Rank	Team	Delta
1	Georgia	--
2	Ohio State	--
3	Missouri	--
4	Southern Cal	--
5	Florida	--
6	Oklahoma	--
7	LSU	1
8	Texas Tech	1
9	West Virginia	1
10	Texas	1
11	Wisconsin	1
12	Alabama	14
13	California	--
14	South Florida	1
15	Auburn	1
16	Brigham Young	1
17	Kansas	1
18	Wake Forest	1
19	Penn State	1
20	Illinois	1
21	Clemson	14
22	Tennessee	--
23	Boston College	--
24	Oklahoma State	1
25	Oregon	1

Obviously this version is based on the condition that Tennessee beats UCLA later tonight.

I'm not moving the top teams around, despite Ohio State's potential loss of Chris Wells, and despite how good USC looked taking care of Virginia.

I'm not that bothered by all the points given up by Missouri. Perhaps I should be, and USC should move above them.

Texas Tech gave up 17 points in the 2nd quarter to Eastern Washington, something they shouldn't be doing either, but should they drop on that basis?

Maybe Cal should drop a little bit, but they get rewarded for playing a team from a BCS conference, rather than some play-for-pay school.

Should Clemson drop out completely?

Pitt. Ha! I didn't buy into that Dave Wannstache stuff!

And Virginia Tech looked poor at best, so they drop out. Still, someone is going to in the ACC, right?

I am not ranking Nebraska (again) for two reasons:

Whom would they replace?

I'm trying not to appear a homer.

Based upon what I saw Saturday against Western Michigan, the Husker are probably a better team than Oregon. Take heart, there's still a lot of college football to be played. It doesn't matter where you start, but where you end for the Husker faithful, right? 

Feedback, welcome!

Part of the blogpoll is participation in roundtable discussions. The first one this season is hosted by "Hey Jenny Slater".

1. In his "visiting lecturers" series posted on Every Day Should Be Saturday over the past few months, Orson Swindle asked each participant to explain which country, during which historical period, their team most resembles. Let's bring everything up to the present day and ponder: Which current sovereign nation is your team? Or to look at it another way, how does your team fit into the "world" of college football?

Before I start, I’d like to point out that my ‘Visiting Lecturer’ Write Up about Nebraska was posted this past week - thanks to Orson for the opportunity and thanks to all those wonderful replies the post received.

On with it, then.

No one knows! We can talk about past glory all we want but at this point in time we have no identity. Bo Pelini and the new coaching staff have made all the right moves so far, saying everything Nebraskans want to hear. It sounds great, it sounds like the future is bright but all this babble means nothing. Everyone knows that, so other than injuries or personal interest stories such as Nate Swift overcoming childhood paralysis, there really isn’t much real football to discuss until next week (which is why we’re doing roundtables and all that).

We are seeking an identity, and we are not sure where we fit. I’ll spare everyone the Russian reference because I don’t think it’s appropriate. Maybe instead we should consider ourselves Texas. The state, not the school. They’re a sovereign nation in their own minds, just ask anyone outside Austin.

Maybe we’re Iraq - everything we knew was blown to hell and we’re trying to pick up the pieces and figure out what’s going to happen next.

2. Every preseason roundup has to have some discussion of who's overrated, but let's go beyond that. Which team do you think is poised to crap the bed in the biggest way this season relative to high expectations, and which game do you think will begin their slide into ignominy?

Missouri isn’t overrated, but they are poised to crap the bed dependent upon the outcome of the game in Lincoln. Let me explain where I stand on Missouri.….

I have a lot of respect for Missouri. Chase Daniel is excellent, Jeremy Maclin is as explosive as they come, their offense is exceptional and their defense is good enough. They have the potential to go a long way this season, perhaps all the way to the BCS championship. Having said all that...

The Nebraska - Missouri game is a huge game. The Tigers haven’t won in Lincoln in 30 years, and while they have a better team coming into this season, the Huskers aren’t going to lay down and surrender, especially in this game. If Mizzou wins, they’re on to their way to a great season, having overcome a very large hurdle. If Nebraska wins, well, the self-doubt that has plagued Missouri for years will come back into play as the Legend of Chase Daniel takes a big huge crap on itself and the “Pinkel Factor” appears in articles all over the nation.

For Missouri fans who may be reading this, I ranked your team higher than your own bloggers in the initial blogpoll, so if you think I’m disrespecting you, you can go piss up a rope. If you think you’ll just blow into town and win, you’re either a liar or a fool who has no concept of history.

3. On the flip side of that coin, which team do you think is going to burst out of nowhere to become 2008's biggest overachiever -- this year's version of Kansas '07, as it were -- and what's going to be the big upset that makes us all finally sit up and take notice of them?

Does anyone really burst out of nowhere with all of the coverage and resources available to college football fans? I don’t think so.

How ‘bout Wisconsin with a win over Ohio State? Perhaps they can save college football from having to watch another Buckeye thrashing in the national title game!

4. Here's an "I'll hang up and listen" question. I put Ohio State and Oklahoma #1 and #2, respectively, despite their recent high-profile BCS face-plants. Where did you rank those two teams, and did those BCS issues have anything to do with it?

I put Ohio State at #2 because they’re still a darned good team playing in a conference where they currently don’t have an equal. Even if they lose to USC early, they still have time to climb back up in the polls (unless the blogpoll voters refuse to vote them up), and they likely will.

Oklahoma is at #6 because I don’t expect Sam Bradford to repeat an excellent rookie season. It has absolutely nothing to do with the BCS embarrassments.

A lot is made of the BCS problems of these teams, probably too much. At least they got there, which is more than we can say about just about everyone else.

5. Last season was a statistical outlier in countless ways, not the least of which was the fact that we ended up with a two-loss team as national champion. Do you think anyone plays a strong enough schedule to get MNC consideration as a two-loss team this year? Conversely, do you see anybody managing to sail into the national-championship game undefeated?

Strong enough schedule. Hmmmm.…. that used to mean something when the BCS took it into account. Now it means nothing and what it’s gotten us is mostly crap for non-conference games. No one will get that consideration this season because there will be enough undefeated and one-loss teams who will be vying for the top two spots.

I could see USC getting past Ohio State, then cruising through the Pac-10 undefeated. Both teams rule their conferences without equal and they don’t have to worry about a conference championship game, so the winner of that game has the clearest path to the title game.

The first blogpoll of 2008 has been released. Votes by blogger, and votes by team are available. 

The top five teams are as below:

• 1 Georgia (24)  
• 2 Ohio State (17)  
• 3 Southern Cal (15)   
• 4 Oklahoma (6)   
• 5 Florida (14)
  

Note how few first place votes Oklahoma received. Apparently people have more respect for Ohio State getting destroyed in two straight title games than they do in Oklahoma's BCS implosions. We'll examine this further in the first blogpoll roundtable.

Not near as much whackiness as it has had in the past - perhaps we're all taking this a bit too seriously and where's the fun in that? That's what the regular media is for.

It's not that I think we should turn it into a joke, but the moment at which we mimic what's already going on is the moment at which there's no point anymore. Still, it's the preseason where one team is as good as last year's performance and the future is unclear. 

I should have ranked Nebraska. And Notre Dame because I believe both teams will ultimately end up there.

But there it is - at mgoblog - the first poll. Eat eat eat eat eat!

Back from Scout Camp, which really means I haven't slept on two days, but here is my first official blogpoll. It also means that I hadn't seen anything of Michael Phelps in his last two races, so tonight is like a Phelps overdose.... which could be something akin to seeing Bo Pelini talk about Nebraska football before the seasons starts.

I'll leave you to determine what that really means. Anyway:

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Georgia	25
2	Ohio State	24
3	Missouri	23
4	Southern Cal	22
5	Florida	21
6	Oklahoma	20
7	Clemson	19
8	LSU	18
9	Texas Tech	17
10	West Virginia	16
11	Texas	15
12	Wisconsin	14
13	California	13
14	Virginia Tech	12
15	South Florida	11
16	Auburn	10
17	Brigham Young	9
18	Kansas	8
19	Wake Forest	7
20	Penn State	6
21	Illinois	5
22	Tennessee	4
23	Boston College	3
24	Oregon	2
25	Oklahoma State	1

Based upon your feedback, here's an updated initial blogpoll for the first 2008 preseason college football ranking.

1. Georgia
I don't think they'll end up here, but that's where they're going to be to start the season.

2. Ohio State
Egad.

3. Missouri
As deserving of this position as anyone else.

4. USC
I don't really have anything against USC, but I'm looking forward to the day they fall down a little bit.

5. Florida
Same with Urban Meyer.

6. Oklahoma
Mizzou and these guys are entirely swappable.

7. Clemson
I really don't expect them to stay here throughout the season. Maybe they'll surprise.

8. LSU
Dropping off this season.

9. Texas Tech
Consistency is key.

10. West Virginia
Last year this high?

11. Wisconsin
Enjoy your beer!

12. California.
Hippies win out over Dennis Erickson's soul. Must not have been worth that much.

13. Virginia Tech
Beamer Ball!

14. South Florida
Can they win in the cold?

15. BYU
Meh. Probably too high still.

16. Kansas
Could be a very good team.

17. Wake Forest
Jim Grobe. ACC.

18. Penn State
Should finish higher, but I'll reserve that for later.

19. Illinois
I don't expect Illinois to be that good this year, but they did get a lot of experience last season.

20. Tennessee
I'm thinking Auburn drops off quite a bit.

21. Boston College

22. Oregon

23. Oklahoma State

24. Arizona State

25. Alabama
Time for his contract with the devil to start kicking in.

The season is nearly upon us, and it’s time to fill out the first Blogpoll of the season. I would appreciate feedback on this one - that’s one of the stated goals of the blogpoll - because there are clearly some spots where I’m struggling.

This is (mostly) a power poll, i.e., if Mizzou plays Oklahoma in a vacuum, who do you think will win? It's probably also obvious that I pay more attention to coaching than star player A. I've tried to read and follow Brian's philosophy regarding the Blogpoll, although I find it interesting that those who do whacky stuff get more attention than those that don't.

I am not ranking Nebraska. I’m as exited about Bo Pelini as the next guy, but the team has yet to step on the field. If they want to be ranked, they’re going to have to earn it. Win your games and things will take care of themselves.

Yeah, I know I didn't get to 25, but some of those multiple choice teams will fill in the rest.

1. Georgia
I actually don’t like Georgia much, and I’ve been trying to figure out why. Maybe it’s because my exposure to the state is that damned big airport in Atlanta. Georgia has a ton of talent back, but the key question is who would win a Georgia-Florida match up? I guess you know how I’m betting on.

2. Ohio State
Someone gets to win the Big 10 and there aren’t any other worthy challengers. You know they’ll finish high unless Wisconsin knocks them off at home, and they’ll probably play in the national title again even if they lose to USC early in the season. Hey, Beanie Wells is fun to watch, isn’t he? He’ll probably win the Heisman.

3. Missouri
A Big 12 team belongs here. Most will have Oklahoma, but I’m picking Mizzou. The Nebraska game is huge for them, for both teams really, as winning in Lincoln for the first time in 30 years is a huge mental barrier to overcome. Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, and a solid defense all add up to a great year for Mizzou.

Note this: That two Mizzou bloggers, Mizzourah and Rock M Nation rank themselves below Oklahoma shows either their insecurity about their team or their inherent bias against their own homerism. I vote the former. What say ye?

4. USC
Great athletes, great coach, great looking cheerleaders - these guys have everything. Yet there’s something about them... maybe it’s last year’s inconsistency - that’s haunting me. You can talk about talent all day long, but if it doesn’t produce, it’s worthless. Still, another team that spent last year getting a lot of good players experience, USC is most likely a team to play for the 2008 national title.

5. Florida
Tim Tebow, best athlete in any sport any where in history, just ask Urban Meyer. Like USC, they spent last season getting good players a lot of experience, but this season they have to prove they can play consistent defense. I’m betting no, not consistent enough to win a title.

6. Oklahoma
Oklahoma is here for one reason and that is Sam Bradford. Sophomoritis sets in, costing Oklahoma the Big 12 title game. They have tons of experience, great offense, great defense, but again, I’m counting on Bradford falling down a bit, see Colt McCoy: Sophomore season.

7. Clemson
Everything about Clemson says they’re a team ready for greatness. Great backfield with quarterback Cullen Harper and running backs Davis and Spiller. Big deal. Everything about recent history says they’ll lose games they shouldn’t somewhere along the line.

8. LSU
If I were a true traditionalist, I’d vote them #1 because I believe that you’re the #1 team until someone beats you. Unfortunately with today’s pre-season scheduling it could be a month and I’m not going to reward them in that manner (and don’t give me crap about them playing Appalachian State in the first game). Gone are Dorsey and their quarterbacks. That’s enough to drop them this far.

9. Texas Tech
I really really want to pick Tech to win the Big 12 South, but Oklahoma is stacked. (I’m hedging my bets here, aren’t I?) 18 returning starters, Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, best defense in years, but again, another team that has to learn how to be consistent and get over the hump to greatness.

10. West Virginia
Pat White, Noel Devine, and a great offensive line, which means tons of scoring again this season. They’d better enjoy it because after this season I don’t see them matching the success that Rich Rod had.

11. Wisconsin
Someone is going to finish second in the Big 10 and that someone will be Wisconsin. I like how Wisconsin plays football, gritty defense and your traditional banging offense. Bret Bielema is the best coach people don’t talk about, they have a very good offensive line, and they have a number of quality backs.

12. PAC 10 - 2 - Arizona State, Oregon or California.
Someone is going to finish second to USC in the Pac 10, and it’ll be one of these three teams. I can’t decide between them.
Arizona State won a lot of games last season, although against questionable quality, and Dennis Erickson has sold his soul to the devil.
Oregon and California, well, Oregon seems to fall apart when things don’t go their way. California has too many hippies. Yes, if not integrating blacks in 1966 made the nation go against the Bear, I can base my vote against hippies in trees.

13. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is the same team every year and that’s because of Frank Beamer's coaching. So what if half the team is hurt or suspended, the style of football they play keeps them in nearly every game.

14. South Florida
Better than Florida State and Miami again this year? Is this too high a ranking for the Bulls?

15. BYU
They win the Mountain West beating everyone else. Whooeee! Probably a little too high here.

16. Wake Forest
Jim Grobe. ACC.

17. Penn State
Anthony Morelli is gone and I should move them higher based on that alone. However, can they beat Ohio State? No. Can they beat Wisconsin? I don’t think so, so here they are.

18. Illinois
Why aren’t they higher? Ron Zook. Guy can recruit, but they really should have someone else doing game day coaching.

19. Auburn - Tennessee
Auburn has a lot of guys back, but the guy they don’t have back is their defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp, who went to Texas this season. Auburn’s defense kept them in every game as their offense is, ah, mediocre at best.
Should Tennessee take their place?

20. Notre Dame
I kind of hate to rank them because Charlie Weis is an arrogant buffoon, but they won’t go 3-9 again. It’d be okay with me, but it isn’t going to happen. They spent a year getting a lot of experience, but more important, hearing about how badly they sucked. Of course, if they don't do well, then they'll drop out of the poll. Hee Haw!

21. Kansas - Oklahoma State
What to say about Kansas? They have a decent amount of talent returning, but if you thought Mizzou was one of those teams who can’t get over the top, you haven’t paid much attention to Kansas football over the years. They tend to appear every once in a while, then fade away just as quickly as they came. Want to prove me wrong? Win ten games this season.
Or does Oklahoma State belong here?

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Kansas	2
2	LSU	2
3	West Virginia	2
4	Missouri	2
5	Georgia	2
6	Virginia Tech	2
7	Arizona State	5
8	Oklahoma	7
9	Texas	--
10	Oregon	8
11	Hawaii	4
12	Boise State	1
13	Florida	--
14	Virginia	--
15	Ohio State	1
16	Tennessee	1
17	Clemson	7
18	Connecticut	1
19	Boston College	3
20	Southern Cal	1
21	Wisconsin	2
22	Cincinnati	4
23	Auburn	2
24	Illinois	2
25	Brigham Young	1

Is this parity? Is that what this is? I'm pretty sure I don't like it. Look at this mess. Why is Georgia #5? I don't think they deserve it, but they've worked their way up and into that position.

I feel like I should have dropped Oklahoma further, but I still think they're a better team than Texas. I'd take them against Oregon and everyone else below them and that's why I kept them higher than I'd like.

There's still plenty to prove - obviously everyone will be watching the Kansas - Missouri game. The winner of that will face Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game and there's no reason to believe why the Big 12 North won't prevail. People tend to base their beliefs on the previous year's experience and that idea went out the window in the first couple weeks of this season.

Ohio State doesn't get much credit this week for beating Michigan because the Big 10 sucks this year. A whole lot of unimpressive teams.

Southern Cal doesn't get a lot of respect because they're a team full of highly rated athletes that really isn't very good. Oregon without Dixon? Thanks for leaving Arizona State on top there guys, really appreciate what you've done for that hired gun Dennis Erickson.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma	1
2	Oregon	1
3	Kansas	1
4	LSU	1
5	West Virginia	1
6	Missouri	1
7	Georgia	1
8	Virginia Tech	5
9	Texas	3
10	Clemson	4
11	Boise State	8
12	Arizona State	1
13	Florida	5
14	Virginia	7
15	Hawaii	1
16	Ohio State	15
17	Tennessee	7
18	Cincinnati	8
19	Connecticut	9
20	Penn State	3
21	Southern Cal	1
22	Boston College	7
23	Wisconsin	3
24	Michigan	15
25	Auburn	8

Why drop Illinois? Because the Big 10 sucks, that's why and they don't deserve to move up just because they beat a #1 fake team. Ohio State gets hammered for the same reason. I don't see why we should reward a conference that is on the verge of becoming what we thought the Big East would be.

Any other arguments?

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	--
2	Oklahoma	1
3	Oregon	3
4	Kansas	1
5	LSU	2
6	West Virginia	2
7	Missouri	2
8	Georgia	2
9	Michigan	3
10	Connecticut	4
11	Arizona State	7
12	Texas	1
13	Virginia Tech	2
14	Clemson	3
15	Boston College	13
16	Hawaii	--
17	Auburn	1
18	Florida	1
19	Boise State	3
20	Alabama	9
21	Virginia	5
22	Southern Cal	2
23	Penn State	3
24	Tennessee	2
25	Illinois	1

No doubt most have LSU ranked higher than I do, but I do have a reason. Imagine that crazy uncle you have who likes handguns. He throws a can in the air, shoots a hole through it and while he's screaming some rebel yell his next shot takes off your big toe. That's LSU. Whoooeeee, bang!   Some day when they start playing with consistency I'll rank them higher.

Oregon and Oklahoma are nearly identical in the teams they've played and beat. They both have a ways to go yet. Kansas is ahead of LSU because they're a better team. Do they have better all-around athletes? No. If everyone played their best on every day, would LSU beat Kansas? Yes. Has Kansas played more consistent football. YES! That's why they're ranked above LSU.

Notice - I haven't ranked the SEC very well, have I? That's because as the year goes on, I'm not convinced they're the great conference everyone makes them out to be. Defenses are giving up points left and right, the offenses are wacky and inconsistent, the whole conference is, well, as messed up and dysfunctional as everyone else. Auburn? meh. Tennessee? meh. Alabama? meh.  I don't see any reason for excitement.

Missouri hasn't yet suffered from the Pinkel factor. They'll have a great big showdown with Kansas in the not so distant future. Only one will stand. Whooeee!

UConn keeps winning. Good for them. Keep thinking they'll lose and wait for basketball season and they go and win again. Can someone do something about this?

Given what I've said about LSU, Texas really doesn't deserve to be 12th, do they?