CGB Top 25 - Week 1

by ragnarok on Aug 31, 2011 3:32 PM PDT in California Golden Bears Football

Wow, this is awkward. I haven't written for CGB in months -- most days I'm just a lurker, when I even get a chance to log on -- but here I am, back on the front page. What brought me back? One word:

FOOOOTTBAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!

More specifically, with another CFB season brings another season of the Blogpoll, and with it, CGB's weekly Top 25. Being that no games have been played yet, these are all just guesses. I'm of the opinion that a Top 25 poll doesn't make much sense before about week 5, but I don't get to make those sorts of decisions, so here we are.

As always, feel free to disagree with any and all opinions presented below in the comments section. Try, however, to back up your disagreements with factual statements. That no games have been played yet does tend to make this a bit difficult, however ;)

Without further preamble, here's CGB's collective top 25:

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Oklahoma
4. Boise State
5. Wisconsin

We have the same top 4 as the blogpoll in general, with Oregon swapped over Oklahoma. Call it west coast bias. Normally, I tend to discount teams with the sort of off-field distractions that Oregon has suffered from (see Lyles, Will), but the way they've bounced back from previous scandals (Jeremiah Masoli, Blount Force Trauma) suggests that they should have no trouble weathering this storm.

After the jump, the rest of the Top 25.

6. Nebraska
7. Virginia Tech
8. Stanfurd
9. TCU
10. Texas A&M

Yeah, the 'Furd is in our Top 10. I'm disgusted even typing that. Send hate mail to twist - n - hook at gmail dot com. (actually, don't. Twist didn't vote (he claims that he's "too stupid", and I have no idea if that's even a real email address)

11. Oklahoma State
12. LSU
13. Michigan State
14. USC
15. Florida State

Just because they're on probation doesn't mean USC can't be in our top 25. Even if they're just playing for pride this year, I'd be surprised if they didn't win another 8-9 games. Elsewhere, LSU nearly misses the Top 10 despite their starting quarterback being suspended for his involvement in a bar fight -- oh, if only Cal could replace a QB and not miss a beat...

16. South Carolina
17. Arkansas
18. Missouri
19. Ohio State
20. Arizona State

I feel like South Carolina is one of those teams that's always in my preseason top 25, but nowhere to be found 8 weeks later. Meanwhile, Ohio State looks uncomfortably low down here at No. 19 -- another victim of what's been a scandal-ridden summer, even by NCAA football standards. In Arizona State, I see a team that has gone 4-8, 5-7 and 6-6 in the past three years. Maybe there's something there, but I just don't get the preseason hype.

21. Utah
22. Georgia
23. Notre Dame
24. West Virginia
25. Mississippi State

Here we have some other teams, including perennially overrated Georgia and perennially overrated Notre Dame. Utah may be the most interesting team this year, in terms of seeing how they adjust to playing a BCS-level schedule week-in and week-out, but I honestly have no idea if that means they deserve a spot in the Top 25. Do you?

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Just for lulz, here's my ballot

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Boise State
5. Nebraska
6. Virginia Tech
7. Wisconsin
8. South Carolina
9. TCU
10. Arkansas
11. Florida State
12. Michigan State
13. Stanford
14. Oklahoma State
15. Notre Dame
16. USC
17. Utah
18. West Virginia
19. Texas A&M
20. LSU
21. Missouri
22. Mississippi State
23. Auburn
24. Georgia
25. Maryland

"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach

by Berkelium97 on Aug 31, 2011 4:32 PM PDT reply actions

I tend to discount and ignore (at least official -- AP and coaches) rankings

because they are meaningless and contrived. I think they must have been created by TV networks to create marketable match ups — both early and often during the season — that can lure in even the most casual football fan, or even non-fan. I love opening week when they say “we’ve got no. 2 vs. no. 4 tonight” — despite neither having taken a single snap. Fan top 25s is tolerable and can be sometimes fun, but can you imagine how silly it would be to rank NFL teams — “no. 2 Patriots vs. no. 32 Raiders”. We’d all find that abnoxious and stupid. I’m waiting for the culture of college football to come around on this one. Too much booze and dope I guess.

That the BCS includes the USA Today Coaches Poll as a component of its calculations makes me want to vomit all over Mack Brown and anyone else I hate.

In case I wasn’t clear enough, I hate college football polls, preseason or otherwise.

And if I had to choose, Presbyterian would be my no. 1.

by salary_cap on Aug 31, 2011 5:56 PM PDT reply actions

Yea but it's something to talk about

And it’s far from meaningless. It may be flawed, speculative and contrived, but placing in this poll could potentially make huge differences in BCS games at the end of the season. I know we all get that and that’s all bullshit anyway… but me, I still look forward to preseason polls just to see how many “othervotes” we get and I enjoy breaking into the top 25 at 3-0…and continuing to climb!

Kool-Aid refills anybody?

Fack Muck Brown!!

by Berkules on Aug 31, 2011 6:13 PM PDT up reply actions

The unfortunate part is that it is only meaningful in that it factors into the BCS standings. This, on its face, should make one’s eyes pop out of their sockets. A 1-2 Oklahoma after week 3 could very well still be higher ranked then, say, a 3-0 Cal or a 3-0 Utah. Oklahoma may very well still be a better, more well-rounded team, but you get my drift. Marquee teams with preseason hype — legit or not (and Cal has, unfortunately, bee one of those un-legit ranked teams) — are afforded the luxury of paying a lesser price for losing games.

Yeah, its something to talk about, but I hope the college football landscape can move past this in my lifetime — but that’s kind of like hoping political theater will be replaced by a political system and process that reflects reality and some sort of reasonable ethical compass.

And, for me, I’ve learned my lesson from getting excited over Cal’s ranking after the first month, and other Cal fans are wise to do the same. The 2007 season, when Riley — no, Tedford — cost us one whole week as the nation’s “no. 1” team, should give you enough reason to take a crap on rankings, even towards the end of the season, considering the wide range of competition across so many conferences and teams.

by salary_cap on Aug 31, 2011 8:39 PM PDT up reply actions

The entire BCS is unfortunate

I hope we can move past this in our lifetimes but as long as there are rankings we have to live with, fuck it, life is short and I’ll be excited to see our #22 ranked 3-0 Cal Bears this season. After that it’s any body’s guess.

Fack Muck Brown!!

by Berkules on Aug 31, 2011 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Me too. I’m still concerned about being upset on Saturday. We need to enter conference play 3-0 for many reasons — confidence, making a bowl game, and keeping fan unrest at bay, for starters. But the fact that we can get uppidy over these things is a good sign for the program — and we have Tedford to thank for it.

I wouldn’t piss on the BCS if it were on fire.

by salary_cap on Aug 31, 2011 10:32 PM PDT up reply actions

would you shit on it though?

I guess I have a love-hate relationship with rankings and I’m back to how I was in ’02, ’03 when every Monday I would walk up to the 7-11 on Telegraph and Parker, buy a pack of smokes, a coffee and an Oakland Trib then stand outside and look at how high we had climbed in the rankings… to like 21! Then maybe 18!! The climb was exciting. Just fond memories I guess… little did I know I would learn how shitty rankings can be.

After the years of being a perennial top-10 that perennially shat the bed, it’s not great, but it’s entertaining to be back in that climbing mode… I whistle the Price is Right mountain climber song to myself as we ascend. These days I think I’ll just check the rankings on the intarwebs though.

Fack Muck Brown!!

by Berkules on Aug 31, 2011 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions

What I hate most of all are preseason rankings. We don’t know how good teams are right now! So why are we guessing? It would be one thing if it was for entertainment sake, but it ends up playing a huge role in final rankings, which is just stupid.

by Missing Barry on Sep 1, 2011 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions

I’m waiting for the culture of college football to come around on this one. Too much booze and dope I guess.

vwhaat did he shay?

"It's on the ROOF, oh yeah, one hundred PROOF, oh yeah....."

by TKE Prytanis 79 on Aug 31, 2011 8:55 PM PDT reply actions

Who are the CGB overlords who are voting? I think our readers might want to know.

Site | Twit | Face | Gear

by HydroTech on Aug 31, 2011 9:58 PM PDT reply actions

Not I said the Hit Squad member. But then I don’t contribute anything around here.

by LeonPowe on Sep 1, 2011 12:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Not me.

My ballot would have read:

1. Cal
2. Cal
3. Cal
..
…
25. Cal

*PS. Eff stanfurd anyway

Old Toothwrangler

by Kodiak on Sep 1, 2011 6:27 AM PDT up reply actions

It isn’t me, though I’ll probably end up doing a weekly Top 25 anyway like I did last season.

California Golden Bears: 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at!

by atomsareenough on Sep 1, 2011 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Here's my wild stab at it

1. Oregon
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Boise State
5. Wisconsin
6. Oklahoma State
7. Nebraska
8. TCU
9. LSU
10. Stanfurd
11. Virginia Tech
12. Florida State
13. Arkansas
14. Michigan State
15. USC
16. Auburn
17. South Carolina
18. West Virginia
19. Mississippi State
20. Ohio State
21. Utah
22. Southern Mississippi
23. Hawaii
24. UCF
TIE 25. Houston
TIE 25. Arizona State

California Golden Bears: 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at!

by atomsareenough on Sep 1, 2011 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm voting

"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach

by Berkelium97 on Sep 1, 2011 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions

Norcalnick, Yellow Fever and myself round out our panel of voters.

So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!

by ragnarok on Sep 1, 2011 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions

By the way, for those who did the ranking….Georgia. Why are they ranked? I’m interested in hearing the case?

by Missing Barry on Sep 1, 2011 1:46 PM PDT reply actions

I had Georgia at no. 24. After an abysmal start, their offense and defense were fairly impressive as the 2010 season wore on. Their returning QB Aaron Murray is young but quite capable. I expect them to pick up mostly where they left off at the end of last season, though they’ll probably start the season with losses to Boise State and Sakerlina.

"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach

by Berkelium97 on Sep 1, 2011 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m just thoroughly unimpressed with what they did last year, and if they were not an SEC team, not a single person would even consider ranking them. I 100% believe that. The team scored freaking 6 points against UCF in their bowl! Barely slipped by a Georgia Tech team that had a losing record. The best thing I can find on their entire resume from last season was an OT loss to 8-5 Florida. God, the SEC is so full of shit.

by Missing Barry on Sep 2, 2011 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions

I’m pretty sure I didn’t vote for Georgia, but my wild-ass end-of-the-ballot teams didn’t have as many votes as the Bulldogs ended up with.

So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!

by ragnarok on Sep 1, 2011 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions

There are too many “name” schools like Notre Dame and Georgia who don’t really justify the benefit of the doubt yet, IMO. I’d rather reward teams who had a good season last year and are poised to repeat their success like UCF, Southern Miss, or Hawaii.

California Golden Bears: 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at!

by atomsareenough on Sep 1, 2011 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions

I think I could make as good a case for ranking Cal as I could for ranking Georgia, at least if we’re heavily relying on what they did last season. I wouldn’t lump ND in with Georgia – they actually won their last 4 games, including a solid bowl win against Miami, a win @USC, and a nice beatdown of Utah – legit wins. Each one of those wins was more impressive than anything Georgia did all season.

by Missing Barry on Sep 2, 2011 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions

I didn’t rank Georgia in my ballot.

The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS

by norcalnick on Sep 1, 2011 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions

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