A Very Early College Football Top 25 for 2012

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

He seemed to bump them simply because of the new QB, even though everyone has known all along that LSU would be going with a new one this year.

Well, to give you an idea of what you're dealing with, He bumped MSU like 6 spots based exclusively on the reasoning of "Because I can."

[Van]

Mgo, did you happen to take a look at some of those schedules he mentioned? Swear to god, Georgia's is just embarrassing, and they're hardly alone. Check out Ohio St's.

[Van]

More preseason bowl projections, these from CFN.

So, basically the winners between LSU-Bama and USC-Oregon will meet for the title. Sounds about right to me this year.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Great. Maybe another high profile team can win it all and say, "We shocked the world!!"

[Van]

Better hope Athlon is wrong, Jsc, or LSU will be in a world of Championship Game hurt for the second year in a row.

[King Crimson]

i suspect Oklahoma will be a lot like the last couple years. beat down some people, look average on other Saturdays. win 10 games. like the new playmakers on O, but they are new. sort of expect a wtf game from Landry Jones against someone who gets pressure (no, this is not an endorsement of a start Blake Bell thing from the knucklehead OU boards). i'm not OU Skull convinced that bringing back Mike Stoops means the D steps a big step up. everything is solved. but, the Tech and Baylor games from last year were worthy to end Venables. Maybe Cincy the year before. I wasn't a total Venables hater though.

if Whaley is healthy, stays healthy....that makes OU tough to stop. a tough back that can give OU a physical threat on 3rd and 4 makes your linebackers think. losing Broyles last year was rough, but losing Whaley was just as big.

[Van]

You just better hope USC does slip up and relegate themselves to a lesser bowl. If that team manages to avoid injuries and keep its head on straight long enough to make it to the title game, no one will stop them. USC vs LSU and their always-shitty offense, in Miami? Matt Barkley in his final game as Trojan vs some Nazi dork who couldn't even beat out Jordan freaking Jefferson and Jarrett Lee, for all the marbles?

It won't even be close. Les will be thoroughly exposed.

USC 41, LSU 17.

[Van]

Dude, I wanna play LSU, not some team whose fans are from KC.

[Van]

USC isn't Oregon.

-M.A.

[Bizzarofelice]

like the new playmakers on O

fuck Duron Neal

[Van]

And this year's team is starting a rookie QB who wasn't even good enough to beat out Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee last year. This team is also minus Morris Claiborne, their best player from last year, and he's not their only key player from last year who won't be around this year.

It remains to be seen how this team will turn out, but one thing for certain is that their offense will again suck. Oh, and that Les Miles is still their coach.

[Van]

What, are they going to go 8-4 and fuck up the chance for USC to ruin them on the biggest stage?

Yeah, I guess that would surprise me.

[Truman]

Dude, I wanna play LSU, not some team whose fans are from KC.

USC-Mizzou? Sure beats the hell out of my 8-4 prediction. I like the way you think, Van!

[Van]

Hey, maybe that just means we both went 7-5 and ended up meeting in the Jim Beam Booger Flickin' Bowl.

[The Seer]

Take care of your business, and you might get your wish. Realize though that this team is better than last year's team.

I thought last year's LSU team was supposed to be the greatest college football team ever without an offense.

ftfy@nc

[Van]

Take care of your business, and you might get your wish. Realize though that this team is better than last year's team.

I thought last year's LSU team was supposed to be the greatest college football team ever without an offense or a coach who has two brain cells to rub together.

ftfy@nc

Always got your back, dude.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I'll take Les Miles over Lane Kiffin.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Let's not get crazy here.

[Van]

I'll take Les Miles over any coach in the country. Perfect fit for Baton Rouge.

And people from Dixie wonder why the rest of the nation won't stop bagging on them.

Mgo, let's see if you're still saying that vis a vis Kiffin vs Miles in another five years. Keep in mind, Kiffin is hardly any older than you or Screwball. He's just a puppy in this business, and I doubt there's a person in the industry who isn't certain that Kiffin is the much brighter guy with far greater upside as a coach.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

No doubt, Kiffin still has to prove himself at this level. But right now the obvious choice is Miles.

Kiffin might be brighter (who knows?), but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to field a good football team. It's about getting kids to buy in. This industry consists mostly of reasonably intelligent meat heads, with only a few geniuses sprinkled in, and I sincerely doubt Kiffin is one.

[Van]

In large part because of what Saban built and handed over to him. Saban took over a meh team and built it into a title winner (actually, make that two meh teams that he took over and built into title winners), and he's won three national titles while playing in the same conference. Miles has won one really iffy title, and it was primarily Saban's team with which he won it.

Basically, Saban handed Miles the keys to a Ferrari and said, "Here ya go. Try not to stack it into a wall."

Put it this way, Jsc. There isn't an objective person outside of Louisiana who would choose Miles over Saban, and most LSU fans would still rather have Saban. Or, rather, they wish he never would have left. The people there who are pissed at him are only angry because they lost someone who was that good. If he was worthless, no one there would have cared that he bailed.

[Van]

You're nearly unique though in saying you'd take him over Saban.

[Van]

And there's the first huge injury of the season...

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/stor ... al-surgery

Their best D-Lineman, done for the year. Along with a lack of depth at running back, the defensive line is the other area where they simply couldn't afford an injury.

This one will hurt.

[Carson]

Both Miles and Kiffin will step on their dick this season with stupid calls in key games.

Kiffin ain't shit without his daddy and Ogre.

Miles has almost enough talent to overcome his decisions, but college athletes can only do so much.

[Van]

Not sure where you're going with that. So far, Kiffin's offenses have looked much better than his daddy's and Orgeron's defenses, and Lane runs the offense. Neither Monte nor Orgeron get involved in the offense, and between the two only Orgeron does much in terms of recruiting.