Wednesday, August 06, 2008

ESPN Power Rankings are out

ESPN has released their power rankings for the pre-season, and they are what you would expect, complete with a heapin' helping of ass-slurpin' on the SEC;


1Georgia (7)0-0356How will the Bulldogs handle lofty expectations? Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford certainly help, but the alarming player suspensions don't.
2USC (3)0-0350USC fans have Sept. 13 circled on the calendar. That's when Ohio State visits, and we'll know more about these Trojans -- and QB Mark Sanchez.
3Ohio State (4)0-0349Depth, talent and experience. The Bucks seem to have it all, but the road to the BCS title (at USC, at Wisconsin, at Illinois) won't be easy.
4Florida (1)0-0331Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin are back, and that means the Gators will find the end zone -- a lot. But will their young defense grow up in 2008?
5Oklahoma0-0322Barring a sophomore slump from Sam Bradford, the Sooners should be the class of the Big 12 South. They've got bigger goals in Norman, however.
6Missouri0-0295Can Mizzou duplicate -- and surpass -- last season's success? We'll find some answers right out of the gate when the Tigers play Illinois in Saint Louis.
7Clemson0-0273This could be Clemson's year. Stop us if you've heard that before, Tiger fans. We get your skepticism, but the hype -- and team -- are for real.
8West Virginia0-0241A healthy Pat White and Noel Devine form a dynamic duo in the backfield. Will it top White and record-setter Steve Slaton? Don't bet against it.
9LSU0-0240The offense returns seven starters, but QB Matt Flynn isn't one of them. Andrew Hatch (two passes attempted in '07) will likely get the call vs. App. State.
10Auburn0-0230The Tigers have averaged 10.5 wins in the last four years, but with two new coordinators and a new offensive scheme, will it be too much to ask?


One thing I believe I can guarantee....the winner between USC and Ohio State on September 13th will be the new #1. Georgia doesn't have much of a lead on either team, and doesn't play anybody worth writing home about for their first three games.

By the way, Michigan is ranked #36, and is apparently the sixth-best team in the Big Ten (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, and Michigan State are all ranked higher). Notre Dame has the same amount of votes (go ahead and laugh out loud at that one if you want to).

1 comment:

matt said...

Yeah goes without saying that Georgia drops to 2nd place. OSU and USC both have 14 first place votes. You'd have to believe that OSU/USC winner will have at least 28 first place votes by September 14, and probably a few Georgia defections. Should be a great game to watch.