Armchair Quarterback: Trojans may go all the way
The early polls are out and surprise, surprise, USC, Oklahoma and LSU are at the top, with Tennessee sitting at what I believe is a generous 14th.
The ESPN/USA Today college football poll, released last week, had USC with 449 first-place votes compared with Oklahoma with 12 and LSU with five. Obviously the Trojans’ run last year convinced several voters; however, before people get repeat crazy let’s just remember repeating nowadays is tough. Nebraska last did it in 1994-95.
With that said, USC does have a cake walk for a schedule in that very weak PAC-10 which is the OVC of the west. This year they don’t even have to play Oregon plus their out of conference schedule is a dream with the toughest match a game against a Vick-less Virginia Tech. Only California, their sole loss last year, is even rated in the top-25 and the Trojans get to play them at home.
It’s not out of the cards to go undefeated. Hopefully this year, if they make it to Miami, they’ll have to play someone decent to claim a share of the national title instead of benefiting from the pollsters’ fascination by the bright lights of Tinsel Town like last year. And, by the way, if the NCAA rules Michael Williams ineligible this year, USC will be lucky to make the Holiday Bowl.
One team on the poll I am eyeing, which I believe will be on the rise, is the Georgia Bulldogs. Coming in at 4th in the poll, they do get a crack at LSU this season at home and yes, Vol fans, it’s our turn to travel to Georgia this year. But buck up, Florida and Alabama have to come to Neyland.
Given the competitive nature of the SEC, it’s hard to decide exactly who will be coming out of the east to challenge LSU in the championship game. Yes, LSU, although I doubt they will be undefeated, should breeze through the west only pausing against Auburn, but the east is again a three way race between the Dawgs, Gators and Vols. I’ve got to go with the Dawgs this year while keeping an eye on the Gators as another subpar performance will have the folks down in the Sunshine State chanting for the return of the currently unemployed “old ball coach.” Unfortunately for the current Gator regime, they will take their 11th ranked team on the road to visit the Vols, LSU, Georgia and Florida State.
Along with the aforementioned we also have the usual cast of characters with Miami and Florida State placing 5th and 6th. However, Miami is going to be hard pressed to find something to work on their running game and the erratic nature of quarterback Brock Berlin cannot be encouraging to the coaching staff who is looking at a challenging ACC schedule this year.
As far as sleepers, I’ve got to go with Texas. For years they’ve been one game away from shocking the world, that one lately being Oklahoma. Remember just a couple of years ago, when they were the toast of the town only to get humbled in the Big 12 Championship game by Chris Brown and his Colorado squad. It seems every year, despite putting up basketball scores every week, they will find one week to simply not show up.
If they should decide to show up for the Sooners game this year, and that’s a big if given the beating they took last season, then look for the Longhorns to be your surprise entry in Miami in January.
Should everything go to my devious plan, then it will be the Longhorns and Bulldogs playing for the title. Longshot of course.