USA TODAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL

[TFoA]

Duke 1. WHO IN THE HELL GAVE DUKE A VOTE?

My guess is Duke's head coach.

I believe that Steve Spurrier voted Duke #25. Paying homage to his former coaching days and all....

Hedley, did you read my post earlier in this thread? I said it 1st.

I said it better.

No sold by Hedley!

OK, back on topic, now that I'm through bantering about Notre Dame, time to get to the real issue: Who will stay up here the longest???

West Virginia. Many want to forget that this is the team that beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (which was held here.), and most of that team is coming back. Don't be suprised if they're contending for the Nat'l Title at year's end, since the Big East is teh suck.

[lambertjr]

I'll look at the polls in the 4th or 5th week.

[Gary]

I know no one really cares, but, I am really glad ASU is just out of the top 25. It seems whenever we are ranked in the top 25 we disappoint, but when we are off the radar, we surprise.

As a wildcat fan, this may suprise you but I think that you and Cal are both better then USC and the grand canyon state will sweep them

Haha, and as much as I hate to say it...I see the Wildcats slowly crawling out of the Pac-10 football basement. Still, you will never be ASU in football

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh you'll wake up Amare, and he'll have to make another stupid bet when ASU beats Arizona again this year. But seriously look for Tuitama to have a breakout year this year, kid is a stud and will be a heisman hopeful next year and possible first pick as well.

[HedleyLamarr]

West Virginia. Many want to forget that this is the team that beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (which was held here.), and most of that team is coming back. Don't be suprised if they're contending for the Nat'l Title at year's end, since the Big East is teh suck.

Nope.

They'll get smoked at Louisville on a Thursday night game.

[ninersdd]

I know no one really cares, but, I am really glad ASU is just out of the top 25. It seems whenever we are ranked in the top 25 we disappoint, but when we are off the radar, we surprise.

As a wildcat fan, this may suprise you but I think that you and Cal are both better then USC and the grand canyon state will sweep them

Haha, and as much as I hate to say it...I see the Wildcats slowly crawling out of the Pac-10 football basement. Still, you will never be ASU in football

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh you'll wake up Amare, and he'll have to make another stupid bet when ASU beats Arizona again this year. But seriously look for Tuitama to have a breakout year this year, kid is a stud and will be a heisman hopeful next year and possible first pick as well.

We also have the best defender in the division(Antione Cason)

[infrared41]

I got no problems with the poll... I just hope the top spot looks the same on September 10th as it does today.

Seriously though..

I think this season is as wide open as any I've seen in a while. I'd like to think the Buckeyes can take it all the way but I'm realistic. They had to replace 9 starters on defense. They have a couple slip-up games on the schedule. Anything can happen. Notre Dame is overrated and they play a pretty tough schedule. I think they'll lose at least three games probably four. Texas will be tough again. USC lost a lot of key players but they'll still be USC. West Virginia is ranked way too high. They beat a Georgia team that didn't want to be there in The Sugar Bowl. they're still riding that win. They aren't this good. I don't think Oklahoma will be as badly hurt by the QB situation as the experts believe. LSU is going to make a serious run at the title. I think they're a lot better than people think they are. There is no rock solid favorite like the past few years with USC.

My only predictions are...

1. Notre Dame loses at least three.

2. The final top 25 poll this season won't even resemble the first one.

As usual the NCAA Football season will provide far more excitement than The NFL could ever hope to.

[WSU151]

West Virginia is ranked way too high. They beat a Georgia team that didn't want to be there in The Sugar Bowl.

Georgia didn't want to be in the Sugar Bowl?? Seems to me Georgia had a huge advantage because the game was in Atlanta, and what team wouldn't want to play essentially a home game for a BCS game?? If the Bulldogs didn't want to be there, they would have laid down in the SEC Championship.

West Virginia is that good, and the Big East sucks (except for Louisville). Slaton and White are going to roll over everyone.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Technically it would've been a home game if the Yellow Jackets were there, UGA is out of Athens.

[WSU151]

Technically it would've been a home game if the Yellow Jackets were there, UGA is out of Athens.

Yes I know. That's why I said "essentially"...meaning not quite, but close enough.

[TFoA]

Trust me, it was a home game, alright. Atlanta may be Jackets country, but there are still a sh-tload of UGA fans here.

[HedleyLamarr]

West Virginia is ranked way too high. They beat a Georgia team that didn't want to be there in The Sugar Bowl.

Georgia didn't want to be in the Sugar Bowl?? Seems to me Georgia had a huge advantage because the game was in Atlanta, and what team wouldn't want to play essentially a home game for a BCS game?? If the Bulldogs didn't want to be there, they would have laid down in the SEC Championship.

West Virginia is that good, and the Big East sucks (except for Louisville). Slaton and White are going to roll over everyone.

It wasn't that UGA didn't want to be there. Maybe a little disappointed that they played a relocated bowl game against a non-big name team. Regardless, UGA took West Virginia lightly in the first 20 minutes of the game, and it cost them. There was more excitement about seeing UGA go to New Orleans to play a weak Florida State in 2002 than UGA playing in Atlanta against a strong WV team.

There's no such thing as a "home-field advantage" in a BCS bowl game. Both schools sold their allotment of tickets, and the rest went to the game's sponsors.

And I was right in the middle of the festivities the day of the Sugar Bowl. After the Thrashers game vs. Ottawa ended (and after Heatley got his welcome), I mingled around at the festivities, and there were just as many blue & yellow clad fans as there were red & black.

[infrared41]

Georgia didn't want to be in the Sugar Bowl??

It wasn't that UGA didn't want to be there.  Maybe a little disappointed that they played a relocated bowl game against a non-big name team.  Regardless, UGA took West Virginia lightly in the first 20 minutes of the game, and it cost them.  There was more excitement about seeing UGA go to New Orleans to play a weak Florida State in 2002 than UGA playing in Atlanta against a strong WV team.

My point exactly. The Bulldogs saw playing WVU in Atlanta as a huge letdown. What I should have said was Georgia didn't care about the game. Despite all that they still made it interesting. If I recall correctly WVU was hanging on for dear life after that first 20 minutes.

I stand by what I said. WVU is way overrated. Time will bear me out.

And yes The Big East sucks. It always has. The only thing that ever made The Big East even remotely legitimate as a "big time" football conference was Miami and Va.Tech. Now it's up to a couple of second tier teams like WVU and Louisville to "carry on the tradition." Those two will have their up years here and there but Miami and Va. Tech they ain't. It's Conference USA with more snow.

[HedleyLamarr]

Georgia didn't want to be in the Sugar Bowl??

It wasn't that UGA didn't want to be there.  Maybe a little disappointed that they played a relocated bowl game against a non-big name team.  Regardless, UGA took West Virginia lightly in the first 20 minutes of the game, and it cost them.  There was more excitement about seeing UGA go to New Orleans to play a weak Florida State in 2002 than UGA playing in Atlanta against a strong WV team.

My point exactly. The Bulldogs saw playing WVU in Atlanta as a huge letdown. What I should have said was Georgia didn't care about the game. Despite all that they still made it interesting. If I recall correctly WVU was hanging on for dear life after that first 20 minutes.

I stand by what I said. WVU is way overrated. Time will bear me out.

And yes The Big East sucks. It always has. The only thing that ever made The Big East even remotely legitimate as a "big time" football conference was Miami and Va.Tech. Now it's up to a couple of second tier teams like WVU and Louisville to "carry on the tradition." Those two will have there up years here and there but Miami and Va. Tech they ain't. It's Conference USA with more snow.

West Virginia was up 28-0 at one point and needed a fake punt run to win 38-35.

It was the 3rd straight game UGA played in Atlanta (@ Georgia Tech, then the SEC title game a week later). There wasn't much excitement from the UGA fans about playing in Nerd Town for a 3rd time.

But they won the SEC, and that's all that matters!

[Sport]

nevermind.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

I like the Big East. But I don't like college football. My opinion isn't valid.

However, go Louisville, go West Virginia, and -- for regional pride -- go Syracuse. I'd love to see U of L or WVU win the national championship (a real possibility) just to stick it down the throats of the Midwest/Southeast college football elite.

[infrared41]

I'd love to see U of L or WVU win the national championship (a real possibility) just to stick it down the throats of the Midwest/Southeast college football elite.

I'm sure the the other 26 Big East Football fans outside of Louisville or Morgantown agree with you.

[Juddley]

With the exception of the Louisville game, West Virginia has the softest season of any of the favorites to win the BCS title. The only exception may be a Maryland team that should have a stout defense this year and that can't even considered a "look ahead" game for the Mountaineers.

Louisville, on the other hand, plays a much tougher schedule. One that is worthy of a team with championship aspirations. Sure they play the same Big East schedule, but they host the 'canes in week 3 and travel to Manhattan the following week to face K-state. They have a QB-RB tandem just as good and maybe even better than Pat White-Steve Slaton in Brian Brohm-Michael Bush.

If we are making predictions here, then here is mine:

West Virginia will get a slight scare from the Terps, but hold on. Louisville will beat Miami and then lose to K-state in a big let down game. However, the Cards will dash any hopes the Mountaineers have of winning a National Championship or Conference Title by beating them at Papa John's Cardinals Stadium.

[DG_YouKnowWhatThatMeans]

The thing is though, is the the Big East has two team with legitimate chances to win the BCS. The ACC, I guess, has three (UM, VT, FSU), the Big Ten two (UM, OSU), the SEC three (Auburn, LSU, UF) the Pac 10 two (USC, Cal), and the Big XII two (UT, Nebraska). Throw in Notre Dame, and the Big East has a pretty good chance of winning the BCS championship. SI's Stewart Mandel gives the Big East a 1/8 chance of winning the title, which makes a lot of sense.

And even if my numbers are off a bit, an undefeated season by UofL or WVU is more likely than one by another team in a more difficult (read: traditional) conference. I look forward to their chances.