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Chris Fowler is terrible at play by play
Last weekend brought the release of the preseason Associated Press poll, the last and most official of the deluge of August college football rankings, and the one that best reflects the national consensus as opening kickoff looms. Like every other poll that preceded it this summer, the AP enshrined Ohio State as the preseason no. 1, in its case unanimously, making the defending champs the first team to ever receive every first-place vote in an initial AP ballot. The only drama was who would come in second (that would be TCU) and how dumb voters will look in three months for overrating Notre Dame.
The Buckeyes’ appeal is obvious enough, and their unchallenged place atop the preseason pecking order was preordained months in advance. With virtually the entire two-deep back from the team that ripped off 13 straight wins en route to the 2014 title, finishing off that run with a physical flourish in playoff wins over Alabama and Oregon, there’s little doubt the 2015 edition looks like a repeat champion in the making, at least on paper.
Which brings us to the question of the day: Just what does a modern college football champion look like, exactly? What common threads bind the teams that have won on the biggest stage to set themselves apart from everyone else? Which aspiring contenders are most likely to exhibit those traits in 2015? Least likely? And does Ohio State really fit the template as snugly as its lofty preseason status suggests?
To answer those questions, I looked at the past 10 national champions from the BCS and playoff eras (Texas in 2005, Florida in 2006, LSU in 2007, Florida in 2008, Alabama in 2009, Auburn in 2010, Alabama in 2011 and 2012, Florida State in 2013, and Ohio State last year)3 to isolate a handful of common characteristics beyond “they’re all, you know, really good.” I then applied those traits to the ostensible 2015 front-runners, loosely defined as the 15 teams with the best odds to go all the way according to Vegas Insider, a list that corresponds almost exactly to the top 15 in both the AP and Coaches polls. Some of the trends are more ubiquitous than others, but they should all help clarify what really matters when separating the wheat from the chaff.
Idk if I would consider tebow a true repeat champion, his role was limited his freshman year behind leak. But I suppose technically he's the only one.
If anyone is looking to buy a copy on Amazon, it's called "All Dawgs Go 9-3"
wowIf anyone is looking to buy a copy on Amazon, it's called "All Dawgs Go 9-3"
If anyone is looking to buy a copy on Amazon, it's called "All Dawgs Go 9-3"
If anyone is looking to buy a copy on Amazon, it's called "All Dawgs Go 9-3"
Damn lolIllinois football coach just got fired, telling players not to report injuries
If anyone is looking to buy a copy on Amazon, it's called "All Dawgs Go 9-3"
The edit was re: the tebow topic not you blood
down to 8?! how many do they need?