BLOGPOLL BALLOT, PRESEASON

Submitted for your general amusement, my ballot in the inaugural BlogPoll. More ballot linkage is found over at MGoBlog, which is currently neck-and-neck with Every Day Should Be Saturday for the website sending the most visitors to TBP. And boy, have those visitors been disappointed lately . . .

1. Southern Cal: Forget it. Until somebody proves otherwise, U$C is King of the Hill. Do I think they’ll lose a couple this year? Well, I hope they do . . . but I’m a bitter Hawkeye fan who still thinks that Washington and UCLA haven’t done sufficient penance yet.

2. Tennessee: Gets the nod over everybody else for #2 because, unlike most of the other teams you could put here, the Vols don’t have to put up with internecine warfare over who’s going to get the ball.

3. Texas: No, I don’t think Mack Brown will ever break the rock. But his team played scary good football at the end of last season. Even with some holes to plug, the Horns are set to make some noise. But if they can’t beat OU this year, they never will, at least not under Mack Brown.

4. Miami: I’m not yet ready to say that Larrry Coker is more lucky than good, but all of a sudden U$C is what The U was supposed to be a few years ago. Now, they might not even be the best team in the ACC, even if that’s how I have them ranked right now.

5. Florida: It’s put up or shut up time for Urban Meyer . . . do you want to bet against him after what he’s done at Utah and Bowling Green? I certainly don’t.

6. Michigan: The class of the Big Ten, and maybe the only squad in the conference that could stand a chance in a national title game.

7. Georgia: My grandmother could run for 1,000 yards behind that offensive line, and she uses a walker.

8. LSU: Color me unconvinced about Les Miles. Not that I think he’s a bad coach, but I saw his teams lose some games they should’ve won handily. I’m not certain he’s going to have the Tigers at Sabanesque levels in his first season.

9. Virginia Tech: Their conference is a lot tougher than it used to be, and I’m still waiting for a Beamer team to go a whole season without a letdown of some sort. But the talent is there.

10. Ohio State: Most of the praise for this team seems to be based on Ted Ginn Jr’s playmaking ability, which is considerable, and Troy Smith’s performance in the Michigan game. There are a lot of people in Michigan who can explain the significance of the name “Eric Hipple” to you, Buckeye fans.

11. Oklahoma: Blah blah ‘Stoops’ blargle ‘talent’ bloopy blaga ‘Peterson’ bleedle boggu ‘Texas’ bigguh ‘rented mule.’

12. Florida State: I could see this team moving way up this list, or way down it, with equal ease.

13. Auburn: Lots of talent gone, but Tuberville can coach, and I give credit for finishing strong.

14. Iowa: No question that this team can move the ball. But will they be able to bottle up the run, or are they going to hang their DBs out to dry?

15. Purdue: Showing that I’m not giving that much credit to strength of schedule right now.

16. Arizona State: If this is your hope to knock off U$C, Pac-10, you don’t have much hope. A good team, but it’s crowded at the top.

17. Boston College: If they’d stayed in the Big East, they’d be a lock for a BCS berth.

18. California: Who got the Tedford QB Implant ™ this year, and why does the recipient always have to return that implant before the NFL season starts?

19. Texas Tech: Aw, who needs a defense, anyway?

20. Virginia: Another good team with the misfortune to be stuck in a brutal conference.

21. Pitt: I’m not a Wannstedt guy, but Walt Harris left behind enough talent that this team should breeze through the Big East. Probably nobody has an easier path to the BCS this season.

22. Boise State: Will the Broncs make any BCS noise this season? I strongly doubt it, but they’re still fun to watch.

23. Iowa State: The Cyclopaths scare me a little bit. They might grab onto the Team of Destiny meme and run with it. They’re not quite good enough to be the official Brightly-Lit Dark Horse, but they’re easily the most complete team in the Big XII North. Dang it.

24. Minnesota: Note to Glen Mason: the two-platoon system has been part of football for decades now. It’s time to start paying attention to what happens when your team doesn’t have the ball.

25. Georgia Tech: But show me an O-line.