USA Today early top 25

[Eric]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...rn-tcu-oregon-alabama-florida-state/21517063/

23. Georgia Tech (11-3)

Why No. 23? Because the Yellow Jackets have rediscovered their rhythm on offense. It's clear that quarterback Justin Thomas is the answer under center; he may be the best Paul Johnson has had at the position since arriving in Atlanta in 2008. There's a big hole along the offensive line and some changing pieces in the backfield, but the Jackets should still house one of the best running games in the country. Navigating a tough road schedule will provide the team's sternest test"

 

[Tempest_12]

Stanford at 5? Lol I'm done. Didn't need to read any further.

 

[yellowRambler]

Next man up. After 2012 season if you would have told me that Zenon, Snoddy and Bostic learned out to make guys miss and break a tackle, I wouldn't have believed you. If you would have told me our best receiver was a baseball player, I would have thought that was a terrible sign and if you would have told me that Perkins learned to stop fumbling and that Hill was used as something other than a blocker I would have been very surprised.

Guys improved a ton and kept the next man up mentality after Orwin and Godhigh. Next man up again.

 

[Nixon_Corral]

Next man up. After 2012 season if you would have told me that Zenon, Snoddy and Bostic learned out to make guys miss and break a tackle, I wouldn't have believed you. If you would have told me our best receiver was a baseball player, I would have thought that was a terrible sign and if you would have told me that Perkins learned to stop fumbling and that Hill was used as something other than a blocker I would have been very surprised.

Guys improved a ton and kept the next man up mentality after Orwin and Godhigh. Next man up again.

Agreed. I think we must have some of the most coachable players in the country. They always seem to step up.

I think we'll reload and be good next year. But I never like to say anything too bold. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out, though!

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

What hole along the offensive line ??? I know we are losing Shaq, but I still think the O-line will be our strength

 

[Sean311]

I think we'll be between 14-20..if we were in the SEC we would be preseason Top 5 though......

 

[RyanS12]

Next years schedule is going to be brutal. @ ND early. That is going to be a huge game for our program as far as national recognition. Win and the hype keeps rolling from the Orange Bowl. Lose and everyone jumps off the bandwagon. Hopefully we can start clicking on O with by week 3 with a couple new Bbacks, unproven receivers, and finding some depth at Aback. If the O line stays healthy and the D continues to improve like it has, winning game like @ ND @ Clemson @ Duke and @ Miami and home vs F$U, georgia, UNCheat and VT will make us a playoff team. I think we will be better next season but with that schedule our W/L record might not be as good as it was this past season. September can't get here soon enough!

 

[Minawreck]

The last statement is a little puzzling, but is the constant dilemma with rankings:

Are they supposed to be a list of who you think the best teams are, or are they supposed to be a list of how successful each team's season has been by season's end?

Our tough road schedule should have no bearing on a preseason ranking. Either we're #23 or we're not. Unless you're trying to predict not only who is good, but also how they will finish each game. The exercise of trying to accomplish that should prove how silly preseason polls are.

 

[GTJake]

Although it obviously helps to start the season ranked somewhere in the Top 25, pre-season rankings are mostly a popularity contest.
So as long as we're in there someplace, its a good place to start.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

The last statement is a little puzzling, but is the constant dilemma with rankings:

Are they supposed to be a list of who you think the best teams are, or are they supposed to be a list of how successful each team's season has been by season's end?

Our tough road schedule should have no bearing on a preseason ranking. Either we're #23 or we're not. Unless you're trying to predict not only who is good, but also how they will finish each game. The exercise of trying to accomplish that should prove how silly preseason polls are.

I agree, it's a super silly exercise, but one that carries so much weight. Pre-season polls are the groundwork for determining the first playoff poll. Why is that you ask, because the committee has preconceived notions on how hard your schedule has been prior to that first ranking and what gives them their preconceived notions.....?

 

[DaddyBill]

Wasn't Oklahoma #1 in last year's preseason rankings? Y'all see how that worked out.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

It is supposed to be how you "should" finish. This is ridiculous, because sometimes they will have 5 teams in the top ten that all play each other. Common sense says that is not going to happen.

 

[Techster]

Eh...it's not where you start, it's where you finish. WAY too early to make a fuss about being in a pre-season top 25. Nice to talk about, but they mean less than nothing.

I'd rather end 2015 in the top 10 than start the season in the top 10 and end up #23.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

Depends. Would we have made the playoffs with one loss like 3 of the teams did? I don't think so.

 

[dhbartlett12]

What hole along the offensive line ??? I know we are losing Shaq, but I still think the O-line will be our strength

While Shaq is probably the best offensive lineman CPJ has ever had, its pretty unfair to say Gary Brown or whoever replaces him is a hole.
I can foresee Errin Joe moving inside and Griffin taking tackle and we return 5 starters anyway.

 

[Minawreck]

Depends. Would we have made the playoffs with one loss like 3 of the teams did? I don't think so.

Really? I think we'd have had the much stronger resume than Baylor who had the head to head against TCU that the committee valued in the end.

Assuming we beat one of UNC/Duke and FSU in the ACCCG. I'd assume we'd have been in at 4 with Baylor 5 FSu 6 and TCU 7.

We would've had 3 top 15 wins to TCU's zero and Baylor's 1 and obviously the head to head against FSU.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Depends. Would we have made the playoffs with one loss like 3 of the teams did? I don't think so.

I think we would have if the one loss wasn't FSU. If we had been undefeated heading into the ACCCG, we probably would have been #5 right behind undefeated FSU. A loss to FSU would have kept us out. Had we been a one loss team heading into the ACCCG vs an undefeated FSU and won, we would have gotten in.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

While Shaq is probably the best offensive lineman CPJ has ever had, its pretty unfair to say Gary Brown or whoever replaces him is a hole.
I can foresee Errin Joe moving inside and Griffin taking tackle and we return 5 starters anyway.

I think either Shamire or Braun moves over into Shaq's spot.

 

[GTJason]

I'll play devil's advocate here: preseason rankings do matter. Look how hard it was for us to climb into the top 25 and then one loss to a Duke team who was ranked the week before and we were out again. If we're preseason top 10, we can lose a game and still be ranked. I get it, the idea is to be undefeated but if you aren't (and I'll make the bold prediction here and now we won't be, hope I'm wrong) a high ranking helps those losses

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I'll play devil's advocate here: preseason rankings do matter. Look how hard it was for us to climb into the top 25 and then one loss to a Duke team who was ranked the week before and we were out again. If we're preseason top 10, we can lose a game and still be ranked. I get it, the idea is to be undefeated but if you aren't (and I'll make the bold prediction here and now we won't be, hope I'm wrong) a high ranking helps those losses

What really helps is having the worldwide leader in sports clamoring how good your losses are.