While not having been covered thus far except in passing in the expansion post, college football is what drives the engine here at Aubievegas, much more than MMA, college basketball, soccer or the obscure sports that are likely to find a home on this site in the coming weeks and months.
That is evidenced by the beginning of the college football preview, close to four moths away from the beginning of the season whereas college basketball likely won't receive a large preview, soccer gets about a month before the World Cup and MMA events gets a post or two before major fight cards.
Over the comings weeks, I will be going in-depth on some of the most important teams nationally in college football, and keeping with this blogs theme of what is important in Auburn and Las Vegas, also going in-depth on each of the teams in the SEC, Mountain West and Pac-10.
Today is my first preseason top 25 after the jump
Remember that this is how I view teams right now. I don't believe Alabama is going to go undefeated and win another national title, but I do believe if we lined them up on a neutral field with everyone right now, they would win the most games.
1) Alabama – 5 most difficult games (in chronological order): Sept. 11 vs Penn St., Sept. 25 at Arkansas, Oct. 2 vs Florida, Nov. 6 at LSU, Nov 26 vs Auburn
2) Ohio St. - 5 most difficult games: Sept. 11 vs Miami, Oct. 16 at Wisconsin, Nov. 13 vs Penn St., Nov. 20 at Iowa, Nov. 27 vs Michigan
3) Boise St. - 5 most difficult games: Sept. 6 at Virginia Tech, Sept. 18 at Wyoming, Sept 25 vs Oregon St., Nov. 19 vs Fresno St., Nov. 26 at Nevada
4) Virginia Tech – 5 most difficult games: Sept. 6 vs Boise St., Sept. 25 at Boston College, Nov. 4 vs Georgia Tech, Nov. 13 at North Carolina, Nov. 20 at Miami
5) Nebraska – 5 most difficult games: Sept. 18 at Washington, Oct. 7 at Kansas St., Oct. 16 vs Texas, Oct. 30 vs Missouri, Nov. 20 at Texas A&M
6) Texas – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 at Texas Tech, Sept. 25 vs UCLA, Oct. 2 vs Oklahoma, Oct. 16 at Nebraska, Nov. 25 vs Texas A&M
7) Florida – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 vs South Florida, Oct. 2 at Alabama, Oct. 9 vs LSU, Oct. 30 vs Georgia, Nov. 27 at Florida St.
8) TCU – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs Oregon St., Sept. 18 vs Baylor, Oct. 16 vs BYU, Oct. 23 vs Air Force, Nov. 6 at Utah
9) Oregon – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Tennessee, Oct. 30 at USC, Nov. 13 at Cal, Nov. 26 vs Arizona, Dec. 4 at Oregon St.
10) Iowa – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 at Arizona, Oct. 2 vs Penn St., Oct. 23 vs Wisconsin, Nov. 13 at Northwestern, Nov. 20 vs Ohio St.
11) Wisconsin - 5 most difficult games – Oct. 2 at Michigan St., Oct. 16 vs Ohio St., Oct. 23 at Iowa, Nov. 20 at Michigan, Nov. 27 vs Northwestern
12) Miami - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Ohio St., Sept. 23 at Pittsburgh, Oct. 9 vs Florida St., Nov. 13 at Georgia Tech, Nov. 20 vs Virginia Tech
13) Oklahoma - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 vs Florida St., Sept. 25 at Cincinnati, Oct. 2 vs Texas, Oct. 23 at Missouri, Nov. 13 vs Texas Tech
14) Cincinnati - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 16 at NC State, Sept. 25 vs Oklahoma, Nov. 13 at West Virginia, Nov. 27 at Connecticut, Dec. 4 vs Pittsburgh
15) USC - 5 most difficult games – Oct. 9 at Stanford, Oct. 30 vs Oregon, Nov. 13 at Arizona, Nov. 20 at Oregon St., Dec. 4 at UCLA (the USC non-conference schedule, normally really strong is filled by name teams that stink this season like Minnesota, Virginia, and Hawaii in addition to Notre Dame)
16) Georgia - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at South Carolina, Sept. 18 vs Arkansas, Oct. 30 vs Florida, Nov. 13 at Auburn, Nov. 27 vs Georgia Tech
17) Pittsburgh - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 2 at Utah, Sept. 23 vs Miami, Nov. 11 at Connecticut, Nov. 26 vs West Virginia, Dec. 4 at Cincinnati
18) North Carolina - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs LSU, Sept. 18 vs Georgia Tech, Oct. 23 at Miami, Nov. 6 at Florida St., Nov. 13 vs Virginia Tech
19) Penn St. - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Alabama, Oct. 2 at Iowa, Oct. 30 vs Michigan, Nov. 6 vs Northwestern, Oct. 13 at Ohio St.
20) Houston - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 at UCLA, Oct. 9 vs Mississippi St., Oct. 23 at SMU, Nov. 20 at Southern Miss, Nov. 27 at Texas Tech
21) Florida St. - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Oklahoma, Sept. 18 vs BYU, Oct. 9 at Miami, Nov. 6 vs North Carolina, Nov. 27 vs Florida
22) Oregon St. - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs TCU, Sept. 25 at Boise St., Oct. 9 at Arizona, Nov. 20 vs USC, Dec. 4 vs Oregon
23) LSU - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs North Carolina, Oct. 9 at Florida, Oct. 23 at Auburn, Nov. 6 vs Alabama, Nov. 27 at Arkansas
24) Auburn - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 vs Clemson, Oct. 16 vs Arkansas, Oct. 23 vs LSU, Nov. 13 vs Georgia, Nov. 26 at Alabama (yes, almost all the difficult games are at home; such is the reality of the even year hence and part of the reason for the huge seasons in 2004 and 2006 and the expectation that killed Tommy Tuberville's tenure in 2008)
25) Utah - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 2 vs Pittsburgh, Oct. 30 at Air Force, Nov. 6 vs TCU, Nov. 13 at Notre Dame, Nov. 27 vs BYU
Defense of the rankings
Once again I am sucker for Georgia. For those of you who have not read any of my previous work blog work on either Sporting News or at Shadow Sports, I have this semi-infuriating to myself tendency to overrate Georgia every year. Back in 2005, I predicted them to the national title game with a perfect season (though that was as much to be the one contrary guy going against the prevailing, and correct, USC-Texas sentiment). In 2008, I was on the bandwagon ranking them number one along with everyone else. Last season, I had them ranked firmly in the top 10 with the belief they were better than Oklahoma St. So of course, where is Georgia this season: 16, when nobody else I've seen that isn't a Georgia homer has them better than 20 (and believe me as an Auburn grad, I am no Georgia homer).
Cincinnati isn't going to have nearly the drop off that one would assume looking at the name on the jersey. Zach Collaros got lots of experience last season, new coach Butch Jones successfully succeeded Brian Kelly at Central Michigan and the defense that replaced 10 starters last season should be much better this year.
The teams below 12 in the rankings are not nearly up to their normal standards causing some interesting guesses at how good teams are (Houston at 20, Georgia at 16, Penn St. with nearly nothing returning at 19, Utah with a team that won't be half as good as last year at 25). This is caused by what appears to be a down year upcoming in the Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC along with the Big Ten being top heavy. Even the SEC teams ranked at the bottom are marginal calls based on assumed talent from recruiting rankings and not any tangible evidence at this point that they will actually be good.
Where are Georgia Tech and South Carolina?
In short, I don't believe. Georgia Tech will ultimately be fine by the end of the year, but they can be had early in the season as they rebuild the defense and recover from multiple ill-advised early draft entries. South Carolina with all its returning talent is still South Carolina meaning they won't be surviving the Orange Crush at the end of the schedule (Tennessee, Florida, Clemson) and I don't believe they will manage to win the early games necessary to sustain bowl-eligibility.
While not having been covered thus far except in passing in the expansion post, college football is what drives the engine here at Aubievegas, much more than MMA, college basketball, soccer or the obscure sports that are likely to find a home on this site in the coming weeks and months.
That is evidenced by the beginning of the college football preview, close to four moths away from the beginning of the season whereas college basketball likely won't receive a large preview, soccer gets about a month before the World Cup and MMA events gets a post or two before major fight cards.
Over the comings weeks, I will be going in-depth on some of the most important teams nationally in college football, and keeping with this blogs theme of what is important in Auburn and Las Vegas, also going in-depth on each of the teams in the SEC, Mountain West and Pac-10.
Today is my first preseason top 25 after the jump
Remember that this is how I view teams right now. I don't believe Alabama is going to go undefeated and win another national title, but I do believe if we lined them up on a neutral field with everyone right now, they would win the most games.
1) Alabama – 5 most difficult games (in chronological order): Sept. 11 vs Penn St., Sept. 25 at Arkansas, Oct. 2 vs Florida, Nov. 6 at LSU, Nov 26 vs Auburn
2) Ohio St. - 5 most difficult games: Sept. 11 vs Miami, Oct. 16 at Wisconsin, Nov. 13 vs Penn St., Nov. 20 at Iowa, Nov. 27 vs Michigan
3) Boise St. - 5 most difficult games: Sept. 6 at Virginia Tech, Sept. 18 at Wyoming, Sept 25 vs Oregon St., Nov. 19 vs Fresno St., Nov. 26 at Nevada
4) Virginia Tech – 5 most difficult games: Sept. 6 vs Boise St., Sept. 25 at Boston College, Nov. 4 vs Georgia Tech, Nov. 13 at North Carolina, Nov. 20 at Miami
5) Nebraska – 5 most difficult games: Sept. 18 at Washington, Oct. 7 at Kansas St., Oct. 16 vs Texas, Oct. 30 vs Missouri, Nov. 20 at Texas A&M
6) Texas – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 at Texas Tech, Sept. 25 vs UCLA, Oct. 2 vs Oklahoma, Oct. 16 at Nebraska, Nov. 25 vs Texas A&M
7) Florida – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 vs South Florida, Oct. 2 at Alabama, Oct. 9 vs LSU, Oct. 30 vs Georgia, Nov. 27 at Florida St.
8) TCU – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs Oregon St., Sept. 18 vs Baylor, Oct. 16 vs BYU, Oct. 23 vs Air Force, Nov. 6 at Utah
9) Oregon – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Tennessee, Oct. 30 at USC, Nov. 13 at Cal, Nov. 26 vs Arizona, Dec. 4 at Oregon St.
10) Iowa – 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 at Arizona, Oct. 2 vs Penn St., Oct. 23 vs Wisconsin, Nov. 13 at Northwestern, Nov. 20 vs Ohio St.
11) Wisconsin - 5 most difficult games – Oct. 2 at Michigan St., Oct. 16 vs Ohio St., Oct. 23 at Iowa, Nov. 20 at Michigan, Nov. 27 vs Northwestern
12) Miami - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Ohio St., Sept. 23 at Pittsburgh, Oct. 9 vs Florida St., Nov. 13 at Georgia Tech, Nov. 20 vs Virginia Tech
13) Oklahoma - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 vs Florida St., Sept. 25 at Cincinnati, Oct. 2 vs Texas, Oct. 23 at Missouri, Nov. 13 vs Texas Tech
14) Cincinnati - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 16 at NC State, Sept. 25 vs Oklahoma, Nov. 13 at West Virginia, Nov. 27 at Connecticut, Dec. 4 vs Pittsburgh
15) USC - 5 most difficult games – Oct. 9 at Stanford, Oct. 30 vs Oregon, Nov. 13 at Arizona, Nov. 20 at Oregon St., Dec. 4 at UCLA (the USC non-conference schedule, normally really strong is filled by name teams that stink this season like Minnesota, Virginia, and Hawaii in addition to Notre Dame)
16) Georgia - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at South Carolina, Sept. 18 vs Arkansas, Oct. 30 vs Florida, Nov. 13 at Auburn, Nov. 27 vs Georgia Tech
17) Pittsburgh - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 2 at Utah, Sept. 23 vs Miami, Nov. 11 at Connecticut, Nov. 26 vs West Virginia, Dec. 4 at Cincinnati
18) North Carolina - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs LSU, Sept. 18 vs Georgia Tech, Oct. 23 at Miami, Nov. 6 at Florida St., Nov. 13 vs Virginia Tech
19) Penn St. - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Alabama, Oct. 2 at Iowa, Oct. 30 vs Michigan, Nov. 6 vs Northwestern, Oct. 13 at Ohio St.
20) Houston - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 at UCLA, Oct. 9 vs Mississippi St., Oct. 23 at SMU, Nov. 20 at Southern Miss, Nov. 27 at Texas Tech
21) Florida St. - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 11 at Oklahoma, Sept. 18 vs BYU, Oct. 9 at Miami, Nov. 6 vs North Carolina, Nov. 27 vs Florida
22) Oregon St. - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs TCU, Sept. 25 at Boise St., Oct. 9 at Arizona, Nov. 20 vs USC, Dec. 4 vs Oregon
23) LSU - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 4 vs North Carolina, Oct. 9 at Florida, Oct. 23 at Auburn, Nov. 6 vs Alabama, Nov. 27 at Arkansas
24) Auburn - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 18 vs Clemson, Oct. 16 vs Arkansas, Oct. 23 vs LSU, Nov. 13 vs Georgia, Nov. 26 at Alabama (yes, almost all the difficult games are at home; such is the reality of the even year hence and part of the reason for the huge seasons in 2004 and 2006 and the expectation that killed Tommy Tuberville's tenure in 2008)
25) Utah - 5 most difficult games – Sept. 2 vs Pittsburgh, Oct. 30 at Air Force, Nov. 6 vs TCU, Nov. 13 at Notre Dame, Nov. 27 vs BYU
Defense of the rankings
Once again I am sucker for Georgia. For those of you who have not read any of my previous work blog work on either Sporting News or at Shadow Sports, I have this semi-infuriating to myself tendency to overrate Georgia every year. Back in 2005, I predicted them to the national title game with a perfect season (though that was as much to be the one contrary guy going against the prevailing, and correct, USC-Texas sentiment). In 2008, I was on the bandwagon ranking them number one along with everyone else. Last season, I had them ranked firmly in the top 10 with the belief they were better than Oklahoma St. So of course, where is Georgia this season: 16, when nobody else I've seen that isn't a Georgia homer has them better than 20 (and believe me as an Auburn grad, I am no Georgia homer).
Cincinnati isn't going to have nearly the drop off that one would assume looking at the name on the jersey. Zach Collaros got lots of experience last season, new coach Butch Jones successfully succeeded Brian Kelly at Central Michigan and the defense that replaced 10 starters last season should be much better this year.
The teams below 12 in the rankings are not nearly up to their normal standards causing some interesting guesses at how good teams are (Houston at 20, Georgia at 16, Penn St. with nearly nothing returning at 19, Utah with a team that won't be half as good as last year at 25). This is caused by what appears to be a down year upcoming in the Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC along with the Big Ten being top heavy. Even the SEC teams ranked at the bottom are marginal calls based on assumed talent from recruiting rankings and not any tangible evidence at this point that they will actually be good.
Where are Georgia Tech and South Carolina?
In short, I don't believe. Georgia Tech will ultimately be fine by the end of the year, but they can be had early in the season as they rebuild the defense and recover from multiple ill-advised early draft entries. South Carolina with all its returning talent is still South Carolina meaning they won't be surviving the Orange Crush at the end of the schedule (Tennessee, Florida, Clemson) and I don't believe they will manage to win the early games necessary to sustain bowl-eligibility.
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