Adam Abramson
I'm sure I'll upset quite a few with this week's poll.
Before we dive in, I'll reply to a few comments:
"And OK was supposed to crush Boise State in their bowl game too. How did that work out?" -BullNation
Very fair. But I do feel that if last year's Boise team played last year's Oklahoma team 10 times in that game, OU wins eight. Because of this, I would have still ranked OU above Boise. Does that make me a hypocrite? Probably.
"Adam, Is the USF / Florida questions on your list of question to ask Grothe? How about the relaxed academic standards at USF that have helped their recruiting efforts allowing them to come from NO program to Top 10 program?" -BNG
Well…I feel I'm right in assuming that's TIC. But I understand the subtle jab. I do feel that many schools out there are guilty of this. You almost have to be…agree?
OK, onto the poll.
25. Connecticut
24. Hawaii
23. Auburn
22. Florida State
21. Kansas
20. Cincinnati
19. Wisconsin
18. Kentucky
17. Tennessee
16. Virginia Tech
15. Missouri
14. Arizona State
13. West Virginia
12. Texas
11. Illinois
10. South Florida
9. Boston College
8. South Carolina
7. Oregon
6. Southern California
5. Oklahoma
4. Florida
3. Ohio State
2. Cal
1. LSU
Just a check-up on the conference breakdown:
SEC - 6
Pac 10 - 4
Big 10 - 3
Big 12 - 4
Big East - 4
ACC - 3
Other - 1
- Teams that might deserve a higher ranking: Boston College, Missouri, Cincinnati
- Yes, Florida stays at No. 4. I realize I am rolling the dice, but the Gators threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Tigers and it almost worked. No other team can say that this year. Until LSU slips from its dominance, I'm going to really respect Florida's night, road loss to the Tigers. I know where Auburn is on this list, by the way…it's the hypocrite in me.
- Boston College and South Florida are Top 5 teams everywhere else, but not here. After a date with UCF on Saturday, the Bulls have a stretch of three games I will keep a close eye on: at Rutgers, at UConn and home against Cincinnati. Win these games and I'll be more of a believer. Tough crowd, I know.
As for Boston College? At Virginia Tech and home against Florida State will be enough of a test. Pass them both and they're Top 5 material. I'd like to put the Eagles there now based on numbers alone, but there just hasn't been a big enough test yet. A .500 Georgia Tech team doesn't do it for me.
- Hawaii will continue to stay where it is. There's a big difference between this year's Hawaii team and last year's Boise State team.
- Perhaps Cincy's ranking is proof that I'm cooling off on the Big East. But I'll be watching on Saturday night when the Bearcats host Louisville. I'll be more inclined to move them up with a nice win…10 wins isn't out of the question for this team. As for the Big East race, it's pretty wide open…
- Another Saturday night date I'll be watching intently is Missouri-Oklahoma. Does Mizzou have enough talent to be in the Top 10? We'll find out.
- I'd like to rank West Virginia higher considering who it lost to, but they're a little dinged up and the Mountaineers will have plenty of time to prove their worth with a three-game stretch of at Rutgers, against Louisville and at Cincy.
It's 3 a.m. and I have a phoner in the morning. But the good news is that baseball is done for me. Time to worry about football full-time (well, I won't tell my boss that).
Comments (7)
Wait a minute. Is that a WVU fan taking a jab at USF's recruiting standards?
WVU will accept anyone with a pulse, no matter how they have to squeak someone past the admissions board. Don't forget, they wanted Willie Williams, but only pulled back after the backlash it caused.
I know the "8 out of 10" rule governs a lot of these rankings, but you have to look at the "1 out of 1" to some extent. If USC is still a top 10 team, then where is Michigan in this poll?
Without a doubt, if you are just ranking talent and ability, there's little to disagree with here. But at some point you have to penalize teams for simply not showing up to a game.
Great teams are great week in and week out -- and my guiding principal is not who would win 8 times out of 10, but who actually finds a way to win, no matter the circumstances, when the meeting actually occurs.
As a side note, there should be another rule that icing the kicker should result in a drop of five spots on every poll.
How many of the teams in your top 25 could beat the Miami Dolphins this year?
Personally, I love the bizarreness of the season, a few of these in a row will inevitably lead to a playoff (16 teams) as the "big" schools find their road to the money harder and harder.
Jeremy, you have NO idea what you're talking about Louisville, yes, Miami, yes, Los Angles Community College, yes, but Willie Williams was never connected with WVU.
Never connected, eh? I'll give the couch burners credit though, he never enrolled.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=jm-williams071406&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
You'd better learn the difference between rumor and fact. Rumor - Some hack writes that he's heard Williams name in conjunction with a major football program (Also called floating a balloon) Fact - Said athlete signs with another football program.
http://thecardreport.blogspot.com/2006/08/willie-williams-finds-home.html