Sporting News Preseason Top 25 and All-America

[smallcollegefbfan]

1. NDSU
2. GSU
3. MSU
4. EWU
5. App
6. SHSU
7. Villanova
8. SDSU
9. Illinois St
10. ODU
11. UCA
12. UNI
13. Towson
14. Montana
15. Richmond
16. UAPB
17. NAU
18. SBU
19. EIU
20. Chatty
21. Cal Poly
22. UNH
23. Colgate
24. Sac St
25. BCC

ALL-AMERICA
QB Taylor Heinicke, ODU
RB Zach Zenner, SDSU
RB Tim Flanders, SHSU
OL Garrett, Frye, GSU
OL Terrence Hackney, BCC
OL Billy Turner, NDSU
OL Chris Elkins, YSU
OL Dakota Dozier, Furman
TE A.C. Leonard, Tenn St
WR Erik Lora, EIU
WR Sean Price, App

DL Davis Tull, Chatty
DL Colton Underwood, Illinois St
DL Jonathan Woodard, UCA
LB Jordan Tripp, Montana
LB Grant Olson, NDSU
LB Stephon Robertson, JMU
DB Marcus Williams, NDSU
DB Jaquiski Tartt, Samford
DB Steve Goldbolt III, Tenn St
DB T.J. Lee, EWU

K Colton Cook, SUU
P Bobby Wenzig, Alabama St
RS Walter Powell, Murray St

TOP PLAYERS
OFF: Heinicke
DEF: M Williams
NEWCOMER: Bryan Bennett, SLU

[BisonFan02]

Interesting poll there....

[BisonFan02]

1. NDSU
2. GSU
3. MSU
4. EWU
5. App
6. SHSU
7. Villanova
8. SDSU
9. Illinois St
10. ODU
11. UCA
12. UNI
13. Towson
14. Montana
15. Richmond
16. UAPB
17. NAU
18. SBU
19. EIU
20. Chatty
21. Cal Poly
22. UNH
23. Colgate
24. Sac St
25. BCC


Unless I've got a lot of research to do, I'm going to be curious about everyone's thoughts here in bold and the general order of the not bolded teams.

[BisonFan02]

Big Sky:

3. MSU
4. EWU
14. Montana
17. NAU
21. Cal Poly
24. Sac St

Poly a little low on that pecking order?

[CID1990]

Yawn. Usual suspects. Same as last year pretty much.


Sent from the center of the universe.

[Southern Bison]

Reminder: Remove #2 & #5 from the list because they aren't eligible for the playoffs...Montana State as usual overrated and EWwww...that's funny right there...

[CID1990]

Reminder: Remove #2 & #5 from the list because they aren't eligible for the playoffs...Montana State as usual overrated and EWwww...that's funny right there...

I disagree. Leave them right where they are.


Sent from the center of the universe.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh will get their respect when they beat UNH. Someone else will rise up too.

[Southern Bison]

I disagree. Leave them right where they are.

We've seen how the Big Fluffy does in the playoffs and GaSo & App won't be invited...whoop-de-doo if those two go undefeated...it won't really matter.

[ThompsonThe]

The Citadel should be ranked. If they do not falter toward the end of the year, they will be a really good team again.

[walliver]

Reminder: Remove #2 & #5 from the list because they aren't eligible for the playoffs...Montana State as usual overrated and EWwww...that's funny right there...

#10 also

[Nickels]

I question MSU as the 3rd best team in the BSC much less 3rd in the nation. They are constantly over rated.

[BisonBacker]

We've seen how the Big Fluffy does in the playoffs and GaSo & App won't be invited...whoop-de-doo if those two go undefeated...it won't really matter.

No they won't be eligible for the playoffs that's true. But they likely will beat teams that will eventually end up in the playoffs and by adding a loss to that teams Win Loss totals it will have a huge bearing on rankings/home or away games in the playoffs. Or possibly even end up leaving a team out of the playoffs if not for that loss. So if they do undefeated it does matter, it matters to everyone else they play.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

If teams transitioning into FCS can be ranked, so should those transitioning out.

[Go Green]

Lehigh will get their respect when they beat UNH.

Do that, and they'll get Dartmouth's respect, that's for sure.

We haven't been able to beat UNH in a few decades... :(

[Silenoz]

We've seen how Montana State does in the playoffs and GaSo & App won't be invited...whoop-de-doo if those two go undefeated...it won't really matter.

FIFY

[tribe_pride]

If teams transitioning into FCS can be ranked, so should those transitioning out.

There is a difference though. If you are transitioning out of FCS, you are allowed to have more scholarships than those in FCS. The same is not true for those transitioning in.

[Nova09]

Nova way too high. Not liking the expectations on a still young team.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Nova way too high. Not liking the expectations on a still young team.

Is the Wildcat RB going to be healthy for the season?

Villanova should be very good this year given the amount of talent on the roster. I expect them to challenge Richmond for the CAA.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Nova way too high. Not liking the expectations on a still young team.

I'd have agreed with this logic in the past but in the last 5 yrs. in particular being a yourg team has had very little to do with on field performance if the team has a oood coach...Nova does.

Most youngins have a very strong handle on what they are supposed to know by the time they even get to a program now and seem to pick up any new nuances quickly and accomplish their tasks. Youth is not nearly the detriment it may have been in the past.

[Nova09]

Is the Wildcat RB going to be healthy for the season?

Villanova should be very good this year given the amount of talent on the roster. I expect them to challenge Richmond for the CAA.

I see Nova and Richmond as the top 2 in the CAA, but depending how things shake up it wouldn't surprise me for any of Towson, UNH or even JMU to win the conference/autobid. I'd be happy with an 8-3 top 10-12 end of year ranking, but 7 is way off at this point. I know we can beat anyone on our schedule, including BC, but all it takes is one evenly matched game we come out on the bottom, and one game we lose due to lack of focus or any other cliche. we're young, we're talented, we'll win a lot, we'll learn throughout the year, and hopefully we'll know what it takes in the playoffs this time around and be ready by then. But we're not number 7 in the nation right now.

[Twentysix]

There is a difference though. If you are transitioning out of FCS, you are allowed to have more scholarships than those in FCS. The same is not true for those transitioning in.

Agreed, if GSU and ASU have 63 schollies this year then they should be ranked, if they have 63.5+ they shouldn't.

[superman7515]

So is there a link for this or was it in print as well? The only other mention of it I could find was a post by chattanoogamocs on another site the day before it was posted here.

[uofmman1122]

We've seen how the Big Fluffy does in the playoffsYeah, you're right.

We're only 5-1 vs. the MVFC in the last 5 years. xawesomex

[MattM]

So is there a link for this or was it in print as well? The only other mention of it I could find was a post by chattanoogamocs on another site the day before it was posted here.

No link online; it's print only. Should be out on newsstands now and available for online purchase. After a year hiatus of the yearbooks, SN has decided to start them up again. As a former member of that department and now a contributor, college football can be a tough cookie to crack. The deadlines in which they have to work with aren't the best. Preseason polls are for good banter in any sport. If someone got all 25 teams right in any year, I'd be surprised. There are always surprise teams and those who end up being overrated.

I can only speak to the Southern. Re: Georgia Southern and App, even though they aren't eligible for the playoffs, I still told the person who wrote the overall FCS preview that it would look silly not including them. There is numerous mention of them making the transition. And to me, it was really neck and neck for Chatty, Wofford and Citadel. All 3 have talent along with major obstacles to overcome as well.

[bjtheflamesfan]

Id put CCU and/or Liberty in over UAPB...also, same commentary for this AA list as FBGP...why are Kevin Fogg (one of the top returners in the country and becoming one of the top cover corners as well), Malcolm Boyd and Nick Sigmon not on this list?

[RowdyRedhawk]

no respect for the OVC... 1 team at the bottom of the top 25. 3 all americans...
i guess its time for the OVC to start winning playoff games

[ursus arctos horribilis]

no respect for the OVC... 1 team at the bottom of the top 25. 3 all americans...
i guess its time for the OVC to start winning playoff games

It looked like the OVC was surging forward last year pretty good and I think they still are. The playoff thing still holding them back a little but overall it seems to be moving the correct direction as far as the teams are looking to me.

[EKU-n-GSU]

It looked like the OVC was surging forward last year pretty good and I think they still are. The playoff thing still holding them back a little but overall it seems to be moving the correct direction as far as the teams are looking to me.

Being an EKU grad (attended back in Roy Kidd's heyday) I'd like to see them get back in the swing of things - and I do think they could move up w/the right opportunity. I also thought Tennessee Tech was moving in the right direction, too. I like Ch. Brown, and thought a lot of G-mans recruiting/OL Ch. Cox who looked like the heir-apparent to Ch. Brown. I'd expect Jax St. to make a better showing than they do...they're too close to the Atlanta and Birmingham recruiting markets to miss out on enough talent to move the program forward.

[TTUEagles]

Being an EKU grad (attended back in Roy Kidd's heyday) I'd like to see them get back in the swing of things - and I do think they could move up w/the right opportunity. I also thought Tennessee Tech was moving in the right direction, too. I like Ch. Brown, and thought a lot of G-mans recruiting/OL Ch. Cox who looked like the heir-apparent to Ch. Brown. I'd expect Jax St. to make a better showing than they do...they're too close to the Atlanta and Birmingham recruiting markets to miss out on enough talent to move the program forward.

I still like where TTU is headed. Last year was an ever-loving disaster when just about every single starter missed multiple games due to injury. The 2012 team was going to be a step down from 2011 anyway, but QB got hurt at Oregon and that was that...But, they return a ton of starters and the heir apparent QB got a lot of experience and "they" say he's going to be tremendous...Coach Cox left the team to pursue a job at a local church, by the way.

I'm going up to C'ville for an annual golf tourney, and I usually get to talk a lot to the AD and Coach Brown - I'll know more on the reality of the program next week - they usually shoot me straight about such things (thus, why 2012 was going to be down and 2011 was supposed to be "our" year).

[EKU-n-GSU]

I still like where TTU is headed. Last year was an ever-loving disaster when just about every single starter missed multiple games due to injury. The 2012 team was going to be a step down from 2011 anyway, but QB got hurt at Oregon and that was that...But, they return a ton of starters and the heir apparent QB got a lot of experience and "they" say he's going to be tremendous...Coach Cox left the team to pursue a job at a local church, by the way.

I'm going up to C'ville for an annual golf tourney, and I usually get to talk a lot to the AD and Coach Brown - I'll know more on the reality of the program next week - they usually shoot me straight about such things (thus, why 2012 was going to be down and 2011 was supposed to be "our" year).

Yep - I'd read somewhere that he followed his true calling...good for him, I thought he was a 1st class gentlemen, and I had expected him to take the reigns at TT when Watson decides to turn it over. Best of luck to you guys next year.

[citdog]

why are the erring sisters ranked? we should treat them as if they don't exist.......

[Saint3333]

Tell what that feels like citdog.

[AmsterBison]

I certainly don't understand any Big Sky team being ranked ahead Sam Houston State. That said, Montana State has a good and improving defense, but, holy cow, how hard and for how long does SHSU have to bitch slap the Big Sky's best to get ranked ahead of them?

Also wondering where JMU went. As far as I remember, the CAA didn't have a single statement win last year, but JMU at least did what they were expected to do.

^ This is me being edgy :)

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Also wondering where JMU went. [/SIZE]

JMU hasn't been any good since Rodney Landers left.

Lately, JMU fans seem more interested in talking about moving to FBS than about the fact that Mickie Matthews has had them going sideways for a half dozen years.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

There is a difference though. If you are transitioning out of FCS, you are allowed to have more scholarships than those in FCS. The same is not true for those transitioning in.

Doesn't the transition into FCS have restrictions because teams coming in would have an unfair advantage with players not recruited under DI rules?

[eaglewraith]

Doesn't the transition into FCS have restrictions because teams coming in would have an unfair advantage with players not recruited under DI rules?

D2 doesn't deal with APR do they?

[JMUNJ08]

JMU hasn't been any good since Rodney Landers left.

Lately, JMU fans seem more interested in talking about moving to FBS than about the fact that Mickie Matthews has had them going sideways for a half dozen years.

Without that national championship, he was G-O-N-E after that year. We have had two great years and a bunch of so-so to good. With the talent he supposedly brings in, we should be ranked and playing much better than the W/L shows....

But the FBS talk is rather enticing since we are so far above everyone else who is 7-4 or 6-5 every year....

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Doesn't the transition into FCS have restrictions because teams coming in would have an unfair advantage with players not recruited under DI rules?

Yes. They have a slight advantage in being able to recuruit under d2 rules but they are missing the advantage of some d1 players also so I'm not sure where it all comes out. What teams are you speaking of that have been ranked? Are you thinking back to the NDSU, UCA examples of 2007?

[eaglewraith]

Yes. They have a slight advantage in being able to recuruit under d2 rules but they are missing the advantage of some d1 players also so I'm not sure where it all comes out. What teams are you speaking of that have been ranked? Are you thinking back to the NDSU, UCA examples of 2007?

I would imagine he's referring to NDSU moreso since one of their fans had an issue with it.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

We have had two great years and a bunch of so-so to good. With the talent he supposedly brings in, we should be ranked and playing much better than the W/L shows....


I agree with your assessment. As a rival of JMU, I hope Matthews stays there forever.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I would imagine he's referring to NDSU moreso since one of their fans had an issue with it.

That's what I was wondering and the truth of the matter is that I remember back at the end of their transition process they were being ranked on the AGS Poll but that was in 2007 well before I had anything to do with the poll or the site for that matter so what happened then I can not answer for. A couple of years ago when I took over here there was much discussion on the FCSD board and in the Poll Committee forum about what to do with transitioning and it was decided then through votes that they would not be included due to the various advantages.

Just figured I'd get that all out on the table now in case that is where we we were headed. If not then it's just useless palaver and please disregard it.

The explanation was for FCSpwns btw. Just used eagwraith as the jump off point. Not confusing you two.:D

[SpeedkingATL]

Gotta think that Samford, Citdogs, UTC, Wofford and even Furman have a shot at the playoffs/top 25 from the SoCon this year. There should be a lot of balance in the conference with App and GaSo playing the spoilers. Have to wait until week 5 to see how things are playing out. NDSU and SHSU have to be ranked near to top.

[eaglewraith]

That's what I was wondering and the truth of the matter is that I remember back at the end of their transition process they were being ranked on the AGS Poll but that was in 2007 well before I had anything to do with the poll or the site for that matter so what happened then I can not answer for. A couple of years ago when I took over here there was much discussion on the FCSD board and in the Poll Committee forum about what to do with transitioning and it was decided then through votes that they would not be included due to the various advantages.

Just figured I'd get that all out on the table now in case that is where we we were headed. If not then it's just useless palaver and please disregard it.

The explanation was for FCSpwns btw. Just used eagwraith as the jump off point. Not confusing you two.:D

So TSN will still rank us but not the AGS poll? Just clarifying.