08/28 (Top 25) Quickie

How did I spend a sleepless, Irene-watching night last night? Working on my initial BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. The place to focus is the top dozen or so, I think. I take the additional step of going through the schedules of the Top 40-ish teams and projecting a record. Take a look below, then let me know what you think. Ballot is due to the BlogPoll folks tomorrow a.m.

1. Alabama (12-1 - loss at home to LSU, still wins SEC title)
2. Wisconsin (13-0 - will lose to Alabama in national-title game)
3. Boise State (13-0 - earns BCS-level bowl bid)
4. South Carolina (12-1 - loss to Alabama in SEC title game)
5. Florida State (12-1 - stunning loss at Florida, still wins ACC title)
6. Oklahoma (12-1 - loss at Florida St)
7. Stanford (12-1 - stunning loss at USC, still wins Pac-12 title)
8. Oregon (11-1 - loss at Stanford)
9. TCU (11-1 - loss at Boise State, no BCS bowl this year)
10. Virginia Tech (12-1 - loss to FSU in ACC title game; next stop: SEC?)
11. Nebraska (11-2 - loss at Wisconsin, loss to Wisconsin in B10 title game)
12. Houston (13-0, complete BCS afterthought)
13. LSU (9-3 - losses vs. Oregon, at Mississippi St, at W. Virginia)
14. Arkansas (9-3 - losses at Alabama, vs. S. Carolina, at LSU)
15. BYU (10-2 - losses vs. Texas, vs. TCU)
16. Texas A&M (9-3- losses vs. Arkansas, at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma. But beats Texas.)
17. Oklahoma State (9-3 - losses at Texas A&M, at Mizzou, Oklahoma)
18. Utah (10-3 - losses at BYU, at Arizona, vs. Stanford in Pac-12 CG)
17. Texas (9-3 - losses vs. Oklahoma, vs. OK St, at Texas A&M)
20. Florida (9-3 - losses vs. Alabama, at LSU, at S. Carolina)
21. Air Force (10-2 - losses vs. TCU, at Boise State)
22. Mississippi State (8-4 - losses at Georgia, vs. S. Carolina, vs. Alabama, at Arkansas)
23. West Virginia (9-3 - loss at Maryland, at Rutgers, at South Florida)
24. Notre Dame (8-4 - losses at Michigan, vs. Michigan St, vs. Air Force, at Stanford)
25. Penn State (7-5 - losses vs. Alabama, at N’western, vs. Nebraska, at OH St, at Wisconsin)

Predictions:
*This is Joe Paterno’s final season.
*Andrew Luck wins the Heisman (Runner-up: Trent Richardson)
*Utah makes it to the Pac-12 title game in its inaugural season.
*I’m dismissing Ohio State and I shouldn’t be. Same with Mizzou and Georgia.
*Defending champ Auburn goes under .500