We're a week or two from fall practices opening and about a month from the first games, so it's finally time for the official 2007 CFB season thread.

ESPN's best programs of the decade is as good a place as any to kick it off: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2947988

Some rankings relevant to regular posters off the top of my head:

1 - USC
2 - tOSU
3 - Texas
5 - pOUters
8 - Miami
16 - Boise State (far too high, imo)
17 - Oregon
18 - L'ville
23 - ND
29 - aTm
32 - TTech

Prospects this year for my team: Shakey QB situation is question #1. Starter last year (Dixon) lost his job mid season but has been named the starter this year anyway, although after he was named the starter he was drafted in the 5th round by the Braves and announced that he would spend the summer playing baseball. He'll be back in time for fall camp (which kicks off Aug. 6 I think), but he is missing all the voluntary player run practices taking place. He'll likely still be the #1 guy, but he could be replaced by fellow senior Leaf or hotshot sophmore Nate Costa. The other big questionmark is LB quality and depth, but strength at d-line in the secondary should help with that. The schedule this year is favorable as we have most tough games at home whereas last year all were on the road. The exception is Michigan in the big house, which will be a real tough one to win. I think we'll finish between 5 and 2 in the Pac 10, but if QB play is better than expected we may have a shot at knocking off USC as we get them at Autzen this year.

The finest sport in the land is finally almost here.

I'd agree w/ the Louisville at #18 or so. Personally I would have said around #15, but I'm not splitting hairs.

However, I would definately say Boise State's ranking higher than Louisville is a touch BS, considering the only time they played each other in the past decade, Louisville won. Plus, they both have exactly 1 BCS bowl game appearance and win (both last year). But hey, a couple spots aren't worth arguing over.

Then again, 10 years ago, Louisville went 1-10 under Ron Cooper, so obviously that has to play into their rankings, even if John L. did go 7-5 the very next year.

If Boise won the Fiesta bowl 2 years ago instead of last year I think they've have landed in the 22-25 range, but right now they're a media darling. I respect what they've done given their situation, but their only good win is over a pretty poor OU team. Their game against Louisville in the Liberty Bowl was exciting and relatively close, but it was pretty clear that the Broncos were heavily outmatched in that one. I think they're something like 3-14 against BCS teams all time, and they've never beaten a BCS team on the road.

I think they'll lose at least a couple of games this year, even with their cupcake schedule.

Is it too early to complain about the BCS system?

I love how biased the media. Why must they instist on always having A&M ahead of Tech every year? We've owned them for well over a decade now. I guess it's because A&M has all that history... you know, waaay before we were all born. :rolleyes:

No, as long as it's not too late for me to complain about those University of Oregon refs robbing Oklahoma.

ETA: Uh oh, should have read this thread from the beginning before posting...

Pac 10 refs, and we don't need to get back into all that again. Besides, robbing Oregon of the 2005 Holiday Bowl victory is way worse than one bad call.

This isn't a 2007 ranking, this is the best programs of the last decade ranking. I'm not really sure why they're higher in the decade ranking. They've won less games and are 1-5 in bowls in that time. Then again I guess they did win the conference once to Tech's none. Rankings of 29 and 32 is pretty much a tie, anyway.

Oh, I see. But yeah, I guess it's still weird to have them ranked higher because one year shouldn't outweigh the other 9 years. However, even stuff like this is just like the BCS and figure skating... it's all based on someone's opinion. :rolleyes:

Yeah, I don't get how FSU is ranked higher than Miami (granted, it's one spot, but I hate conceding anything to them). The Canes have beaten them 7 times in the last decade, we're even in national titles (though they should have played OU in 2000-01, since they beat FSU again). I think FSU has 3 more conference titles, but the Canes had one of the top 5 all time teams in 2001. Plus the 34 game winning streak, and a better bowl record.

Meh.

I like how some are saying the USC team may be the best college football team ever.

PUH-LEASE! Trying to claim that even before practices begin?

Yeah, the media always has a boner over USC and my other favorite team, Notre Dame.

I can't believe it's almost August. Bring on football season!

I haven't noticed much in the way of domer-boners this summer, actually. I think people are realizing that they really aren't that good. In all honesty I think this year's squad would struggle to finish in the top half of the SEC, Pac 10, Big 10, or Big 12. Unfortunately, front butt seems to be moving them in an upward direction - their '08 recruiting class is looking damn good so far. I hadn't paid a lot of attention but they pulled a stud 5-star DE prospect out of Portland and I checked their commit list. This is a scary-ass list for us haters out there.

Unlike the domers, USC deserves to be considered a top team this year (but any "best ever" talk is bullshit at this point.)

Kinda like USC 2005..

It's funny, all of the UM fans I know had a special feeling about the 2001 team (yeah, I know, I keep rattling off about them, but that's about the only great thing this decade, which this thread's about), even before the season started. Granted, the Canes didn't choke in the final game the season before ala USC, so USC wasn't "robbed" of being in title game.

That being said, they do have a good chance to run the table this year. But watch out for LSU, they could be scary good too. I'm not sold on Tebow down at Florida yet. Granted, the SEC is the top conference in the game, but I think LSU can run the table there.

USC had to face a hell of a lot tougher opponent than Miami did, though. Nebraska was at best the 4th best team in the country that year. But I really don't want to get into this - still a sore subject for me...

On LSU, I agree that they stand a great chance of running the table. They only have to play two good SEC teams and a couple of other decent teams. Otherwise it's the conference scrubs and a typical SEC OOC schedule. SEC schedules are usually vastly overrated, imo.

Go Hokies!!



that is all.

Go Gamecocks!!!

Don't look now, but we're finally in August! First games are August 30th!!



Go Tech!

I guess it's officially time to bust the logos out:

Classic:

Pre-Season Coaches Poll:

1. Southern California (11-2) 1,481 (45)
2. LSU (11-2) 1,372 (4)
3. Florida (13-1) 1,278 (9)
4. Texas (10-3) 1,231
5. Michigan (11-2) 1,218 (2)
6. West Virginia (11-2) 1,205
7. Wisconsin (12-1) 1,114
8. Oklahoma (11-3) 1,026
9. Virginia Tech (10-3) 1,005
10. Ohio State (12-1) 919
11. Louisville (12-1) 836
12. California (10-3) 763
13. Georgia (9-4) 604
14. Auburn (11-2) 595
15. Tennessee (9-4) 583
16. Rutgers (11-2) 466
17. UCLA (7-6) 454
18. Penn State (9-4) 440
19. Nebraska (9-5) 388
20. Arkansas (10-4) 360
21. Florida State (7-6) 301
22. TCU (11-2) 233
23. Boise State (13-0) 222
24. Hawaii (11-3) 214
25. Texas A&M (9-4) 209

Others receiving votes: Boston College (10-3) 150, Georgia Tech (9-5) 150, Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 91, Notre Dame (10-3) 90, South Carolina (8-5) 90, Wake Forest (11-3) 71, Missouri (8-5) 58, Oregon State (10-4) 52, Brigham Young (11-2) 47, Clemson (8-5) 30, Oregon (7-6) 30, South Florida (9-4) 26, Texas Tech (8-5) 20, Alabama (6-7) 16, Oklahoma State (7-6) 15, Southern Mississippi (9-5) 14, Iowa (6-7) 12, Kansas State (7-6) 8, Memphis (2-10) 5, Houston (10-4) 4, Arizona (6-6) 1, Duke (0-12) 1, Kentucky (8-5) 1, Washington State (6-6) 1.

Ahh.

More constant love for Michigan and Ohio State. At least the Domers are getting pre-season ranked where they ought to be...

I'm not a SEC fan, but for cripes sake, Florida (who honestly wasn't a great team for most of the season) made Ohio State look fairly mediocre last year.

Oh well. I'm just happy the Cards are within striking distance; I've always thought the teams in the 8-12 range at the beginning of the year have the better chances to get promoted quickly. Get a few of the top 5 to have early season losses, and they get leapfrogged for good (unless you're a Domer, or a USC hussie...)

Another worthless preseason poll. :rolleyes: More love for A&M and TCwho. I'm fine with Tech being ranked where they are... I just hate the media bias for teams that are going to obviously be worse than them. Like Oklahoma State is even going to be better than A&M and maybe even Tech, but they only received 15 votes. Oh well, I guess that's why they play the games.

GO HAWKS!!!

Interesting...I just read that Oregon is working on moving their 2009 opener against Boise State to China. It would be the first American College Football Game ever played in the country (Oregon played USC in Tokyo back in '85 or so).

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2007/08/uo_working_on_a_2009_football.html

That's a long-ass road trip.

Game week.

Let's get it on.

Go Vandals. Knock those overrated Trojans off in week 1 to stop this "best team ever" talk. That's likely to happen.

Watch out for SMU, Nismo. They beat, like, Tulsa and stuff last year.

Should be interesting since it's a Monday night game on the road. We typically lose a game every year that we shouldn't, but I don't think this will be the one. I really can't believe football season is already here. It's just what the doctor ordered since the 'Stros are out of it.