Phil Steele's Preseaon Power Poll 2006..Top 25

[colorado_loves_football]

I qualify my TCU comments by the fact that I had season tickets up until the point that I moved to Knoxville 2 years ago. I've lived in Dallas all my life and I'm well aware of what they have and havent done.

If that were true, you wouldn't suggest they were still trying to 'rebound' from a decade or so of mediocrity.

I don't really care what you think of TCU, but I do have a problem when someone suggests they aren't as good as their record says. If you are an Oklahoma Sooner fan, you should defend them. But, it doesn't address how TCU won. Nor does it address how Texas Tech won. You can claim 'home town' bias, if you want, seems to me that Oklahoma needed a goal line stand, and didn't get it done. If the officiating was 'questionable' then that's a matter that should be taken up with the NCAA.
It's always easy to 'cry foul' when your team comes up short-handed. I think a more likely (and believable) explanation, is the better team won.

You remind me of another guy that used to be on here way back when. Larry was his name I think. You both love to snipe and do your best to reach for straws and make a house of cards look solid.

I do nothing of the kind, I simply call it the way I see it. You don't have to like it. Still, you haven't managed to convince me that Oklahoma was a 'better' team than TCU. If it was a 'fluke' why does Paul Thompson ride the bench, the rest of the year?

So by your theory, "the better team likely wins" The following MUST be true.......

In the mid to early 90's North Texas beat Texas Tech, Texas Tech then went on to beat A&M, A&M beat Nebraska, Nebraska was the National Champion that year. Does that mean that The Screamin Eagles at North Texas should have been the Champions since they were clearly better then the team that beat the team that was THE team?

Lay off the caffeine and come back when you can play nice with the rest of the class.

I'll give you a better scenario. You refer to Texas A&M and their penchant for beating 'good' teams, so why not run with it?

I believe it was 1998, Texas A&M upset K-State, to win the Big XII conference title, after having already lost to Nebraska. K-State was supposed to play for the national title. Neither team was victorious in their bowl pairings. Was Texas A&M 'better' than K-State? Well, that day they sure were! I don't think you'll see an asterisk next to the win, that A&M probably wasn't 'as good' as the odds-on favorite to play in the NC.

Did N. Texas play Nebraska? No.

[Eric]

Boomer, we've been arguing this since November.....I'm getting the sense it isn't going to click.

[colorado_loves_football]

A record is only as good as the teams on it. You can dress up a pig and take it to the prom but you still end up dancing with a PIG!

Yeah, poor swine!

You are mistaken, I don't have anything against TCU if I did I wouldn't have gone to so many games. I give them credit, they're putting something together, will it be consistant? we'll see. Until then I enjoy them for what they are. A has been who is now a second tier upstart that is showing potential but hasn't come over the hill yet. Maybe this is the year they do it, maybe not... we'll see.

Over what hill?

They were a BCS 'contender' last year. No if's ands or but's.

They beat the #2 team in the country (to end 2004), and did it with relative ease. I think your argument is flawed.

If SMU strings together 4 or 5 seasons like TCU I'll say the same for them. Same for Baylor, and every other once great team.

SMU and TCU are heated rivals. TCU plays Baylor this year.

They're fun to watch but I'm not putting them on the same level yet. And from the way the poll looks and all the papers read, neither are they.

You obviously aren't reading the same papers I am. #21 overall by a polling of coaches, isn't that bad.

[billybud]

Actually, #21 is about right...

[Spence]

They beat the #2 team in the country (to end 2004), and did it with relative ease. I think your argument is flawed.

Ohio State beat several teams that have won a national championship before, last year. Does that count? I believe Notre Dame has won seven, should Ohio State get credit for beating a team that has seven national championships or an over rated team that had a very good offense and no defense?

[billybud]

Hey...I like that reasoning...FSU beat Miami who has five national championships.....FSU, therefore, should have finished top 5....

[Derek]

They beat the #2 team in the country (to end 2004), and did it with relative ease. I think your argument is flawed.

TCU plays Baylor this year.

They beat the #2 team to end 2004 .... you're playing right into the consistency argument. If they can beat the number 2 team in the country one year, why are they losing to SMU the next? ON TOP OF THAT.... they aren't even playing SMU this year!!! Is that fear?

Buddy I have no use for you. You aren't here for any other reason than to argue with everyone and be the only one in the room whos right. Take off the blinders and use some objectivity. I don't dislike TCU but I'm not ready to anoint them as the second coming either.

Like your team and pump them up when its warranted but don't be a fool.

What do they say on the floor of parliment??

"Hear, HEAR!!"

[colorado_loves_football]

Ohio State beat several teams that have won a national championship before, last year. Does that count? I believe Notre Dame has won seven, should Ohio State get credit for beating a team that has seven national championships or an over rated team that had a very good offense and no defense?

I"m not sure what point you are trying to make, Spence. Are you referring to Notre Dame? Or TCU?

Either way, I'm not sure your point holds up. Their game (Ohio St. vs. Notre Dame) wasn't for the national championship. Sure, it was a very interesting game, and I thought Ohio St played well, but Notre Dame didn't exactly lay down & die. It's probably one reason why they're 'favored' in some polls, over Ohio St.

Should Ohio St be given 'credit' for a team that has won seven national championships? Yes. Should they be given undue credit for beating a team that was likely 'sufficiently' good but obviously not national championship material? I don't know.

[billybud]

Wait..wait...I'll find my magic transcoder ring...it will help me decipher this coded post.

[Spence]

Should Ohio St be given 'credit' for a team that has won seven national championships? Yes. Should they be given undue credit for beating a team that was likely 'sufficiently' good but obviously not national championship material? I don't know.

They shouldn't be credit for beating any other team but the 2005 version of Notre Dame. The seven national championships have nothing to do with the team they played last year. No member of last years ND team has ever been a part of a national championship. That was my point in case it was missed.

[Eric]

Get ready to hear a lot more

........November.....

[Derek]

Wait..wait...I'll find my magic transcoder ring...it will help me decipher this coded post.

I already tried that and Little Orphan Annie came up with "Drink your Ovaltine."

[colorado_loves_football]

They shouldn't be credit for beating any other team but the 2005 version of Notre Dame. The seven national championships have nothing to do with the team they played last year. No member of last years ND team has ever been a part of a national championship. That was my point in case it was missed.

No secret decoder ring necessary, I will 'decipher' my coded post for you guys, without any additional expense! (don't you feel privileged?)

You do bring up some interesting points, Spence. Maybe you do it without meaning to, but there is an element of 'tradition' that accompanies a win over Notre Dame. I saw BYU beat them, and you can't tell me, that teams don't play 'harder' when they face ND.

No, it wasn't for the national championship, but I think it's likely one reason why Ohio St was a 'pre-season' favorite (USA Today) to win the NC, this year.

Now, as to whether or not they 'deserve' that , remains to be seen. I, for one have Texas as my 'pre-season' favorite. They don't play Notre Dame. Notre Dame will have to 'earn' their way into the BCS, just like last year. Ohio St, I think will likely win the Big Ten, but it won't be easy.
Michigan is the 'pitfall' that awaits them.

[Spence]

You do bring up some interesting points, Spence. Maybe you do it without meaning to, but there is an element of 'tradition' that accompanies a win over Notre Dame. I saw BYU beat them, and you can't tell me, that teams don't play 'harder' when they face ND.

No, it wasn't for the national championship, but I think it's likely one reason why Ohio St was a 'pre-season' favorite (USA Today) to win the NC, this year.

It is totally the reason that Ohio State was voted #1 by the coaches. That doesn't make it the correct thing. The press who hangs on everything Charlie Weis, thought that if Ohio State could put that many yards up on Charlie Weis we must be great. The fact is Weis only had half a team, even a great coach can't fix not having equal talent on the field. Weis will win a NC for Notre Dame, he is a very good coach. It just won't be this year.

Sure teams play harder against a team like Notre Dame. They do the same against the other members of the elite all time powers including Miami and Florida St. Playing with a bullseye on your back is expected at these schools. It shouldn't make a difference.

Ohio State may very well develop into a great team this year. The talent is there, but they aren't the best team going into the season.

[mountainman]

Ohio State may very well develop into a great team this year. The talent is there, but they aren't the best team going into the season.

Well that certainly begs the question of who do you believe is "the best team going into the season."