Steele's AP top 24 projection

[UOducksTK1]

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/2012/Mar12/DBMar02.html

4 seems to be the unanimous selection in most preseason polls, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Ducks will be ranked 4th going into September.

[lukeyrid13]

In my mind.....

1-3 USC, Bama, LSU



4-5
Oklahoma
Oregon


6-25....

I think that the top 3 are several steps above both us and Oklahoma and then after that there is a considerable drop off. I just don't see teams like Georgi, South Carolina, WV, TCU, Wisconsin etc as legit title contenders. I think the top 3 are really good but that the rest of the top 10(including us) is a bit weak for their rankings

[vagusnerve]

In my mind.....

1-3 USC, Bama, LSU



4-5
Oklahoma
Oregon


6-25....

I think that the top 3 are several steps above both us and Oklahoma and then after that there is a considerable drop off. I just don't see teams like Georgi, South Carolina, WV, TCU, Wisconsin etc as legit title contenders. I think the top 3 are really good but that the rest of the top 10(including us) is a bit weak for their rankings

I just don't see much difference 1-4. After that there's a tremendous drop off.

Alabama loses practically EVERYONE from their team last year. Almost the entire defense. And their offense was crap last year already and they lose their top offensive player.

LSU will be good obviously, but a step above everyone else?

And the Trojans have yet to prove it on the field, it's all conjecture and speculation at this point that they are a top team.

Oregon, I think we can all agree, is gonna be good.

Then when you start talking about teams like Georgia (really?), South Carolina (no freaking way) and Oklahoma (I doubt they're championship contenders), the bar is set quite a bit lower.

[Kimber45]

In my mind.....

1-3 USC, Bama, LSU



4-5
Oklahoma
Oregon


6-25....

I think that the top 3 are several steps above both us and Oklahoma and then after that there is a considerable drop off. I just don't see teams like Georgi, South Carolina, WV, TCU, Wisconsin etc as legit title contenders. I think the top 3 are really good but that the rest of the top 10(including us) is a bit weak for their rankings

Where was Auburn ranked before winning the NC? If they were ranked, I think it was in the high teens or 20s.

Wisconsin was two bad plays away from playing in the NC game last year. Not sure they would have won, but their offense was damn good. Certainly better than Bama.

I'm not trying to argue, so much as add that occasionally some dark horse team comes together into a shiny point of light and upsets the preseason favorites in the course of a title run.

I like when that happens.

[UofDuck]

Curious to see what becomes of BSU this season. Peterson is a stud coach and they always seem to play well regardless. But losing 16 starters, including Moore and Doug Martin, almost their entire OL and DL... might be more than even Peterson can overcome. They start with @ Mich St and have a pretty good BYU team to deal with also OOC. Personally, I see a lot of their fans as living in a bubble, and I realize many fans of every-team do, but they seem to take it to a different level. They really believe they are as good as any program in the country and will continue to be uninterupted. Who knows? Maybe they will, but I don't think so, and I wonder how many would fall off the cart if BSU goes 7 and 6.... I'll be watching them this year, like an Evil Knievel spectator hoping for a gnarly crash.

[Elduderino]

In my mind.....

1-3 USC, Bama, LSU



4-5
Oklahoma
Oregon


6-25....

I think that the top 3 are several steps above both us and Oklahoma and then after that there is a considerable drop off. I just don't see teams like Georgi, South Carolina, WV, TCU, Wisconsin etc as legit title contenders. I think the top 3 are really good but that the rest of the top 10(including us) is a bit weak for their rankings

I think all the teams in the top 10 have questions they'll have to answer as the season goes along. Though I agree, if I'm being honest, I think we have as much to prove as anybody in the Top 10. Certainly the talent is there (at least those of us who follow the team closely know it is), but we lose a lot of production. I think it's quite a testament to the respect the program has earned recently, that we can lose as much as we did and come in regarded so highly.

[uodux1212]

Curious to see what becomes of BSU this season. Peterson is a stud coach and they always seem to play well regardless. But losing 16 starters, including Moore and Doug Martin, almost their entire OL and DL... might be more than even Peterson can overcome. They start with @ Mich St and have a pretty good BYU team to deal with also OOC. Personally, I see a lot of their fans as living in a bubble, and I realize many fans of every-team does, but they seem to take it to a different level. They really believe they are as good as any program in the country and will continue to be uninterupted. Who knows? Maybe they will, but I don't think so, and I wonder how many would fall off the cart if BSU goes 7 and 6.... I'll be watching them this year, like an Evil Knievel spectator hoping for a gnarly crash.

Me too... They've had a great college QB for the last 4 years, he's a one in a generation type player for them. Losing all the starters should be concerning for the donks, the rubber is going to have it hit the road eventually.

[UofDuck]

Curious to see what becomes of BSU this season. Peterson is a stud coach and they always seem to play well regardless. But losing 16 starters, including Moore and Doug Martin, almost their entire OL and DL... might be more than even Peterson can overcome. They start with @ Mich St and have a pretty good BYU team to deal with also OOC. Personally, I see a lot of their fans as living in a bubble, and I realize many fans of every-team do, but they seem to take it to a different level. They really believe they are as good as any program in the country and will continue to be uninterupted. Who knows? Maybe they will, but I don't think so, and I wonder how many would fall off the cart if BSU goes 7 and 6.... I'll be watching them this year, like an Evil Knievel spectator hoping for a gnarly crash.

Me too... They've had a great college QB for the last 4 years, he's a one in a generation type player for them. Losing all the starters should be concerning for the donks, the rubber is going to have it hit the road eventually.