Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2011

• OQB

  

  look at the distance traveled to the game.....Where in Texas are they playing?
  
  
  Louisiana to Texas (Dallas): 6 hrs 51 mins / 443.06 miles
  Oregon to Texas (Dallas): 32 hrs 3 mins / 2047.18 miles
  
  Louisiana to Texas (Houston): 4 hrs 20 mins / 269.63 miles
  Oregon to Texas (Houston): 35 hrs 34 mins / 2404.85 miles
  
  Now of course those are driving times, but still you get the idea. It is a home game for LSU.
• cats gone wild

  OrrvilleQB;636566 wrote:look at the distance traveled to the game.....Where in Texas are they playing?
  
  
  Louisiana to Texas (Dallas): 6 hrs 51 mins / 443.06 miles
  Oregon to Texas (Dallas): 32 hrs 3 mins / 2047.18 miles
  
  Louisiana to Texas (Houston): 4 hrs 20 mins / 269.63 miles
  Oregon to Texas (Houston): 35 hrs 34 mins / 2404.85 miles
  
  Now of course those are driving times, but still you get the idea. It is a home game for LSU.

  
  
  If OSU played at Michigan's home field vs. USC, it would be a home game? Yeah, sure.
  LSU and Oregon both have to travel and stay at hotels in a different state. And its Oregon they are playing.....on a field that both teams have the same amount of practice on. So, its 100% FACT, its not a home game. You guys never like to give any SEC team credit. Thats OK, stick to the Ohio colleges, Marshall, Colorado and the Miami's of the world.
• OQB

  

  Lol thank you for your incredible amount of knowledge, we all appreciate it so much.
  
  I really don't know how this site runs without you posting your wealth of knowledge on it.
• cats gone wild

  OrrvilleQB;636587 wrote:Lol thank you for your incredible amount of knowledge, we all appreciate it so much.
  
  I really don't know how this site runs without you posting your wealth of knowledge on it.

  
  You're welcome!
• Big Gain

  Boise State loses a lot, no way are they a reload program.
• georgemc80

  Ok...I live in Texas.... It is an undeniable fact that there are more LSU fans in Texas than Oregon fans (20-1 conservatively). It is also easier for someone in Baton Rouge or Shreveport to head on over to Dallas to see the game.
  
  I agree that it is not a home game...but don't make it seem like a true neutral site game. There will more Bayou Bengals in JerryWorld than Ducks. I predict 70% LSU in the crowd. Kudos for the tough game. But it is far from hitting the road.
  
  Besides there are more Texas kids on LSU's roster...it will be like a homecoming.
• Azubuike24

  

  There would be more LSU fans if the game was in Glendale, Pasadena or anywhere else that is closer to Eugene.
  
  LSU has more fans and will travel more than Oregon. The game could be played in Hong Kong and LSU would have more fans.
• Tobias Fünke

  

  ccrunner I'm still waiting for my answer
• centralbucksfan

  So LSU is finally playing a top 10 quality program and we should be patting them on the back for this? Give me a break. And as others have said, come back and talk about it when you actually go play on their homefield. People can rip on OSU all they want, but at least they are schedule the one BIG game vs traditional big time powers and doing a home and home. I realize the rest of cupcakes most of time. But its not unlike every other top program needing home games.
  
  As far as next year top 10. Hard to pick right now. I mean if Cam Newton returns, Auburn is top 5. Without him, maybe not top 15. LSU returns a lot of talent. Okl obviously does as well as Oregon. Alabama...losing QB, RB and WR. Thats 3 VERY good and KEY players along with others. I know they are talented, and know they return quite a bit of defense. But I think they will burp up at least a couple of losses again next year. Not sure I would have them in my top 5 so early. And I doubt I would have OSU in top 10 early without the suspended players.
• goosebumps

  

  centralbucksfan;636925 wrote:So LSU is finally playing a top 10 quality program and we should be patting them on the back for this? Give me a break. And as others have said, come back and talk about it when you actually go play on their homefield. People can rip on OSU all they want, but at least they are schedule the one BIG game vs traditional big time powers and doing a home and home. I realize the rest of cupcakes most of time. But its not unlike every other top program needing home games.
  
  As far as next year top 10. Hard to pick right now. I mean if Cam Newton returns, Auburn is top 5. Without him, maybe not top 15. LSU returns a lot of talent. Okl obviously does as well as Oregon. Alabama...losing QB, RB and WR. Thats 3 VERY good and KEY players along with others. I know they are talented, and know they return quite a bit of defense. But I think they will burp up at least a couple of losses again next year. Not sure I would have them in my top 5 so early. And I doubt I would have OSU in top 10 early without the suspended players.

  
  OSU did a home and "sort of" home with UC several years ago, UC's home game was Paul Brown and was basically a home game for OSU. Funny that they were willing to come to Cincy and play back in the Conference USA days, but now that UC is in a BCS conference they just threw money at us to cancel our home and home for 2012 and 2014. Can't really blame them though, more money to be made at Ohio Stadium.
• ytownfootball

  

  UC stadium simply doesn't hold enough for the draw. I'm certain it worked out better for both but more so for UC.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  enigmaax;636493 wrote:.....where they had five winning seasons in 30+ years.

  I wasn't arguing the point of how many games they won, I was making the point that it's much easier to attract top recruits in an AQ conference than it is in a non-AQ conference. But if you'd like to refute that, be my guest. Take for example, Indiana, who despite being a perennial bottom-feeder of the Big10 and being surrounded by the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa to the west, still manage to attract several kids each year that even the best MAC programs in the same area don't get. If you'd like to argue that TCU is getting better recruits NOW than they will in a few years when they're officially in the BigEast and are GUARANTEED to make a BCS game even if they go 8-4 (ala Uconn this year), then be my guest.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Big Gain;636603 wrote:Boise State loses a lot, no way are they a reload program.

  
  Have you watched ANY football in the last 8 years?? I will agree with you if Petersen leaves, but if he stays, they'll be just fine. Dude can flat out coach, and he is outrecruiting more than half of the PAC10 schools at this point, which is almost unthinkable at any other non-AQ program in the country.
• sportswizuhrd

  centralbucksfan;636925 wrote:So LSU is finally playing a top 10 quality program and we should be patting them on the back for this? Give me a break. And as others have said, come back and talk about it when you actually go play on their homefield. People can rip on OSU all they want, but at least they are schedule the one BIG game vs traditional big time powers and doing a home and home. I realize the rest of cupcakes most of time. But its not unlike every other top program needing home games.
  
  As far as next year top 10. Hard to pick right now. I mean if Cam Newton returns, Auburn is top 5. Without him, maybe not top 15. LSU returns a lot of talent. Okl obviously does as well as Oregon. Alabama...losing QB, RB and WR. Thats 3 VERY good and KEY players along with others. I know they are talented, and know they return quite a bit of defense. But I think they will burp up at least a couple of losses again next year. Not sure I would have them in my top 5 so early. And I doubt I would have OSU in top 10 early without the suspended players.

  You meant OOC right?
• OneBuckeye

  

  Rivals has their top 25 out.
  
  http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1175832
  

  1. OKLAHOMA
  Buzz: Oklahoma won the Big 12 and snapped its five-game BCS losing streak this season, which sets up a potentially huge 2011. QB Landry Jones had to be ecstatic that WR Ryan Broyles decided to stay for his senior season; LB Travis Lewis is staying in school, as well. In all, nine starters will be back on both sides of the ball for Bob Stoops.
  2. ALABAMA
  Buzz: The Tide won 10 games and destroyed Michigan State in the bowl game, but ask around and 'Bama fans will say it was a disappointing season. There will be a new quarterback (A.J. McCarron), a new starting tailback (Mark Ingram is going pro) and a new go-to receiver (Julio Jones is going pro). But the offensive line returns four starters, the secondary will be much improved and the front seven on defense should be extremely good.
  3. STANFORD
  Buzz: Yes, coach Jim Harbaugh is gone and he will be missed. But QB Andrew Luck surprisingly turned down NFL millions - many NFL millions - and will be back. The running game should be strong, and while the defensive line will undergo a makeover, this is a confident team these days.
  4. LSU
  Buzz: Les Miles will remain as coach, and who can blame him for wanting to stay? The Tigers are loaded with talent. QB Jordan Jefferson is the key to any league - or national - title hopes; he simply has to become more consistent. The defense returns seven starters, and as long as the new tackles come through, that defense again will be a good one.
  5. OHIO STATE
  Buzz: The Buckeyes closed the season strong, with a solid win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. QB Terrelle Pryor's return is huge, and even though he and four other important players will miss the first five games, only one of those games looks that difficult.
  6. AUBURN
  Buzz: QB Cameron Newton and DT Nick Fairley are expected to go pro but they haven't announced yet, so the Tigers rank this highly because of those two alone. As it is, Auburn loses six starters on both sides of the ball, including four from a dominating offensive line.
  7. OREGON
  Buzz: QB Darron Thomas and TBs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner will return for a Ducks attack that should again be extremely potent. Both lines will undergo a makeover, but the secondary should be excellent and the offensive backfield productive.
  8. FLORIDA STATE
  Buzz: Florida State loses two four-year starters on the offensive line (All-America G Rodney Hudson and C Ryan McMahon) and QB Christian Ponder, but the Seminoles return just about all their other top players from a 10-win team. The arrival of a talent-laden recruiting class should make Florida State the class of the ACC next season.
  9. TEXAS A&M
  Buzz: For the first time in a while, the Aggies will be facing truly high expectations - but they have the talent to live up to expectations. All the key skill-position players will be back, the offensive line returns four starters and a young defense made big strides this season under first-year coordinator Tim DeRuyter.
  10. BOISE STATE
  Buzz: We don't know who's going to be catching the ball for Boise State now that Austin Pettis and Titus Young have departed, but Boise State's offense should be in good shape as long as Kellen Moore is throwing the ball and able to hand off to Doug Martin. If the Broncos survive their opener against Georgia and win a MWC showdown at TCU, an undefeated season is possible.
  11. OKLAHOMA STATE
  Buzz: The Cowboys were a huge surprise this season, but they won't sneak up on anybody next season. WR Justin Blackmon was the nation's best at his position this season and his decision to stay in school is surprising - and also a huge boon for the Cowboys. He and QB Brandon Weeden should be the most productive pass-catch combo in the nation next season. The defense still needs to improve, though.
  12. MICHIGAN STATE
  Buzz: Mark Dantonio's team surprised almost everybody by tying for the Big Ten title this season, and there's no reason not to expect another strong season in 2011. Almost all of the key skill-position players will be back, and if Dantonio and his staff can remake the linebacker corps, the Spartans will be in excellent shape.
  13. WISCONSIN
  Buzz: QB Scott Tolzien will be missed, as will T Gabe Carimi and G John Moffitt. But the Badgers always are going to have a physical (and beefy) offensive line, and RBs Montee Ball and James White will benefit. There could be some defensive holes, though.
  14. SOUTH CAROLINA
  Buzz: The Gamecocks won the SEC East this season, their first title of any kind since 1969. True, the division was as weak as it ever has been, but the Gamecocks are in good position to again win the East next season, thanks to RB Marcus Lattimore and WR Alshon Jeffery.
  15. TCU
  Buzz: Gary Patterson has developed TCU into the kind of program that now should open every season in the national rankings, but the Horned Frogs have more holes to fill than usual as they replace a star-studded senior class that included QB Andy Dalton and C Jake Kirkpatrick, who won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center. TCU isn't facing former MWC members BYU and Utah, but newcomer Boise State likely will be the preseason league favorite.
  16. VIRGINIA TECH
  Buzz: Virginia Tech needs QB Logan Thomas and TB David Wilson to step up as the Hokies attempt to replace Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams and Darren Evans in the backfield. But the Hokies do have an experienced offensive line and receiving corps, and the defense should be better next season.
  17. NEBRASKA
  Buzz: The defense gets a boost with T Jared Crick deciding to stay in school, similar to the decision Ndamukong Suh made before the 2009 season. If QB Taylor Martinez's sophomore season is anything like the first half of his redshirt freshman season, the Huskers' first season in the Big Ten will be a good one.
  18. ARKANSAS
  Buzz: Ryan Mallett is gone, as are both starting offensive tackles. But eight starters are back on defense, the receiving corps is a good one, RB Knile Davis is a star on the rise and new QB Tyler Wilson played well in relief of an injured Mallett against Auburn.
  19. MISSISSIPPI STATE
  Buzz: The Bulldogs won nine games under second-year coach Dan Mullen, including a destruction of Michigan in the Gator Bowl. Mullen has instilled a new mindset, and the Bulldogs now expect good things to happen. The Bulldogs are losing their two best offensive linemen, their best defensive lineman and their top two linebackers, but seven starters on defense and eight on offense will return.
  20. NOTRE DAME
  Buzz: The Irish figure to build on the momentum they established by winning their final four games this season. Notre Dame returns LB Manti Te'o and most of the other key players from their vastly improved defense, and their offense returns star WR Michael Floyd and four starting linemen.
  21. PENN STATE
  Buzz: Finding a quarterback will be priority one during spring drills. But even with the departure of Evan Royster, there are some good tailbacks, the defensive line should be stout and the secondary has the potential be one of the best in the nation.
  22. ARIZONA STATE
  Buzz: The Sun Devils went 6-6 and lost to Wisconsin, Oregon State, USC and Stanford by a combined nine points. Arizona State loses just one starter on offense and none on defense. Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler will vie for the quarterback job in spring drills.
  23. MISSOURI
  Buzz: The Insight Bowl loss to Iowa stings, as do the early departures of QB Blaine Gabbert and DE Aldon Smith. Still, the Tigers will have a senior-laden offensive line and a veteran front seven. Following in the footsteps of Gabbert and Chase Daniel, sophomore James Franklin should make sure the quarterback job is in good hands.
  24. WEST VIRGINIA
  Buzz: The Mountaineers won nine games despite a nagging injury that bothered Noel Devine for his entire senior season. Even without Devine, new offensive coordinator (and future coach) Dana Holgorsen inherits quality skill-position players on offense led by QB Geno Smith. The defense, dominant at times this season, will need to rebuild a bit.
  25. TEXAS
  Buzz: The Longhorns suffered through a nightmarish 2010 season, and a staff shakeup was the end result. Bryan Harsin arrives from Boise State to coordinate the offense, and Manny Diaz moves from Mississippi State to run the defense. QB Garrett Gilbert was a turnover machine this season, but if he curbs those tendencies, the Longhorns should return to a bowl game. Texas can't be down for long, right?

• cats gone wild

  LSU #1 in this poll
  
  http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/14544740/first-preseason-top-25-secs-other-tigers-start-at-no-1
• sportchampps

  si had theirs in the magazine this week and had osu number 6
  
  I give LSU credit for taking a step in the right direction
  
  Arkansas backup QB looked good when Mallett got injured earlier this year i think he threw for like 300 yrd and 4tds when he played in a meaniful game
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  sportchampps;638597 wrote:
  Arkansas backup QB looked good when Mallett got injured earlier this year i think he threw for like 300 yrd and 4tds when he played in a meaniful game

  
  I will give you that he looked good when he got time, but in that league, you need time to mature before you step into a full time starting role. Look at Brantley this year from Florida. The kid obviously has all the talent in the world, but they dropped some games primarily due to a weaker offense than they had when Tebow was there. Heck even guys like Mallett and Tebow need time to settle in (both took some losses early in their career). I see Arkansas looking about like Florida did this year--contending, but losing 3-4 games in the regular season.
• vball10set

  6. AUBURN
  Buzz: QB Cameron Newton and DT Nick Fairley are expected to go pro but they haven't announced yet, so the Tigers rank this highly because of those two alone. As it is, Auburn loses six starters on both sides of the ball, including four from a dominating offensive line.
  
  both have declared, so this should knock them down to about 15
• Speedofsand

  

  Florida has a tough schedule. Nobody is expecting much from the first year staff.
  Sept. 3rd Florida Atlantic
  Sept. 10th Alabama-Birmingham
  Sept. 17th Tennessee
  Sept. 24th at Kentucky (Lexington KY)
  Oct. 1st. Alabama
  Oct. 8th. at LSU (Baton Rouge LA)
  Oct. 15th. at Auburn (Auburn AL)
  Oct. 29th. Georgia (Jacksonville FL) 3:30 P.M.
  Nov. 5th. Vanderbilt
  Nov. 12th. at South Carolina (Columbia SC)
  Nov. 19th. Furman
  Nov. 26th FSU
  
  October sucks
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  Speedofsand;639049 wrote:Florida has a tough schedule. Nobody is expecting much from the first year staff.
  Sept. 3rd Florida Atlantic
  Sept. 10th Alabama-Birmingham
  Sept. 17th Tennessee
  Sept. 24th at Kentucky (Lexington KY)
  Oct. 1st. Alabama
  Oct. 8th. at LSU (Baton Rouge LA)
  Oct. 15th. at Auburn (Auburn AL)
  Oct. 29th. Georgia (Jacksonville FL) 3:30 P.M.
  Nov. 5th. Vanderbilt
  Nov. 12th. at South Carolina (Columbia SC)
  Nov. 19th. Furman
  Nov. 26th FSU
  
  October sucks

  
  Wow. Look at those Goliaths - Florida Atlantic, Alabama-Birmingham, and Furman. Giants I tell you, giants!
• Speedofsand

  

  You're right, might as well be Akron, Toledo, and Bye week. I guarantee you Florida plays more ranked teams than Ohio State. Yes, our OOC schedule always sucks, we complain but Foley don't listen.
• Jester

  

  Speedofsand;641662 wrote:You're right, might as well be Akron, Toledo, and Bye week. I guarantee you Florida plays more ranked teams than Ohio State. Yes, our OOC schedule always sucks, we complain but Foley don't listen.

  lolwut?
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  Speedofsand;641662 wrote:You're right, might as well be Akron, Toledo, and Bye week.

  
  You conveniently left out Miami and Colorado. SMH
• Speedofsand

  

  seriously, I hate 3 cupcake games. FAU, UAB, and Furman are no better than a Bye week. Foley will not give up a home date to play another bigtime OOC game though. Its all about the money. At the end of the year, I see 5 top ranked teams on Florida's schedule. When is the last time OSU played 5 top ranked teams in one year ?