It’s an 11 horse race for the National Championship in 2005 and a handful of those are Nags. Here’s your AP Top 10, with 2 from teams each of the 4 major conferences plus media darling USC. Add Florida & Iowa (#10 or #11 depending on the poll) for grins and you have your horse race. Here’s whom they play (ranked) and when these games are played. AP TOP 10 1. USC (60) 0-0 1,619 (Plays at #20 ASU on 10/01, at #19 Cal on 11/12, #24 Fresno State on 11/19). We'll see about those cupcakes. USC easily rolls through undefeated until their Cal test. I don't see USC dropping a game this year. I hope I am wrong & they blow one. 2. Texas (4) 0-0 1,500 (Plays at #6 OSU 9/10, #7 Okla. 10/08, #21 TX Tech 10/22, at #17 TX A&M 11/25). “IF" UT gets past Ohio St, look out. This could be the year they beat OU. An undefeated UT & USC would play for a NC, but that won't happen. I say Texas goes down in Columbus. 3. Tennessee 0-0 1,376 (Plays at #10 Florida 9/17, at #5 LSU 9/24, #13 Georgia 10/08). Back to back road games against Top 10 teams will break Tenn. LSU will take the first game. LSU & Tenn. get a rematch in Atlanta. LSU will take Tenn. in Atlanta 4. Michigan 0-0 1,329 (Plays nobody ranked until at #11 Iowa 10/22, #6 Ohio St 11/19) Is this an easy road? You bet. This team is overrated and will drop one, probably vs. OSU. I even expect a toss-up in Iowa. The Ohio St game is in Ann Arbor & the winner may play for a shot in the NC. 5. LSU 0-0 1,291 (Plays #20 ASU 9/10, #3 Tenn. 9/24, #10 Florida 10/15, #16 Auburn 10/22) And they are predicting Alabama beats LSU in November at Tuscaloosa. :dis: Can LSU run the table? I say Yes! LSU must also handle Tennessee (very likely) again in Atlanta. In any case, an SEC team will have to run the table for a title shot in 2005. LSU is in the driver's seat and is projected as a favorite in all the big games (at home in BR). An undefeated SEC team with a SEC Championship WIN probably gets the nod OVER a Big Ten undefeated OSU (My guess), but after the SEC got screwed last year, who knows. I say everyone would want to see an LSU/USC matchup. OSU (2002 NC) does have some sway and could make it one helluva race. 6. Ohio State 0-0 1,205 (Plays #2 Texas 9/10, #11 Iowa 9/24, at #4 Michigan 11/19) This is the team I'm concerned about. I think they'll beat both Texas & Iowa in Columbus. Because of the timing of the games, they could jump above LSU after a Texas win & remain undefeated until they play Michigan in Ann Arbor. Hopefully, the Big 10 Top 3 all give each other a "hicky". They're probably hoping the same thing for the SEC. 7. Oklahoma 0-0 1,204 (Plays at #2 Texas 10/08, #17 TX A&M 11/12, at 21 TX Tech 11/19) Even if OU runs the table (they won't), they won't get a NC shot again with other undefeateds. Nobody wants to see USC stomp OU again. 8. Virginia Tech 0-0 1,184 (Plays #22 Boston College 10/27, #9 Miami 11/05, at #25 Virginia 11/19) Weak conference deserves to play for a NC? Nah, a real long shot! The VT/Miami game winner gets a major BCS bowl! I say that's going to be Miami. 9. Miami 0-0 1,142 (Plays at #14 FSU 9/05, at #8 VT 11/05, #25 VA 11/26) Maybe a major BCS bowl. 10. Florida 0-0 1,080 (Plays #3 Tenn. 9/17, at #5 LSU 10/15, #13 GA 10/29, #14 FSU 11/26) These teams can play SPOILERS for the rest in their conference. Urban gets his SEC Baptism and his ass handed to him early and often. 11. Iowa 0-0 1,011 (Iowa is #10 on Coaches Poll, Plays #6 OSU 9/24, at #15 Purdue 10/08, #4 Mich. 10/22) Well, that wraps up the preseason. LSU has a #1 ranked WR corp, a #1 ranked OL, a new coach who has taken the wraps off of the passing game & LSU will have a Top 5 Defense again. The anticipation for this season is at an all time high at LSU. I hope the Focus is there, because LSU can go all the way in 2005, especially if they get that vertical passing attack in high gear with early season blowouts of NT & ASU. ONE GAME AT A TIME! NT MEAN GREEN ON 9/03. :geauxtige LSU! :champs: :helmet: :geauxtige :lsup: :champs: :crystal:
I understand your comments and concern regarding Ohio St., but doesn't an LSU win over an undefeated Tennessee team put LSU back in front of Ohio St.? PS-They will beat Texas. That's a lock.
UT/OSU should be a great game. At this point though, I don't understand where the Ohio State love is coming from. They were decent last year, nothing more. Texas was interesting to dominant most of the year.
well ohio state returns a lot of starters, including ted ginn, who is one of the fastest players in football (behind the X-man of course) and the year before OSU won it all they went 7-5, and last year they went 8-4 so maybe they're assuming OSU the same will happen this year
I like Texas over OSU... but I also like us to win ALL of our home games this year... I think that IF we lose, it will be a let-down game on the road
Ohio State was decent last year but killed towards the end. Jim Tressell finally figured out how to run his offense, go back and watch Michigan @ OSU and their bowl game against Oklahoma State.
Good call, Milo. At mid-season Tressel swapped out some OL players, moved Ginn to offense, started playing T. Smith @ QB... and went to a modified spread offense. They not only beat Michigan, they beat 'em bad... same against Okie State. They should have played Georgia in the Outback, as they were dramatically better than Wisconsin at that point in the season. I will be very surprised if they lose to Texas in the 'Shoe.
Not that i am pulling for them but i think Texas beats Ohio State. Even though it is at Columbus . Texas has a lot of talent and an experienced QB. Even Mack Brown cant screw that up all the time. And sooner or later that have to win a big game against someone since they cant beat OU.
But tOSU has what Michigan doesn't... linebackers who can run. I said it before, but there are so many big games in September that by Oct. 1st there may be only three teams left standing with a real shot at a ring. (unless your ring says Auburn)
It will be interesting to see if Tressel reverts back to the very conservative coach at the beginning of the season when the team is still in the hunt for championships or if he takes the "what the hell we're out of it" apporach he did at the end of the year. My guess is he'll be a little less conservative at the beginning but not as wide open as he was for the UM and OSU games.
