care for him while he was devising fiendish plots on defense for the Bengal Tigers, he totally reminds me of my jiujitsu instructor: has the nose, head, stature, and aura of “don’t f_ck wit me” or I’ll give you a whole new perspective on life and what it means to appreciate living. I’d love to see Nebraska come around again, if only to give Mack Brown fits and Bob Stoops nightmares. The sad thing about Pelini in the Big 12, is it gives those two schools a taste of what real defenses can do to them on a grand stage. (man I’d hate to see a Big 12 team win the championship. gimme an at-large team before them big hat, no cattle cowboys)
Mizzou has a great staff, but Okie State. . . .damn! Although I love driving through Oklahoma (what a big ass sky that place has got) I would rather pick my nose with scorpions than see another okie from phenokee do the pokey with The Trophy)
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Aug 20, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions
good on ya todd.
OU sucks. it freakin pisses me off to no end that their D is rated so highly in the new NCAA 10 vidja game. newsflash everyone: you cant give up 300 passing yards a game and be in the neighborhood of the conversation about who has got the top D in the country!
welcome to the SEC kiffykins...
However
You can shut down six of the worst offenses in America, be average against six decent offenses and be considered one of the best (see above comments).
PS – Florida vs. Alabama? 31 points. Florida vs. Oklahoma? 24 points. Higher isn’t better on this one. I await your thoroughly logical and well thought out response.
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