bigoldalphamale

with only 3 preseason top 25 teams? does the departure of grossman REALLY take florida out of the top 25? what about SC, Bama, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State? great teams that can contend with any of the teams currently ranked in the top 25. aside from LSU getting trouned by va tech last year, the SEC crushes its out of conference opponents regularly. there isnt a tougher, grittier conference in division 1-a ball...and low, the self proclaimed experts can only find three teams in the SEC that are worth a top 25 ranking? for anyone who cares...here is my adjusted top 25 preseason rankings:

1) Miami
2) USC (even though i hate the pac 10)
3) Auburn
4) Sooners
5) Texas
6) Georgia
7) UCLA
8) UVA
9) Illinois
10) Ohio State
11) Florida State
12) Pitt
13) Tennessee
14) Marshall
15) Va Tech
16) South Carolina
17) Ole Miss
18) TCU
19) Texas A&M
20) Notre Dame
21) Michigan
22) Purdue
23) Mississipi State
24) Florida
25) Iowa

there it is...it looks alot better with 7 SEC teams in there. at least much more realistic.

-go Vols!!!!

CamaroRS1967

Amen. The SEC is truly the conference that is unstoppable. Us southern boys know our pigskin!

dawg1998

You forgot to rank Vanderbilt at #9.

The_Dude

u're missin out on the big 12 power houses.

OKLAHOMA!!! how can u NOT rank OU??

and waht about KANSAS STATE?? they finished top 10 in both bcs and the 2 papers!

Colorado deserves a 20 something rank.

nebraska is going to climb into the top 15 during the season.

texas aTm doesnt deserve to be ranked, they lost like 7 sr's in the draft and mcneal is not gonna get things done w/o a good offensive line.

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BigGov

Big 12 is the number one conference in college football year in and year out.

And Dude, he ranked OU at 4.

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gov135

What has Tennessee, Florida, or South Carolina done lately to convince us they belong in the top twenty-five? Besides collapse down the stretch?

I think the SEC is a nice league. But c'mon, you gotta first play well in your own league to be considered a top national team. None of these teams have done that.

The_Dude

didnt catch that.

he listed all colleges by name and OU by their mascot, kinda threw me off

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clockworkgreen

UVA and Marshall above VT?

You've dropped something, I'm pretty sure it's your brain falling out of your ass....

fearofmear

I am an SEC guy myself but 3-9 (last year) Mississippi State at 23. What a crock of sh**. And as much as I hate them, Ohio State belongs in the top 5.

tikki

Even though Purdue was 6-6 last year, five of those six losses were so close (especially the OSU game). This year with Orton and that other QB being older and wiser, they are gonna climb the rankings

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BulletBob

Football. The only sport that doesn't matter to a Kentucky Wildcat fan. Although we were a bit wild back when Timmy Couch played for us.

warrrreagl

This SEC fan agrees that neither Mississippi State nor Ole Miss deserve to be anywhere near the Top 25.

Interestingly, your #2 and #3 teams open the season against each other on August 30.

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bigoldalphamale

eli manning WILL bring ole miss a one loss season this year. they should be ranked on his talent alone.

miss state's defense will be better this year than it has been in the past 3 years...when the school was ranked purely on the strength of its defense.

both of these squads had lackluster seasons last year, but if you watched any of thier games...you cannot deny them as contenders.

gov135

Oh, lordy.

Nothing is gonna light this sports board up like college football season.
Should be fun.

warrrreagl

I was personally in attendance at two of Ole Miss' games and four of Mississippi State's games for each of the past three years, and I stand by my original statement.

MSU is just plain God-awful, and Ole Miss can't stop a high school team from scoring. Even if you mutated a team consisting of Ole Miss' offense and Mississippi State's defense, they STILL wouldn't crack the Top 25.

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bigoldalphamale

take a gander at espn's preseason top 25. that douche has the oklahoma state cowboys in the mix...RIGHT!!!! the dregs of the SEC (not counting vandy of course) could wipe the floor with some of the teams this guy has in there. it just amazes me how these moron analysts can take a team that has sucked for thousands of years and give them a preseason ranking based on one or two recruits or a lucky winning season the prior year. teams in the mac or in conference usa have no business being ranked in the top 25. THEY DONT PLAY ANYBODY!!! that is my point about the SEC. every team in the SEC is good, if not excellent. and they spend most of the season beating the piss out of eachother and thier own records. put va-tech in the sec...they're winning percentage drops considerably. put any team in the SEC and they will win far fewer games. that is my point.

GunslingerCold

I have to agree with you about the SEC, but still, Illinois all the way.

stilted

i would have to say the big 12 is boss.

Glory's Sun

All I have to say is that while the SEC is a good conference it isn't the best. The big 12 has that title..and yeah I hate the big 12 too. SEC fans are so overly biased it's funny. The SEC does have good teams and yes they do beat up on each other but the acc could say the same thing and so can the big 12 so really what is the best conference? But then again what do I know.. I'm an ACC fan and we just suck..oh wait that's right we have miami now ok I'm going to digress a little bit here..

I am a Florida State fan, so having miami in the conference makes for a good series/rivalry. But knowing that Miami will beat us probably makes it worse. So hopefully Florida State will quit messing around and our stupid ass O.C. will figure out that Florida State offense is passing not running. /end rant

crow_daw

The SEC is definitely the best conference, bar none. And Tennessee honestly is due this year. They've consistently gotten some of the best freshman classes over the years. They'll be up there, as long as Clausen removes his head from his ass and throws the damn football.

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The_Dude

dont hate on OSU. i went to their bowl game and they have their star qb and star wr receiver coming back. they could do some real damage.

__________________
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The_Dude

http://espn.go.com/ncf/columns/maisel_ivan/1559503.html

according to the espn poll, big 12 has 3 teams in the top 10.

ou, ut, ksu.

remember, miami will be part of big east for the next season. they only join acc in 04.

big 12 will always have the best football program cuz of the recruits that come in. texas (the state) has an excellent pool of good players that usually go to the in state collages.

__________________
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emopwr

SEC best conference for football? Florida's program is in shambles, it really wouldnt suprise me if they were sub .500 this year. I really fail to see how anyone would think the SEC is the best conference. Im a seminole fan and i understand allegiance to your conference/team, but ill be the first one to admit the acc as a conference is terrible (save maybe chris rix actually learning how to be a fucking qb and leading the noles to a championship)

The_Jazz

OK - I'm a Vol fan, but I have to agree that for the last few years, the Big 12 has been a better football conference. That said, historically the SEC stands head and shoulders above everyone else. At least no one from the Mathmatically Challenged Confernece (Big 10/11) didn't try to pipe in that "Michigan is the greatest ever" or some other weak claim.

There is no way that Florida can go sub .500, though. They'll lose some games, but are you telling me that they won't beat Kentucky, Ole Miss, FL A&M, Vandy, San Jose State and 1 other team? Let's remember that Florida had more people than Spurrier and Grossman.

I love Eli Manning, but the only way that Ole Miss will manage a 1 loss season is if they only play 2 games, both of them against Vandy. They have no pass rush, and I'm pretty sure they have some starting DB's that are missing both arms and a couple with only 1 leg.

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sportsrule101

sec tops ha. Their passing game wouldn't last to long in the big 10 or 12. Flordia, tenn, ole mis msu, all would have .500 records in either of those conferences. plus how is osu not in the top 5, and iowa won't be that good. but psu will finish in the top 25

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The_Jazz

Are you seriously trying to say that the Big 10 is better than the SEC? The Big 10 is the most overrated conference there is! Yes, going head to head over the past few years, the Big 12 is a better conference, but in the early to mid-90's the SEC with FL, AL and TN along with maybe GA and LSU would have smoke the enitre Big 12, outside of Nebraska. As far as FL and TN having .500 records in the Big 12 or Big 10, let's remember that both of them have won NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in the last 7 years. I don't know what you're smoking, but I hope that you're making good money off of the sales.

BigGov

I don't get what alot of you are saying for the SEC because basically it's like "We got the greatest, if you put them in a conference like the Big 12, they'd do great!" Yea, they'd be ranked (at least) 4th after OU, UT, and KSU.

Also, last time I looked, players only get at most 5 years of eligibility in college, so saying Florida and Tennesse have won titles in the past 7 years is mute, especially considering Florida lost Spurrier and Manning graduated. Sub .500? Extremely possible. In the Big 12? Guarenteed.

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VirFighter

I've got a couple of big bones to pick with your top 25, you left out some quality ACC schools .

Sure you've FSU and UVA, but what about NC State... or did you miss the Gator Bowl? Not only did the Wolfpack put a big hurtin' on ND, but senior QB Philip Rivers is back and is most likely a preseason top five for the Heisman.

Also, what about Maryland? They took to it Tennesee (one of your top 15 SEC teams) in the Peach Bowl last year, to the tune of 30-3. The Fridge beat them like a drum!

I'm glad you've got UVA in there... but number 8? They might be there towards the end of the year, but definitely not preseason though.

I'm not saying the ACC is the greatest thing since sliced bread (although in a couple years we will be ), but I'm just poiting out the obvious bias in your poll. Although NC State is an obvious top 15 (probably top 10) and Maryland is a top 20 team and you left them both out to include teams like Miss State?

Oh and with regards to the SEC being the toughest and gritiest conference.... add on sleaziest and you'd probably be half right

Go Jackets! (We get to beat up on Auburn, one of you top SEC teams, first part of the season)

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Jesus Malverde

I think the Pac-10 is making a come back this year...I see Arizona State winning that conference over UCLA in the Rose Bowl. They only lost Terrell Suggs. I can't believe I'm the first person to mention this conference, they're not THAT bad.

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crow_daw

You're right man, the Pac-10 is pretty good, and I renounce my former statement. RIGHT NOW, the Big 12 is a stronger conference, I apologize. But I still feel that Tennessee will silence the naysayers this year.


Oh yeah, and the Big Ten can't hold a freakin' candle to the SEC.

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bigoldalphamale

ok...where to begin. the acc is a good conference. i will have no respect for it when va-tech and miami join it. but up until 2004, i like the acc. as for nc state...probably should have been in my top 25, around...24 or 25. they can win huge games and hang with any team in the nation...but they are grossly inconsistent. maryland? yeah, they beat my vols down in last years bowl game...but even the sun shines on a dog's ass every now and then. without EJ Henderson...they are pretty much washed up on the D side of the ball. and even two years ago when they cracked the top 10, they werent blowing anyone out with thier offense. they are not a top 25 team. if you were to tell me clemson or ga-tech should top 25, i would agree, but not the terps.

as for the big 10. it has already been said. overrated.

to peg the SEC as the most fraudulent conference is horseshit. nobody can make that arguement after all the shit that has gone on in the pac 10 over the past few years. stanford and USC are the only "clean" schools in that entire conference (for football anyway).

anyway...just another little thing to look at when considering the best conference: check out how many NFL starters played for SEC teams. when i counted last year...the SEC had far and away more alums starting in the NFL than any other conference in the NCAA.

and who offerred up k-state as a team that could wax Tenn or Fla? are you kidding? k-state plays the softest teams in college football. i think they may even play some division 2 teams!

i'm out

The_Dude

agree, but that doesnt mean they suck ( i think this years schedule includes manhattan state or some sorry ass shit like that).

but....they also play a lot of good big 12 programs (and ksu is one of the teams that beat USC last year).

have you seen the way they blow out teams?

they blew out kansas what 64-0? missouri 50 something-0?

they got their qb ell roberson comin back and he can do some real damage.

__________________
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pagliachi2003

As always, the Pac-10 is underrated.

Top 25 should include (in no particular order)

Oregon State
Washington
Arizona State

USC is way overranked, they may be right around 25.

VirFighter

Clemson or Tech over Maryland? I'm Tech Student and a big fan but come on lets be realistic. GT is rebuilding. No one knows yet if Gailey will turn out to be a good coach for tech and it will be interested to see what he can do this year with an argueably less talented team. And Clemson? They were an average ACC team last year and they will be subpar ACC team this year. Bowden is in trouble and will most likely lose his job without signficant improvement over the next year or two. Clemson and GT are certainly capable of being top 25 teams... but they've got a lot to prove before they can do it.

Maryland on the other hand has risen up from nowhere under a great coach who was able to take a team of nobodies to an ACC championship on year and an excellent season the next. Sure they lose Henderson but the Fridge is also an excellent recruiter, he's is turning Maryland into a consisent top 20 team.


I wasn't talking about the Pac10, I was talking about the SEC. No one on the east coast and especially the south east cares about the Pac-10. I can barely name all the teams in the Pac10. Also don't forget, the SEC goes around parading themselves as God's gift to college football. Just look at your thread title.

To prove my point, I only need to point to one school (if you can call them that), Georgia. Everyone associated with that "university" leaves a slim trail behind them. Alabama and the rest of the crew are no better.

You're in denial on this issue

I wonder what the percentage of arrests compared to the other conferences is too?

No one is saying the SEC is not a very good football conference and a good football conference will almost certainly produce a lot of pro football players. The dispute here is that the SEC is not the end all, beat all standard for college football.


(Please note, none of these comments were meant to be personal attacks in anyway even though some of my comments might seem harsh. I just get a little more emotional that usual when discussing college sports )

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Andrew

Where's the respect for Michigan and the Big Ten, eh? Please, someone give that conference a tad bit of respect. Not a lot, just a little.

dude2003

toughest conference to play in, SEC second toughest. Big 12 will get even better. Look out for OU this year, granted their season hinges on talent at the QB position that is essentially unproven.

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There you have it.

sportsrule101

let me think here, a big ten team won the title. went like 6-2 in bowl games, granted iowa was overrated but they did have a 41 day layoff before the game. what was the sec bowl record last year.

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thefatbaby

The SEC is the best conference in college football with the Big 12 following at a close second.


GO VOLS!!!!!!

BigGov

82 wins last year for the Big 10

89 wins last year for the SEC

7.45 wins per team for the Big 10 last year

7.42 wins per team for the SEC last year

Statistics show that the Big 10 is better than the SEC.

__________________
One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

Hrothgar

Man I hope you are right. I graduated from Purdue in 96 but I still follow them.

On another note I'd take the Big 12 then Big Ten then SEC.