# Way too early College Football chatter **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 6, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504 "2014-07-06T23:24:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/21 "2014-07-12T18:48:44Z")
I’m a Big Ten fan. Just my opinion, but I think the consensus rankings for Wisconsin and Ohio State are too high and for Michigan State and Penn State too low. My way too early guesses at the Big Ten - Michigan State 5 Penn State 8 Ohio State 12 Michigan 19 Nebraska 22 Minnesota 29 Iowa 30 Wisconsin 33 Five teams in the top twenty five might seem too high, but the league does have 14 total teams now. This might be the year Minnesota finally wins the Axe, but probably not since the game is in Madison. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/22 "2014-07-26T14:18:40Z")
tOSU Band is in some hot water. The Band director was fired after allegations {gasp} of band members being [hazed](http://deadspin.com/hazing-investigation-ohio-state-band-members-are-horny-1610311478). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/23 "2014-07-26T14:48:01Z")
I’m about to light out on a project that I hope somebody else has already done the grunt work on. Using the preseason rankings as they stand before AP makes things more or less official, I want to list the teams that are in _anybody’s_ Top 25 so that there’s a reasonable chance the really strong teams will be on the list. Then I want to check those teams’ schedules for how many of the other Top-X-Number teams they will face this season. Then compile a listing of which teams will face the most Top-X-Number teams. Have you seen such a breakdown yet? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/24 "2014-07-26T15:06:47Z")
I have seen websites that collate all the pre season rankings in past seasons. I suspect there will sites that will do the collating. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/25 "2014-07-26T15:15:54Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I have seen websites that collate all the pre season rankings in past seasons. I suspect there will sites that will do the collating. Some that I have located for the basic data are: > **[College Football Poll.com](https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/)** > > College football rankings and accurate weekly picks. Exclusive content, features, and analysis. > **[2014 Preseason Consensus](https://stassen.com/preseason/consensus/2014.html)** > > The consensus national top 25 and conference predictions of all the college football preseason magazines, for 2014 > **[2014 Preseason Consensus](https://stassen.com/preseason/consensus/2014.html)** > > The consensus national top 25 and conference predictions of all the college football preseason magazines, for 2014 [http://masseyratings.com/cf/compare.htm](http://masseyratings.com/cf/compare.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/26 "2014-07-26T17:06:36Z")
A couple more links to add to the confusion: > **[2014 College Football Strength of Schedule - NCAA Method](https://fbschedules.com/2014-college-football-strength-of-schedule-ncaa-method/)** > > The Arkansas Razorbacks have the toughest 2014 football schedule according to the NCAA's strength of schedule method. [http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2014/sec-football-strength-of-schedule-2014/](http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2014/sec-football-strength-of-schedule-2014/) Once Jeff Sagarin updates his list there may be more to work with in the SOS area. I may just wait at least that long to get deep into my “project.” ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/27 "2014-07-26T17:23:42Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > I’m a Big Ten fan. Just my opinion, but I think the consensus rankings for Wisconsin and Ohio State are too high and for Michigan State and Penn State too low. I can’t see PSU winning more than 8 games, let alone finishing in the top 10. They’re still under sanctions. What the hell is going on at Texas? It sounds like half the players have been kicked off the team. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/28 "2014-07-26T19:48:48Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > I’m a Big Ten fan. Just my opinion, but I think the consensus rankings for Wisconsin and Ohio State are too high and for Michigan State and Penn State too low. > > My way too early guesses at the Big Ten - > > Michigan State 5 > Penn State 8 > Ohio State 12 > Michigan 19 > Nebraska 22 > Minnesota 29 > Iowa 30 > Wisconsin 33 > > Five teams in the top twenty five might seem too high, but the league does have 14 total teams now. > > This might be the year Minnesota finally wins the Axe, but probably not since the game is in Madison. Can PSU go bowling? How long before the contend for a NC? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/29 "2014-07-26T21:32:59Z")
UCF will win 9, take the AAC again, and finish in the top 25. Maryland will win 5 and fire Randy Edsall. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/30 "2014-07-27T00:23:33Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I can’t see PSU winning more than 8 games, let alone finishing in the top 10. They’re still under sanctions. > > What the hell is going on at Texas? It sounds like half the players have been kicked off the team. All ten teams of the Big Twelve have had a lot of police problems this off season. At least, on casual inspection it seems that way. If not being in trouble for DUI, drug possession, or beating on someone, they have scholastic issues. And not just the grunt players. The high profile ones, too. Hey, if enough Big12 players get arrested, indicted, scholastically suspended, or kicked off the teams, maybe they’ll let some women try out! ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/31 "2014-07-27T05:35:07Z")
Looking at Mississippi State, I count 7 “should win” games: Southern Miss, UAB, South Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, UT Martin, and Vanderbilt. I count 3 “Unlikely to win” games: Bama, LSU, Auburn Which leaves 2 “make or break the season” games: Texas A&M, and as always, Ole Miss. I think 9 wins are possible, but 10 or more would probably trigger a zombie apocalypse. I’m going to call 8 wins with fingers crossed for more. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/32 "2014-07-28T01:03:57Z")
I follow SEC (but watch all football), and this is how I see this year playing out. SEC East: 1.) Mizzou 😃 They will surprise everyone this year, again, and win the East. They have home games against Georgia, Vandy, Kentucky, and Arky. Away games against S.C., Florida, Tenn, and aTm. They will win 2 of 3 from S.C. aTm and Florida while Carolina as usual loses a game they souldn’t (Tenn last year). 2.)Georgia Will have a great running game returning with Gurley and Marshall. Georgia’s cross divisional games are Auburn and @ Arky, and they are also away at S.C. early in the year. They will finish with the same conference record but lose to tie-breaker to Mizzou. 3.)South Carolina. Like I said they will end up losing to Florida or Tennessee and after losing to both Auburn and aTm finish the season in conference 5-3. They will also lose to “Big Brother” Clemson. 4.)Florida Muschamp. 5.)Tennessee How a once mighty program has fallen. 6.)Kentucky I actually like the recruiting classes they have brought in the last couple years. Could surprise a team or two. 7.)Vandy With their former coach leaving and taking recruits with him it doesn’t look good for the 'Dores this year. SEC West 1.)2.)3.) Alabama, Auburn, LSU Have no clue how these teams will finish, they all have lost big pieces. Auburn is returning their QB and a lot of other piece, but who knows. 4.)aTm They will continue to be a little too creepy (as a school) for my liking. 5.)MSU Dak. Dak. Dak. is all you will hear until they have their stretch against LSU, aTm, and Auburn and then it will taper off. MSU somehow lucked themselves into the SEC, where realistically (on a scholastic level) they should be in the Sunbelt. They will however win their Superbowl against Ole Miss. 6.) Ole Miss Attended a game there last year, had a good time, but the Grove is overrated. 7.) Arky Will once again go 0-8 in conference. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/33 "2014-07-28T01:16:57Z")
Retro-WTH happened to the Vols? ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/34 "2014-07-28T01:27:47Z")
Dooley. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/35 "2014-07-28T11:45:21Z")
I’m liking my Spartans in the Big Ten again this year. Schedule is favorable with Ohio State and Michigan both at home. Best non-conference game of the year is Michigan State at Oregon. I like Wisconsin to win the Big Ten West and get postitively stuffed in the title game by MSU. About halfway through the year I expect Maryland and Rutgers to wonder what they were thinking when they joined. ---
**Author:** ![Snupzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@Snupzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snupzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/36 "2014-07-30T03:57:12Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Oh, the Big12? Sorry, when they actually have 12 decent teams again then I’ll give a shit. Until then it’s the Big2andahalf conference. I feel the same about the Big Ten, I’ll start paying attention as soon as they have 10 decent teams. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/37 "2014-07-30T08:17:37Z")
It may well be that no conference has a BIG 10 teams. I can’t account for more than these currently contending SEC teams: Georgia South Carolina Missouri Florida Alabama Auburn LSU Ole Miss You might toss in a couple more after the season gets underway, but my source for this “guess” is > **[College Football Poll.com](https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/)** > > College football rankings and accurate weekly picks. Exclusive content, features, and analysis. and you can check for the other conferences there or some other “reliable” prognosticator. They can’t all be “California Girls.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2014, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/38 "2014-07-30T09:49:35Z")
Have you had this thought lately: now that the FBS division is up to 128 schools (a neat member in the powers of 2) would it make better sense to move the Top X-Number up to 32? Why 25 for so long? Isn’t it pretty close to a certainty that at least the Top 32 will have at least winning records when it’s all said and done? Not necessarily the Preseason Top 32, but the end-of-season batch? With the inclusion of out-of-division games in the win-loss records, can’t there be more than 64 Winning Teams in the FBS? According to [Dennis Dodd](http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24540493/idaho-unlv-banned-from-postseason-will-there-be-enough-bowl-eligible-teams-in-14) > [@](#): > > …APR penalties have largely touched Football Championship Subdivision schools (formerly Division I-AA) until this month. > > With a record 39 bowls in 2014, the system is already operating on a razor-thin edge. There were 72 bowl-eligible teams for 70 spots (35 bowls) from 2010-2012 according to figures supplied by the FBA. The total grew to 79 for 70 spots in 2013. > > That’s an average of 73.75 bowl-eligible teams the last four years. The system will need a minimum of 76 teams in 2014. (The two national semifinal winners will “pass through” to the national championships game.)… Should we at SDMB instigate our own Top 32 so as to get ahead of the game? ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/39 "2014-07-31T19:21:02Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Have you had this thought lately: now that the FBS division is up to 128 schools (a neat member in the powers of 2) would it make better sense to move the Top X-Number up to 32? Why 25 for so long? When (and why) did it become 25, anyway? I remember when the standard was 20. Besides - technically, you can expand both the coaches and AP polls out to every team that got at least one vote. Both polls include “also receiving votes” lists (with numbers) each week. > [@Zeldar](#): > > According to [Dennis Dodd](http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24540493/idaho-unlv-banned-from-postseason-will-there-be-enough-bowl-eligible-teams-in-14): > > > [@](#): > > > > That’s an average of 73.75 bowl-eligible teams the last four years. The system will need a minimum of 76 teams in 2014. (The two national semifinal winners will “pass through” to the national championships game.)… The NCAA already has a plan in place should there not be enough bowl-eligible teams. If this happens, teams become eligible using the following priority: [ol] [li]Teams that did not have a win against an FCS opponent that gave out at least 90% of scholarships in the previous two years (each team can count one such win per year), but would be bowl-eligible if a win it had against an FCS opponent that did not meet the scholarship requirement were to count;[/li][li]Teams that beat two FCS teams and would be eligible if both wins counted;[/li][li]Teams that had a regular season record of 6-7 (a team that plays an away game at Hawaii gets a 13th regular season game)[/li][li]Teams in their fourth year of FCS-to-FBS transition that would be eligible if they were already full FBS schools;[/li][li]Teams that went 5-7 and are in the top 5 of the FBS APR.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504/40 "2014-07-31T19:46:06Z")
Just missed the edit window…I thought I’d add, just in case anyone is wondering: The “UCLA Exception” now applies to all teams automatically - a team is considered bowl-eligible if it finishes its regular season bowl-eligible but then plays in, and loses, its conference championship game. (Not too many years ago, UCLA went 6-6 in the regular season, but lost the Pac-12 Championship Game, technically making them bowl-ineligible; they appealed to the NCAA, which granted a waiver.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-too-early-college-football-chatter/692504.md?page=3)