With signing day over and with just a few remaining top prospects still yet to announce (Clowney in particular) I figured I would give you a top 10 preseason/post National Signing day poll.
Here is my early list. Expect a lot to change from now and August when injuries, transfers, coaching changes, arrests, prostitution, and grand theft all could throw a monkey wrench into the order. But enough about USC football, let's take a look at the rest of the nation.
1. LSU TIGERS-Yes I know they got one of the biggest dipshits for a head coach but they also have the most talent of any team in the nation. When the Tigers are dominating the rest of the SEC it is because they have the best, most physical linemen on both sides of the ball. I see them running the ball at will and stopping the run despite the loss of some key players such as DT Drake Nevis and CB Patrick Peterson. They open the season with Oregon at Cowboys Stadium. Whoever wins the game will be in the BCS Title game.
2. Oklahoma Sooners-The Sooners return QB Landry Jones, WR Ryan Broyles, and 29 other players who have at least started one game while in Norman. This will probably be Bob Stoops best team at least on paper. The only team I see knocking them off in conference play is Okie State and they do play the Semenholes in Tallahassee on Sept. 17th. Win those two games and I think they go undefeated.
3. Oregon Ducks-The Ducks will benefit from playing in a rather weak conference. The Pac-12 isn't the same when USC is obviously down and UCLA blows. Even their homestate rival Beavers are nothing to shout about. The Ducks have QB Darron Thomas and LaMichael James back on offense so they will put up a ton of points. Lookout for freshman DeAnthony Thomas too. He looks like a special player and they got him out of the Trojan's backyard. The key for the Ducks is to keep the momentum from last season and replace three starters on the offensive line. If they can plug in guys and beat LSU to open the season then they have a solid shot of playing for another BCS Championship.
4. Boise State Broncos-The Smurfs should have been undefeated last season if they didn't have Finkle as a kicker. This team is legit so please stop arguing with me. They can beat the big boys and with QB and leading Heisman contender Kellen Moore back they will probably lay a hurting on Georgia in Atlanta to start off the season. They joined the Mountain West Conference so they will be hosting TCU this season. If they can beat the Horned Frogs they have a great shot of going undefeated. Deal with it BCS dickheads.
5. Stanford Cardinal-They have the best QB in the nation in Andrew Luck back. They have key starters back on defense even with having to replace 7 of them. The problem is they have no Jim Harbaugh who is now with the 49ers. Can they keep the momentum from a 12-1 season with a new coach? Honestly I'm not sure. But with Luck I think anything is possible and former offensive coordinator David Shaw is the new head coach so I don't think they have a huge adjustment going on in Palo Alto with philosophies. Stanford also plays their two toughest games at home with Oregon and Notre Dame both visiting.
6. Arkansas Razorbacks-Call me crazy but I think Arkansas could be a sleeper SEC Championship team next year. They play in the toughest division in the SEC West and they must replace Ryan Mallett but I think Tyler Wilson has the ability to step in and replace him. I'm a big fan of their running game with Knile Davis and their defense should be a lot better than last season. People tend to forget they went to the Sugar Bowl and not Bama or LSU or Florida. Bobby the Snake will have this team playing incredible football.
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys-I'm still in shock WR Justin Blackmon came back. With Blackmon and QB Brandon Weeden returning the Cowboys just need to find a replacement for Kendall Hunter and they shouldn't have a problem scoring. Incoming freshman Herschel Sims could be that guy and look for him to make an immediate impact at the tailback position. They get the Sooners at home but make no mistake they are going to have to put up 40 points minimum a game to stay in the top 10 next year. Their defense is suspect.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes-The Buckeyes are without a doubt the best team in the Big Ten in 2011. Wisconsin and Michigan State should take steps back and even with the 5 starters suspended for the first 5 games including QB Terrelle Pryor they should be able to weather a weak front end schedule. The key for the Buckeyes is finding replacements for all their linebackers who are gone and Cameron Heyward on the d-line. I think incoming freshman Curtis Grant could make a huge impact at ILB. Just stay away from the tattoo parlors kid.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide-I still don't know how in the hell they lost 3 games last season with the talent they had coming back. They completely blew the Auburn game. But that was last year and you know Nick Saban will have them hungry come fall. They gotta find a QB to replace Greg McElroy. McElroy wasn't the greatest but he was efficient and wouldn't lose the game for Bama. Either Phillip Sims or AJ McCarron will be the starter. You lose Mark Ingram and Julio Jones but I think Bama has the depth to not lose much with Trent Richardson due for a breakout season at tailback and Julio in my mind was always overrated. The Bama defense will be one of the best in the nation with All-American LB Dont'a Hightower back along with safety Mark Barron. I will probably move up Bama before my final preseason poll comes out but right now they sit 3rd in the SEC West. Amazing.
10. TCU Horned Frogs-TCU will be playing their last season in the Mountain West before leaving to the Big East in 2012. The defending Rose Bowl Champs have to replace QB Andy Dalton but it won't matter since it has always been their perennial top 5 defense that wins them games. If they can beat Boise State on the Smurf Turf then we might see coach Gary Patterson's Horned Frogs back in another BCS game trying to finish yet another undefeated season.
Just missed the cut:
Florida State Seminoles-The ACC blows so it wouldn't be a shock to see them win it in 2011. If they beat Oklahoma (a big if) at home then they will shoot up to top 5 in the rankings.
South Carolina Gamecocks-They looked like shit at the end the season vs. Auburn and FSU but they got everybody coming back including star RB Marcus Lattimore and WR Alshon Jeffery.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish-Virtually every starter comes back for a team who might have been the hottest the last third of the season. They got to settle on a QB (Dayne Crist back from another major knee injury) and find ways to get the ball into their playmakers hands (Michael Floyd, Theo Riddick, and Cierre Wood) but what will make them a legit top 10 team and BCS contender is their defense. Don't be surprised if ND has a top 10 defense next year with LB Manti Te'o leading the charge.
Auburn Tigers-The defending BCS Champs lost the two best players at their respective positions in the nation in Heisman winner Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley. Those guys can't simply be replaced and expect the same results for Auburn next season. Auburn does have a top 5 class coming in and expect big things from them in 2012. Not so much in 2011 though.
