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#1----Ohio State
#2----ND
#3----Texas
#4----Auburn
#5----WVU
Hmmmm, something missing here, a little hype maybe?
Ohio State clear-cut No. 1 in preseason AP pollAssociated Press
NEW YORK -- When Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr. and the rest of Ohio State's blazing Buckeyes were last seen on a big stage, they were whizzing around Sun Devil Stadium at warp speed.
That 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl made a lasting impression.
For the first time since 1998, Ohio State is preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25.
"Around here, whether you're high in the polls or not, the expectations are still the same," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said in a telephone interview.
The Buckeyes received 35 of a possible 65 first-place votes from a panel of media members in the poll released Friday. Notre Dame was No. 2, the best preseason showing for the Fighting Irish since they were second in 1994.
Texas will start the defense of its national le as the No. 3 team in the country. Auburn was fourth and West Virginia fifth.
Southern California, preseason No. 1 the past two years, was No. 6. Florida, LSU, California and Oklahoma rounded out the top 10.
No. 11 Florida State and No. 12 Miami will renew their rivalry on Labor Day night in the Orange Bowl.
No. 13 was Louisville, followed by Michigan, Georgia, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Penn State and Nebraska.
The final five were Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Arizona State and Texas Tech.
Unlike the past two seasons, when Southern California started the season as an overwhelming No. 1, the Buckeyes received 54 percent of the first-place votes, and all the teams in the top six received at least three votes for No. 1. Notre Dame had 10 first-place votes, Texas eight, West Virginia six and Auburn and USC three.
Ohio State closed the 2005 season on a seven-game winning streak and was No. 4 in the final AP poll. The Buckeyes' two losses were to Texas and Penn State by a combined total of 10 points.
The emergence of Smith, a dual-threat quarterback whose junior season started with a suspension, gave the Buckeyes' a new iden y.
In Ohio State's first five seasons under Tressel, defense had become the Buckeyes' forte, complemented by a play-it-safe offensive mentality. Tresselball won Ohio State a national le in 2002 with Maurice Clarett powering the offense on the ground.
With Smith running the show, Ohio State has a new MO.
These Buckeyes run a jet-powered spread-option offense, turning Smith loose the way Texas did Vince Young. During the seven-game winning streak, Ohio State averaged 38 points per game.
"There's no question we'd love to be explosive," Tressel said. "We have some kids who can do those type of things."
Smith passed for 2,282 yards, ran for 611 more and accounted for 27 touchdowns on the ground and through the air last season. He did all that despite sitting out the first game for taking money from a booster and then sharing the job for two games.
Smith solidified his status against Michigan and Notre Dame, throwing for 642 yards.
"I think he has done an excellent job battling through adversity, some of which he created and others were cir stances that had nothing to do with him," said Tressel, who's 50-13 with Ohio State. "Now the fun thing about Troy Smith is to find out how he'll handle success."
Smith has a couple of excellent running mates in Ginn and tailback Antonio Pittman.
Ginn, the super-fast receiver and return man who was a freshman star in 2004, was having a disappointing sop re season until he burned Notre Dame for 167 yards on eight catches, including touchdowns of 56 and 68 yards.
Pittman had the second-best sop re season of any running back in Ohio State history with 1,331 yards rushing -- only two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin did better -- capped by a game-clinching 60-yard yard touchdown sprint against the Fighting Irish.
The Buckeyes must replace seven defensive starters, including linebacker A.J. Hawk and two other first-round draft picks.
"You miss the maturity, the leadership and the game experience," Tressel said.
All the top teams seem to be missing something.
Notre Dame's 17 returning starters include its Heisman contender, quarterback Brady Quinn, but also most of the defense Ohio State torched.
Texas would have been a lock to enter the season No. 1 if Young hadn't left early for the NFL. Without him, the Longhorns are loaded but leaderless.
USC must replace Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and enough offensive talent to start an NFL expansion team.
Auburn's smallish defense was last seen being run over by burly Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.
West Virginia proved it belonged among the nation's elite with a 38-35 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. But how will last season's fabulous freshmen, quarterback Pat White and backfield mate Steve Slaton, respond to high expectations?
LSU and Cal have quarterback questions. Speaking of quarterbacks, how will Florida's Chris Leak do in Year 2 under Urban Meyer?
And how will Oklahoma hold up after its starting QB, Rhett Bomar, was kicked off the team for taking a no-show job?
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
#1----Ohio State
#2----ND
#3----Texas
#4----Auburn
#5----WVU
Hmmmm, something missing here, a little hype maybe?
Don't think my Sooners belong in the top 10... but hey, I'll take it.
Most likely the D & AP kept them in the top 10.
who does OU have for non conference?
With the exception of a.u. im hoping all big twelve teams do pretty good this season against non conference teams.
AD wee little ankles keep them out of the top 10. He will be getting 30 carries a game and will be injured at one point in the season behind the terrible oline
True, I don't think any D in the Big 12 respect Paul T as a QB.
sooners could go thru a few starters @ QB & RB position.
I think OU will be solid...or at least hoping they will be cuz if OU has another ty season, the big twelve as a whole loses more respect. That OU bowl game saved our conference rep last season. If all the other big twelve teams keep having 3-8 losses, then the argument that "Texas never plays anybody" has even more validity. (naturally i want ut to beat ou though)
Anyone got a link to the full rankings? I wanna see wehre Nebraska and KState are.
kstate?
Home games versus UAB, Washington, and Middle Tennesse State, and on the Road versus Oregon week 3.
I'm not worried about AD's health this year, I'm worried about Paul Thompson's ability to throw.
Oregon will be a bonecrusher:
Scott vs TlongII II
If we don't beat Washington by at least 30 the week before, I'll be very afraid going up to Oregon.
...and A&M is not your biggest rival?
No i just hate aggies ever since the day we beat you at home and we heard aggies giving horns down after the loss and saying "Go usc, go usc, reggie bush, reggie bush"
Quite pathetic.
they didnt say go usc, it was regGie Bush, regGie BUSH!!, chiggarrum
Who cares about the rest of the conference? The way college football is, if you start #2/#3 like UT (with #1 on your schedule), then it really doesn't matter how OU/A&M/whoever does out of conference. If Texas wins out, we're going to the Natl Champ game.
If UT goes undefeated, why should I care about "our conference rep"? So I can argue in bars with SEC fans? Last year people said "...but OU's down, they lost to TCU/UCLA..." I said "So? That sucks for OU, but all I care about is that they lost to Texas."
"But Tech's overrated. They haven't played anybody good" .... "Well they got smoked by UT, which is exactly what the #2 team should do to an overrated team."
Now if UT loses to tOSU, then I'll start paying attention to strength of schedule...
...and you've never pulled for a team against A&M?
...so...since i went to USC but i am from Texas, i should have pulled for t.u. to beat SC in the rose bowl last year?
hmmm...that doesn't make any sense.
"Well, I was born in NEB, went to high school in Indiana, started college in Texas, transferred to another school in AZ, & then went to SC. I also have family in NY, have vacationed in WA & fly over Co. SO what school(s) am I a true fan of?"
who amongst us hasnt lived in southern california?
pimpo is right
i even rooted for the gutles gutles ags in the tournament. i liked aggie style of basketball. but in football, after that incident, its just totally pathetic, this level of aggiedom.
...you guys are unbelievable.
its like i went to both schools
i went all the way to usc and then went to a&m
so then usc wins three championships in a row
Actually, my Knoxville born and raised mom banged a plumber from Tallahassee after moving to Norman back in the late '70's. Shortly afterward we moved to Miami so she could attend canine beauty college (her dream is to give Reveille blonde accents) and preserve her honor. Ma then married a vacuum salesman from Columbus she met at her night job dancing over by the airport.
So we're really talking seven straight les, you ing t-sip homers.
LoLL-+9*774311`~_`_`_~_~---->>o.wned.
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