The BlogPoll Roundtable has returned. Actually I think there have been one or two prior, but I hadn’t gotten around to them. As this one stands I’m a little late but not outside the participatory realm. This one is hosted by Bruce Ciskie (Wisconsin) and you can find links to other blog participants here.
Honestly, I’m going by more instinct and bias at the moment. I’m just not feeling fully versed in the college football situation right now. I think of this as a way of exposing some instinctive biases.
Which preseason college football magazine is your favorite?
I’m probably going with the majority horde here, but Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is the densest, detailed best fix for the college football junky.
I give a second place to Athlon, who distinguishes an otherwise generic and indistinguishable product from the majority with some pleasant work-safe eye-candy throughout the year with their “spirit contest.”
What team is being supremely overrated in the preseason rankings?
Looking at the early pre-season consensus rankings, the easy answer is Notre Dame. And, honestly, you can’t go wrong with that as they are perched at #1.
I’m sure WV will get plenty of votes, but it’s hard to distinguish my natural bias from thoughtful reason. (Which is also the reason I won’t pick ND right now.)
The top 4 overrated teams I see right now are:
Louisville
Florida St.
Southern Cal
Oklahoma
Louisville’s defense wasn’t that good last year and lost their best player to graduation. Brohm is still rehabbing from major knee surgery, and I don’t think their O-line will be as good. They may, unfortunately, be good enough for second in the Big East, but not to be near the preseason top-10.
Florida St. was even worse, but between the fact that its Bobby “daggum” Bowden, a Florida school, and they actually played Penn State tough in the Orange Bowl; FSU is getting way too much respect. Maybe around #20, but to be placed any better is just silly.
Southern Cal will still be good but they have lost so much talent in the last couple years, the rest of the PAC 10 seems to be closing the gap a bit more, all the off-field stuff has to take something of a toll, and I think they are due for a step back. They may still end up a top-10 team, but not top-5.
As for Oklahoma, it is just something about their O-line that seems unsettled to me. Just the sort of thing that can hold them back from being a top team.
Turn the tables. Who is underrated?
Hard to say. It’s just a hunch. Maybe I’ve been subliminally programmed by their god-awful wardrobe selections and variations just within any given season, but my unsubstantiated hunch is that Oregon will be very good this year and end up somewhere near the top-10.
Which conference will be the best in 2006?
I’d give anything to be able to say the Big East. Of course, I just don’t drink that heavily during the week.
It seems to come down to the SEC. More from elimination. The ACC isn’t that good overall, neither is the PAC-10.
The Big 12 South has some very good teams, but then the entire Big 12 North is suspect — to be kind (possibly excepting Nebraska).
In the Big 11 it’s Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and then 3 question marks in Penn St., Michigan St. and Wisconsin. The rest are either rebuilding or just trying to build period.
That leaves the SEC despite the 3 sure-fire bad teams of Kentucky, Vandy and Miss. St. They have a lot of teams that can arguably be included in the top-25 or fighting to get in.
Which “non-BCS” conference will be the best in 2006?
The Mountain West is not just the easy choice, it is still the right one. Conference USA is getting closer with UCF improving, along with ,UTEP, USM and Memphis still trying. Mountain West, though, is still slightly better at the top with TCU and Utah.
Which non-BCS conference team will have the best season?
It better not be UCF or Pitt is going to have troubles. I think Utah will be a big surprise and have a very good year.
Let’s get your first read on this one…who will win the H*i*m*n? Oh, by the way, players whose last names begin with the letter “Q” are ineligible.
I hate thinking about the Heisman.
Fine. Ginn and Smith will split votes if tOSU does well. I’ll go with Kenny Irons, the running back from Auburn.
