Preseason Top 25 Polls

[STLDomer]

Let's just pray to God that we don't have last year's almost-scenario screw us out since we're again behind a team that COULD go undefeated. If OSU and ND finish undefeated, who gets the title bid (assume the SEC champ is in)? OSU started #1, so they will most likely retain that spot throughout the year, even if we finish #2 and undefeated.

I'd bet all my vbucks (not many but it's the principal) that in a scenario of a undefeated OSU, undefeated ND and undefeated or even 1 loss SEC team, ND would be left out this year.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Our defense should be mid-season form ready at the opening kickoff. The Pack of Werewolves we will field there should get us past the B1G part of the schedule unscathed regardless of how the O functions. Then it's the gauntlet of Oklahoma, USC, and AZ State. Our own offense MUST be humming by then --- D will throttle, but O has to do its share. It can be rather easily imagined that we sail into Stanford for a big showdown.

If ESPN is serious about our #10 rating as their best guess of who is likely to go 10-2 and up, then they are viewing our schedule as significantly tougher than several of those others. They are correct in that assessment of relative strength of schedule, of course, but verbally they tend to remain hypocrites about mentioning it appropriately. By the way, Danny Kanell, no northern football fan he, admitted that the southern powers should stop playing the non-D1 cupcakes.

 

[greyhammer90]

I'd bet all my vbucks (not many but it's the principal) that in a scenario of a undefeated OSU, undefeated ND and undefeated or even 1 loss SEC team, ND would be left out this year.

Agreed. Losing the way we did was all the ND haters needed.

 

[Irishman77]

Vegas has us at 30-1 to win the NC. I'll put a Benjamin on that.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I'd bet all my vbucks (not many but it's the principal) that in a scenario of a undefeated OSU, undefeated ND and undefeated or even 1 loss SEC team, ND would be left out this year.

I will agree that ND isn't going to get any benefit of the doubt from the human polls but OSU is going to get slaughtered in the computer rankings (comparatively speaking) even if they are undefeated.

 

[RallySonsOfND]

Not necessarily. I think it will depend on HOW we beat teams if we go undefeated.

If we have more "close calls" like we did last season to inferior teams then I could see that happening. But if we go out and just straight demolish the inferior teams like we should, and beat up the good teams on our schedule, then I doubt that would happen.

 

[ACamp1900]

I think there has rarely been a better chance that a pre season 1 and 2 meet at the end of the year than this year... assuming 1 and 2 are who we think they are...

BAMA has to lose the SEC title game, that's the ONLY thing that keeps them out, they have proven two years running losing ONE game doesn't hurt them... and with THAT schedule most top ten teams aren't losing more than one game...

tOSU??-- maybe they just aren't there yet... but yeah, many teams go unbeaten with schedule.

again, if you want to play big games in Jan. that's how you typically do it.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I will gladly take this team cutting their teeth winning the Fiesta or something like that. As nice as it would be, we are clearly not ready for the big game just yet.

 

[Old Man Mike]

What a difference giving Kelly a little time brings. When I first began reading IE, the commentary was about praying to return to beating Navy every year, and then if we beat "The State of Michigan and USC" it will be a glorious season.

Now.... nothing less than 11-1 and 12-0 will do, plus an NC.

12-0 is always REAL tough no matter how good you are, but we're REAL GOOD, so maybe. The professional sports minds are going to see that. I doubt that we get "underrated" by the end of the season.

With no bad luck injury in a key spot [Golson, ZMart, Lou, Grace... these are the four that we have no near-equivalent next-man-in for {not Tuitt either, but DLine depth could make that less catastrophic}], we go 11-1 and maybe 12-0. Sports people begin more easily to ooo and ahh at what Kelly does, and we're among the elite again, both in reality and psychologically.[we're already there in reality].

 

[chicago51]

I will gladly take this team cutting their teeth winning the Fiesta or something like that. As nice as it would be, we are clearly not ready for the big game just yet.

What makes a team ready for the big game though.

Alabama got spanked by Utah before winning it all.

Ohio State lost to Lou Holtz and Miami before stunning the "unbeatable" Miami team to take home the title.

Notre Dame in 1988 essentially came out of nowhere after getting spanked by Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.

Don't get me wrong I'd take a win in a non title BCS game of some sort. I just don't buy that there is some gradual process to winning the big one.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

What makes a team ready for the big game though.

Alabama got spanked by Utah before winning it all.

Ohio State lost to Lou Holtz and Miami before stunning the "unbeatable" Miami team to take home the title.

Notre Dame in 1988 essentially came out of nowhere after getting spanked by Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.

Don't get me wrong I'd take a win in a non title BCS game of some sort. I just don't buy that there is some gradual process to winning the big one.

Good point, but when you look at who that Bama and OSU team had, I don't see that kind of depth and playmakers just yet here. We'll see though.

 

[JughedJones]

Can you imagine what people would say if we had Ohio State's schedule? I'm used to the haters, but it would be absolutely relentless.

It's insane to think that if we both went undefeated, they would probably jump us for the NCG.

 

[ACamp1900]

Can you imagine what people would say if we had Ohio State's schedule? I'm used to the haters, but it would be absolutely relentless.

It's insane to think that if we both went undefeated, they would probably jump us for the NCG.

ND plays a top 25 schedule most often than not... and in the years they don't it's still a top 40... and all you hear from most people is how they play a cream puff schedule every year... nothing but service academies...

but will there be outrage over tOSU this year............... highly doubt it.

 

[chubler]

If both ND and OSU go undefeated again, we should be so far ahead of them in the computers that it won't matter if they beat us in the human polls. We'll get enough votes that OSU's pitiful computer showing will bring them down. Unless Urban Meyer really is magic and somehow they're consistently hammering teams like Bama was this year...

Honestly, I'd like to see ND and OSU play in a BCS bowl next year. Demolishing Urban would both shut up their fans AND give us a big recruiting advantage...

 

[Irish YJ]

Thinking there's a good chance ND and Stanford end up undefeated for their matchup. UM is an early make or break for us, but I think we pass the test. Stanford's schedule lines up nicely for them. I don't think they are a top 5 team, but I think they win at OSU and USC, and get buy Oregon and Cal at home. It will be an interesting year. Can we start already.

 

[greyhammer90]

Lol well aren't we wearing the big boy pants these days? If we start 11-0 next year I'll be convinced we're going to roll for the foreseeable future.

 

[Irish YJ]

Lol well aren't we wearing the big boy pants these days? If we start 11-0 next year I'll be convinced we're going to roll for the foreseeable future.

 

[irishff1014]

Thinking there's a good chance ND and Stanford end up undefeated for their matchup. UM is an early make or break for us, but I think we pass the test. Stanford's schedule lines up nicely for them. I don't think they are a top 5 team, but I think they win at OSU and USC, and get buy Oregon and Cal at home. It will be an interesting year. Can we start already.

I highly doubt this. They play Oregon,USC,and UCLA before us.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

What is Urban's record against Nick Saban?

 

[JughedJones]

I highly doubt this. They play Oregon,USC,and UCLA before us.

I think Oregon's going in the tank this year.

They're going to get hit with some kind of sanctions right before the season starts, and they have a new coach. I wouldn't worry about a coaching change too much normally, but Oregon is all about the system. This guy is going to attempt to do the same exact thing as Chip Kelly, and I see it going poorly.

Under Kelly, if things went a little rocky, everyone believed in him like the Gospel. It's going to be interesting how the same people stick by Helfrich. Oregon (and most Pac-12 fans) are notoriously fair-weather.

Mimicking greatness doesn't tend to have the same odds of success.

 

[PANDFAN]

The 2013 HeismanPundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Trophy Watch List (post-spring edition) | Heisman Pundit


golson is listed

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Te'o broke a lot of ground for Clowney, didn't he. I was stunned that Chocolate wasn't on the list!

 

[BangbangNDLarry]

The funniest thing is that Stanford... a team we beat, had more losses, and struggled with a 6 loss big ten team in their bowl game... is a top 5 lock.

People have overreacted like crazy to the championship game blowout.

Overreact?!?!?! We got smacked! It wasn't even like a game, it was a blow out. Obviously we were not ready to play a team like that(SEC) and once all is said and done our schedule really was not that hard last year it may have looked hard in the beginning but at the end looking back it truly was not. In my humble opinion after the disastrous BCS game last year and the lost of a number of key players I am happy and a little surprised with such a high ranking.

 

[phork]

Te'o broke a lot of ground for Clowney, didn't he. I was stunned that Chocolate wasn't on the list!

I think Clowney made his own press, ending with the near decapitation of Smith in the bowl game.

 

[JughedJones]

Overreact?!?!?! We got smacked! It wasn't even like a game, it was a blow out. Obviously we were not ready to play a team like that(SEC) and once all is said and done our schedule really was not that hard last year it may have looked hard in the beginning but at the end looking back it truly was not. In my humble opinion after the disastrous BCS game last year and the lost of a number of key players I am happy and a little surprised with such a high ranking.

BangBang huh?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Overreact?!?!?! We got smacked! It wasn't even like a game, it was a blow out. Obviously we were not ready to play a team like that(SEC) and once all is said and done our schedule really was not that hard last year it may have looked hard in the beginning but at the end looking back it truly was not. In my humble opinion after the disastrous BCS game last year and the lost of a number of key players I am happy and a little surprised with such a high ranking.

You may have gotten smacked. Some people with big mouths get smacked a lot. But the team didn't get smacked. Not in January by Alabama. There were a few mistakes, the coaches were a bit uninformed in their approach to the game but it is all good. Name the last team that won a NC that didn't get defeated soundly on their ascent?

 

[ThePiombino]

You may have gotten smacked. Some people with big mouths get smacked a lot. But the team didn't get smacked. Not in January by Alabama. There were a few mistakes, the coaches were a bit uninformed in their approach to the game but it is all good. Name the last team that won a NC that didn't get defeated soundly on their ascent?

Dude, there were A LOT of positives to come out of last season, but the NCG was not one of them. The ride there was amazing, but the game was a disaster. We most certainly did get bitch slapped. There's no shame in admitting that and it doesn't take anything away from the positive direction this program is heading in. Bottom line- we made it to the promise land well ahead of schedule and received a beating for our efforts. We were boys amongst men on that day. It is what it is.

 

[DSully1995]

Overreact?!?!?! We got smacked! It wasn't even like a game, it was a blow out. Obviously we were not ready to play a team like that(SEC) and once all is said and done our schedule really was not that hard last year it may have looked hard in the beginning but at the end looking back it truly was not. In my humble opinion after the disastrous BCS game last year and the lost of a number of key players I am happy and a little surprised with such a high ranking.

MARIO CHALMERS?

 

[stlnd01]

Thinking there's a good chance ND and Stanford end up undefeated for their matchup.

To the extent we have title game, or even BCS bowl, aspirations, we ought to be hoping for an undefeated Stanford. Our weak November schedule hurt us, perception-wise, last year and could have kept us out of the title game if there'd been other undefeated teams.

A big win at the end of the year is worth so much more than a big win in September. And, say Ohio State beats Michigan, that'll be devalued by their (presumably) already having lost to us. But closing out the season with a road win over an undefeated Stanford team would be huge.

 

[phork]

To the extent we have title game, or even BCS bowl, aspirations, we ought to be hoping for an undefeated Stanford. Our weak November schedule hurt us, perception-wise, last year and could have kept us out of the title game if there'd been other undefeated teams.

A big win at the end of the year is worth so much more than a big win in September. And, say Ohio State beats Michigan, that'll be devalued by their (presumably) already having lost to us. But closing out the season with a road win over an undefeated Stanford team would be huge.

Nah, it was our rise from the nether side of #25 to top5 that would have kept us out. Had we started at 15 or 20 we would have been #1 regardless.