Revised (Probably Final) Preseason BlogPoll Ballot Draft
by T Kyle King on Aug 22, 2009 9:37 PM EDT
in Football
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PrintThe BlogPoll voting deadline is Monday and I’ve done some tinkering to the bottom ten teams in my top 25, so what I’m pretty sure is the final draft of my preseason guesswork ballot looks like this:
 | ||
| Rank | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | |
| 2 | Texas | |
| 3 | Southern Cal | |
| 4 | Oklahoma | |
| 5 | LSU | |
| 6 | Ohio State | |
| 7 | Penn State | |
| 8 | Alabama | |
| 9 | California | |
| 10 | Clemson | |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | |
| 12 | Mississippi | |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | |
| 14 | Virginia Tech | |
| 15 | Boise State | |
| 16 | UCLA | |
| 17 | TCU | |
| 18 | Oregon | |
| 19 | North Carolina | |
| 20 | Brigham Young | |
| 21 | Georgia | |
| 22 | Michigan State | |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | |
| 24 | Iowa | |
| 25 | Southern Miss | |
I’m pretty sure the UCLA Bruins and the BYU Cougars are too high, but I’m losing faith in the Michigan St. Spartans and the Pittsburgh Panthers just on general principle and I’m not willing to put the Georgia Bulldogs in the top 20 until and unless they get to 1-0. Or perhaps 2-0. Or maybe even 3-0. We shall see.
(For what it’s worth, as of this writing, no one appears to have ranked the ‘Dawgs lower than I did, but The Rakes of Mallow joined me in ranking Georgia No. 21, while Tomahawk Nation submitted a ballot based on projected schedule strength that ranked the Red and Black No. 1.)
The team that didn’t make the cut that I’m pretty sure I’m going to regret omitting is the Oregon St. Beavers, but, honestly, when the Arizona Wildcats are the best team you face prior to the Saturday before Halloween, you have something to prove.
The team that didn’t make the cut that I’m pretty sure I’m going to get to mock and belittle fellow BlogPollsters for including is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
All right, I am now officially going to quit fretting over which random guesses of mine are more or less goofy than prior random guesses of mine.
Go ‘Dawgs!
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The absurdity of Tomahawk Nation's ballot...
… can be best summed up by stating the fact that he has Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky all ranked in the top 10… and the “other Bulldogs” all the way up at #2.
I'm reminded of the Georgia/UCLA blogger "What's Bruin, Dawg?"
He once pointed out that Stanford annually had the toughest strength of schedule of any team in the Pac-10, which he explained by noting, “Of course they have the toughest strength of schedule in the Pac-10! They’re the only Pac-10 team that doesn’t have its strength of schedule dragged down by having to play Stanford!”
By that same logic, it’s no wonder Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt all have serious schedule strength, since they don’t have to play themselves.
I’m glad FSUncensored submitted this ballot, though, so I that I won’t be the one called out most harshly in the “Wack Ballot Watchdog” portion of the program.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Aug 23, 2009 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I'll trust your judgement...
but I’m sad to see UNC jump back in front of the Dawgs again.
I guess this just means I’ll have reason to celebrate when we start the season off with a bang and jump those damn Tarheels.
by QuietHourBackflips on Aug 23, 2009 8:00 PM EDT reply actions
I can't conscientiously quarrel with your position . . .
. . . but, if I ranked Georgia in the top 20 and the Bulldogs went on to have the season I’m afraid they’re going to have, I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life for jinxing it.
Go 'Dawgs!
If a bunch of rabid college football fans listened to what I had to say
I’d be pretty careful myself. But in NYC, no one cares what I have to say about Georgia… so I shall declare them superior to UNC in my mind.
Anyways, I appreciate you trying not to jinx it!
by QuietHourBackflips on Aug 24, 2009 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
I simply am not . . .
buying USC at #3. I think the injury to Aaron Corp at QB has hampered the offense’s development, and the defense is not yet to be relied on. While there’s no more talented roster in the country, you simply don’t improve with the kind of wholesale losses they had on that side of the ball (they return 3 defensive starters, and only 1 in the front 7).
As is always the case with the Trojans, debunking their placement requires answering the question “Well then, who’s going to beat them?” This year however there are possibilities. Early season matchups at Ohio State and at Cal. A November 17th matchup at Arizona State preceded by a Halloween game at Oregon and followed by Jim Harbaugh’s improving Stanford squad. USC won’t lose all of those games, or even a majority of them. But they could lose any one of them, and two wouldn’t be out of the question at all.
By the way, will this year’s ballot utilize the resume ranking method?
It will, indeed
At this point, though, no one has a resume, so I’m just guessing.
I’ll probably phase in the resume ranking gradually over the first four or five weeks of the season, then switch over to full-bore resume ranking once we actually know something meaningful about all of the teams.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Aug 24, 2009 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions
...is way too high.
Damn Enter Key.
Anyways, UCLA’s entire offensive line is new (yet again) this year. Granted, they’re better players, but UCLA’s replacing their entire offensive line, their running back, and their quarterback. Yes, they’re all in theory much better players than what was provided last year, but the team is extraordinarily thin at pretty much every position. While the defense is strong, they’re again really thin at defensive tackle and linebacker. About the only deep position on the team is running back, and (possibly) wide receiver.
I can see UCLA finishing (at best) 8-4. They are lucky insofar as they get Cal and Oregon at home, so they have a shot, but if I had to pick Ls, I got USC, Cal, Oregon State, Oregon and (likely) Tennessee. That’s 7-5. If they manage to steal one of those five games, 8-4. I just don’t see how they do any better, and I’m not sure 8-4 coming out of the Pac-10 gets you ranked #16.
Yeah, well a lot of people in California are way too high.
Freakin’ hippies.
by vineyarddawg on Aug 25, 2009 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Mr. King
Does this mean that you believe UGA will lose to Ok. St.?
If so, I disagree. I think yall win that game. I would even bet on it.
_________________________________
Eric Berry is better at football than you
I hope you're right . . .
. . . but, right now, I’m not getting my hopes up about anything. I’m steeling myself for the very real prospect of losing to every decent team we play except Florida.
Go 'Dawgs!
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