Big Ten backer doing the Gator Chomp

I was pleasantly surprised while watching ESPN's College Gameday this morning. Kirk Herbstreit actually picked the Florida Gators to beat LSU.

I have nothing against Herbie, Lee Corso, and the "sane" guy who runs the show, but none of them have ever been Gator fans. Herbie always picks the Big Ten, and Lee is a Seminole nut.

So, Herbie's upset special is the Gators knocking off the #1 team in the country. If the Gators can pull it off, they will be right back in the National Championship picture.

I am pulling for the Gators to run the table, and for Auburn to win their side of the SEC. Then we can get revenge on the Tigers in the SEC Championship, before beating USC (or South Florida???) for the National Championship.

The Florida Gators are the best team in the country

One thing was apparent to me after watching the Florida Gators 59-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers: the Gators are the best team in the country. The Gators are practically unstoppable on offense and their bend-but-don't-break defense has a lot of young playmakers.

On offense, QB Tim Tebow has shown that his passing skills are just as good as his running skills. He has thrown for 835 yards and eight touchdowns in the first three games of the season.

As good as Tebow has been, the real star of the Florida offense is sophomore WR Percy Harvin. Harvin is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. Coach Urban Meyer does a great job of finding ways to get the ball to this young star. Harvin had 195 yards rushing and receiving against the Vols.

Not to be overlooked on offense are WRs Cornelius Ingram, Riley Cooper, Jarred Fayson and Andre Caldwell, who missed the Tennessee game with a knee injury. RB/Returner Brandon Jacobs is another scoring threat and usually sets the Gators' offense up with good field position.

The Gators defense is not too bad either. The three players that jump out to me are DE Derrick Harvey, LB Brandon Spikes, and S Tony Joiner. The Gators defense is loaded with freshmen and sophomore players who will make a name for themselves as the season comes along. Watch out for guys like DBs Markihe Anderson, Jerimy Finch, and Major Wright.

The one concern about the Gators' defense is the lack of a significant pass rush. The Gators lost four defensive linemen to the NFL, and the guys in the middle have yet to step up. To the Gators' credit, the defense bends, but rarely breaks. The Gators allowed the Vols to gain 298 yards of total offense, but forced three turnovers and only allowed the Vols' offense to score 13 points.

It is still too early to crown a national champion, but the Gators are right there with USC, LSU, and Oklahoma in the discussion. The Gators will have to travel to LSU on October 6th. If they can get the victory there, and possibly again in the SEC Championship game, then they should be playing for a repeat championship in January.

The TSN/SI/ESPN Preseason Top 25

Over the last week, I have received in the mail the college football preview issues from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and the Sporting News.

Each magazine does a fine job of pointing out what to look for this upcoming season. My only complaint is the complete lack of imagination in their team rankings. USC is the unanimous #1, and LSU the unanimous #2. I guess if the "experts" all agree, then it is going to happen (just like last year's BCS championship).

I have condensed each magazine's rankings into one Top 25. I used the same method that the AP and coaches polls use (25 points for 1st place, 24 for 2nd, etc). ESPN only released a Top 16, so the bottom of the Top 25 is mainly the opinions of the Sporting News and Sports Illustrated.

		TSN	SI	ESPN	Total
1	USC	1	1	1	75
2	LSU	2	2	2	72
3	West Virginia	4	4	4	66
4	Michigan	3	6	5	64
5	Florida	5	3	8	62
6	Texas	6	8	3	61
7	Virgina Tech	7	7	7	57
8	Louisville	9	5	9	55
9	Oklahoma	13	9	6	50
10	Wisconsin	8	10	10	50
11	Ohio St	17	11	12	38
12	Penn St	15	14	13	36
13	Georgia	14	19	11	34
14	Cal	12	20	14	32
15	Auburn	16	16	16	30
16	FSU	11	NR	15	26
17	Rutgers	19	12	NR	21
18	UCLA	10	22	NR	20
19	Tennessee	18	17	NR	17
20	Arkansas	NR	13	NR	13
21	Boise St	NR	15	NR	11
22	Nebraska	23	18	NR	11
23	TCU	20	23	NR	9
24	Hawaii	22	24	NR	6
25	USF	21	25	NR	6

Five Things To Watch For This College Football Season (Since USC has already won the National Championship)

I've got bad news everyone. There is no reason to watch college football this year. USC has already been crowned National Champions. At least according to 49.5% of the players surveyed in SI.com's Football Preview. Also according to the preseason Coaches' Poll, which gave USC 45 of 60 first place votes. And Sporting News' preseason college football guide. Bodog.com gives USC 5:2 odds of winning it all, by far the best odds of any team.

So what to do? Stick to the NFL? Watch soccer? NO! I present to you my list of five things to watch for this season in college football. Consider it my free gift to you for taking the time out of your busy day to read my blog.


Five Things To Watch For This College Football Season (Since USC has already won the National Championship):

1. Hawaii's QB Colt Brennan passing for 6,000 yards and 60 TDs.

Last season Brennan set records with 5,549 yards passing and 58 TDs. He returns for his senior season with the Warriors, and could break those records. Hawaii has arguably the weakest schedule in the country playing two 1AA teams, powerhouses Idaho, Louisiana Tech, UNLV, and Utah State. Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville left to coach Portland State, and the defense should be weaker for it. I expect lots of shootouts and I think odds are good for Brennan putting up such Tecmo Bowl numbers. If the Warriors make it to a bowl game, that means Brennan only has to average 462 yards and 4.6 TDs a game.


2. USC not winning the National Championship.

I have nothing against the Trojans or coach Pete Carroll. The Trojans are loaded and should be the favorites. But seriously, how much fun would it be if they just steamrolled everyone and won it all? Ohio State proved last season how hard it is to go wire-to-wire as the #1 team. I'm hoping USC falls a lot earlier in the season. The schedule is not that difficult. Their first test will be at up-and-coming Nebraska September 15. The Cornhuskers could stamp their return to prominence with a victory over the Trojans. The next test, and this could surprise you, will be October 13 against Arizona. The Wildcats have a lot to prove this year and Coach Mike Stoops needs to show something if he wants to keep his job. Also, the Trojans will be coming off a cupcake game against Stanford and could be looking ahead to the game at Notre Dame on the 20th. This could be a trap game. Road games against Oregon, Cal and Arizona State could also prove tricky.


3. Urban Meyer's offense clicking on all cylinders in Florida.

Much fuss has been made about Tim Tebow's lack of experience. It is all for naught. Tebow is the perfect QB for Urban Meyer's offense. He's like a bigger, tougher version of Alex Smith (and he's a lefty too). Tebow's running ability will allow Meyer to run his offense exactly like he wants it, for the first time since coming to Gainesville. Sophomore sensation Percy Harvin, WRs Andre Caldwell and Cornelius Ingram and four returning o-line starters will make sure this offense goes. They will need all the firepower they can get, as they have many holes on defense and could have to outscore opponents to win this year.


4. The Battle for the Big East

I'll admit, when Miami, BC, and Virginia Tech left the Big East a few years ago, I thought the conference was done. In fact, the Big East is as strong as its ever been. Not only is West Virginia in the National Title hunt with RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White, but Louisiville with QB Brian Brohm, Rutgers with RB Ray Rice, and South Florida with Montana-like QB Matt Grothe are all top 25 material. Weak non-conference schedules aside, these four teams will have an impact on the National Title picture. Don't discount the USF Bulls. They beat West Virginia last year and if they can pull off the upset September 8 at Auburn, they will be in line for a BCS bowl.


5. The Sun Belt

Are you watching the Sun Belt? It is full of exciting drama: Can QB Omar Haugabook lead the Troy Trojans to back-to-back league titles? Will Texas high school coaching legend Todd Dodge be successful in the college ranks with North Texas? Can Howard Schnellenberger, the man who put the Miami Hurricanes on the map, take the next step with the Florida Atlantic Owls? Will the Florida International Golden Panthers put up more of a fight (or less) in their rematch with cross-town rival Hurricanes? Still not interested in the Sun Belt? I tried. Now my charity work for the football season is officially over.

The Only Accurate Preseason Top 25

Lets face it, a preseason college football Top 25 is ridiculous. No games have been played. At this time of year it is all about reputation and appearances. Voting should not be done until after at least four or five games have been played.

Teams like TCU are punished for their low early ranking, while a team like USC will be rewarded. What happens if USC, ranked #1 in the newly-released Coaches' Poll, loses one out of their first five games while TCU, ranked #22, wins their first five? Lets say USC loses to Nebraska and beats Idaho, Washington St, Washington, and Stanford. TCU's first five games are against Baylor, Texas, Air Force, SMU, and Colorado St. Chances are USC will still be ranked higher than TCU based on where the teams started the season. I would argue that TCU's five victories (especially the one over Texas) would make them a more impressive team than USC.

My general disdain for preseason poll's aside, I feel compelled to release my own College Football Preseason Top 25. I think it is the most accurate one you will find anywhere.

God Loves The Gators Preseason College Football Top 25
1. (TIE) Florida, USC, LSU, Michigan, West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma
According to Bodog.com, these seven teams have the best odds to win it all. On paper they definitely look like the best teams in the country. Florida and LSU play each other this season, as does Texas and Oklahoma. USC, which starts the season #1, is trying to go wire-to-wire. Ohio State proved last season how hard that is to do.

8. (TIE) Everyone else.
Well maybe not everyone else. Even I can't make a case for a team from the Sun Belt, at least half of the teams in the MAC, Conference USA, WAC, and Mountain West, Stanford, or Duke. But you get my point. Let the kids on the field determine who the best team is. Of course that would probably require a playoff, huh?