A couple quick links, a note about Top 25s and I’m off to Saturday’s practice. I’m allowed to write about weekend practices, so expect a pretty thorough report on the blog later today.
In today’s edition of The Gazette, I wrote about junior outside linebacker Andre Morris Jr., who could be a player who really starts to realize his vast potential this season. Also, if you haven’t already seen it, here’s my Q and A with offensive line coach Clay Hendrix, part of our on-going series of interviews with the position coaches.
Finally, the preseason USA Today/Coaches’ Top 25 was released yesterday. Air Force’s Troy Calhoun is voting in it and has agreed to give us his ballot each week. So during the season we’ll be running the coaches’ and AP polls along with his ballot for the coaches’ poll and my ballot for the AP poll.
Below I’ve posted the preseason USA Today/Coaches Top 25, Calhoun’s ballot and my ballot for the preseason AP Poll (which will be released Aug. 22).
USA Today/Coaches Preseason Top 25
First place votes in parentheses
1. Florida (53)
2. Texas (4)
3. Oklahoma (1)
4. Southern Cal (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi
11. Oklahoma State
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Oregon
15. Georgia Tech
16. Boise State
17. TCU
18. Utah
19. Florida State
20. North Carolina
21. Iowa
22. Nebraska
23. Notre Dame
24. BYU
25. Oregon State
AF Coach Troy Calhoun’s Ballot
1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Ohio State
5. Southern Cal
6. Alabama
7. LSU
8. Penn State
9. Mississippi
10. Virginia Tech
11. TCU
12. Georgia
13. California
14. North Carolina
15. Oklahoma State
16. Georgia Tech
17. Oregon
18. Florida State
19. Utah
20. Boise State
21. Kansas
22. Notre Dame
23. Iowa
24. Nebraska
25. BYU
Jake’s Preseason AP Ballot
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Southern Cal
5. Alabama
6. Mississippi
7. Ohio State
8. Penn State
9. Virginia Tech
10. Oklahoma State
11. LSU
12. California
13. TCU
14. Georgia
15. Oregon
16. North Carolina
17. Georgia Tech
18. Florida State
19. Iowa
20. Boise State
21. Nebraska
22. BYU
23. Michigan State
24. Utah
25. Notre Dame
Jake, Michigan State in top 25? Over Utah? Wow! Explain please.
I wonder what reaction Coach Calhoun will receive from his players because he reversed the order (from the Coaches Poll) of Texas and Oklahoma! Isn’t a good portion of the AF roster from Texas? Should make for some interesting debates in the locker room. And it’s already almost 3:30 and no information yet on the scrimmaging this morning? In this “age of technology” can’t you do some live laptop blog from the stadium, Jake? Inquiring (out of town) minds want to know!
Rob -
Basically because I expect Utah to be down this season because of how many key players it lost. Not only from its standout defense, but at QB (Brian Johnson was SO important to that team) and special teams (Sakoda was huge for them).
Factor those losses with how little Utah’s margin for error was in 08 (a bunch of games were really close to going the other way) and I expect them to be down.
Now, that’s nothing against Utah. I was one of the 16 AP voters to vote them No. 1 at the end of last year. But when I’m doing my preseason poll, I only give 25% to last year. 25% is prediction of where the team will finish this year and 50% is where I think the teams are right now.
I may have overrated MSU a tad. But I like that they have a bunch of starters coming back on defense (8) and an experienced o-line.
Anon -
Saturday Practice Wrap should be up.
Texas/OU is probably a toss-up.
Thanks to Coach Calhoun for ranking Okie State below UGA. Would rather be the underdog across the board and sneak up on teams than the other way around.
I do think you guys (you too, Jake!) have Penn State way overrated, they graduated too many guys to be a top 10 team but we shall see.
Good luck to AFA this season!!!
[...] 25 above the Bearcats. The Big East is not alone in blatant partisanship. Troy Calhoun of Air Force has three Mountain West teams in his top 25, something excused by the current bull market on Mountain West speculation in the AP top 25, but [...]