2006 Pre-Season TOP 10??

[MililaniBuckeye]

If our better SOS is what puts us over WVU in the computer polls, then even a small amount of SOS difference would certainly affect the BCS.

Wrong, again. Look at all they yayhoos on the WVU bandwagon, projecting them ahead of us in the pre-season polls. You think their SOS last year was anywhere near ours? The pre-season pollsters aren't even looking at SOS...they're looking at the fact that WVU had one less loss than us and that they beat Georgia in their bowl game.

The composite of the computer polls counts for 1/3; in other words, it has the same weight as one human poll. If nothing else, that would break a tie in the human polls (if OSU and WVU were flipflopped, for example).

Uh, no. It goes by percentages, not places. For example, the computers ranked Texas Tech (#13) four places above TCU (#17), while both human polls had TCU (#14) only one place above TT (#15), yet TT finished behind TCU in the BCS standings.

 

[High Lonesome]

Okay, I take it all back... C'mon preseason #1!
:osu:

HA HA!!!!! WINNER!!!!

 

[TonyPiech]

I'll address your second statement first: We are not a "Super-Team" with only two returning starters on defense.

As for your first statement: The difference between being ranked #1 and #5 in pre-season is not "immaterial"...that difference of four positions could easily keep us from getting to #1 or #2 at the end of the season should we lose at Texas. Now, does being ranked #5, #10, or even #13 (as we were in 2002) automatically prevent us from making the NC game? Of course it doesn't. But you always, always hope to start as high as you can to best improve your chances at finishing as high as you can.

Anyone who truly feels it's actually better to start out ranked lower needs to check themselves in for rehab...

Well, after looking at my post I agree with you about my second statement, that there are no Super-Teams going into 2006.

However I don't agree on materiality between #1 and #5. I'm basically trying to say that pre-season polls don't mean much. If you're unranked at pre-season and play in a major conference; Big 10/11, SEC, ACC, Big XII, PAC 10 and go undefeated you have a great chance of making the "Big Dance". A couple of rare exceptions can occur like Auburn going undefeated a few years ago. Another exception being if the pre-season pick also goes undefeated, and then if you're #2, but you still go to the dance and can be #1. As they say in golf, It's not how you drive,... it's how you arrive.

I don't think it matters much; the way it's going at present we're probably going to be ranked #1 when the first official pre-season poll is published in late August.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

However I don't agree on materiality between #1 and #5. I'm basically trying to say that pre-season polls don't mean much.

...

I don't think it matters much; the way it's going at present we're probably going to be ranked #1 when the first official pre-season poll is published in late August.

No, they do "mean much"...they may not be accurate (and they rarely are), but they prove to be critical time and time again in how teams finish the year.

If we're #1 at the start of the season, then all of this discussion becomes pretty much moot...but if we start #5 or so it could very well come into play in whether or not we make it to the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[JXC]

JonathanXC's preseason-top 10 as of today (can and will change)

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Auburn
4. West Virginia
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas
7. Florida
8. Oklahoma
9. Georiga
10. Virginia Tech

 

[BuckeyeKid789]

JonathanXC's preseason-top 10 as of today (can and will change)

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Auburn
4. West Virginia
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas
7. Florida
8. Oklahoma
9. Georiga
10. Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech. They'll go the first half of the season in the top 10 and then crash and burn and go to the Gator Bowl. I'm not sold on Oklahoma quite yet either. I like that Auburn pick though.

 

[EdDantes22]

JonathanXC's preseason-top 10 as of today (can and will change)

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Auburn
4. West Virginia
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas
7. Florida
8. Oklahoma
9. Georiga
10. Virginia Tech

1. tOSU
2. West Virginia
3. USC
4. Notre Dame
5. Florida
6. Texas
7. Oklahoma
8. Auburn
9. Georgia
10. Penn State

That ten pick is tough... it'll be interesting to see if Penn State's success was a blip on the radar or if they have again become the type of perennial top-15 team they used to be.

 

[jwinslow]

15 5-year seniors and mr. everything at QB makes me question them being put in the top-10. Last year's recruiting class was top heavy with Williams/King but did not have as much depth IMO.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Penn State will lucky to be a 3-loss team this season. Joe Pa used up all his Cialis last season...

 

[JXC]

15 5-year seniors and mr. everything at QB makes me question them being put in the top-10. Last year's recruiting class was top heavy with Williams/King but did not have as much depth IMO.

I think Penn State will be fine. Not top 10...but not sub .500

 

[EdDantes22]

15 5-year seniors and mr. everything at QB makes me question them being put in the top-10. Last year's recruiting class was top heavy with Williams/King but did not have as much depth IMO.

I agree. The best programs in the country reload quickly (i,e., what we're all expecting out of tOSU's defense next season), so it will be interesting to see if Penn State's capable of that. I'm not real knowledgeable about their last few recruiting classes, so I can't really speculate until I see them on the field. Regardless, they will be an interesting team to track.

 

[jwinslow]

I agree. The best programs in the country reload quickly (i,e., what we're all expecting out of tOSU's defense next season), so it will be interesting to see if Penn State's capable of that. I'm not real knowledgeable about their last few recruiting classes, so I can't really speculate until I see them on the field. Regardless, they will be an interesting team to track.

zero depth:
<table id="Cell-1_Grid" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr valign="bottom"><td> <table id="Cell-1_Grid" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr valign="bottom"><td>Rk.</td><td>School</td><td>Commits</td><td>Conf.</td><td>Points</td><td align="center">Top
100</td><td align="center" valign="middle">
</td><td align="center" valign="middle">
</td><td align="center" valign="middle"></td><td>Off.</td><td>Def.</td><td>Sp.T.</td><td>H.S.</td><td>J.C.</td><td align="center">Avg.
Rat.</td><td>Year</td> </tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);" nowrap="nowrap" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='#FFFF99'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='#EEEEEE'" bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap"> 26. </td><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap"> Penn State </td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">19</td> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap"> Big Ten </td> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">1015</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">2</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">2</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">6</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">10</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">8</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">1</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">19</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">2.84</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap"> 05
</td> </tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" nowrap="nowrap" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='#FFFF99'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="White"> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">12. </td> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap"> Penn State </td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">25</td> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap"> Big Ten </td> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">1782</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">2</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">15</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">18</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">7</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">25</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3.12</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap"> 04 </td> </tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);" nowrap="nowrap" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='#FFFF99'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='#EEEEEE'" bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap"> 28. </td><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap"> Penn State </td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">11</td> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap"> Big Ten </td> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">884</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">6</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">8</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">11</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">0</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap">3.00</td> <td align="center" nowrap="nowrap"> 03
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[EdDantes22]

That '04 class looks solid to me. But I'll defer to you on this; without further evidence, looks like Penn St. will have to prove themselves this year. Doesn't look like they deserve the benefit of the doubt. Too bad; why didn't Paterno just hang it up? I think he may be just a touch senile...

 

[sandgk]

I agree. The best programs in the country reload quickly (i,e., what we're all expecting out of tOSU's defense next season), so it will be interesting to see if Penn State's capable of that. I'm not real knowledgeable about their last few recruiting classes, so I can't really speculate until I see them on the field. Regardless, they will be an interesting team to track.

Here to illuminate is a little on those classes - as they were ranked.

2002 - 12th ranked class
2003 - 50th ranked (only 11 committs)
2004 - 12th ranked class
2005 - 28th ranked class (and this from 19 commits underscores jwins point, top-heavy, lacking in depth).
2006 - ranked, currently - 6th.

The lesson here is that they will have to lean on their 2004 class and 2005 class for depth. Their senior leadership will be heavily outnumbered by Juniors and Frosh. A top 10-rank will likey have to be earned rather than given out of the gate.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Well PSU better hope that JoePa has been developing some of that lesser talent or they maybe back to where they have been besides this past year.