The Athletic: Post Spring Top 25

seaofred92

seaofred92

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https://theathletic.com/2560669/2021/05/04/college-football-post-spring-top-25-topped-by-the-usual-suspects-alabama-georgia-and-oklahoma-mandels-rankings/

NU opponents in italics below:

1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State
5. Clemson
6. Texas A&M
7. Iowa State
8. Cincinnati
9. LSU
10. Oregon
11. Miami (FL)
12. Wisconsin
13. Notre Dame
14. Iowa
15. Texas
16. Indiana
17. Louisiana
18. Liberty
19. North Carolina 
20. Florida
21. Coastal Carolina
22. Utah
23. Arizona State
24. Penn State
25. Ole Miss

Not that I think they should be in there- but it is bizarre to see one of these polls without Michigan in it. Other observations?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Too high: 

  • Georgia - they're top ten for sure, but #2?
  • Wisconsin - 12 is betting heavily on massive offensive improvement. I don't think their receivers are good enough, and the running game will need Berger to stay healthy or a true freshman to be a stud immediately. Defense makes them top-20 without a doubt, 12 is a little rich for me.
  • Penn State - I know last year was weird and they won their last 4, but I don't see it.
  • Miami/Texas - pretty much what used to happen to us, getting ranked too high because of the name.
 
Husker in WI said:
Too high: 

  • Georgia - they're top ten for sure, but #2?
  • Wisconsin - 12 is betting heavily on massive offensive improvement. I don't think their receivers are good enough, and the running game will need Berger to stay healthy or a true freshman to be a stud immediately. Defense makes them top-20 without a doubt, 12 is a little rich for me.
  • Penn State - I know last year was weird and they won their last 4, but I don't see it.
  • Miami/Texas - pretty much what used to happen to us, getting ranked too high because of the name.
Click to expand...
Agreed across the board. Georgia lost big pieces on all three levels of the defense that carried them with an offense that was up and down, but got better. Wisconsin is probably better suited in the 20-25 range. Penn State was full of potential last year and after losing a lot of raw talent, they will be raw again. Miami was ok with the most notable win being against NC State. They too will have major pieces to reload on defense. Texas. I don't know what they expect with the general circus that tent has been since Brown left. Ehrling isn't around to save 5 games from being major upsets with 21 unanswered points in the last 5 minutes of games.

 
Husker in WI said:
Too high: 

  • Georgia - they're top ten for sure, but #2?
  • Wisconsin - 12 is betting heavily on massive offensive improvement. I don't think their receivers are good enough, and the running game will need Berger to stay healthy or a true freshman to be a stud immediately. Defense makes them top-20 without a doubt, 12 is a little rich for me.
  • Penn State - I know last year was weird and they won their last 4, but I don't see it.
  • Miami/Texas - pretty much what used to happen to us, getting ranked too high because of the name.
Click to expand...


Agree on Wisconsin, Texas and Georgia, though the Dawgs are probably going to have their best offense under Smart with a legit NFL first-round QB. Penn State was more a victim of close game luck last year than a significant regression in play and has been stockpiling and developing talent as well as anyone in the Big Ten not named Ohio State for the last five years, and Miami returns a ton from a very good team last year. 

 
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