Alabama #1, Ohio State #2 In Preseason Coaches Poll

[Burg_Grad_77]

Defending national champion Alabama is No. 1 atop the USA Today preseason coaches poll.

Boise State will begin the season ranked No. 5. The Broncos, like Alabama, finished last season 14-0. They beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Crimson Tide got 55 of 59 possible first place votes. The other four went to Ohio State, which is No. 2 in the newspaper's ranking.

Florida is third, followed by Texas, which lost to Alabama in the BCS title game in January.

Virginia Tech was sixth, followed by TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa to round out the top 10.

Nos. 11-15 are Oregon, Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State and Pittsburgh. They were followed by LSU, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Arkansas and Florida State, which will be without Bobby Bowden as coach for the first time in 35 years.

Georgia is No. 21, Oregon State No. 22, Auburn No. 23 and Utah and West Virginia tied for No. 24.

The coaches poll is part of the BCS formula used to determine its national champion.

[fightingtigers45]

Ive been excited for this Florida team all offseason. We lost 9 key players, including the greatest in school history, to the NFL but yet we still have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.

Do I think we should be #3? No. Are we as talented as 2008 or 2009? No. Will we be very dangerous? Yes.

[noreply66]

Ohio State will need to show me against Miami.
I really don't think either of the top three will be there at the end

[seofan_via_dublin]

I have to wonder if the coaches just put names in a hat and had a drawing for the random rankings.

#3 Florida (too high)
#4 Texas (Too high)
#5 Boise St. (too low)
#6 VTech (why is it every year they do this and every year VT lets them down, Beemer must have them by the berries)
#9 Nebraska (too high, can't score in a conference that doesn't play defense, and lost their best defensive player)
#10 Iowa (too low, will be no lower than 6th when they play the Buckeyes in november.)
#11 Oregon (too high, this is where the coaches realized they didn't have a Pac-10 team on the board)
#12 Wisconsin (too low, will again, be no lower than about 6th when they play the Buckeyes in late october)
#14 Penn St ( too high, Jo Pa is finally showing his age, and he doesn't have enough on the defensive side of the ball)

After you get past the top 15, you really don't matter anyway, so how cares.

Note: By too high and too low, I'm not saying that they need to be drastically moved. For instance, I'd still have Florida no lower than 7.
I'd have Texas in the top 7 as well. Both teams are very well coached and always have talent.

[Burg_Grad_77]

seofan_via_dublin, what do you think about Ohio States ranking?

Do they deserve the preseason #2?

I respect your opinion on the Bucks and I'm just curious what you think.

[seofan_via_dublin]

I think when you combine the talent coming back, with the schedule, then the Buckeyes are a good pick for #2.

The schedule features 8 home games, those are all wins.
The part that concerns me is the night road game in Wisconsin in October.
That place will be loud, rude, and cold.
The good news is, Wisconsin is a power running team, that passes with play action and utilizes the big tight end alot.
The Buckeyes don't have problems with John Clay, and they should be able to get that win.

When you open the schedule up and look at the team returning, on first glance, the Buckeyes are undefeated and going back to Arizona in January.
You have to really nit-pick and use the phrase, "if they don't play like they should" in order to find a potential loss on the schedule.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Big Ten titles are now expected.
Winning the Big Ten title is no longer a bragging point in Columbus.
When you're working on 7 straight, they lose their luster.
Wake me up when they get ten straight.
The Buckeye faithful up here in C-Bus have goals of BCS title game or it's not a successful season.
Which is a great goal to have, but also puts the Buckeyes on a slippery slope.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Never, EVER, apologize for high expectations.
It is those expectations that bring out the best in people and the best in teams.
Buckeye fans should never fail to be critical of their teams, in both loses and wins.
They should always expect great things, and be pissed off if they don't get them.
They should always be viewed as arrogant, self righteous, bull headed, fans.
When they stop, then the success stops.
When they stop, then some other team will take the crown away.
When they stop, they become Notre Dame.
When they stop, they become Florida State.
When they stop, they become Michigan.
And God as my witness, I don't ever want to become Michigan.

If you view OSU fans as arrogant "butt" holes, thank you. We don't like you're team either!

[FANOSPORTS]

Let's all be a little realistic here. How many football National championships has the big ten won in the last 40 years " ?. Divide that number by the numbers won by the SEC, Pac-10, Big-12 we pale in comparison. Even Notre Dame has as many national titles as the Big-10 in that period and they've been terrible the last 15 years or so. We can get on here and harp all we want but it's still really not much past the "big 2, little 8" syndrome of years ago and the fans at OSU and Penn State and up until a couple of years ago Michigan should expect to be near the top of the Big-10 because the bottom 3/4 is and always has been in my lifetime mediocre at best. Nebraska will have a huge impact in football, baseball and most women's sports in the big ten and it was a much needed boost.

[seofan_via_dublin]

I didnt say High Expectations; I said unrealistic. Since no one ever wins the National Championship every year, it is unreasonable to make that the standard for measuring success.

Also, if you were referring to me, I never called Buckeye fans "arrogant butt holes." I cant remember the last time I called anyone a butt hole; maybe the fifth grade. And my team is "you're" team too.

I'll be there in B deck when Ohio U comes to Columbus. GO BUCKS!

GAHS, not refering to you on that one, just making a general statement to all haters (I know you're not one)

Getting to the national title game is the goal, and has been for a couple years now.
Winning it, would be great, but just getting to a BCS game and winning the Big 10 is not a challenge anymore.
Maybe next year

[seofan_via_dublin]

Nebraska's impact won't be as big as people hope.
They will add needed depth at the High-Mid level of the conference.
It will still be OSU and which ever 2-3 teams decide to play that year.

Nebraska can't score in a conference that hates to play defense.
When they come to a conference that only really plays defense,
they will be exposed as a benefactor of the Big 12 North division.

[fightingtigers45]

I think this thread is proving why Ohio State is hated.

I expect to win the SEC every year and I get mad when Florida LOOKS bad and still wins. But, I am in no way arrogant.

[seofan_via_dublin]

good for you

[JChipwood]

I think this thread is proving why Ohio State is hated.

I expect to win the SEC every year and I get mad when Florida LOOKS bad and still wins. But, I am in no way arrogant.

I hope the "i am in no way arrogant" was tongue in cheek after the way the post started........... The first sentence is nothing but arrogance spewing from all angles.

I certainly don't expect tOSU to win the BCS title every year but looking at the roster and the recruiting, I do look for them to compete some years, when the recruiting changes that may change expectations. However, I look at things differently than some in that games that should be won may be lost because of our style of play. Also, I view things realistically in terms of not reading into the hype, I would rather look at the teams we are going to play and make my own comparisons and predictions. With that said, they have been in 2 games that they weren't going to win going in, Florida for the NC and 2008 against USC. LSU was better than tOSU but not by a whole lot, not near as much as the final score indicated. The FLa and USC games they were both outmanned and outcoached badly and stood no chance going into the game. Other than that, no other game has been out of reach of winning and no other team has outmatched us since the BCS came into play, we have lost some games but have competed in all of them but 2.

[fightingtigers45]

Only arrogant people hate Ohio State; many of them are from Michigan

I expect to win the SEC every year

Really? YOU expect to win the SEC every year? And you play for what team?

So you have never referred to your favorite team as we? I expect Florida to win the SEC every year. Excuse me for considering myself a part of Gator Nation.

[fightingtigers45]

I think this thread is proving why Ohio State is hated.

I expect to win the SEC every year and I get mad when Florida LOOKS bad and still wins. But, I am in no way arrogant.

I hope the "i am in no way arrogant" was tongue in cheek after the way the post started........... The first sentence is nothing but arrogance spewing from all

I don't see how it is arrogant in any way. I didn't say this is why I hate Ohio State and I am always right because I'm so holy. I dislike Ohio State due to personal friends and the way I was treated before the title game. And afterwards, I hardly rubbed any Buckeyes face in it. The win was enough.

[JChipwood]

Yeah alot of tOSU fans are ignorant but all programs have idiots rooting them on. I have no problem with you referring to your team and yourself as we, if you are a fan than it is only common to say we are going to win this or that or we play a certain team. You got your laugh after the game but some OSU fans knew we were in trouble before the game, not because of speed, and not because of personnel, and not by the margin that it was or could have been but my worry was coaching and the ability to put together 4 qtrs or x and o football to compete with the Gators. As it turned out no coach could have made a huge difference however to make NO adjustments and say afterwards that "we felt we had a good plan and stuck with it" is laughable no matter who ya root for but discouraging for the biggest of tOSU fans. My statement was directed at the initial comment, that is why tOSU fans are percieved as arrogant because we expect to win and get angry even in victory if it isn't to suit us....... I think I am picky but not arrogant and maybe you are as well about the Gators. No big deal.

I do agree if you dish it out you must be able to take it and if I lived in Florida I would expect to get more than I give.

[fightingtigers45]

JChipwood,

Well said. I can agree with that.

gahs,

If you check the threads, I rarely mention OSU vs. the SEC. It is already known enough to where I don't have to. My avatar says it all.

After the game, I had my fun for about two days and rarely ever mention it. And that is because I know it's all a cycle. Florida has taken a NC beatdown before.

[seofan_via_dublin]

There is a difference between being arrogant, and being confident.

I don't listen to the hype, the only national show I listen to is Mike&Mike, and that's for my 30 minute drive to work.
Cowherd is a giant Turd that says whatever pushes the ratings that week.

I do listen to a lot of local sports talk radio, and you haven't seen critical of the Buckeyes until you've listened to that.
They are fair, but they are honest.

As for the pre-season hype (this year in isolation) why wouldn't I have the Buckeyes in the title game.
They are better than every team they play, and they are starting at #2.

As a fan, it's not my job to be nice and respectful to the other team, that's JT's job.
Fan is short for Fanatic, and as a Buckeye Fanatic I'm not going to sugar coat and play the PC game.
I don't expect it in return, and frankly don't want it.

You'll never hear me crying about someone being mean to me because I'm a Buckeye.

I've always liked the back and forth banter on this forum. No need to pull punches,
and nobody needs to get upset because someone said something bad about their team.
Give as good as you get and you'll be good in my book.
Now if you show up once a season to run your mouth and then go away when the Buckeyes beat you....
...then you must be a fan of Penn State!

[LoganElm_grad09]

I think Ohio State's season will come down to their game plan. Unleash Pryor, and they'll be unstoppable. Play too conservative, then they're vulnerable. I think they have the capability of preforming like the team that ended up losing to Florida. They could be an absolute nightmare on offense.