top ten teams

that the most of the DBs are still fairly young and inexperienced and that we have A LOT of freshman DBs that look to be really promising and that will push for playing time this year.

I think everyone is counting on the defense improving a lot more than they’ve shown the potential to do so. I’m thinking of the evisceration at the hands of Michigan, where after a full season the DBs still blew coverages nearly as often as they held them. Knowshon Moreno will remind everyone of that, all while making us pine for Jamaal Charles. On my first glance, I thought Texas would be lucky to slip into 10th the way we did last year the way we look now, but if another season started right after the end of this one I’d have us as a top ten team in that preseason, and I think we have a shot at going 10-2 in the regular season. I’ll pick to predict the final as best I can, as in, after all the bowls.

1.) Georgia’s on my mind – If they get through the SEC with one loss, ESPN will get them here (Not saying they’re biased towards Georgia, just saying they always over-expose teams with big preseason hype). 13-1
2.) USC – They’ll get here after they beat the Bucks for the second time in the Rose Bowl, 2 losses to PAC-10 nobodies will keep them out of the CG. 11-2
3.) OU – This is where they’ll end up after another Stoops egg is laid in the CG. Everyone will wonder why we didn’t put USC in the CG again. 12-2
4.) Mizzou – loss to CG participant OU in the Big 12 TG this year will not leave them out of the BCS again… Unless Texas’ cash does. I’m guessing they’ll win their bowl and bounce back up here with OU. 12-2 (One of those losses is to TEXAS, baby!)
5.) Florida – They’ll jump up here at the end with a Sugar Bowl victory once their defense gets its head on straight. If Tebow comes back, watch it – this will be who we’re trying to play next year. 11-2
6.) Texas – We lose to OU and Tech, then get the nod over Mizzou to the BCS from our head to head. This is insane, and I award myself no points for my blind optimism. That’s probably why I said we beat Mizzou but still rank below them. 11-2 (ELEVEN? We go to eleven! Mack Brown says just make 10 louder. Oh, man that hurts my stomach.)
7.) Ohio State – These guys will climb up to ‘respectability’ when they go home to beat on the Big Ten and burn their war couches. They’ll get another shot at SC, but it’s going to be like that time you got out of the hospital after trying to jump your four wheeler over a creek and then tried it again. Voters won’t be quite as cruel as gravity, though. 11-2
8.) WVU – I think they should win the Big East even without Rich Rod. Why? Two words: Pat White. Believe it. A win in their BCS should have them up here even with three losses. 10-3
9.) Whiskey-onsin – I hate these guys, but all they’ve got to do is not fail at football to get into the top ten with the Big Ten the way it is. A very mild 11-2. Like Chipotle’s pico de gallo.
10.) Va. Tech wins the ACC – F all the preseason mags that have Clemson here. Clemson is where Fail takes naps when it’s off duty. Maybe Texas beats them in the Orange Bowl, maybe WVU, whatever. 11-3 or 10—4. Who cares? It’s the ACC.

Maybe a few of those should be flipped around due to head-to-head or momentum or something, but I’ve reasoned this out to myself and I don’t have a real serious problem with this top ten… Except, of course, for Texas being in it.

I’m gonna go with Georgia at 1, although I’m gonna be pissed if the SEC wins another championship.

i know that texas has game breakers, but mack & company are not using them properly (john chiles 2nd string qb!). maybe applewhite will open up their eyes

Not really sure if this belongs here, but since OU is being discussed as a top 10 team…

I admit I haven’t been following it too closely, but SMQ’s freshmen quarterback study was mighty interesting. Of particular interest is this quote:

In fact, the most obvious trend in year two is a movement toward the mean, in both directions. Bad and mediocre passers improved, sometimes greatly, but guys who were hot out of the gate almost universally regressed. And it just so happens that the point of departure for diminishing returns is right at last year’s national average for pass efficiency: 136.6. Of the 31 guys performing below that mark as freshmen, 26 improved as sophomores, most of them substantially, although the majority remained below average. Of the ten players who outperformed the average as freshmen, eight regressed in their second year, six of them falling below the average. To paraphrase Big Ten Wonk, the lesson here would be: whatever you think of him, for predictive purposes, regress your view of your young quarterback to the mean.

This is hopeful news for those hoping that Sam Bradford follows the Colt McCoy career path. He still has all the aforementioned weapons: a senior-laden o-line, a home run threat at RB, and quite a few receiving weapons at his disposal, but here’s to hoping that the statistics pull Bradford down in our favor.

As a Sooner I think we almost universally expect Bradford’s numbers to regress quite a bit from the season he had last year, but like you said, with the talent that he has around him (especially the oline) I think he will have just as good of a season. While we have plenty of talent behind him, Murray staying healthy is going to be crucial.