Florida loses too many seniors this year, including its QB, so I have doubts if they can make a run next year for a NC. Its pretty risible that the article states that Meyer has been adept at adapting to his talent, especially his first year at Florida. Meyer didn't have the players for his option system, and yet insisted on pouding square pegs through round holes. You have to give Ron Zook a lot of credit here. Zook can't coach, but he can certainly recruit and he brought in the talent that won this NC. I don't know how Zook did it, but he somehow convinced some really great talent to play for Illinois.

And, I'm not sure how you can argue that LSU should be #2 with the loss of JR to the NFL. Sure, you have Periloux, and he was like the top QB recruit in the entire country two years ago. But, it would still be a learning curve for him. I mean Jimmy Clausen is the most heraled QB recruit since John Elway, but I think next year is going to be brutal for ND. Periloux has the bigger upside and he's the future, but if you play him, I don't know if LSU play for a NC.

SC has to be the favorite for next year, and the scary thing is this year was supposed to be their rebuilding year. I wouldn't have taken those odds that after losing all those players including two heisman winners and lendale white, SC would have been in line to play for another NC until its brain fart against UCLA. SC is going to return almost all of its players next season. The only big loss could be their WR Dwayne Jarett, who may or may not go to the NFL. Calvin Johnson is in the draft, so DJ would be the second best WR in the draft. Plus, SC had some key injuries this year. SC will be by far, the most talented team next year. But, SC was more talented than UCLA, and still lost. I think the key will be coaching. SC's OC, Lane Kiffin, is still learning on the job and he lost the SC game against UCLA. With all that talent, there's no way SC should have scored only nine points. Kiffin refused to make any adjustments, and insisted on running the same plays despite the fact that they weren't working. SC's receivers were getting open, but Booty didn't have enough time to throw it to them. Kiffin should have brought in more protection, used some slants, and done some other things to offset UCLA's aggressive pass rush.

As for the article's other nominations:

I don't see UCLA at all. I mean, maybe, if they pulled off another upset against #1 USC, UCLA would rise in the polls. But, UCLA hasn't shown any consistency this year. After the momentum of that upset against SC, it just got killed by Florida State. Their DC is good, who's improved UCLA's porous defense, and he might have been offered a promotion at another school if not for Florida State game. UCLA's defense has been good against weak to average offenses, but has also rolled over against good offenses. Next season will determine the future of their coach's tenure at UCLA. Their coach would have been fired this off season if not for that upset against SC, and he's still clearly learning on the job.

Boise State is interesting. One of the big stumbling blocks to get a NC is coming in ranked high enough in the preseason. With its BCS victory over Oklahoma, Boise State will finally get some respect and come in ranked high before the preseason. If it can go undeafeated, while every other team loses one or two games, Boise State might sneak into a NC game. It could be 1984 all over again.

WOW! Did not see this one coming!!

USC number one?! I'm so sick if those media babies...maybe this coming year LSU! will get a chance to settle that crap once and for all! If only we could have taken them down in the Rose this year, WE would be 1 and USC would be 2! I know unheard of, especially since the ABC commentators oogled over pete carroll after the rose like he was a walking diety...ugh!!

:geauxtige:geauxtige

I have to say this is the most intelligent post you've made so far on this board by far, but you're wrong.:nope: You're looking at the wrong side of the ball in the case of UF and LSU! . This is the SEC, son. Do you think that if JDB didn't have time to throw the ball to his wide open recievers against UCLA, he's gonna have that time against an :lsup: or UF defense? What makes UF and :helmet: stand out in the SEC is the fact that, along with an awesome defense that is REQUIRED in this conference, we also know how to play a little 'O'. This is the exact opposite from teams like USuCk and tOSU. You people hear all about the speed of the SEC, but fail to realize it's those 280 lb DT's that we're talking about. Everybody's got fast WR's and DB's. Learn this, and then try to adapt to it, and then somebody may have something for the SEC. Until then, fawgetaboutit!:thumb:

But, if he was so good, then why didn't he start this year? Obviously, JR was the better QB and losing JR to the NFL is going to hurt LSU. And, now, there are all those reports about RP and federal criminal investigations. RP could end up going to jail, or getting kicked off the team. If LSU was returning everybody, then I could understand rating LSU so high.