As the bowl games wind down and the 43-year-old accountant who "doesn’t even like football" sits safely atop your office pool standings, there becomes only one thing left for us non-Buckeye/Tiger fans to focus our attention on: next year.
My friend put it best: "I could actually impregnate a woman and become a father before college football kicks off again."
But if that’s not your idea of a good time, try taking a stab at next year’s preseason rankings instead.
Not sure where to start? Here’s some help.
First, remember that college football seasons often carry a theme throughout the year. 2006 felt like an election year, pitting the SEC and Big Ten conferences against one another in a bitter national debate. Michigan vs. Florida for the right to play the almighty Ohio State Buckeyes. ESPN and CBS commentators were even joining in the war of words.
The polarizing effect was reminiscent of what remains after a year of mudslinging between Democrats and Republicans. And in the end, a "surprise" champion was crowned, and the term "SEC Speed" replaced "three yards and a cloud of dust" in our sports lexicon.
2007 was the year of the upset. Of uncertainty. Of undefeatable teams falling to unimaginable opponents. And most of all, it was a year where young, underdeveloped teams often flashed their gaudy talent before tripping over their own shoelaces.
Regardless of the outcome in the BCS National Championship game on Monday, which features two teams who both lost games in November, this will go down as the year of the unfinished product.
This would naturally make next year the big one—the year of the powerhouse! A season where elitist fans will likely have a primed and polished team on the field to back up their craziest fantasy predictions. There will be no two-loss teams playing in the title game, and one loss might be enough to end your season a week too early.
So call me crazy and throw stones as I climb out on this limb and predict the preseason Top 10. (Sorry WVU fans. Your absence is not from a lack of respect; it’s from a lack of knowledge about who will return and who will coach your team.
10. Clemson Tigers – Like those few great shots in the middle of a disappointing round of golf, the Tigers win just enough games to keep you interested. They are my wild-card selection and are only here because of two things—CJ Spiller, and a hunch that sooner or later, they’ve got to get to the ACC championship game.
9. Auburn Tigers – The team who always comes to play defense has now decided to adopt the spread offense. Personnel typically takes a year or two to match a new system, but as soon as the Tigers can consistently score points, look out.
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