Way-too-early 2010 Top 25

[Sharkweather]

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Oregon
5. Texas
6. Virginia Tech
7. TCU
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Wisconsin
11. Florida
12. Oklahoma
13. Georgia Tech
14. Cincinnati
15. Pittsburgh
16. Arkansas
17. Miami
18. LSU
19. Penn State
20. Southern Cal
21. Florida State
22. Oregon State
23. GEORGIA
24. Stanford
25. Navy

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4804655

 

[jHammack]

I like that Navy got in.

Stanford is going to lose a lot in not having Toby. Florida at 11 is laughable in my opinion. They are simply losing too much and I don't think they'll finish in the top 15 next season. I personally don't like that Pitt is 15 because that means people will expect a lot out of them and they always fail at the beginning of the season, see Bowling Green two years ago But hopefully Dave won't let that happen. Penn State has questions at QB but they should be okay with Royster staying. That's a very early list but I guess it isn't too bad. Ohio State better hope Pryor doesn't fail in his most important season yet.

 

[FirstTimer]

No Notre Dame=lame.




















Kidding.

 

[Sportsbuck]

I've been saying since the USC debacle in 08 that 2010 would be the year we would challenge for a national championship... the B10 should be solid again next year, but the Miami game will show how much Pryor will have progresseed in the off-season.

Cincy at 14 is a joke. I'm very confident in stating that Pitt will win that conference, and that Cincy will finish the season unranked.

 

[jHammack]

Cincy at 14 is a little high, but I do agree that they should be ranked. They lose very little and Collaros had a lot of playing time this year so I can agree with the pick. However, I think they'll struggle a lot next year without Kelly's genius.

And If Pitt doesn't win the conference next year, then Dave Wannstedt is just not the right coach for the program because he can't win. When he was hired he promised to bring championships to Pittsburgh. He finally has the talent (He had the talent this year and could have went undefeated or a 1 loss conference champion, see 4th Quarter collapses against NC State and Cincy.

 

[mgoblue2290]

*Insert Michigan homer complaint here*



Nah, we'll be lucky to go .500 next year.

 

[jHammack]

Where is Utah? Utah is going to be very good next season and will be TCU's major challenge in the MWC next year.

 

[goDawgs1433]

Georgia always seems to do better when we start the season lower than #15 or #20 in the polls, FWIW.

23 seems about right though.

 

[Sportsbuck]

Cincy at 14 is a little high, but I do agree that they should be ranked. They lose very little and Collaros had a lot of playing time this year so I can agree with the pick. However, I think they'll struggle a lot next year without Kelly's genius.

They bring 7 back offensively, but lose 2 starters on the offensive line as well as their best all around player in Gilyard, but more importantly they only bring back 5 guys off of what was a bad defense last year.

Couple that with OOC games against Oklahoma, NC State (Road), and Fresno State (Road), and you have a recipe for a down year.

 

[Raidersabc123]

lol nevermind

 

[Nash]

yeah UGA is about right.

 

[Sharkweather]

No USC bull

I don't feel the Gamecocks deserved a pre-season top 25 ranking either.

What you smokin'...

 

[BUCK3YE5]

I agree with most of this....though I think USC and PSU are too low

 

[Sharkweather]

Is Spurrier ever going to figure it out at South Carolina?

I believe they return the most of their two-deep in the entire league next year. And with Florida down, next year is the best shot they've had in a while.

UGA @ USC, 2nd week of the year. Huge game for the SECE race.

 

[jHammack]

Buck you seem to forget that although they're defense was bad, that offense won them a lot of games. And you also forget they lost 10 of their starters on defense a year ago and still won 11 games. NC State is more than likely going to lose Wilson, who was the only reason NC State won games last year IMO (He single-handedly brought them back against Pitt). And Fresno State is well Fresno State, although it is on the road.

I get what you're saying and I don't think they'll go undefeated or anything like that. However, with Louisville and Syracuse still rebuilding, and USF in the wind as far as coaching the Bearcats could win 8 or 9 games.

A team that could be very good next year in the Big East is UConn and they very well could win the conference since Pitt has to travel to Connecticut late in the season. UConn opens the season with Michigan so that should be a pretty good match up to see how good or bad they are going to be.

 

[Sportsbuck]

Yeah, but I don't see Cincy able to produce offensively minus Gilyard and with this new coaching staff. Their defense was nothing special last year and having to replace guys isn't going to make things any better.

You make some solid points though jhamm.

 

[Dez]

Butch Jones will turn Collaros into Dan LeFeavour lite....i wouldn't worry about the Bearcats on offense. Jones is a guru with that stuff. The defense though :shifty:

 

[1ke]

It would be awesome if these rankings came true and Boise had a shot at a NC.

Would be true....But i dont like them going across the country to play a Va Tech team thats always good early in seasons.

 

[jHammack]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4807492&sportCat=ncf

It is coming off a 14-0 season capped by a victory in a BCS bowl. It returns 21 of 22 starters from a team that finished the 2009 season ranked in the top five. It loses the fewest graduating players in the entire country -- five seniors, just three of whom dressed for its bowl game, just one of whom played a significant role in that game. It returns the nation's most efficient quarterback during the regular season, a 1,000-yard rusher, a 1,000-yard receiver and a complete offensive line. The defense returns its top tackler, top sacker and leading interceptor. The guy who handles punting and place-kicking is back. The core of an excellent coaching staff also is expected to be intact.

 

[Woy]

Penn State is fine at 19, solid quarterback play could bump us up into the 10-15 range at the end of the season though.