The preseason BlogPoll roundtable is up over at MGoBlog, and this week we're looking at who is overrated and who is underrated in the initial BlogPoll. First, here's a look at the BlogPoll and our ballot:
| BlogPoll | RBR's Ballot | ||
| 1. | Southern Cal | 1. | Southern Cal |
| 2. | LSU | 2. | Western Virginia |
| 3. | Michigan | 3. | LSU |
| 4. | Texas | 4. | Texas |
| 5. | West Virginia | 5. | Michigan |
| 6. | Oklahoma | 6. | Oklahoma |
| 7. | Florida | 7. | Penn State |
| 8. | Virginia Tech | 8. | Hawaii |
| 9. | Wisconsin | 9. | Florida State |
| 10. | Louisville | 10. | Cal |
| 11. | Ohio State | 11. | Florida |
| 12. | Cal | 12. | Wisconsin |
| 13. | Penn State | 13. | Ohio State |
| 14. | Georgia | 14. | Georgia |
| 15. | Auburn | 15. | Louisville |
| 16. | UCLA | 16. | Tennessee |
| 17. | Tennessee | 17. | Virginia Tech |
| 18. | Florida State | 18. | South Carolina |
| 19. | Nebraska | 19. | Nebraska |
| 20. | Arkansas | 20. | Alabama |
| 21. | Rutgers | 21. | Rutgers |
| 22. | South Carolina | 22. | TCU |
| 23. | Hawaii | 23. | Auburn |
| 24. | Oregon | 24. | UCLA |
| 25. | Texas A&M | 25. | Boise State |
Now, this is a preseason poll, so knowing who is over- and underrated is impossible until at least a few weeks into the season. I doubt there will be a lot of fluctuation in my ballot the first week or two since most everyone will be playing season opener cupcakes and the possibility of an upset doesn't seem likely. That being said, here are a few nitial thoughts on glaring overrationism:
* Florida at #7? With no defense to bolster an offense that struggled to blow out anyone but the lowliest of OOC cupcakes (and tOSU of course, hee hee)? I'm not entirely comfortable with their ranking of #11 in our own ballot, but that's a lot more reasonable than being listed in the top ten.
* LSU at #2, I just don't know. OTS made a compelling argument that they are the fourth best team in the country and their schedule almost certainly precludes them from running the table, but this is a preseason ranking based mostly on expectations, so whatever.
* Louisville at #10 seems a little high to me, too. I think there will be a fairly painless transition from Petrino to Kragthorpe, but there will be some growing pains, and a three game stretch of at West Virginia, at USF, and vs Rutgers isn't the easiest way to end the season.
* Arkansas should not be ranked. I don't care how great McFadden is, this team is ready to implode after all of their offseason troubles, Marcus Monk will be MIA the first month of the season, the defense loses Marcus Harrison on the d-line indefinetely after a felony drug arrest, and the offense will be dragged kicking and screaming back to the run run run punt for three quarters and then let Matt Jones run around and make up stuff in the 4th Nutt-bone, except there's no Matt Jones anymore.
Thoughts on the underrated:
* Alabama isn't ranked, that's a mistake, and that isn't homerism talking. Okay, maybe it is a little.
* No Boise State? And Hawaii at #23? Either of these teams could finish undefeated, and the other could be 11-1 by season's end. Their respective strength of schedule kind of sucks, but they should be higher (or included, in Boise's case).
Now it's y'all's turn to let us know who you think is over- and underrated in the BlogPoll in the comments.