Stewart Mandel's Pre-Season Top 25
- Thread starter WoadBlue
- Start date
Is UofL that much better than us? Sorry, I just don't see that. I have no problem with us starting the season ranked 21st. But if we're 21st, no way in Hades that UofL is 10th. I'm just sayin'...
I think the people ranking Louisville as high as 10 for 2 main reasons: 1) the team is balanced (a D that could be well above average and an offense that could be very explosive); and 2) Bobby Petrino is accepted as a coach who can win big.
I'm glad there are 5 ranked ACC teams in most polls and that 3 are Top 10 in this one. ACC football is finally coming out of the shadow of the SEC in the eyes of the nation.
Whole lot will change very early in the season, even after the opening games.
We play GA. Winner moves up, especially if it us.
FSU plays Ole Miss (2 ranked teams)
Clemson vs Auburn (a likely win for Clemson)
Note: there is a good chance the ACC sweeps all 3 games. Kind of changes things as far as rankings.
Alabama vs Stanford (probably USC loses)
Oklahoma vs Houston (one ranked team loses)
LSU vs Wisconsin (same)
We beat GA and look good, and we should move up fast. There are going to be a lot of ranked teams with one loss.
We play GA. Winner moves up, especially if it us.
FSU plays Ole Miss (2 ranked teams)
Clemson vs Auburn (a likely win for Clemson)
Note: there is a good chance the ACC sweeps all 3 games. Kind of changes things as far as rankings.
Alabama vs Stanford (probably USC loses)
Oklahoma vs Houston (one ranked team loses)
LSU vs Wisconsin (same)
We beat GA and look good, and we should move up fast. There are going to be a lot of ranked teams with one loss.
This is by far the highest I've seen anyone rank Louisville. I guess Petrino has a fairly proven track record in college and apparently their QB is the second coming of Michael Vick. They're also getting a lot of mileage out of that Tex A&M bowl win, but was A&M really all that good last year?
Louisville plays FSU their 3rd game and Clemson their 5th. Someone is going to lose, obviously.
I believe we can stomp GA. We'll see. They have a tough defense but doubt they can slow down our offense, and our defense should be much better with everyone healthy.
If that's the case, the first 5 games of the season are packed with ranked teams playing one another. We could very well end up ranked very high going into the Florida State game, assuming we beat GA, Illinois, James Madison and Pitt, which is all very doable if we're on our game.
October 1st, we walk into Tallahassee. Hate to play them at home. I am still bullish, however. We can do it.
Some other games to take note of.
Pitt opens against Villanova and then Penn State, Oklahoma State and then us. That's a pretty brutal 4 game stretch to start the season. Doubt they will be ranked but would still love to see them win their first 3 games before meeting us. One can dream, I suppose.
Notre Dame plays Michigan State their 3rd game. That's one ranked team with a loss, and probably both ranked ahead of us going into the game.
Stanford plays USC 2nd game, then UCLA and then Washington and then Washington State, then Notre Dame. There are going to be ranked teams with losses here as well.
One game at a time but I like the way the overall football scheduling is this year in terms of our chances should we win. Need to beat Georgia right out of the gate and not look back.
I believe we can stomp GA. We'll see. They have a tough defense but doubt they can slow down our offense, and our defense should be much better with everyone healthy.
If that's the case, the first 5 games of the season are packed with ranked teams playing one another. We could very well end up ranked very high going into the Florida State game, assuming we beat GA, Illinois, James Madison and Pitt, which is all very doable if we're on our game.
October 1st, we walk into Tallahassee. Hate to play them at home. I am still bullish, however. We can do it.
Some other games to take note of.
Pitt opens against Villanova and then Penn State, Oklahoma State and then us. That's a pretty brutal 4 game stretch to start the season. Doubt they will be ranked but would still love to see them win their first 3 games before meeting us. One can dream, I suppose.
Notre Dame plays Michigan State their 3rd game. That's one ranked team with a loss, and probably both ranked ahead of us going into the game.
Stanford plays USC 2nd game, then UCLA and then Washington and then Washington State, then Notre Dame. There are going to be ranked teams with losses here as well.
One game at a time but I like the way the overall football scheduling is this year in terms of our chances should we win. Need to beat Georgia right out of the gate and not look back.
If Pitt wins those first three I imagine they will be ranked.
If we start 4-0 we could be potentially slide into the Top 10 going down to Tallahassee.
I think we'll be in the top ten. Don't really expect Pitt to win their first 3 games. If they win the first 2, that'd be great for them. But expecting them to win those and Oklahoma State is probably too much. But great if they did, and then lose to us.
We need to see the ACC do well out of conference. Hopefully, we sweep the SEC opening games with us beating GA, FSU beating Ole Miss and Clemson beating Auburn.
Pitt ought to beat Villanova and it'd be great if they could beat Penn State and Ok State but that's a tall order.
Same with Va Tech and Tennessee. Tennessee got a sweat-heart ranking as the only team they play where they won't likely be the favorite is Alabama.
I know it's sacrilegious but hope Duke can handle Northwestern.
Louisville plays Houston late in the season. That ought to be a good game and potential ACC pick-up. The ACC starts winning some of these games or most of them or all of them, and we'll get more respect.
We also need some ACC teams to beat Notre Dame and push them down in the bowl set-ups.
Y'all need to slowwww your roll on Top 10 talk lol. I don't know how we're going to crack the Top 10 with an L to UGA on our schedule.
I'd say they weren't. They finished 8-5, including a 4-4 record in the SEC. They did beat then ranked 15th ASU in the first game of the season but ASU went on to finish 6-7 overall and 4-7 in the PAC10 which was very weak last year.
I do believe Petrino is a good coach but they're going to have to go some to prove they belong in the top 10.
"An argument based on false premises can be much more difficult to refute, or even discuss, than one featuring a normal logical error, as the truth of its premises must be established to the satisfaction of all parties."
Well, there you go then. Your calculations are based on a false premise. Very clever of you.Very clever indeed.
I think what they see in Louisville is a team that went 6-1 their last 7 games....after starting off losing three in a row with a young QB. And two of those three losses were to teams that won a New Years Six or Playoff Game.
That QB dissected A&M in the bowl and had over 500 yards in the spring game.
They are betting on potential with a maturing QB.
That QB dissected A&M in the bowl and had over 500 yards in the spring game.
They are betting on potential with a maturing QB.
Coaches poll sees Louisville in a vastly different light. They're ranked 23rd, behind us at 20.
Though I quoted your post, when I said the coaches see it in a vastly different light, I meant as compared to this particular poll (Stewart Mandel) which has them #10
I thought 4-4 in the SEC was equivalent to finishing 50-0 in the other conferences? I mean, the SEC is so good they could beat all these pro teams right?
I'll give them credit for being the best football conference, year in and year out. But I hope to see the ACC kick a little SEC heinie this year.I thought 4-4 in the SEC was equivalent to finishing 50-0 in the other conferences? I mean, the SEC is so good they could beat all these pro teams right?
Don't be ridiculous. Going 4-4 is not equal to going 50-0 elsewhere. 4-4 in the SEC is equal to 12-0 elsewhere.I thought 4-4 in the SEC was equivalent to finishing 50-0 in the other conferences? I mean, the SEC is so good they could beat all these pro teams right?
As long as it's not Moo or Dook, I am all for ACC teams beating everybody they play OOC.
Actually, I have no problem rooting for dook in football, unless we're playing them of course. My main problem with dook is the jerk they have for a coach.
Now i could NEVER ROOT FOR NVSU, not even in bass fishing.
I wouldn't say I have no problem rooting for them in football. They are still dook but I do want them to beat some teams out of conference. We need the ACC and particularly the Coastal to win more OOC games. Some disagree and think it can hurt recruiting but not me.
Opening weekend, would love to see us sweep the SEC with our win over GA, FSU beating Ole Miss and Clemson beating Auburn. I am hoping Dook can handle Northwestern later in the season and Va Tech knock off Tennessee, who will be heavily favored; Pitt to beat Penn State and Ok State (prolly not) but still, one can hope.
