The Sporting News preseason top 25

[lamont]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.sportingnews.com/amp/ncaa-football/news/preseason-college-football-rankings-2017-top-25-championship-teams-alabama-usc-michigan-ohio-state/psln63tvfekn1qoi05ayqy1j9

1. Bama (shocker)
10. Georgia (will be good)
11. Auburn (will play Bama for the West)
14. LSU (about right- they probably go 9-3)
15. Florida (cocktail party decides East)
25. Tenn (big season for Butch and a new QB)

Solid list

[Political Hack]

I know they're likely going to have a down year, but it's strange to not see A&M in that list.

[Cooterpoot]

Georgia is not a top 10 team and Florida will be lucky to be top 15.

[lamont]

I know they're likely going to have a down year, but it's strange to not see A&M in that list.

Yep. This looks like it could be a year in which Sumlin might have to worry about his job

[lamont]

Georgia is not a top 10 team and Florida will be lucky to be top 15.

Georgia will be close. 3rd best team in the SEC. Loaded on D- good QB and RB's. They need those 2 5-star OT's to develop quickly and a WR to step up

[msstate7]

Espn has it different

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/19242379/ohio-state-buckeyes-replace-alabama-crimson-tide-post-spring-top-25

[dawgday166]

Espn has it different

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/19242379/ohio-state-buckeyes-replace-alabama-crimson-tide-post-spring-top-25

I noticed how it took 1 game of getting his ass kicked for Meyer to shake up his offensive staff. Dan should be taking notes. Now fire back at me LOL *****

[Mobile Bay]

No respect

[Pollodawg]

No respect

Respect for whom? MSU? What makes you think we deserve anyway. We're coming off of a 5-7 season that saw us lose to USA and beat Miami by a point......

[smootness]

Florida is likely too high here, and there is no way Tennessee is a top-25 team.

[msstate7]

Florida is likely too high here.

Random in 3,2,1...

[ShotgunDawg]

I have a hard time believing Tennessee is a top 25 team.

[msstate7]

Fsu beating bama week 1 and ohio state beating Oklahoma week 2 will put them as front runners for playoffs

[dawgday166]

I have a hard time believing Tennessee is a top 25 team.

I'm wondering this too. Of all the coaches in SEC Butch might be the most unimpressive to me.

[bobcat91]

DJ Looney told a group that MSU has more talent than Georgia and will win that game this year. He has been on both staffs over the last year. Georgia is all hype and Smart is a JAG who isn't at Bama anymore.

[Tbonewannabe]

Florida is likely too high here, and there is no way Tennessee is a top-25 team.

McE needs to prove he can have a competent offense. Without all that talent that Boom left him and Collins doing a great job with the D, McE would have already been fired.

[msstate7]

I'm wondering this too. Of all the coaches in SEC Butch might be the most unimpressive to me.

More than Mullen?**

[Tbonewannabe]

I have a hard time believing Tennessee is a top 25 team.

Tennesse losing Dobbs, both RBs, and Barnett are going to be a major hurdle to get over.

[Maroons]

Florida is likely too high here, and there is no way Tennessee is a top-25 team.

Agreed. After last year, i don't ever see Butch winning big. Especially not this year without Barnett, Dobbs, and Kamara.

[dawgday166]

DJ Looney told a group that MSU has more talent than Georgia and will win that game this year. He has been on both staffs over the last year. Georgia is all hype and Smart is a JAG who isn't at Bama anymore.

So I'm looking at their 2016 schedule. They lost 3 close games against SEC E teams who all would've waxed us (Vandy may not have waxed us but would've beaten us - good D). They lost a blowout to OM who would've waxed us at the time they played them. OM didn't have MGK when we played them. And this with a true frosh at QB.

They return 10 starters on D and 7 on O. They truly had a young team last year (unlike when Dan says we're "young"). Not a bad coaching job by Smart if you ask me.

Why everyone says they're gonna suck is puzzling to me. They should get a lot better.

[dawgday166]

More than Mullen?**

LOL ... a little bit ****

[lamont]

DJ Looney told a group that MSU has more talent than Georgia and will win that game this year. He has been on both staffs over the last year. Georgia is all hype and Smart is a JAG who isn't at Bama anymore.

It's a coach's job to rally the fans.

Georgia was 16th in the country in defense last season. They return 10 starters to that D plus have added more talent for depth. They will be one of the best defenses in the country.

Offensively- they have a good QB and really good RB's. They have work to do on the OL but signing 2 5-star OT's should help. They also signed 3 4-star WR's to help their talent level there.

They had 1 draft pick- so Smart wasn't exactly left a gold mine

[MedDawg]

I noticed how it took 1 game of getting his ass kicked for Meyer to shake up his offensive staff. Dan should be taking notes. Now fire back at me LOL *****

No way I would pick them #1. Both JT Barrett and Ohio State didn't look very good the last third of last season. A new OC may or may not change that. They really didn't deserve to be in the playoff, and the only reason they were even in the playoff were because of a couple of mid-season 60 point games and barely not losing their last few games.

[lamont]

McE needs to prove he can have a competent offense. Without all that talent that Boom left him and Collins doing a great job with the D, McE would have already been fired.

McE has lost his starting QB both seasons he has been in Gainesville. They are loaded on the OL and good at WR. Franks is young but should develop. Florida will be just fine

[dawgday166]

No way I would pick them #1. Both JT Barrett and Ohio State didn't look very good the last third of last season. A new OC may or may not change that. They really didn't deserve to be in the playoff, and the only reason they were even in the playoff were because of a couple of mid-season 60 point games and barely not losing their last few games.

I agree they shouldn't have made playoffs and said so at the time. Thought Penn State should have.

However, they return 8 starters on offense. I wouldn't count Urban out myself. I can see why they are considered that highly. New OC may require an adjustment period tho.

[Political Hack]

Tennesse losing Dobbs, both RBs, and Barnett are going to be a major hurdle to get over.

I agree. Losing Dobbs brain alone will hurt like hell, not to mention Kamara's explosiveness.

[LC Dawg]

I have a hard time believing Tennessee is a top 25 team.

Butch says they're a top 25 of life team.

[Bully13]

Respect for whom? MSU? What makes you think we deserve anyway. We're coming off of a 5-7 season that saw us lose to USA and beat Miami by a point......

Gracias

[bobcat91]

It's a coach's job to rally the fans.

Georgia was 16th in the country in defense last season. They return 10 starters to that D plus have added more talent for depth. They will be one of the best defenses in the country.

Offensively- they have a good QB and really good RB's. They have work to do on the OL but signing 2 5-star OT's should help. They also signed 3 4-star WR's to help their talent level there.

They had 1 draft pick- so Smart wasn't exactly left a gold mine

We disagree on QB. That guy is a placeholder and if you expect 2 new OL to come in and solidify a group, I dont think so. They are really going to struggle on offense. And how many points did they score on the Rebs awful defense? How many did they give up? I just dont see it.

[smootness]

McE has lost his starting QB both seasons he has been in Gainesville. They are loaded on the OL and good at WR. Franks is young but should develop. Florida will be just fine

And their offense has completely sucked. Their record has looked fine because the East is garbage.

I think UGA will be better than them this year.

[lamont]

We disagree on QB. That guy is a placeholder and if you expect 2 new OL to come in and solidify a group, I dont think so. They are really going to struggle on offense. And how many points did they score on the Rebs awful defense? How many did they give up? I just dont see it.

Their game against OM was early in the season with a true freshman QB. They go to better as the year went on. OM scored more on them than they did on us. Does that mean our D was better? Not at all

Plus Mullen shows year after year he can't score on a Kirby Smart D

[msstate7]

Their game against OM was early in the season with a true freshman QB. They go to better as the year went on. OM scored more on them than they did on us. Does that mean our D was better? Not at all

Plus Mullen shows year after year he can't score on a Kirby Smart D

Lol @ Kirby smart defense. Who knew kirby was the architect of bama's defense? I always thought it was Saban

[lamont]

I bet Kirby snuck out of Tuscaloosa with a sheet of paper on Bama's D. He made all the defensive calls in game.

[Maroons]

We disagree on QB. That guy is a placeholder and if you expect 2 new OL to come in and solidify a group, I dont think so. They are really going to struggle on offense. And how many points did they score on the Rebs awful defense? How many did they give up? I just dont see it.

Eason is most definitely not a placeholder. They will be balanced and explosive.

[msstate7]

I bet Kirby snuck out of Tuscaloosa with a sheet of paper on Bama's D. He made all the defensive calls in game.

Maybe so...

Pruitt replacing smart improved bama scoring defense by 14%

Smart replacing Pruitt decreased Georgia scoring defense by 42%

[dawgday166]

Eason is most definitely not a placeholder. They will be balanced and explosive.

I was impressed with him later in year - especially for a true frosh. He wasn't Hurts or Deshaun but not many are.

Something else folks seem to be forgetting is they beat the AU team that waxed the hell out of us.

[Pollodawg]

Doubt LSU is a top ten team. They have a "trending down" feel. Ettling is the epitome of average, and other than that RB, who are the stars?

[gtowndawg]

DJ Looney told a group that MSU has more talent than Georgia and will win that game this year. He has been on both staffs over the last year. Georgia is all hype and Smart is a JAG who isn't at Bama anymore.

Interesting. No idea if it's true but I like the way Looney thinks.

[Political Hack]

Doubt LSU is a top ten team. They have a "trending down" feel. Ettling is the epitome of average, and other than that RB, who are the stars?

That's the key to to me, Ettling has to accept he's average and just manage the offense. Don't turn the ball over and keep the running game going. He doesn't need to be an all pro for them to win 10 games.

[msstate7]

I was impressed with him later in year - especially for a true frosh. He wasn't Hurts or Deshaun but not many are.

Something else folks seem to be forgetting is they beat the AU team that waxed the hell out of us.

Did you watch the game? Malzahn might should've been fired for playing White that game. He was hurting bad... clearly injured

White...
6/20. 27 yds 1.4 yds/pass 1 int

[dawgday166]

Did you watch the game? Malzahn might should've been fired for playing White that game. He was hurting bad... clearly injured

White...
6/20. 27 yds 1.4 yds/pass 1 int

So I guess you think we're just gonna waltz into Athens and kick their arse next year?

[msstate7]

So I guess you think we're just gonna waltz into Athens and kick their arse next year?

No idea. I'm not betting on us winning. Where did that conclusion come from?

[Bothrops]

It sucks that we play Georgia on the road. Especially since the last time we played them was in Athens. I'd feel ok about this game if ir were in Starkville. We won't win in Athens.

[smootness]

I bet Kirby snuck out of Tuscaloosa with a sheet of paper on Bama's D. He made all the defensive calls in game.

You think the defensive plays/calls are what makes that defense so special?

[lamont]

Maybe so...

Pruitt replacing smart improved bama scoring defense by 14%

Smart replacing Pruitt decreased Georgia scoring defense by 42%

Smart had a lot of new starters- thus the 10 starters returning this year. Georgia will be damn good on D. That's the least of their worries

[dawgday166]

No idea. I'm not betting on us winning. Where did that conclusion come from?

No particular place. You just seem down on 1st year coach Smart a good bit.

[Tbonewannabe]

That's the key to to me, Ettling has to accept he's average and just manage the offense. Don't turn the ball over and keep the running game going. He doesn't need to be an all pro for them to win 10 games.

Saw an article talking about how Ettling is by far the best QB. Ogre is waiting until Brennan gets on campus to name a starter because he is hoping someone looks better than below average to average.

[confucius say]

Saw an article talking about how Ettling is by far the best QB. Ogre is waiting until Brennan gets on campus to name a starter because he is hoping someone looks better than below average to average.

Nothing personal, but if Brennan is their qb they won't win 7 games

[confucius say]

Did you watch the game? Malzahn might should've been fired for playing White that game. He was hurting bad... clearly injured

White...
6/20. 27 yds 1.4 yds/pass 1 int

He should have been fired long before. Dude is creative, but he does less with more talent and cruitin stars than anybody in the country minus sumlin.

[Tbonewannabe]

Nothing personal, but if Brennan is their qb they won't win 7 games

No matter who is the QB, people are going to be pissed that the offense looks similar to the Hat's 10-15 passes a game. They don't have the QB to run a different offense. Lucky for them they have another stud at RB.

[Pollodawg]

No matter who is the QB, people are going to be pissed that the offense looks similar to the Hat's 10-15 passes a game. They don't have the QB to run a different offense. Lucky for them they have another stud at RB.

If I was just gonna hire Orgeron, I'd have never fired Miles.

[CadaverDawg]

Stewart Mandel has us at #25

I'm not sold on Kirby either. He may be great, but the crowning of him & UGA as the next SEC power is WAAAAY premature. He hasn't done shit yet. Recruited great? Yes....but they didn't look that greatly coached last season through these eyes. He could be the next Butch Jones or Will Muschamp for all any of you know. Jones and Muschamp recruited great out of the gate too, remember. Again, he COULD be great, but there is nothing warranting his crowning yet other than great recruiting.

Hugh Freeze recruited great too, now he's gnawing off his digits with those big ass teeth waiting to see when his show cause drops, and never really won shit.

[bulldawg28]

It's a coach's job to rally the fans.

Georgia was 16th in the country in defense last season. They return 10 starters to that D plus have added more talent for depth. They will be one of the best defenses in the country.

Offensively- they have a good QB and really good RB's. They have work to do on the OL but signing 2 5-star OT's should help. They also signed 3 4-star WR's to help their talent level there.

They had 1 draft pick- so Smart wasn't exactly left a gold mine

Georgia is no Alabama or LSU and will not be World beaters this year either. Everybody is the SEC has good RB's so why worry about theirs? They have a decent QB with 1 decent WR. Ain't nobody scared or worrying about Georgia.

[Mobile Bay]

Respect for whom? MSU? What makes you think we deserve anyway. We're coming off of a 5-7 season that saw us lose to USA and beat Miami by a point......

I think we are better than Tennessee who lost to Vanderbilt and had to go into overtime against App State.

Yes I would be an idiot to claim something top ten, but I do think the way we improved at the end and with what we have coming back we warrent placement somewhere between 20-25 leaning more toward 23-25.

[Mobile Bay]

I bet Kirby snuck out of Tuscaloosa with a sheet of paper on Bama's D. He made all the defensive calls in game.

But he won't have the REC's recruiting system.

[I seen it dawg]

You think the defensive plays/calls are what makes that defense so special?

Well....somebody has to tell them what to do each play the ball is snapped...there's that