In my 4 years of podcasting and three years running this blog I have heard a wide variety of comments about my preseason predictions, and if you've ever blogged or posted on a message board your top 25 I am fairly sure you've heard the comments too.
You're a moron...Don't you realize we have [insert unproven yet highly ranked recruit] and he is going to dominate everyone...We have the most underrated [insert position] in the country...You don't have any respect for my team...You are a homer...Your blog is a joke...I've lost all respect for you. The list can go on and on. Just check out a few of these preseason predictions and check out the comments in some of them.
The same thing happens everywhere. But that's what makes College Football so great in my opinion. Fans have such a rabid affection to their school and for the most part Fall Saturdays are a time of new beginnings, a time where we can go have a few beers, unless you are a visiting fan in Columbus, and have dreams of Conference and possibly National Titles dancing around in our heads.
During the early weeks in September, moving into October, the distance between the haves and have nots become greater, until we reach late November when only a handful of teams' fans can still hold onto the dream.
Anyway, back to my original point. If you have read this blog regularly you know my
stance on Preseason Polls. I hate them with a passion because I think they place an unfair advantage on teams that aren't hyped from the previous season. But I do love reading predictions, and Top 25 polls from every blogger, and MSM media member I can find.
Does that make me a hypocrite? In my eyes it doesn't, because bloggers, and in some instances, MSM members have no say in the AP Poll. We are just throwing out an opinion which will we later in the season either path our self on the back many times over and over in our writing if we are correct, or completely ignore and pretend it never happened if we are way wrong.
As I said many times before, and I'll say it again,
no polls that have any say in the BCS Standings should be released before Week 4. But we love to see that little number beside our team's name early on and television loves hyping the "big" early games. I'd be willing to guess that we'll see the abolishment of preseason polls just about the same time we see a playoff...which will be when hell freezes over.
So before you read my Preseason Top 25 for this season, remember that no games have been played yet, I have no say on any National Poll, if you disagree with me please tell me why (and if at all possible slightly remove the homer glasses) and most importantly if your team isn't ranked as high as you think they should be...YES I am disrespecting your team!
Signed...ITB's Resident Moron.
