For those who somehow missed that College Football Live is back shame on you, so it is all right to stop reading and go set you TiVo. Welcome back stragglers now on to business, today the show concluded their first week and to create some news they released their very own top 25. As any college football obsessed fan now is the time to poke holes in these rankings that mean absolutely nothing -- well unless you are an SID who votes for your coach in the coaches poll and do no research.
So, take in the top 25 and continue reading what my opinion is on the poll. Should not be too hard to see where I am going with at least one team.
1 Alabama
2 Ohio State
3 Boise State
4 Texas
5 Virginia Tech
6 TCU
7 Florida
8 Iowa
9 Nebraska
10 Oregon
11 Wisconsin
12 Oklahoma
13 Miami
14 LSU
15 USC
16 Pittsburgh
17 Georgia Tech
18 Arkansas
19 Penn State
20 Oregon State
21 Florida State
22 Cincinnati
23 Georgia
24 Stanford
25 North Carolina
The best news about the poll is that there is no Notre Dame love even though I am certain they were brought up in the discussion. Before I get into the obvious Utah omission how is Texas 4th, Oregon 10th, Oklahoma 12th, and there are not enough pixels in the internet to figure out how Wisconsin is 11th -- short answer is WAY TOO HIGH.
Curious why Texas is ranked fourth? They lose Colt McCoy who was able to help out the non-existent running game and he is being replaced by Garrett Gilbert. While Gilbert looks to be the next great Longhorn quarterback, but he is green and the offensive line returns only four starters. Plus, the fact that the running game was non-existent will put even more pressure on the young quarterback. Putting Texas around ten would be understandable, but four is a bit high.
Oregon!! Really have those folks not read the headlines how Jeremiah Masoli is out for the year, and head coach Chip Kelly will now need to find another quarterback to run the spread attack. Now, in Kelly's defense he has been able to find a reliable if not very good quarterback as a replacement, but the quarterback is the most important position in his offense.
Oklahoma seems to be the opposite of Texas in that Landry Jones logged significant time this year when Sam Bradford was lost for the year with shoulder problems. They return the entire offensive line that did struggle some last year, but those guys were all four and five star recruits and should be able to dominate. The only problem I see is that their defense will take a hit, but in the Big XII defense is some what optional and not a real need to be a great team.
Where are the Utes? The team returns quarterback Jordan Wynn who looked good as a true freshman, and looks very good this spring. Plus, with RB Matt Asiata's medical redshirt the Utes bring back a great running back corp which will rival TCU and BYU for the best in the league. The Utes did lose a few of their top receivers, but they were so deep the guys like DeVonte Christopher played significant time so the drop their will be limited.
The offensive line does lose potential NFL draft prospect Zane Beadles, but they return all four of the other starting line positions and for good measure brought in one of the best JUCO recruits in John Cullen. Defensively Utah lost their defensive backfield and most of their linebacking group, but the defensive line will be amazing as is coach Whittingham's ability to put together a defense. A ranking of 20 would seem appropriate especially since first week opponent Pitt who is traveling to Utah breaks in a brand new quarterback is ranked 16th.
Looking at the top of the poll in regards to Boise State/TCU = Butler bandwagon where Boise sits at three and TCU at six; it would only take a small slip up by the teams ahead for either to make it to the second spot and a berth in the mythical national title game. First, off the odds of Alabama repeating let alone going undefeated seems highly unlikely, which means a Boise State vs. Ohio State matchup could be a reality with the Buckeyes two toughest games are when Miami, FL comes to the 'Shoe in early September and a game at the every so sneaky Iowa Hawkeyes.
TCU would need some help, but in week one the Horned Frogs would get a jump in the rankings since Boise State plays Virginia Tech, and thus by the coaches poll method of voting would move TCU up by default (assuming TCU handled Oregon State). Florida plays Alabama which would eliminate another threat, and then there is Texas vs. Oklahoma which would knock out Texas but possibly put Boomer Sooner in contention. Those three games are the key to TCU getting a shot at number two, but there will always be that lower ranked team who makes a move to be in the conversation. The one interesting thing to look out for is if either Boise or TCU get in the top four or five is will teams leap frog either school once conference play starts.
Go ahead and tear apart this poll which by virtue of ESPN's death grip on sports media will -- sadly -- be close to the actual poll in late August.