To me, College Football is basically a different sport than professional football – and a hell of a lot more exciting – quarterbacks who run, place kickers who throw, and option plays up the wazoo. Some of the best games of pigskin I can ever remember have been at the college level – Doug Flutie’s Hail of all Mary’s to beat Miami, Boise State’s razzle-dazzle upsetting the hell out of Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Rutgers overcoming a 25 – 14 first half deficit to #3 ranked Louisville two seasons ago to 
put New Jersey football on the map, and perhaps what might be considered the greatest collegiate game ever, USC and the Reggie Bush machine defeating Notre Dame in the final seconds in 2005.
And what about the rivalries? There is just nothing like it in all of sports…USC/UCLA… Florida/Florida State… Michigan/Michigan State… Alabama/Tennessee… Texas/Texas A&M… Nebraska/Oklahoma… Georgia/Georgia Tech… Pitt/Penn State… Clemson/South Carolina… Notre Dame vs. EVERYBODY… and of course, the most famous of them all, the yearly Army/Navy game.
And now, the 2008 NCAA season is ready to rock as the USA Today Coaches Poll has been announced and all the pressure is on Georgia as the Bulldogs are picked as the number one ranked team in the nation. With sixteen returning starters in the lineup, many are saying that this is the best Georgia team since the Herschel Walker era, but they are looking at a schedule that pits them against eight coaches who have won national titles, and THAT, fans, is some serious pressure. I’m personally liking USC’s power and look for Florida to do some serious damage.
Reigning champions, the LSU Tigers are ranked sixth going in, coming off an exciting National Championship win over Ohio State, unusual for a team that lost two games during the regular season. Maybe the best and most intense clash early on will be September 13, in LA as #2 USC bashes heads with #3 Ohio State.
So here are the Top 25 rankings for 2008 and yes… I am ready for some goddamned football!
#1 – GEORGIA
Quarterback Matt Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno look to prove that Georgia’s first ever pre-season #1 ranking is no steaming pile of Bulldog bupkis. A tough-ass schedule with games against South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, Auburn, and Florida will make for an interesting ride.
#2 – SOUTHERN CAL
Mark Sanchez takes over at the QB position (No, I don’t know if he’s a Dirty Sanchez, but thanks for asking) and running back Joe McKnight is looking to put up some big numbers this season. You know that Pete Carroll will have the Trojans high-flying offense ready to take flight.
#3 – OHIO STATE
I dunno, guys, I’m just not convinced that Big Ten football is ready to take on the big guns. Last year they had a bullshit schedule and lost a Championship Game to a good LSU team, but not the best in the nation by anyone’s opinion. And, they open up against Youngstown State…please. Wait ‘til 9.13.08.
#4 – OKLAHOMA
Last year QB Sam Bradford lead the nation in passing efficiency and there’s no doubt he’ll lead the Sooners high in the standings in the Big 12. They have some great returning starters and a powerful defense to boot. But another ridiculously soft opener against Chatanooga…Geeze Louise.
#5 – FLORIDA
The Gators will be a hell of an offensive powerhouse with Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow back at the helm, and could sure as hell win their second national title in three years. Not a pushover schedule, including opening up against Hawaii, who was a damned good team in 2007.
#6 – LSU
Last year’s champions have a strong defense, new faces, but definite inexperience at QB, since the dismissal of starter, Ryan Perrilloux. From Wikipedia: May 2008, LSU coach Les Miles kicked Perrilloux off the team for “not fulfilling his obligation” as an LSU student-athlete. He is reported to have a failed a drug test, missed team meetings, skipped classes and was late for conditioning workouts. Dick.
#7 – MISSOURI
Not a name you usually see in the pick of the litter, but Missouri is one of those teams who is ready to take their game to the next level. Fifteen returning starters is a huge plus, including a very talented Chase Daniel at the QB position. This team could surprise.
#8 – WEST VIRGINIA
A new coach and a great offensive line protecting a hell of a quarterback in Pat White. But the defense lost seven starting players and we shall see how that plays out. Early on the Mountaineers look like the Big East’s top dog and they are ALWAYS brutal to play in that stadium in the mountains!
#9 – CLEMSON
Tommy Bowden is a great coach and this could be the best group of Tiger Kitties the man has had to work with. QB Cullen Harper owns a friggin’ rifle for an arm and led the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing efficiency in 2007. With some serious talent to throw to, this team is poised to claw some ass.
#10 – TEXAS
Is this team just always good, or what? And do they always have damned good quarterbacks, or what? And with a name like Colt McCoy throwing the pigskin, you’ve gotta figure the Longhorns are ready for another fine season. They open with a softie against Florida Atlantic, but October has them going back-to-back with Oklahoma, then Missouri. Yee f@#king ha!
And Rounding out the TOP 25…
#11 – AUBURN
#12 – WISCONSIN
#13 – KANSAS
#14 – TEXAS TECH
#15 – VIRGINIA TECH
#16 – ARIZONA STATE
#17 – BRIGHAM YOUNG
# 18 – TENNESSEE
#19 – ILLINOIS
#20 – OREGON
#21 – SOUTH FLORIDA
#22 – PENN STATE
#23 – WAKE FOREST
#24 – MICHIGAN
#25 – FRESNO STATE
And my Jersey boys, the Rutgers Scarlett Knights are ranked 28th and are still loaded with talent. Hey, we NEVER had a college team to root for before so I’m freakin’ proud, ALL RIGHT? And remember, this is the school James Gandolfini attended. You got a problem wit dat? I didn’t think so. Oofah!
- Z
August 4th, 2008 at 11:49 am
You traitor Rutgers 28. They should be above South Florida. Some Jersey Boy you are!!!!!!!!! You put a school that is located in the sacred burial grounds of my peeps above Rutgers. West Virginia I understand but South Florida. Yes they are good but come on Z show some loyalty. I think your cigars are making your head cloudy. Oh did I tell you I am a Rutgers alumni?
August 4th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Hockeymaniac, you nutjob, I didn’t make this list up! 61 different collegiate coaches voted to create the USA Today rankings.
Hey, I’m just a hired stooge, here.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
If I believed in God (or a god), I’m certain that college football would be his sport of choice and that the Tigers of LSU would be his #1 team. Forget my wife and children, college football is the only reason I live.
Life is not complete until you’ve spent a sweltering Saturday afternoon getting drunk off your ass, eating the best food you’ve ever had and smoking the biggest cigar you could find with 100,000 of your closest friends. The game is almost an after thought, but you go anyway because the party only continues. This should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Screw seats on the 50 year line. The south end zone is where you want to conclude your day in Utopia. That’s where the party is and where the LSU students wish they could be. That’s where I stood for 75 minutes when LSU beat the #1 Florida Gators.
As for the rankings, I don’t give a damn. I’ve been a fan of LSU since the days of Dalton Hilliard, Wendell Davis, Jeff Wickersham, Ronnie Estay … when LSU was a good team and played in a few bowl games but wasn’t at the caliber they are now. I’ve seen the ups, the downs. Yep, I want the Tigers to win the national championship but it doesn’t define who I am or how I live.
It’s nice to see an SEC team at the top of the list though. Everyone knows it, but few admit it, the SEC is THE collegiate football conference. No other conference even comes close to competing … it’s so strong that I don’t even have to justify my statement. Check the numbers. You don’t have to admit it out loud … just to yourself. Be honest. There’s really only one conference and it’s the SEC.
So, about those rankings … USC … damn good team … would lose to Georgia, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, etc. Why is Ohio State #3? Didn’t they get their sorry asses handed to them … AGAIN … and by who … an SEC team. Oklahoma … another good team, but no better than #5 Florida or #6 LSU.
Gotta go … Jeopardy is on.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
As seen on ESPN.com …
“The numbers in the last decade don’t lie. The SEC has produced four BCS national champions since 1998, including the last two and three of the last five. The SEC is 11-4 in all BCS bowls during that span. The next closest is the Pac-10 with an 8-4 record.
A year ago, the SEC produced the Heisman Trophy winner in record-setting Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who became the first sophomore in history to win the coveted award.
You want head coaching muscle? The SEC is the only league in America with five coaches who’ve won national championships, and two of those — South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer — rank among the top six coaches all-time in total SEC wins.
The SEC had the most players on NFL opening-day rosters a year ago, and its seven bowl wins in 2007 was an NCAA record.
Heading into this season, Georgia is No. 1 in the coaches’ poll. Four of the next 17 teams in the preseason poll are also from the SEC — No. 5 Florida, No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Auburn and No. 18 Tennessee.”
(http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sec/0-1-138/SEC-state-of-the-conference.html)
August 5th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
So you’re saying that you like the Big East this year?
August 5th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Hey CajunBoy,
USC has played SEC teams only four times since Pete Carroll came to USC.
Results:
2006: USC 50, Arkansas 14
2005: USC 70, Arkansas 17
2003: USC 23, Auburn 0, (shutout)
2002, USC 24, Auburn 17
Total Points:
USC 167 SEC 48
Yeah. The SEC is completely dominant in the series.
Look, I like the SEC. LSU has had some good teams. But don’t go crapping on the Trojans when you when that’s the record.
And that’s the record.
August 5th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Ok, now this is getting feisty. Anybody else wanna jump in and get a little mud on their jersey?
Personally I think that Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush team was power at another level. The Giants made a great draft choice in the Trojans Steve Smith who was an important part of this year’s Superbowl.
Does anybody else think Ohio state is soft?
August 6th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Don’t get me revved up. Do you want to talk about the pros?
At the start of training camp this summer, there were 41 ex-Trojans on National Football League rosters, including 7 rookies. In fact, USC players were on the rosters of 21 of the NFL’s 32 teams.
In 2006, there were 26 Trojans on opening day NFL rosters. Since records were made available, USC has been No. 1 in 17 of the last 30 years.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
How about the Super Bowl?
At least 1 Trojan has appeared in all but 3 of the 41 Super Bowls (there have been 92 USC representatives overall). Two Trojans (Lynn Swann in 1976 and Marcus Allen in 1984) have been the Super Bowl MVP. (In fact, if I remember right, Lynn Swann was a friggin’ ROOKIE in that year, or at most it was his second year in the pros.) In 1977, 9 USC alums played in the Super Bowl. And Trojans have been selected to play in the Pro Bowl 201 times.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
How about Football Hall of Fame?
There are more USC players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame … than any other school. Eleven. (And 3 ex-assistant coaches.)
August 6th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Yeah, the Pac 10 is soft because one team dominates. Which team?!?! Well, look at the team.
The reason there are more BCS candidates is that … the SEC keeps claiming that they are, by definition, the toughest schedule.
Look. On any given day, any given team can win. That’s college football. But it’s about heart and momentum and … that’s what makes it fun.
We’ll see. If USC beats Ohio State there’s one thing I guarantee.
CajunBoy, you’ll be telling us how soft OSU was.
;o)>
No offense. (No, not OSU, “no offense, CajunBoy.”)
August 6th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Now watch us lose … to Virginia.
August 7th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Thing is, I like Pete and USC. I think they have (and had) a phenomenal team. It appears, unlike others, that my passion is for college football as a whole and not a single team.
I don’t keep up with stats and records, but truly love college football. Yes, for obvious reasons, I’m a huge fan of the SEC and LSU … but I like to watch all college football and root for many different teams. Yipee, for USC and their history. Overworked might be out-of-work after all the time wasted on looking up USC stats.
From the responses, people are more interested in defending USC (must be the bandwagon thing) than talking about their passion for football and the experience of it all. Come on guys and gals, give me something of interest to read than the same boring drivel stated by those losers on local sports talk radio.
Ask our fearless moderator and contributor in social crime, tommyzman, what he’d give up to spend a Saturday in Baton Rouge to join in the LSU festivities. By the way, z-man, when are you giving up that left nut? The season is almost here.
Look, I really don’t care if everyone hates the SEC, loves USC, or is on the bandwagon of this year’s fan favorite. It’s just a game and besides, there’s more to life … like gas being $1.46 before Bush screwed things up.
Gotta run … the cracklin’s are about done cookin’.
August 7th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Since you like looking up stats, overworked, what was USC’s total points vs opponents from 2002 – 2006?
August 7th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Come on, only four people have commented with one of those people being the author of the original post. Is there no true passion for football anywhere but here in the South?
August 7th, 2008 at 8:05 am
You guys should rent a room and a couple of foam bats.
And Cajun, the left nutage is still intact, but I would love to come there for a pig roast, crawdads, ice cold brew, kick-ass cigars, and oh yeah, a football game.
You guys have captured the spirit of college football and agreed – there is nothing quite like it.
August 7th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
In answer to CajunBoy
a) USC’s total points vs opponents: lots!
b) The other half of Overworked it Underpaid. You wouldn’t want me to waste too much time for the “Man.”
August 8th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Do the Micigan Weasels play Appalachia State this year? Maybe this time they can at least keep it competitive? LMAO!!!!!
August 8th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Oregon Ducks RULEEEE
ok, maybe not rule, but – they are the greatest football program within 25 miles of their campus.
I would have loved to see what that team would have done if Dennis Dixon didn’t go down.
The Pac-10, for some very strange reason, has this reputation of being soft. For a conference, combine all sports, that has more national championships than any other conference – I just don’t get it.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
The Pac 10 has most games amongst other Pac 10 teams and … on Pacific Standard Time. The networks don’t broadcast most of the games. They usually select their “Play of the Week” before the Pac 10 games are even played.
… We just don’t get no respect.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
It’ll be a rebuilding year for my boys from Michigan. I like the Rich Rodriguez hire though. If he could fashion WVU into a powerhouse, just wait a few years. He’ll have Michigan back in the spotlight. I don’t care if we win a game, just beat Ohio State!!!
Side note to the Big Ten. Lookout for those Michigan State Spartans. They are going to surprise people.
LSU better be ready for Appalachian State come Opening Weekend. Reference my Michigan Wolverines in regards to that school.
Notre Dame will be improved. Bowl game improved? I think so.
USC will still dominated the PAC-10.
The SEC is still the best conference in America. Anybody can beat anyone on any given Saturday.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
If Washington doesn’t make it to a bowl game, Tyrone Willingham is gone. Real conflict here – some alumni love him, some hate him. The Huskies keep scheduling very hard non-league opponents. The only team picked to finish worse is Washington State.
You only picked two teams from the Pac-10 in the top 25. We should do better than that.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:51 am
Hm. Well, the USC v Virginia game was satisfactory. 550 yds to 180 yds. 52 to 7. Snachez and a long list of running backs looked pretty good. The big question: the offensive line of ‘SC looked pretty good (for all new folks.)
Virgina is a better team than that game made it look. Lalich will do OK, if he gets over being a little bit traumatized.
Now OSU should be a bit tougher. (… although a season opener at Youngstown State … ?)
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
CajunBoy,
Well, we watched the 18th ranked Vols from Tennessee lose to an unranked UCLA. Don’t get me wrong, Tennessee was good and it was a close game and UCLA showed some spunk in the second half. But can you see why West Coast football fans get irritated when SEC teams get automatically ranked high?
And on Saturday, ABC announced the college football player of the week at 3:30 PST, before any of the West Coast games were complete.
That’s a load of horsepuckey if I ever smelled it.
Using that approach, we should have ended the Presidential election a month ago and let ABC just announce who they think should win!
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Heck, they could announce a little earlier and with the same East Coast bias…
…. and Giuliani would be our next Prez.
September 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Looking forward to the OSU v USC game this coming weekend. OSU got a scare from OU, but it may have been the jolt that they needed. ‘SC comes off of a ‘by week and may be hot or may be rusty.
This time around, I’d bet on the Trojans.
September 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
The last time I bet on a Trojan, I had a baby boy nine months later.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Well, I have often said that a Trojan can be holy. Wait. Holey? You’re on your own there, Zman.
September 14th, 2008 at 6:16 am
I think USC shut a lot of Big Ten fans up.
And Rutgers looks so bad it’s painful to watch.
September 14th, 2008 at 6:18 am
If you’ll notice – please read the end of what I wrote for Ohio State…
Wait ‘til 9.13.08.
Pwned!
September 16th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Well, that was a satisfactory game. ‘SC scored 10 times as many points as OSU and in the fourth quarter, the third string was still able to move the ball.
Governor Schwarzenegger was at the game, shaking hands and slapping backs and pointing out friends. Henry Winkler, Denzel, old Anthony Davis… a good time was had by all.
Well, except the Ohio State and the the other Big 10 fans. But most people were pretty polite and we wished the OSU fans a nice stay while they were out here. And to give them credit, there were a lot of them who made it to the game.
September 16th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Incidentally, Zman, you were right about OSU and 9/13. And Georgia and Oklahoma are still looking fairly good, although Georgia was misfiring a bit.
September 18th, 2008 at 7:49 am
another round of injuries to the QB’s of Oregon.
Again, it was fun while it lasted.
yikes.
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
It didn’t last very long. Tough luck.
Of course, ‘SC will be seing you in a bit, I think.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Oh the Horror!
Now that hurt! To quote EEE, “It was fun while it lasted.”
That was a short season.
(USC 21, Oregon State 27)
September 26th, 2008 at 5:17 am
I’m loving me some Beaver right about now.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Wow, the magical world of college football takes yet another beloved victim. And yes, Mr. Sanchez looked rather dirty last evening.
But remember Cajun, LSU won the title last year with two losses so this roller coaster is still rumbling, baby!
September 26th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Dirty Sanchez, Trojans, Beavers… what a pounding.
September 27th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Well, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
…. and she hit a low note, last night.
September 27th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Dang, where did that little tailback go?
… and GO is the right word!
October 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Hmm. A couple of wins. And we watch the rest of the top ten get bumped around. And we’re back in the top ten.
Go figure. It’s still a long season ahead.
October 20th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Let’s see. 69 – 0. If we hadn’t missed the extra point it would have been a nice round 70 – 0. Ten touchdowns to no touchdowns. We really did feel sorry for Washington State. We had our 3rd string in there. But our 3rd string wants to take advantage of the only chance they get, so they’re not stopping, either.
Well, we’re back in the top 5, I guess. We’ll see what the end of the season brings.
December 24th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Another SEC team competing for the national championship. Sweet!
December 29th, 2008 at 5:42 am
You sure are being quite, TommyZ … the misses got you cleaning out between her toes again? Or, are you in Alabama to see Rutgers play today?
December 29th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Mike Teel passed for 319 yards and Rutgers capped its comeback season with another rally, defeating North Carolina State 29-23 in the Papajohns.com Bowl Monday.
Teel threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt with 8:30 to play for what proved to be the winning touchdown. Britt, a third-team All-American, made a juggling catch as he crossed the goal line and finished with six catches for 119 yards.
Teel, a senior, was the game’s most valuable player.
The Scarlet Knights (8-5) began the season 1-5, but finished with a seven-game winning streak, led by Teel.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Looks like Rutgers was headed in a whole different direction until NC State’s qb got hurt. If he had stayed in ,Rutgers finishes 7-6.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
The end of the season brings nada. Why is Ohio State playing Texas and we’re (USC) playing Penn State? Yeah, I know, it’s the Rose Bowl tradition. It’s time for a playoff system.
Of course, we could get beat by Penn State. And that’s exactly the problem. This is another no-win situation. If we beat Penn State… we’re still #5. If we lose, it’s permanent fodder for the “Pac-10 is wussy” mantra.
Hmph.
January 1st, 2009 at 12:26 am
Ahem. OK. Pac-10 teams have played in four bowl games so far. And they have won four bowl games so far. Look, that means a third of the Pac-10 teams have played bowl games so far, and all have won their games. Well, maybe it isn’t all THAT easy to have dominated in the Pac-10.
But now the pressure is really on USC against Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:05 am
USC IS the best team in college football. Period.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:19 am
Hey CajunBoy,
Pac-10 is now 5 – 0 in bowl games. I wouldn’t maintain that they are the best, but the are CERTAINLY not the worst. Literally half of the Pac-10 has won their bowl games.
The noise about the SEC is just to keep from having t0 play USC again…
LOL
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 am
But I will agree that USC is the best in the Pac-10 and would love to get a chance to play the best of the rest.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:28 am
I’d love to see USC vs. Florida.
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Let’s schedule it for January 15. Carroll said he’d be happy to do it. But the BCS game winner won’t do it unless AP ranks USC as #1. Then they might be willing to play a game outside the BCS to settle it.
So let’s make a lot of noise.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:17 am
How many bowl games did SEC teams win? 6 … more than half of the conference.
Which conference is the national champ? SEC
Which team is national champ … again? Florida … did I mention they’re SEC?
Which conference dominates the BCS national championship? Pac 10? Nope. SEC? Yep.
We might give Alabama a shot at the title next year.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Looks like me and Overworked are the only ones reading this piece of shit blog!
