You would think so. We're the defending champs. I don't think the QB question is sufficient to get us ranked below Clemson, Missouri and West Virginia. They are perennial pretenders and do not have the pedigree to warrant being placed above LSU. Again, it's a respect thing. How many defending NCs have been relegated to the also rans in the last, say 10 years? Until this year, no defending BCS champion has been ranked outside the preseason (AP) top 5. (AP ranking where available) 98 UT #2 99 preseason Vols 99 FSU #2 00 preseason 00 OU #3 01 preseason 01 UM #1 02 preseason 02 OSU #2 03 preseason 03 LSU #3 04 preseason 04 USC #1 05 preseason 05 UT #3 06 preseason Horns (NO V.Y.) 06 UF #5 07 preseason 07 LSU #6
Like how no one gave Appalachian State last year when playing a top 10 team on the road in the first game in the year....wait bad example.
I thought we started 04 ranked 6th? usc sure has respect! didn't they lose their greatest QB of all time too?
I think starting in the top 10 is what is really important. And you need one of the top two teams to lose a game.
It's OK. The media has publisized that Hatch (former QB from Harvard) will start. No experience at QB has pulled us down a notch. The schedule is not in our favor having to play at UF and Auburn (where refs are homers). This just gives our guys extra motivation. As long as we start off in the top 10, I'm not worried. It would be tough starting below that just because of the groud we would need to make up. But #6 is cool.
