A Fan's Top 25
by Bill Glose, 7/31/00
Well, August is upon us, and that means one thing to college football fans... it's time for everyone to make their preseason predictions. Last year's predictions brought smiles to the faces of Hokie faithful everywhere as Lee Corso picked FSU and VT to meet each other in the national championship game. Jack Ebling also gained popularity in Blacksburg by voting the Hokies as the #1 team in the nation with his AP vote - the first #1 vote for the Hokies ever!
I've compared the top-25 polls from various publications and disagreed with the mentality of most of them. I like Ebling's approach to his voting. When he chose Tech at #1 last year, he said he was looking at the end of the season rather than the beginning. He considered the schedule along with the team's strengths - and he also had heard the hype behind Vick. So, I wanted to take that same approach to create a fan's top 25 for this year. I'm not picking who the top 25 are going to be at the start of the season, but rather where I think they will finish up at the end, just before the bowl pairings are announced. Penn State will appear on everyone's top 25 list this year, but since they return only 2 starters on defense and 7 on offense (if Casey remains eligible), I think they will lose 4 or 5 games this year and drop out of the polls by season's end. Other teams, such as ECU, might have top-25 talent, but their brutal schedule will prevent them from being ranked. That's how I set up my criteria. This top-25 is where I think teams will finish the season for the AP/Coaches poll average. It'll be fun to see how close I come at the end of the year.
So, without further ado, here's how I pick 'em. NOTE: This is how I, Bill Glose, pick them for this year. My picks have absolutely nothing to do with HokieCentral's views. If you disagree, post your thoughts on the message board and start up a lively thread, but DON'T e-mail Will with your complaints.
| RANK | TEAM | COMMENTS |
| 1 | Florida State | Speed, speed, and more speed. That's how Florida State will run opponents into the ground this year. They'll have two close games this year, but the rest will be blowouts. A slimmed-down Weinke will lead his team to another championship game, and himself to an NFL career. After Marshall loses, the Seminoles will run the nation's longest winning streak up to 23 as they go through another undefeated season. |
| 2 | Alabama | Bama plays one of the toughest OOC schedules this year for the SEC, hosting Southern Miss and traveling to UCLA. The tough competition will only serve to hone the Tide for their MNC match-up with FSU thanks to the return of 9 offensive starters and 9 defensive starters. They will best those non-SEC foes and spend the entire season in the top-10. Zow will have plenty of protection behind a veteran line and the defense returns the top five tacklers. |
| 3 | Michigan | A powerful offensive line anchored by three redshirt seniors will bust huge holes in opponents' defenses this year and the running game will prosper. Speed, height, and skill mark the rest of the Wolverine's positions and they will finish the season 10-1, winning the Big-10. |
| 4 | Texas | Texas has the depth and power to go all the way this year. They also have the schedule. They don't play either of the conference's front runners (Nebraska & K-State) during the regular season, and should make it to the championship game without much trouble. They will repay Texas A&M for last year's loss by winning handily, but will lose a game before that finale occurs - most likely their road trip to Colorado. The late season Big-XII title game win against Nebraska catapults them past Miami. |
| 5 | Nebraska | With only 5 starters returning on defense, Nebraska will be scored on this year. Even so, the corn-fed Huskers will romp through their schedule unscathed and hold on to a #1 ranking in both major polls all year long... until they lose their conference championship game against Texas. Their only close call prior to that will be a tough contest against K-State. |
| 6 | Miami | The Hurricane will lose one game this year - to FSU. Wins against other top ten teams (VT & Washington) will move the Canes up the ranks for a BCS berth. Sophomore QB, Ken Dorsey, will be solid, but the Canes offense will concentrate on their running attack, where they field potentially the nation's strongest backfield. Look for Najeh Davenport to have a breakout year and steal Jackson's spotlight. |
| 7 | Georgia | Quincy Carter finally has solid receivers to throw to and the defense returns all but one starter. Additionally, Georgia has all of its toughest games at home this year. They will make it to the SEC championship game, losing to Alabama in a good matchup. |
| 8 | Washington | Marques Tuiasosopo will give Vick a run for his money in the Heisman chase and he will almost single-handedly beat the Canes in their early season contest. But the lack of talent and experience in the receiving corps will prevent him from becoming a serious challenge. Washington will win their conference outright this year. The PAC-10 will improve from last year, but that won't be saying much. |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | Another season with 11 regular season wins and a Heisman trophy for Vick. The only loss comes at the hands of the Canes in a close battle in Miami. Since the game is so late in the season, the loss pushes them outside the top-10 for the first time since September, but they regain footing and finish inside the top ten. |
| 10 | Purdue | Drew Brees will have a spectacular senior year and lead the Boilermakers to a 9-2 record. Purdue loses most of its defense though, so they will lose to the Wolverines and one other Big-10 foe. Brees finishes second in Heisman voting. |
| 11 | Kansas State | QB Jonathan Beasley will perform similar to last year (2032 yds, 22 TD) and lead his team to another 10-win season. K-State will have a strong team, but will definately lose to Nebraska in Lincoln. That loss will shock no one. What will surprise many is when they lose a game prior to that meeting - to either the visiting Oklahoma Sooners, or on a road trip to face Texas A&M. |
| 12 | Florida | Florida's only two losses this year will be to top tier teams FSU and Georgia, both of which are road games. However, since they are in the same division as the Bulldogs, their 9-2 record won't get them to the SEC championship. Question marks on the offensive line and in the receiving corps could lead to problems for the Gators. |
| 13 | Wisconsin | The Badgers will have a good year, even without departed Heisman winner Ron Dayne. They return plenty of experience on both sides of the ball, but just like last year's loss to Cincinatti, the Badgers will falter once against an underdog. Playing Hawaii gives them an extra game this year, so they finish 10-2. |
| 14 | Southern Cal | The good news for USC is that their QB has healed and is ready to make a run for the roses. USC's opener against Penn State gives them an extra game this year so they finish 10-2. They will beat Joe Pa, but will fall twice during the year. |
| 15 | Texas A&M | The Aggie's forte in 2000 will be their defense, but it will be strong enough to actually win games for them. A 9-2 finish is only marred by a season-ending loss to their archrival, Texas. |
| 16 | Clemson | Clemson returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and Tommy Bowden's Tigers will finish the season with only 2 losses. When Bowden inherited the program 2 years ago, the Tigers were coming off a 3-8 record and he managed to finish with a 6-5 record and a bowl berth...quite a 1-year turnaround by any standard. He still won't have the formula for beating his father, but the family fued will be just as exciting as last year's match up. |
| 17 | TCU | Featuring the nation's leading rusher, LaDainian Tomlinson, the Horned Frogs will garner some attention this year. Playing in the soft WAC, they will also collect wins. However, they will face the same stigma as Marshall, and a 9-2 record will fail to gain them a top bowl or a top-ten ranking. |
| 18 | Tennessee | The Vols will drop two home games this year, to Florida and Alabama. They will also lose their away contest to Georgia, but still finish with a solid 8-3 record, which is impressive considering that only 5 starters return on both sides of the ball. Joey Mathews appears to be the starting QB, but he doesn't have the same talent as either of UT's last two signal callers (Peyton Manning and Tee Martin). |
| 19 | Marshall | The Herd's only loss will come early in the season against Michigan State. A quality win against UNC should give them some credit with the pollsters. Unfortunately for the Herd, their reward for another stellar season in the soft MAC will be the same as the previous three years - the Motor City Bowl. |
| 20 | Pittsburgh | This will be a breakout year for the Panthers. They return the most dangerous duo of receivers in the nation from last year and will score umpteen points through their potent air attack. Their defense centers around a strong nucleus of linebackers (7 returning lettermen) with All-Big East Safety Ramon Walker ready to help out. Aiding their depleted secondary is JUCO transfer All-American David Routt. This will be the year they finally beat Penn State, and who knows... they, too, might go on a 5-game winning streak against a once unbeatable rival. Their telling game will be if they can best the Orangemen on the road. |
| 21 | Ole Miss | The Rebels will have a good year and even upset one of the SEC elite, but they will finish with an 8-3 record and head back to the Independence Bowl. Their primary strength will be the running game where Deuce McAllister and Joe Gunn will both pile up over 1000 yards each. |
| 22 | Oklahoma | Bob Stoops will have Oklahoma lighting up the scoreboards again this year with his pass-happy offense. The Sooners will have a strong team this year, but not strong enough to make it through the Big-12 unscathed. Josh Heupel will put up big numbers, but they will lose to the the Huskers and two other games to finish 8-3. |
| 23 | UCLA | A strong team with an even-stronger schedule. Early losses to Bama and Michigan drop them from the top-25, but they recover before finally losing at Washington. |
| 24 | Illinois | Illinois will improve on last year's record and finish 8-3. Kurt Kittner surprised everyone last year, but this year defenses will be ready for him. He'll still put up big numbers in the run-happy Big 10, but a gutted defense will prevent them from contending for the conference title. |
| 25 | Colorado St. | The Rams will win the Mountain West this year, ousting league-favorite Utah, clinging to a top-25 spot and a Liberty Bowl berth. QB Matt newton will have plenty of protection from a solid OL and will improve upon his 2368 yards from 1999. |
