FINALLY! SJ.com College Football Poll -- FINAL POST-BOWL POLL -- PAGE 48

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Every team in the top 23 except for UCLA and Nebraska had at least one voter place them in the top 10.
ANd Boise's highest rank was 6th.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

I was tempted to put Boise in the Top 10, but settled for puttin' 'em one spot ahead of Zero U.

Statue of Liberty this, Mr. Stoops.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Florida getting WAAAAAY too much love. And there's no way Michigan, Florida and Louisville should be in front of Wisconsin.

Then again ... what the hell do I know?

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Okay, here's my thing with Wake, I think they were a very (very, very, very) lucky team last year.
They went 11-3, while gaining FEWER yards than their opponents.
If you take out the Liberty game, which I'm inclined to do, the finished with 371 LESS yards than the DI teams they played (And The Cuse, Duke, UConn, Old Miss and UNC weren't exactly striking fear into people's hearts.)
They won those game by feasting off bad QBs and timely fumbles to a tune of a +15 Turnover differential.
The only game they were actually negative in the TO department was the bowl loss to Louisville (-1).
You can agruge that an attacking defense will force turnovers, but still, this is pretty lucky. I'd direct you to the Cincinnati Bengals 2 years ago who had an impressive TO margin, before seeing it return to the mean last year.
If Wake returns to the mean, they're a .500 team, maybe a little more, maybe a little less.
They obviously aren't doormats anymore. But they have to prove to me that last year wasn't a fluke.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Graduated?

How many of them do you really think graduated?

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Only problem with Wisconsin? Quarterback. That's a key position to have such a question mark, so I put them 10th.

Re: Florida, I put the Gators ninth. I don't believe that just because a team won the previous year that they ought to automatically receive that No. 1 vote. Last year was just that. It has nothing to do with 2007. If they lost enough key players while others seem to be stronger up and down the depth chart, then you ought to rank them as such.

Re: Wake Forest, see amraeder's post.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Thing about Wisconsin's QB, it's not like they're replacing Vince Young or Matt Leinert. Stocco was a solid college QB, but he didn't do anything that Everage or Donovan shouldn't be able to do -- don't make too many mistakes, find the big guy over the middle.
You could argue their offense should be BETTER this year, because Hill was playing with an injured (i believe) shoulder last year so he wasn't finishing off runs, he was kind of meekly going down for a guy his size. Healthy, (and with a year under his belt) he should be better. This is a guy who left A LOT of yards on the field last year.
Plus, all their young WRs are a year older.
I had them at No. 6. I worry about their safties.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Yeah, I know they never rely too much on their quarterbacks. But if they ever fall behind in a game and need to throw it, then it becomes a huge concern. Love the defense (sans the safeties), love the ground game.

And this year, they won't miss Ohio State on the schedule. They go to Columbus and to Penn State. Just those games alone make this schedule tougher than last year's. Wiscy's quarterback, whoever it is, will need to make more plays this season.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Very true. I worry I might be too high on Wisconsin right now. Penn State is a tough place to play. Wisconsin's had surprising success at OSU recently, but who knows if that trend can continue.
And if the QBs aren't slightly above average, they could be in trouble.
(Speaking of Big Ten, what do people think of PSU? Iowa?)

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Those 4 nods to Clemson must be sympathy votes since Ray Ray tore his ACL. ... I'm anxious to see how well Michigan does, they were my I wonder if I should make 'em much higher than they are pick. ... How many of us east of Kansas City really get a chance to watch the Rainbows, er, Warriors play? I know zilch about Hawaii, yet, they're in my top 25.

Thanks for the hard work Slappy!

FWIW, I've never purchased a pump.

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Could be sportschick, could be BYH.... I'll never tell.

And you can thank me by getting your picks in on time each week...

 

Re: SportsJournalists.com College Football Poll -- Preseason edition

Heck, it doesn't matter what time zone you live in it is hard to watch Hawaii.