The preseason magazines predict 2006

The preseason magazines don’t have a perfect track record for predicting much of anything, but it’s wonderfully interesting to see what they’re smoking. Fortunately the AAS aggregated the data from all the polls so we can see all this info in one place.

  Phil Steele’s Sporting News Athlon Lindy’s Street & Smith’s Insiders’
1 Oklahoma Notre Dame Oklahoma Notre Dame Ohio State Oklahoma
2 Auburn Ohio State Notre Dame Ohio State West Virginia Auburn
3 Louisville Auburn USC West Virginia Texas Louisville
4 USC LSU Ohio State Texas Notre Dame USC
5 Texas West Virginia Florida Florida Florida Texas
6 Miami USC West Virginia USC California Miami
7 Notre Dame Texas Texas Oklahoma USC Notre Dame
8 Ohio State Florida California Auburn Auburn Ohio State
9 Virginia Tech Oklahoma Auburn California LSU Virginia Tech
10 Florida State Florida State Louisville LSU Oklahoma Florida State
11 Michigan Iowa LSU Michigan Florida State Michigan
12 Tennessee Georgia Clemson Florida State Michigan Tennessee
13 Arkansas California Michigan Louisville Louisville Arkansas
14 Georgia Miami Miami Georgia Miami Georgia
15 Iowa Penn State Georgia Utah Virginia Tech Iowa
16 California Virginia Tech Iowa Miami Arizona State California
17 West Virginia Michigan Florida State TCU Nebraska West Virginia
18 Clemson Tennessee TCU Clemson Alabama Clemson
19 Boise State Louisville Oregon Arizona State Georgia Boise State
20 Florida Texas Tech Tennessee Virginia Tech Penn State Florida
21 LSU TCU Virginia Tech Penn State Iowa LSU
22 Nebraska Nebraska Texas Tech Nebraska Texas Tech Nebraska
23 Utah Oregon Utah Oregon Clemson Utah
24 Purdue Clemson Arizona State Texas Tech Oregon Purdue
25 Oregon Alabama Nebraska Iowa TCU Oregon

Most overrated? Easily Notre Dame and Oklahoma. The Irish defense was slow and average last year and should be pretty much the same this year, and their schedule is absolutely brutal. Heck, they could be pretty darn good and still lose two of their first five games. And as for the Sooners, their main weakness last year was their offensive line and I’m not sure how losing two top draft picks will help that. If they’re going to be a top team they’ll need a healthy Adrian Peterson and a much improved Rhett Bomar, I wouldn’t count on both of those happening.

With several teams with an equal shot of a national title, proven teams with holes to fill like Texas and USC seem to deserve more credit than teams who had lesser seasons and have just as many issues.

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BY: Brian on 07/25/2006

6 Comments

1

jeff said (07/26/2006):

I know we all hate oklahoma, but they do deserve the respect they are getting. They were a young team that played through tough times last year meaning they have experience. They’ve picked up JUCO linemen and adrian peterson is healthy. As for Bomar…yes, he will have to improve–but having a guy that has started 10 games (and winning a bowl game) compared to us having two qb’s that haven’t even taken a snap–well, I think the joke’s on us.

granted the reason we are ranked so high is because of everything but our qb’s

2

Brian said (07/26/2006):

Oh I agree we’ll have our struggles and that we have issues as well. My main point is that OU and Notre Dame have just as many question marks as we do, and while we went 13 and 0 last year they finished with 4 and 3 losses respectively.

3

Jared said (08/01/2006):

What are the Sooner’s struggles besides the O-Line? Please let me know. As much as it hates me to agree with a Texas fan, Jeff nailed on the head with Peterson being healthy and Bomar going to be better, not a superstar, but better than most QBs in the Big 12. So other than the O-Line, what other holes do the Sooners have? Please don’t say the Defense, because they will be dominate, and Defense wins championships.

4

Brian said (08/01/2006):

Um… offensive line is kinda important and is also going to be the reason Peterson could struggle to stay healthy again this year. Bomar will have to improve a lot this year and a porous line with inhibit that.

5

Jared said (08/02/2006):

So that’s it? That is the only reason they’re overrated? I agree that Notre Dame is way overrated, but that’s because they have way to many questions on their D and on their tough schedule. But OU only has O-Line questions (that have yet to be answered…) and you claim to the world that they’re overrated. It’s like looking for a flaw in a Beethoven symphany. Now I’m not sitting here saying they should be #1, they have to earn that, but I am saying that they are a solid top 5 team.

6

Brian said (08/02/2006):

Well Jared, care to change your stance now? Now you’ve lost ANOTHER starting lineman and your starting QB. This kind of character crap is exactly why I had no faith in Bomar.

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