Starting within the range

[Kaos]

Top Ten start and the highest ranked team with five or more losses:

http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/football/polls/coaches-poll/

My take:

1. Ohio State. Voters only remember the finish.  OSU was a pretty pedestrian team most of last season.  Lost at home to VT, struggled with Penn State, Minnesota, Indiana and even Navy.  But the win over an Alabama team that, frankly, wasn't nearly as good as its record indicated and then beating the perpetually overrated Oregon Fucks makes people think Urban and his team is invincible.  It isn't.  Despite playing a schedule that makes South Alabama jealous, this team won't finish unbeaten. It's sitting here after getting the same bounce Bob Stoops and OU got for beating "we didn't want to be here anyway" greatest team of all time, the heading-for-the-tunnel Tuscaloosa McCarrons two years ago.  Will probably get the same result OU got after having smoke blown up its ass for bringing a reserve quarterback on the punish an overrated Bama team. 

2. TCU. Eh. The Horny Frogs are always trying to crack the glass ceiling.  Good defense and a good coach. After getting shafted a year ago, either TCU or Baylor will get a playoff shot if they don't fuck things up badly along the way.  Will be TCU.   

3. Alabama. Fuck's sake.  Whatever.  This team wasn't as good as it appeared a year ago and it won't get better. I keep waiting for the lazy/inept coaching to put this team in a bind its raw talent and depth can't overcome.  It usually happens at least once (Ole Miss last year) and always should happen three or four times a season (Arkansas, MSU and even Auburn last year).  At some point the wheels will fall off, the lockerroom will divide and this team will fracture due to the massive egos that abound.  Will this be that year?  Hopefully.  Regardless third is too high.

4. Baylor. Nope. Both Baylor and TCU can't be in the Top Four.  One has to fall and the Barely Bears are it. 

5. Oregon.  When their fans put their hands together and bellow "OOOOO" through them, I always thought that meant "Oregon."  I know now that it means "Overrated."   Easily the most overrated team of the last decade.  Name a big stage and the Ducks have shit on it.  Two national championship games in which the team looked outmanned. Every time it comes up against Stanford. No exception here.  The Fucks will lose a game or two, still make the playoff round and whoever draws them will celebrate by beating their ass. 

6. Michigan State.  Sparty gets votes for being the sacrificial lamb for Ohio State a year ago.  B1G officials demanded they lay down so Ohio State would have a shot at the Final Four and boy did they ever.  They laid down like Roberto No Mas Duran.   I wonder what they were promised?  Does the rest of the league have to roll over and play dead for them this season?  Wouldn't surprise me.  Also wouldn't surprise me to see the Sparts as the B1G representative in the Final Four

7.  Auburn.  Feels okay.  I can see how this team could be questioned. Should have beaten A&M. Should have beaten MSU. Should have beaten UA. Should have won the bowl game. Gave up and played dead at UGA thanks to an A&M hangover.   Over the past two seasons the only thing this team lacked -- the ONLY thing -- is the ability to close out games and go for the kill.  If Muschamp brings even a little of that to the defense?  The sky's the limit.  Seriously.  If this team makes ONE extra defensive stop in all the games it lost over the last two seasons -- just a single series in each -- you're looking at a two-time defending national champion.  That's the reality.  This team may not have the on-paper talent of Alabama, say, but it has better coaching (assuming Muschamp can do anything at all on defense), better game management and better players at the skill positions.   

8. Florida State. Jimbo Fisher is a mewling assclown. Grown to hate him with rancor. The program is off the rails in terms of discipline and accountability. It has no quarterback. It has questions all over the field.  Eight is too high, except for the fact that the team plays in the equivalent of the 6A division of the Alabama High School Athletic Association.  They'll float around the top ten but won't be worth a fiddling shit.

9. Georgia. This is the year Mark Richt, uhhhhh, loses some games he isn't supposed to and has the Bulldogs "that close" to competing.  Again. 

10. USC. Sympathy pick by people who remember the glory days of the 70s.  Unless the Trojans are cheating like motherfuckers (see Alabama 2008-2015) they can't compete week in and week out. 

11. Notre Dame.  Too high.  Fuck them.
12. Clemson. Fuck Dabo. But will end up higher than FSU.
13. LSU. Add a quarterback and this could be a much better team than people anticipate. Oops, they don't have one within 300 miles of Baton Rouge.
14. UCLA. No. Sorry.
15. Ole Miss. The fans will surround a bawling Hugh Freeze when the Ackbars rebound from a second loss to beat New Mexico State at Homecoming.  After a narrow win over Memphis, the Black Bears will drop five straight.  A banner will be hung anyway.
16. Arizona State.  They play in the desert.  No one will notice. 
17. Georgia Tech. Too high.
18. Wisconsin.  Who cares?
19.  Oklahoma. Sympathy Stoops votes. 
20. Arkansas.  HAHAHHAHA.  No.
21. Stanford.  Will beat Oregon and climb to 12 before losing to teams nobody has ever heard of.
22. Missouri.  Sympathy gay votes.
24. Boise State.  Hey, remember when Boise beat Oklahoma that time?  Let's keep them in the Top 25 forever!
25. Tennessee. Biggest. Joke. In. The. Poll. 

Notable omissions:
Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, Miami, Penn State from the Prehistoric Division.
A&M, Mississippi State, Florida from the "Our coach is black and cool, yeah but we got Dak, McElwuss coached with Saban, dammit!" Division
and also:
Virginia "Beat OSU" Tech, South "Our coach is older than hell, but looks good and does not give a single fuck" Carolina, North "We got Chizik" Carolina and "Didn't You See What We Did to Manziel" Duke. 

[GH2001]

Pretty spot on friend.

Although of all the things I would like to call Saban, lazy isn't probably one of them. His work ethic is supposed to be what makes him impossible to be around.

LSU, UGA and Bama all have the same issue - tremendous talent, decent enough coaches (not great mind you), but no QB...at all. UGA is probably in the best position of all of them due to being strong at every other place on the field. Their QB simply needs to hand off left and right to Chubb and make the occasional screen pass to keep the front 7 honest. Bama has no Chubb. LSU's QB play is even worse than UGA and Bama. Opposing Ds will likely clue in on Fornette.

Little suprised to see A&M and SC not ranked. Aggie has a shit load of talent on both sides a decent DC now.

[Kaos]

Pretty spot on friend.

Although of all the things I would like to call Saban, lazy isn't probably one of them. His work ethic is supposed to be what makes him impossible to be around.

Didn't mean he was lazy, only that his game-day coaching is typically lazy and uninspired.  He's like that friend you play in NCAA on the PS4 who always loads his team up with players he bumps up to 99 in every rating.  Then he runs the same four or five plays because he doesn't know much else and has enough talent stacked up that he doesn't actually have to try to learn the game.  He wins, but it's boring and he gets super pissed off when you beat him -- which you do from time to time because you get his tendencies. 

People do whatever works.  But Saban isn't a true coach in my estimation.  A coach I fear is a guy who can swap sidelines and still beat me.  Bryant bragged about his ability to do that -- but I never saw that from him either, particularly in his later years.   From the 70s on (when he almost lost his job because he was an average coach at best if the playing field was level) Bryant was all about stockpiling the players and keeping other teams from getting them. 

Bryant, and Saban for that matter, quickly recognized that the only way for them to be successful was to tilt the table in their favor.   So they recruit relentlessly (and cheat like fucking fucks while the NCAA winks and nods along) and trundle along winning lots of games by simply having more players than the competition. Neither are good coaches. 

Malzahn?  I'm convinced he could go anywhere.  He could swap sides with Saban and beat the everloving shit out of whoever he played.  He could go to Vandy and figure out a way to have the Dores in contention.  He is a real coach.  He is an innovator.  Saban has never innovated shit in his life. 

That's all I meant.  You give Malzahn and Saban equal talent and a level playing field?  Malzan beats the everloving fuck out of Saban 19 times out of 20.  The only time he loses is when he thinks himself into a box and outcoaches himself.  Saban isn't capable of outcoaching Malzahn, Freeze, Miles, or lots of others. So I find that lazy. 

[Catphish Tilly]

Good assessment. It's a shame we've been unable to slam the door closed on some of those ugly finishes under Malzahn but if it is ever going to be remedied, this is the year. As for Saban, I agree. His best coaching occurs behind closed doors and on the phone with the rules committee and SEC commish.

[GH2001]

Didn't mean he was lazy, only that his game-day coaching is typically lazy and uninspired.  He's like that friend you play in NCAA on the PS4 who always loads his team up with players he bumps up to 99 in every rating.  Then he runs the same four or five plays because he doesn't know much else and has enough talent stacked up that he doesn't actually have to try to learn the game.  He wins, but it's boring and he gets super pissed off when you beat him -- which you do from time to time because you get his tendencies. 

People do whatever works.  But Saban isn't a true coach in my estimation.  A coach I fear is a guy who can swap sidelines and still beat me.  Bryant bragged about his ability to do that -- but I never saw that from him either, particularly in his later years.   From the 70s on (when he almost lost his job because he was an average coach at best if the playing field was level) Bryant was all about stockpiling the players and keeping other teams from getting them. 

Bryant, and Saban for that matter, quickly recognized that the only way for them to be successful was to tilt the table in their favor.   So they recruit relentlessly (and cheat like fucking fucks while the NCAA winks and nods along) and trundle along winning lots of games by simply having more players than the competition. Neither are good coaches. 

Malzahn?  I'm convinced he could go anywhere.  He could swap sides with Saban and beat the everloving shit out of whoever he played.  He could go to Vandy and figure out a way to have the Dores in contention.  He is a real coach.  He is an innovator.  Saban has never innovated shit in his life. 

That's all I meant.  You give Malzahn and Saban equal talent and a level playing field?  Malzan beats the everloving fuck out of Saban 19 times out of 20.  The only time he loses is when he thinks himself into a box and outcoaches himself.  Saban isn't capable of outcoaching Malzahn, Freeze, Miles, or lots of others. So I find that lazy.

One of the few times Freeze and Miles get props for being able to outcoach others.

I think Briles is great. Patterson is good. Cutcliffe is good. Always thought Chip Kelly did a lot with what he had at Oregon (roster full of 2* players). Spurrier is the big one that sticks out to me. He changed the whole game in the 90's and has taken 3 doormats to contention. And yes our beloved Gus - not just saying that with O&B goggles but I think hes one of the best in the business. Just has the "outsmarts himself" flaw as you mentioned.


Aiggghhhtt??

[Catphish Tilly]

Lest we forget, there are now two hats walking the sidelines of UNC. Now that Chizik has a brand new herd of cattle, the Tarheels will be "All In" come Fall 2015.

[The Six]

My take:


6. Michigan State.  Sparty gets votes for being the sacrificial lamb for Ohio State a year ago.  B1G officials demanded they lay down so Ohio State would have a shot at the Final Four and boy did they ever.  They laid down like Roberto No Mas Duran.   I wonder what they were promised?  Does the rest of the league have to roll over and play dead for them this season?  Wouldn't surprise me.  Also wouldn't surprise me to see the Sparts as the B1G representative in the Final Four

You are confusing this team with Wisconsin. Ohio State beat Michigan State 49-37.
Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the Big10 CG 59-0 in a joke of a game where many questioned if the the Badgers took a dive or not.

[Kaos]

You are confusing this team with Wisconsin. Ohio State beat Michigan State 49-37.
Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the Big10 CG 59-0 in a joke of a game where many questioned if the the Badgers took a dive or not.

You are correct.  All B1G teams are exactly the same.  Nobody can tell them apart. 

[GH2001]

You are correct.  All B1G teams are exactly the same.  Nobody can tell them apart.

OSU and MSU did play in the 2013 game though, and MSU defeated the undefeated Bucks which is what allowed us into the BCSCG. Therefore, I kind of like teh Sparty.

[The Six]

You are correct.  All B1G teams are exactly the same.  Nobody can tell them apart.

Could say the same about Auburn fans and Bama fans these days. The only differences for many are colors and a few teeth.

[CCTAU]

Could say the same about Auburn fans and Bama fans these days. The only differences for many are colors and a few teeth.

And the fact that a much higher percentage of AU fans actually attended the school and have been to a game on campus.

[jmar]

Minnesota is a top tier team in the Big10+.

And we have two hats roaming as well.
Want Will to coach like it's 10-9 and Gus like we are down 14.

[dallaswareagle]

Minnesota is a top tier team in the Big10+.

And we have two hats roaming as well.
Want Will to coach like it's 10-9 and Gus like we are down 14.

The only thing that makes them top 10 is that the bottom is so shitty.

 Indiana   
 Maryland   
 Michigan 
 Michigan State 
 Ohio State   
 Penn State   
 Rutgers
 Illinois   
 Iowa 
 Minnesota   
 Nebraska   
 Northwestern 
 Purdue   
 Wisconsin

[WiregrassTiger]

The only thing that makes them top 10 is that the bottom is so shitty.

 Indiana   
 Maryland   
 Michigan 
 Michigan State 
 Ohio State   
 Penn State   
 Rutgers
 Illinois   
 Iowa 
 Minnesota   
 Nebraska   
 Northwestern 
 Purdue   
 Wisconsin

Dude, No offense but I have seen you make yourself look incredibly dumb on many occasions but this takes the cake.

Count the teams. It's the BIG 10--as in ten teams?

Do a little research before you get on here and spout off at the mouth about something you know so little about. Please dude. Post responsibly for the sake of the x's reputation and your own.

Don't be an idiot.

[dallaswareagle]

Dude, No offense but I have seen you make yourself look incredibly dumb on many occasions but this takes the cake.

Count the teams. It's the BIG 10--as in ten teams?

Do a little research before you get on here and spout off at the mouth about something you know so little about. Please dude. Post responsibly for the sake of the x's reputation and your own.

Don't be an idiot.

I'll take the comment and who it came from and duly note it.

[GH2001]

And the fact that a much higher percentage of AU fans actually attended the school and have been to a game on campus.

THIS.

Although statistically (and Im not sure how you measure it exactly), Texas and ND have the lowest % of the fanbase who have a tie to the school. I think ND's is supposed to be like 3%. Bama's is 7% or similar.

Notre Dame...   
                           

[Kaos]

Could say the same about Auburn fans and Bama fans these days. The only differences for many are colors and a few teeth.

Greasy weasel salutes you.

[Token]

Didn't mean he was lazy, only that his game-day coaching is typically lazy and uninspired.  He's like that friend you play in NCAA on the PS4 who always loads his team up with players he bumps up to 99 in every rating.  Then he runs the same four or five plays because he doesn't know much else and has enough talent stacked up that he doesn't actually have to try to learn the game.  He wins, but it's boring and he gets super pissed off when you beat him -- which you do from time to time because you get his tendencies. 

People do whatever works.  But Saban isn't a true coach in my estimation.  A coach I fear is a guy who can swap sidelines and still beat me.  Bryant bragged about his ability to do that -- but I never saw that from him either, particularly in his later years.   From the 70s on (when he almost lost his job because he was an average coach at best if the playing field was level) Bryant was all about stockpiling the players and keeping other teams from getting them. 

Bryant, and Saban for that matter, quickly recognized that the only way for them to be successful was to tilt the table in their favor.   So they recruit relentlessly (and cheat like fucking fucks while the NCAA winks and nods along) and trundle along winning lots of games by simply having more players than the competition. Neither are good coaches. 

Malzahn?  I'm convinced he could go anywhere.  He could swap sides with Saban and beat the everloving shit out of whoever he played.  He could go to Vandy and figure out a way to have the Dores in contention.  He is a real coach.  He is an innovator.  Saban has never innovated shit in his life. 

That's all I meant.  You give Malzahn and Saban equal talent and a level playing field?  Malzan beats the everloving fuck out of Saban 19 times out of 20.  The only time he loses is when he thinks himself into a box and outcoaches himself.  Saban isn't capable of outcoaching Malzahn, Freeze, Miles, or lots of others. So I find that lazy.

I'm not saying the guy is all world game day coach, but he took a shitty Shula team with Shula players and had a solid season in 2008. He wasn't playing all world recruits that he jacked up to 99s. It's hard to argue anymore past that, because he recruits so well. 

[CCTAU]

I'm not saying the guy is all world game day coach, but he took a shitty Shula team with Shula players and had a solid season in 2008. He wasn't playing all world recruits that he jacked up to 99s. It's hard to argue anymore past that, because he recruits so well.

Uh all he did was mandate workouts and practice. Shula let them piss away their talent.

[AUJarhead]

Could say the same about Auburn fans and Bama fans these days. The only differences for many are colors and a few teeth.

More than just that.