| 09 August 2010
I've got to be honest: I wasn't planning on writing this article until next week. But I just couldn't wait.
That's right, camps are opening nationwide, and Joe Schad has appeared from his summer hibernation, seen his shadow, and is now on my TV more than Lindsay Lohan jail news. Which can mean only one thing: College football season is right around the corner!!
With that, here is my preseason Top 25.
Sure, I probably should have waited a few weeks to post it, and yes my opinions will probably change 100 times between now and September 2nd. Then again, why bother waiting for boring stuff like "position battles," to play themselves out, when I can just make broad, sweeping generalizations, without having the facts to back them up!! At the very least, it sure beats another baseball article, right?
Let's start today with teams No. 25-15, as well as a few teams that missed the cut. Then, be sure to check back tomorrow for team's No. 14-1. As always, feedback is welcome, even if (More likely than not), you think I'm an idiot.
Enjoy.
First let's start with a few teams that missed the cut:
Cincinnati: One of my oldest rules when putting together these preseason polls is, "Never go against a team that's won 18 straight regular season games." I guess rules are meant to be broken.
Don't get me wrong: I like Zach Collaros (A lot). They've got great skill position guys. USC transfer Vidal Hazelton may end up being the best wide receiver in the league. But when you lose one of the five best coaches in the sport (More on that coming), you're going to take a step back. Sorry, Cincy fans, you just are.
Add in a schedule with Oklahoma early, and trips to West Virginia and UConn late, not to mention Pitt in the last game of the season (Anyone remember how last year's game between the two ended? Think Pitt will be looking for revenge?) and it's inevitable this team is going to lose a few games. How many remains to be seen.
Georgia: The skill position talent is there. And there's no doubt that bringing in Todd Grantham to replace Paul Blart...I mean Willie Martinez... at defensive coordinator will upgrade that side of the ball.
But for all of Joe Cox's faults and limitations, I just can't see how the 'Dawgs will be better with a redshirt freshman (Who has never taken a snap in college football) at quarterback this year, than they were with a fifth year senior last year.
Oregon State: Look at the first three weeks of their schedule. Seriously, just go ahead and look.
Penn State: They've got road games at Alabama, Ohio State and Iowa, with a quarterback whose thrown 11 career passes. Consider me concerned. This is an eight win football team.
Washington: Sneaky good team, that is very well coached. Not to mention they return the most starters in the Pac-10, and maybe the best quarterback in the country (Jake Locker). But the defense scares me, especially with road games at USC, Arizona, Cal and Oregon.
West Virginia: I've called West Virginia coach Bill Stewart everything from "The village idiot," to someone better suited as a casino greeter than a college football coach. Sadly, few West Virginia fans seem to disagree.
If anyone else were coaching this team, I'd probably find a place for them in the Top 25. Not with the headset on Stewart's egg head though.
Now, to the Top 25 in descending order:
25. Notre Dame: Figured I might as well start off this power poll with a bang. Who's ready to argue with me on Notre Dame?!?!
Look, I've got the same concerns about this team that you do: They lost their last four games of 2009. They lost their quarterback and top receiver to the NFL. The only quarterback with any experience is coming off a knee injury. Their defense was lousy last year. And their star wide receiver is more brittle than my 94-year-old grandma. Not to mention they've got to get the stink of being coached by Charlie Weis off of them.
And normally I'd be on your side. But not in this case. Because honestly, new coach Brian Kelly is one of the five best coaches in the game. Period.
I'll admit that the guy has been a little annoying since taking this job, and spent more time in front the cameras in the last six months than the entire Kardashian family combined. I'm pretty sure he even showed up at my 10-year-old nephew's birthday party in a Notre Dame shirt. Seriously.
At the same time, the guy can coach.
We all know about his successes at Cincinnati (Two Big East championships, 18 straight regular season wins), but here's a quick fun fact: Did you know that in Cincy's first Big East title run in 2008, Kelly was forced to use five different quarterbacks because of injury? FIVE! And he still won a conference championship! How many other coaches could've pulled that off?
Yes Kelly may come off as a bit corny on TV, but in real life, he's a no non-sense guy, one that doesn't take crap from anyone. He expects every guy on his roster to be ready if called upon, and if you're not ready, he'll find someone who is. Hell, Kelly almost booted Tony Pike (An NFL quarterback) off of Cincinnati because he didn't think the kid cared enough. He's going to demand the best, and get the best out of everyone on this roster.
Notre Dame fans, this is the guy you've been waiting for. They won't undefeated this year, but the future is bright.
24. Utah: I really can't tell you all that much about Utah, other than that this was a 10 win team last year that returns basically their entire offense. The defense will need some work, but they do get two of their three biggest games (TCU and Pitt) at home.
Plus, playing in Utah, at least we know there won't be much to distract them.
23. Houston: With all the talk about Boise, TCU and Utah, does anyone else feel like Houston is sneaking under the radar as the "Small conference school that's gonna knock off some of the big boys," this year? Because I'm kinda feeling that way.
Now I know the defense was terrible last year, but look at their schedule. They're going to roll through Conference USA (The only team I see playing them tough is SMU), and gun to my head, I'll take them over UCLA early in the season. Maybe not in Week 10, but I think they're favored in Week 3. Mississippi State will be tough, but if my memory serves me correct, they beat the Bulldogs in Starkville last year.
And oh, by the way, have you seen Case Keenum's numbers? I mean, have you really looked at them?!? How about 44 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions? How about a 70 percent completion rate? How about over 5,000 yards through the air, 1,400 more than the second highest passer in college football. I repeat, Case Keenum threw for...1,400...more...yards than his closest competitor!!!!!!! If this guy's arm doesn't fall off by Week 6, we could be looking at a nice dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate.
22. LSU: Of every team on this list, I went back and forth on LSU the most.
On the one hand, they beat Auburn and Arkansas last year, and played both Florida and Alabama really tough. I also don't think Jordan Jefferson is nearly as bad as people make him out to be. Sure he's not Tim Tebow, but he's also not JaMarcus Russell on the Raiders either. And we all know LSU's skill position guys are good. Wide receiver Terrence Tolliver looks like he was created in a chemistry lab.
Of course on the flip side, their defense returns basically no one (Except Patrick Petersen, who I've got a full blown man-crush on, by the way); their running game disappeared into thin air sometime around Week 5 of last year; and yes, they're still coached by Les Miles. Apparently Forrest Gump wasn't available.
So where does that leave LSU? I really don't know.
I honestly believe they've got the talent of a nine win team, but looking at their schedule, I just don't know where the wins are going to come from. They get Florida, Auburn and Arkansas on the road, with Alabama at home, and a season opener against North Carolina. What's the best they can hope for in that stretch 3-2? Isn't that even pushing it a little? And I didn't even mention a visit from an underrated Mississippi State team, or a late season date with Ole Miss, when Jeremiah Masoli is going to have that offense purring like a cat in heat.
Again, I like this team. I just don't know where the wins are coming from.
21. Auburn: Alright, this is where it gets interesting, because I like Auburn. But the way people are talking about them this preseason, you'd think they're a cross between the 1986 Bears and the 2007 New England Patriots or something. They're not. Believe me.
Look, was Auburn a cool story last year? Of course they were. I even professed my love for offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on about 47 different occassions (Unfortunately, he never answered any of the fan letters I sent).
Yet, if you really look at that offense, it really didn't do all that much the second half of the season. Just look at the box scores from the LSU, Kentucky and Georgia games. They were good. Hardly great. (And Auburn fans, please, please don't tell me about how well your team played in the Alabama game. Auburn was coming off a bye week and had nothing lose. They literally threw everything they had at Alabama, at home, and still didn't win. Sorry, the two programs are still no where close to each other).
And for all the talk about Gene Chizik, his defense was pretty brutal last year too. I caught a replay of the Outback Bowl against Northwestern recently, and needed a brown paper bag by halftime.
Now there are a few reasons why I have Auburn at No. 21. Their new quarterback Cam Newton (6'6, 250 with speed) was born to play for Malzahn. Even if he gets shot in the foot between now and the start of the season, he's still going to run this offense 40 times better than Chris Todd a year ago. Auburn is going to score points. Plus they get most of their biggest games at home.
After all that, I've got to say that I honestly don't think Auburn is the 21st best team in college football this year. Maybe 30th. But it seems like they get enough breaks (Especially with the schedule) where I talked myself into putting them here.
(Be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres and Facebook.com/AaronTorresSports)
20. South Carolina: Like LSU, I'm stuck with South Carolina.
My heart tells me that this is the best team Steve Spurrier has had at South Carolina. That Stephen Garcia could be his best quarterback. That Alshon Jeffrey is probably his best playmaker. That freshman Marcus Lattimore might be the running back they've been missing. And that by any measurement, this is the weakest the 
SEC East has been since Spurrier got to South Carolina.
Unfortunately, my head tells me the opposite. That Garcia may be the best QB that Spurrier has had, but he's also more scatter-brained than a 16-year-old girl at the mall. That the only thing consistent about this team is their late season collapses. That UConn turned last year's PapaJohns.com Bowl into a varsity vs. the JV scrimmage. And that- at times- Spurrier seems more interested in setting up golf games, than worrying about Saturday's games.
For now my heart wins over my head, and I'll keep South Carolina here. We'll see if that changes by the start of the season.
19. UConn: Ok, ok, this is the part where you call me a UConn homer. I get it. But give me the next few paragraphs, and I'll talk you into UConn. I promise.
First off, if you look through my archives, I'm actually not a UConn football homer at all. Basketball maybe. But not football. I've watched Randy Edsall first hand, and until recently, I wasn't overwhelmed (It's kinda complicated to get into here. I'll explain better another time.)
With that, here are the facts on UConn this year. Not my opinion. Facts:
- They return two quarterbacks with starting experience. That's more than basically any team in the country can say (Including conference rivals Pitt and West Virginia who have basically no starting experience between the two of them at the position). Quite frankly, I think this may be their biggest problem, if you can believe it. What happens if Zach Frazer struggles out of the gate? Will it divide the locker room? Will it divide the fan base? Then again, I guess in the grand scheme of "problems," this is a good one to have.
- They return a 1,000 yard rusher in Jordan Todman, who along with Donald Brown and Andre Dixon, gives them three players who've topped 1,000 yards in the last two years. The offensive line (Who, by the way, turned South Carolina's defensive line into a pile of sawdust in last year's PapaJohns.com Bowl) returns four starters.
- UConn brings back eight starters on defense, including basically their entire front seven, off a unit that was already pretty good last year. Their defensive backs are inexperienced, but go ahead and look at their schedule. Who's going to burn them with the deep ball? Maybe Cincinnati? Maybe Rutgers? That's basically it.
- Go ahead and look at that schedule one last time. Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia all at home.
- And oh by the way, UConn went 8-5 last year. Those five losses were a combined 15 points. Seriously, look it up. This just as easily could have been a 10 win in 2009.
Here's the truth about this team: If their uniforms said West Virginia, Pitt or South Florida instead of UConn, and I told you everything I just did about them, they'd be in the Top 15. Period. No questions asked. But their jersey's say UConn, meaning that the only reason no one is picking them to finish as high as I am, is because they've never done it before. Which we all know is a dumb reason for doubting someone.
So call me a homer if you want. But this is a good football team. They're going to be in the top 20 all year.
18. Florida State: First things first: Ok, so Bobby Bowden's been retired for a few months now. He's a legend. He's incredible. He's one of the best ever.
Now that we got that out of the way, can we all be real here for a second: The guy has been holding back this program for years. I know it's sac religious for me to say... But it's true!! He was 80-years-old when he retired, and really, the only thing 80-year-old people should be in charge of, is setting up card games, tee times, and their friends funeral arrangements. That's it. They shouldn't be running one of the highest profile football progams in college football, or any football program at all. If that makes me a jerk for saying it, so be it. But if someone didn't say something about old man Bowden, my head was going to explode.
Anyway, back to football. Look, I don't know what to expect from new coach Jimbo Fisher, and neither do you. They definitely took a hit when wide receiver Jamar Forston was booted off the team Sunday. At the same time, they return all five starters on the offensive line, and Christian Ponder at quarterback. They're going to put up points. Lots of them. I can promise you that.
Yes the defense needs work, but it's not like Florida State hasn't been recruiting well. The talent is there, they just need a coordinator under the age of 175 to put them in position to make plays (I'm sorry to former defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews too. I know you're a good guy, good husband and very active in your community. But the game of football passed you by about a half decade ago. Your defense has been a joke for awhile. I wish I wasn't the only one willing to say anything). Plus they brought in a bunch of recruits who are going to be ready to contribute immediately.
I like this team a lot. Not only as one of the sleepers in this conference, but nationally as well.
17. Oregon: So they return a lot of guys from last year's team. Wonderful. But since when does returning a lot of guys equate to wins on the field? Especially when the defense was already lousy, not to mention that the offense relies on a quarterback that can run, and Oregon's quarterback runs as well as a three legged dog.
In the tough Pac-10, and without Jeremiah Masoli, this is at least a three loss team. 
16. Pittsburgh: Here's the thing about Pittsburgh: They've got arguably the best offensive player and best defensive player in the Big East, running back Dion Lewis and defensive end Greg Romeus (As a matter of fact, if you put a gun to my head and said, "Pick me one guy from the Big East who will be an All-American," I'd take Romeus). They've got wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, a guy that's basically un-coverable (If that's a word).
Buuuut (And there's always a but), they've got a starting a quarterback who has never played a significant snap in college football, and have to go to Utah and host Miami within the first three weeks of their season.
Meaning, that this is going to quickly go one of two ways: They're either going to start out fast, gain some steam and be the darling of college football by the last week of September (Replete with all the goofy, corny, College Gameday features on their blind, 81-year-old stat keeper who is their secret source of inspiration). Or they're going to start off 1-2, bombing worse than Sex and the City 2 did in theaters this summer.
Also, we must never forget that Dave Wannstedt is on my list of coaches to never bet on under any circumstances. The guy has singlehandedly lost his team games in the past, and is one dumb 4th and 12 call from costing you a $100 bet, and a new TV after you throw a remote through the old. Believe me, it has happened before.. And it's lurking in 2010. Especially with an inexperienced quarterback.
(Damn, is it too late for me move Pitt back in this poll?)
15. Miami (FL): In my ACC preview podcast, I argued the merits of Miami with Michael Felder of InTheBleachers.net. Michael's a smart guy, and likes them to win the ACC. Me, I'm not so sure (Unfortunately, I'm also not nearly as smart as Michael).
Let's look at this realistically: Is Miami better in 2010 than 2009? I'd say so. Most everybody of importance is back, and as Michael pointed out, Jacory Harris gives them the swagger that they haven't had for a long time.
At the same time though, their schedule is brutal: They go to Ohio State, Pitt and Clemson in the first four weeks of the season, then follow that up with a home date against Florida State. It seems all but certain that they're going to have at least one loss (if not more) by the middle of October. And that's before they play North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, three more teams that are starting most polls in the top 15. That's seven brutal games out of 12 on their schedule, four on the road.
This team is better on paper than last year's, and will be better better on the field. I don't doubt that. I just don't know that they'll be any better than the 9-3 they were last year.
Check back Tuesday for the remaining 14 teams in Aaron's Top 25
(Love the article? Hate it? Disagree with where Aaron has your favorite team ranked? Let him know by commenting below, or e-mailing him at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Also, for his take on all things sports, be sure to add him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres, Facebook.com/AaronTorresSports or by downloading his APP for FREE for your iPhone or Android)
