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Breaking Down The Top 25 | 17 comments (17 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

yep on the nope (#5)
by RJ Warner on Wed Aug 08 2007 at 1:19 PM EST

Hawaii can never stop anybody. If they could, they'd be undefeated every year, considering how much offense they put up.

A team I like this year--and they don't deserve to crack the top 25 preseason--is Illinois. Sounds a little weird since they've won about as much as Temple the past few years, but Zook can recruit his balls off (re: Florida) and that team returns a lot of starters. They only won 1 or 2 games last year, but they were hell on Ohio St and some other Big 10 teams. Are they gonna win the Big 10? Hell no and hell no, but they'll be a great team to bet on and look for them to surprise some people.

Illinois (#6)
by Trevor on Wed Aug 08 2007 at 2:03 PM EST

They are a sleeper team in the Big 10. The level of talent has definitely increased and they have a ton of guys coming back. I think they are a team that gets to 6-5 this season and then becomes the sleeper du jour for the following season.

Another two teams I really like to have good years but didn't rank are Southern Mississippi and South Florida. I think they could both find their way into a Top 25 by the end of the season. Auburn needs to be on upset alert with South Florida coming in the second week of the season.

"No, cause it ain't sh*t. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't sh*t ... Next time I might shake my d*ck." --Randy Moss
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This is a year (#7)
by RJ Warner on Wed Aug 08 2007 at 2:34 PM EST

where at least 10 teams could realistically be in the BCS title game. I expect WVU to be undefeated, Michigan should run the table, beat Ohio St and take out Wisconsin. I think with Wisconsin having a new QB, they could be upset somewhere in the Big 10. Plus, they always seem to falter when expectations are high. I think Fla lost too much, but the talent level is always there. You have to give the early pole position to the winner of the LSU-VT game.

Oh, and USC is pretty good, too. They have a chance to be as good a defense this year as the Leinart-Bush-White-Jarrett combo was on offense a few years ago. BUt UCLA has most of their starters back on a team that beat the crap out of them defensively last year. That game wasn't that much of a fluke. It's the only time I really saw anybody take it to the Trojans physically in years. But I think the game of the year will be USC @ Cal in November. I guarantee DeSean Jackson will be a household name after that game.

Awesome article though, and as you can tell by this comment, I've been dying to talk some CFB lately.

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: Thank you! (#8)
by Trevor on Wed Aug 08 2007 at 3:14 PM EST

The only nonconference game I can remember that was close to having the ramifications LSU-Virginia Tech has was The Ohio State University and Texas two years ago. LSU is the consensus #2 and it is in Tiger Stadium. However, if the Hokies win they are set up for the entire season because they are clear cut favorites in every other game. Toss in that you know Frank Beamer is saving his best, "you go win this game for the 32 people who got shot" speech and I think you could have a game for the ages. I can't wait to tune in for it.
USC is a great team this year. They are just stacked on both sides of the ball. I have a feeling they are going to punch UCLA in the mouth in that game and return the favor. You know they have heard about that loss for the last eight months.

"No, cause it ain't sh*t. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't sh*t ... Next time I might shake my d*ck." --Randy Moss
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the illini (#17)
by cernig on Wed Aug 08 2007 at 11:26 PM EST

better start producing with all those great recruiting classes or zook could be out of there very soon.

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Breaking Down The Top 25 | 17 comments (17 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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