The Blogpoll is like a drum solo: You know it's coming and there's nothing you can do about it.
So rather than fight the urge, let's give it our best shot.
1) LSU
I feel good about this one even though the schedule includes road trips to Florida and Auburn. This team has few weaknesses and they are going to be hungry. Any questions I had about Les Miles were answered with a whipping of Miami in the Peach Bowl. I had never seen Miami get embarassed like that before and it takes a special team to do it.
LSU No. 1? Kyle Wright agrees.
2) Southern Cal
Dude there's no Reggie Bush, no Matt Leinart, no Winston Justice, no Darnell Bing. So poor Pete Carroll will have to rely on hoping that three consecutive No. 1 recruiting classes pan out. The Trojans are loaded with a truckload of athletic freaks on both sides of the ball. Guys who will stomp a mudhole in your ass if you doubt them. I don't know if the Trojans are going to reach FSU's streak of 14 consecutive Top 10 finishes, but eight years is a definite possibility.
3) Louisville
Yes they will beat Miami. Yes they will beat West Virginia. Yes they will lose some game they shouldn't (Rutgers or South Florida...mark it down). Brian Brohm will be healthy. Michael Bush will destroy all Big East weaklings that step in his way. Louisville's defense is always hit or miss, but who cares when the offense is scoring 45 points a game.
4) Ohio State
Lots of people have Ohio State No. 1, but me...eh? I'm not liking the early game with Texas and breaking in all those new defensive starters. Jim Tressel can recruit and he's got a great relationship with the business community in Columbus wink, wink. But he can't just bring in the type of experience that the Buckeyes will need to beat Texas on Sept. 9
5) Auburn
I feel good about this team with Kenny Irons prepared for a monster season and Brandon Cox channeling the skills of Jay Barker, Patrick Nix, David Greene and several other SEC quarterbacks that don't overwhelm you with their physical ability but figure out ways to win football games. Defensively they've got a few areas to fill, but Tuberville has players...and they will be eligible.
6) Notre Dame
I know, not putting the Irish in the top five will anger his holiness, Charlie Weis, but unlike Friar Chuck, I look at defense and more specifically I look at Notre Dame?s LACK of defense. Their secondary is 1-AA quality though and somewhere on their schedule they will find a team that can exploit that.
7) Texas
I don?t expect much of a drop off for Texas. Why you ask? Their offensive line is so physical and so dominating. Whoever their quarterback will be (Colt McCoy) will have time to throw, whoever is running the ball will have room to run.
8) TCU
Huh? Just take a look at the schedule. Maybe two losses (Texas Tech & Utah)?maybe. They have a quarterback who hasn?t lost a game yet and a few returning starters from an 11-1 team that beat Oklahoma last season.
9) Florida State
Hmmm. I feel good, not great about this team. The defense is replacing several starters, but I have faith in guys like Lawrence Timmons and Roger Williams. The schedule is also favorable. They will win games, but will they win the big games.
10) West Virginia
A healthy dose of the Pat White/Steve Slaton mixture and the Mountaineers will stay in the top percentile of teams. A victory over Louisville and into the top five they go.
Best of the Rest
11) Florida
12) Georgia
13) Iowa
14) California
15) Clemson
16) Utah
17) Boston College
18) Miami
19) UCLA
20) Penn State
21) Michigan
22) Virginia Tech
23) Rutgers
24) Arizona State
25) Central Florida