disney early top 25

[OregonDucks]

Alabama Crimson Tide strengthen top spot in latest 2013 Top 25 - ESPN

Stanford at #2..?? Eh, don't know about that. They lost a lot of good talent and depth both on offense and defense. 2 just seems very very high for them.

ND belongs nowhere in the top 10. But it is ND, and the media will drool over them until they drop 4-5 games.

Michigan doesn't belong in the top 20.

Kansas State doesn't deserved to be ranked.

Nebraska at 23 is very surprising. they return everyone on offense and their D can't get much worse than it was this year. Should be top 15.

Texas is a bit of a surprise being in top 15. They didn't have that great of a class and seem to be a bit declined in their prominent position as top program in the country. They tend to lose more games than they should year after year. I think top 25 is certain, but not top 15.

 

[Red_Alert]

These polls are put out as a guesstimate of what the final rankings will be at the end of the season.

It'd be hard to justify Nebraska opening up at 15 considering they've lost their last 3 bowl games, last 3 CCG's and generally play poorly late.

If they get by UCLA and some folks lose ahead of them, then I can see them being top 15 until a road game @ Michigan. Win there and I can see them moving into the Top 10 assuming the other 10 aren't also undefeated.

It's in conference championships and bowl games that Nebraska hasn't been able to get to the next level, thus dropping to the low to mid 20's...

 

[NDHoosier101]

ND didn't lose that much from our undefeated season. 9 might be a little high, but I expect at least a 10 win season this year.

 

[ArrogantBAMAFan]

Vanderbilt is ranked 25th?

 

[Brasky]

Alabama Crimson Tide strengthen top spot in latest 2013 Top 25 - ESPN


Nebraska at 23 is very surprising. they return everyone on offense and their D can't get much worse than it was this year. Should be top 15.

A lot of these pre season polls just look at the "sexiness" of the team.

They don't look at schedules.

Nebraska's schedule:

Wyoming W 1-0
Southern Miss W 2-0
UCLA W 3-0
South Dakota State W 4-0
Illinois W 5-0
@Purdue W 6-0
@Minnesota W 7-0
Northwestern W 8-0 and a top 5 ranking.
@Michigan ?
Michigan State W
@Penn St W
Iowa W
CCG vs Ohio St. ?
BCS at large bid or Rose Bowl ?

 

[Golden Spur]

USC@#10.

We don't have LSU, Bama or aTm on our schedule this year, which is a plus. But we do start out with a tougher-than-normal match up with UNC (@home). Of course there's UGA and UF. Over the last 3 years, we were 15-1 against the SEC East, but the loss to the Gaytors did us in, title-wise.

The article mentions that we lost linebackers, but really understates how serious the situation is. We're going to move a RS FR (Kelvin Rainey) to OLB, and there are going to be other freshmen in the rotation, too. Our DL will be solid, maybe great (Clowney/Quarles/Dixon/Sutton), but we still will have some youth out among the DBs, too.

There's no doubt that if we are to compete for an SEC East title, this is the year the O has to step up. I look for Dylan Thomas to make a serious move on the starting job, though SOS may just alternate him and Shaw the way he did @ UF (he won SECC's that way). OL should be more experienced, and we've got some good backs with different abilities. Couple of freak TEs.

I think #10 is optimistic - please surprise me, guys.

 

[Brasky]

I can see Michigan being blindsided by a disastrous year.

 

[rolltide14_0]

The only thing that sucks about winning a national title is knowing you probably won't win it the next year. It's just too hard to do. But when you win back to back, it's like there's no fucking way you're going to win 3 in a row, that's impossible...lol.

 

[Smoke]

The only thing that sucks about winning a national title is knowing you probably won't win it the next year. It's just too hard to do. But when you win back to back, it's like there's no fucking way you're going to win 3 in a row, that's impossible...lol.

 

[rolltide14_0]

Jelly^^

 

[Smoke]

Jelly^^

Raspberry is my fav.

 

[bocomo007]

Really weird rankings

 

[OregonDucks]

based on Alabama's last few recruiting classes and the fact they are returning just about everyone this season, there is no reason they can't get back to the NCG.

 

[ckhokie]

Vanderbilt is ranked 25th?

That's ESPN putting in their mandatory SEC 'darkhorse.' Ole Miss/Mississippi State havent panned out no matter how hard espn has tried, so maybe they're just going in a new direction

 

[Red_Alert]

It will take 2 undefeated (non-SEC) BCS teams to keep a one loss SEC team out of the NC.

Unless that one loss were to come in the SEC CCG to a two loss opponent.

 

[bamabear82]

based on Alabama's last few recruiting classes and the fact they are returning just about everyone this season, there is no reason they can't get back to the NCG.

We're actually losing quite a bit. I think there's 6 "starters" or so on each side of the ball returning.

 

[tideguy]

WTF?!?! they havent put VT in the top 10

 

[olympicoscar]

Alabama Crimson Tide strengthen top spot in latest 2013 Top 25 - ESPN

Stanford at #2..?? Eh, don't know about that. They lost a lot of good talent and depth both on offense and defense. 2 just seems very very high for them.

ND belongs nowhere in the top 10. But it is ND, and the media will drool over them until they drop 4-5 games.

Michigan doesn't belong in the top 20.

Kansas State doesn't deserved to be ranked.

Nebraska at 23 is very surprising. they return everyone on offense and their D can't get much worse than it was this year. Should be top 15.

Texas is a bit of a surprise being in top 15. They didn't have that great of a class and seem to be a bit declined in their prominent position as top program in the country. They tend to lose more games than they should year after year. I think top 25 is certain, but not top 15.

Texas dosen't lose very many players. They will be strong. Stanford at number 2 is a bit much. Notre Dame will be better than you think.

This should be Ohio State's year.

 

[tideguy]

Texas dosen't lose very many players. They will be strong. Stanford at number 2 is a bit much. Notre Dame will be better than you think.

This should be Ohio State's year.

Not losing many players doesnt really matter when your team was shitty last year!! Just means you basically have the same shitty team again!!

 

[olympicoscar]

Not losing many players doesnt really matter when your team was shitty last year!! Just means you basically have the same shitty team again!!

9-4 is not shitty. Look for a major improvement over that and a Big 12 Championship.