The USA Today Top 25 voted on by the coaches came out this week. One might think that nobody knows the game better than the coaches who teach it for millions of dollars. That’s probably true, but as Steve Spurrier pointed out last year by having Jevan Snead as his first team pre-season All-SEC quarterback selection, the coaches aren’t always the ones filling out the ballots. It has also been pretty well-documented that coaches in the Big East don’t have a full understanding of how teams in the Big XII are doing. Politics come into play as SEC coaches rate their conference-mates higher than they probably should. Frank Beamer probably gave Boise State a little nudge in the polls in hopes of making their opening week game against the Broncos just a tad bigger.
There will be a lot of movement in the polls from this preseason’s starting point to where we end after the bowl games are played. Teams are either ranked too high, too low, or just right, and each can be represented by a song.
| # | Team | Verdict | Take | Theme Song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | just right | The Crimson Tide have held this spot since December 6, 2009 after knocking off Florida in the SEC Championship game. It’s become a sort of…home for Alabama. | Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd |
| 2 | Ohio State | just right | Ohio State gets this position by default. They would like to be ranked first in the preseason, but you know what… | You Can’t Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones |
| 3 | Florida | too high | Florida tries to go forward without their religious quarterback and all-around All-American kid (and football player). | Losing My Religion by R.E.M. |
| 4 | Texas | too high | Texas is expecting Garrett Gilbert to be the next big-time quarterback for the Longhorns. If they want to get back to holding the BCS National Championship Trophy, they better find a running game. | I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2 |
| 5 | Boise State | too low | What does Boise have to do? They return 21 starters off a team that went undefeated and won a BCS bowl game. | Respect by Aretha Franklin |
| 6 | Virginia Tech | just right | V-Tech has been the gold standard for the ACC with the downturn at Florida State. It appears Tech isn’t willing to give up their spot on the ACC pedestal just yet. | I Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |
| 7 | TCU | just right | Texas Christian’s head coach, Gary Patterson, is convinced that TCU can and will win a national championship under the current BCS system. | Dream On by Aerosmith |
| 8 | Oklahoma | too high | How does a team that finished 4th in a division in the Big XII end up being ranked in the preseason this high, anyway? I can think of only one explanation. | Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks |
| 9 | Nebraska | too low | Nebraska should have won the Big XII title game last year. This is Nebraska’s last year in the Big XII before they dump her for a prettier girl. | I Don’t Love you Anymore by Travis Tritt |
| 10 | Iowa | too high | Can Iowa luck their way into as many wins as last year? Kinda doubt it. | Luck Be a Lady Tonight by Frank Sinatra |
| 11 | Oregon | too low | The Ducks should be able to handle business even without Masoli on the squad due to being in a conference that is begging for someone to be good. | With or Without You by U2 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | too low | The Badgers are ranked entirely too low to be the one team that has a real shot of knocking the Ohio State Buckeyes out as conference champs. | Mama Said Knock You Out by LL Cool J |
| 13 | Miami (fl) | too high | The Hurricanes might be better than last year…but so might be the five teams that were better than them last year in the ACC. The celebrating in south Florida is a little premature. | (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) |
| 14 | Penn State | too high | The Nittany Lions will get their eyes opened when they travel to Alabama early. But Coach Paterno did have some eye surgery done, which unfortunately means that he probably sees it coming. | (I See) A Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| 15 | Pittsburgh | too low | Dave Wannstedt has been on the hotseat for a couple of years at Pitt, and Pitt’s patience should pay dividends this year. | Stand by Your Man by Tammy Wynette |
| 16 | LSU | too high | The Tigers have another coach on the hotseat. Rumors will abound about Les Miles’ future in Baton Rouge if they falter again this year. | Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye |
| 17 | Georgia Tech | too low | Does anyone actually believe Paul Johnson’s team is going to be worse in his third year? Tech is going to keep running all over the ACC with their option attack. | Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen |
| 18 | North Carolina | just right | Allegations aside, the Tar Heels are putting together a tough football program under Butch Davis. They may not score many points, but their defense is a brick wall. | Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd |
| 19 | Arkansas | too low | Ryan Mallett and the Hog offense will leave opposing defenses standing with their jaws dropped and looking to each other for answers. | Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin |
| 20 | Florida State | too low | Florida State looks to have the athletes and the swagger back. You remember, the kind they had in the 90’s? You know where I’m going with this… | Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen |
| 21 | Georgia | just right | The Bulldogs have an opportunity to win the SEC East with Florida retooling. Oh, let’s get serious. They’re shooting for second place like normal. | Real World by Matchbox Twenty |
| 22 | Oregon State | just right | Some BCS team with one loss could well be hating Oregon State for giving either TCU or Boise State an argument for being in the BCS Championship game. | Taking Care of Business by BTO |
| 23 | Auburn | too high | The offense is going to be plenty good enough to be competitive, but it’s hard to believe it will be good enough to overcome the defense. | Say it Ain’t So by Weezer |
| 24 | Utah | just right | Utah is yesterday’s Boise State and TCU. | Yesterday by The Beatles |
| 25 | West Virginia | too high | I wouldn’t say the Mountaineers don’t have a prayer of winning the Big East…but that’s about the extent of their chances. | Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi |
