Winning Cures All

Mark Schlabach of ESPN gives early Top 25 for 2008

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

After all the spring practice, games and off-field legal problems, he updates his top 25. There are the usual suspects, USC, Texas, yadda-yadda, and Florida. But the biggest surprises to me are:

#1 Ohio State. Based on recent history, are they really the #1 team? There’s always been a better team and this year doesn’t look any different. They should be ranked, perhaps even top 5, but #1? Why? “… an extraordinary number of juniors and seniors returning…” But last year everyone was dumping them because they didn’t have lots of players returning. Then some smart guy (MGoBlog?) figured out the number of returners is irrelevant to the team’s success. Since they repeated, it seems very plausible. So then why tout the number of returners as a good thing? You can’t have it both ways when it doesn’t matter. Experience is good, but there’s also the sophomore slump.

#6 Missouri. Again, perhaps an over-ranking. A break-out season last year, but can they keep it going on? Why do they deserve a #6? Returning QB Chase Daniel and an easy Big 12 Conference schedule.

#7 Clemson. What? I guess someone has to win the ACC.

#9 West Virginia. New coach. New style? New staff? I’m always down on a team when they have a new HC, and usually I’m right (Erickson at ASU last year is an exception).

#12 LSU. Big changes on D and QB loss problems? #12 seems to be a gift. And in the “Toughest conference in the galaxy,” or so we’re told over and over, can a redshirt freshmen QB just “not make mistakes” and a team get into BCS land?

#14 BYU. One of the few outside surprises that I actually agree with. BYU is on the rise and could easily take the MWC. Finishing undefeated would vault them into BCS land, but unlike Hawaii, I and others may give them a chance.

#16 Illinois. Amazing recruiting that doesn’t pan out. Sound like an echo in here?

#17 Kansas. Having to actually play a game out of your home state this season means the schedule is amazingly harder. Even with returning QB, too many losses and changes (new D-coordinator) means it could be back to normal for Kansas. I’ll give them a shot, but won’t feel sad to drop them like a rock.

#24 Michigan State and #25 Penn State aren’t really surprising to me. Name brand and east coast bias from ESPN? No way. Michigan being left of is a surprise (though I agree with it) because of the whole new HC issue.