First and foremost let’s get one thing out of the way, I hate the Top 25. Don’t get me wrong I think it adds a lot of interest to the games, but as a means of determining the best teams in the country, it is extremely flawed. Basically what it boils down to is who starts off in a decent spot in the rankings and who finishes strong. If anything the NCAA would be much better off if they held off on the rankings and waited until mid-October for the first vote. Waiting that long would give the media and the coaches a chance to have seen teams play and know what they are capable of. Of course that will never happen.
While taking a look at the recently released Coaches Poll, I couldn’t remember being less impressed with the teams who were listed. This year, perhaps more than any year in recent memory, it is a complete guessing game as to whom will hoist the crystal football on the night of January 8th. Over the past few years we have touted the virtues of powerhouses such as USC, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, Miami and a host of others but this year, no one seems to jump out. All of the teams mentioned above have their share of warts and in most cases they seem to outweigh their strengths.
This week I am going to look at teams 6 through 10 in the Coaches Poll and sum up their chances at winning the national title. Next week the countdown will come to a conclusion with teams 1 through 5.
10. Florida State Seminoles: Oddly enough, the team that is ranked the lowest of the 10 is the team who I think has the best chance to win the national title. With the exception of the season opener at Miami, their road slate is a joke. Even if they are to lose at Miami, the loss is early enough where it should be a non-issue late in the season. Clemson, Boston College and Florida all make their way to Tallahassee this year and none of them should escape with a victory. The team will go as far as quarterback Drew Weatherford will take them and that should be a lot farther than most people except.
Question marks: Can they replace the 4 starters on defense lost in the 1st round of the NFL Draft? Can Lorenzo Booker shoulder the load at running back?
National Title Odds: 3-1
9. LSU Tigers: At Auburn, at Florida and at Tennessee, and that spells disaster to me (it also sounds like a Dr. Seuss rhyme.) Add into the mix that whether head coach Les Miles admits it or not, a lot of people would rather have Matt Flynn at quarterback. Everyone at LSU will tell you that JaMarcus Russell is their guy but following Flynn’s huge showing at last year’s Peach Bowl he has quite a few supporters. If Russell slips early, get ready for a full blown quarterback controversy.
Question marks: Can LSU escape their road slate with at the most 1 loss? Will Russell quiet the doubters?
National Title Odds: 12-1
8. Florida Gators: To show that there is no bias towards the school that I attend, I find this ranking to be absolutely absurd. This is a classic case of people not doing their research and saying “Hey, Urban Meyer coaches at Florida right? He is pretty good and UF is always pretty good so let’s vote for them.” Florida’s offensive line was somewhat of a turnstile last year and it is hard to see any progress this year. In addition, Chris Leak has yet to grasp the spread offense although Meyer has stated that the offense has been tweaked more to fit his style. If the line can protect Leak and in turn he can grasp the offense then it still won’t be enough, with trips to Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State on the schedule. The season has yet to start and already Gator Nation is calling for incoming freshman Tim Tebow to take over the reigns at quarterback. Lastly, the running back situation is so bad that Urban Meyer has threatened to play without one, awesome..
Question marks: Will the offensive line improve? Will Chris Leak improve in his 2nd year with the spread offense? Will UF have to go without a running back? Can Florida survive their brutal schedule?
National Title Odds: 15-1
7. West Virginia Mountaineers: Following last year’s absolute mauling of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, West Virginia became the buzz team around college football. The season comes down to one game, November 2nd at Louisville. Barring an upset, both teams should enter the game undefeated and the Big East title could very well be decided on that night. A West Virginia loss and they probably won’t have enough of a strong resume to enter the national title picture. If WVU can survive the trek to Louisville then they should be looking at an undefeated season. Having arguably the best coach in college football in Rich Rodriguez will only help their already cushiony road.
Question marks: Is the schedule too soft? Can they win at Louisville? Will their resume be strong enough to warrant a national title game berth?
National Title Odds: 4-1
6. Auburn Tigers: The Auburn Tigers are in a very funny situation. Over the summer they became such a trendy pick and were called underrated so many times that they have in fact become overrated. I really like what they have coming back from last season and think they have a tremendous chance to finish in the top 3. I’m still a bit torn as to who will be playing in the national title game but Auburn has a very decent chance at being there. LSU, Florida, Georgia and Buffalo (just checking to see if you were still reading) all come to Auburn and they also do not have to play Tennessee. Two road games loom large though as they have to go to South Carolina and to Alabama. Spurrier is always tough at home and rivalry games are never easy.
Question marks: Can Auburn get it done on the road? Can they handle the weight of all the new found admiration being placed on them?
National Title Odds: 5-1
That’s all for now. Be sure to come back next week and check out the rest of the countdown. Direct all hate mail to the link below.
