Obviously, as with any race, it’s more important where you finish than where you start, but that preseason #1 ranking is still a thrill for any Georgia fan right now (even someone like me who isn’t a proponent of preseason polling in the first place).
The good news, historically speaking, as this AJ-C quiz shows, is that a #1 start leads to a fairly high finish at season’s end. The not-so-good news, as Paul indicates, is that it’s a tough position to defend over the course of the year.
I hate to keep coming back to that schedule thang, but if you take a look at this post at Sunday Morning Quarterback, it’s hard to escape the reality that three of the top five contenders (Ohio State, Oklahoma and Southern Cal) have a clearly easier row to hoe from our current vantage point than do either of the SEC candidates. Other than that (yeah, yeah…), the Dawgs are clearly valid competition for a slot in Miami. But as SMQ concludes, it’s hard to escape the fact that the stakes in the OSU-USC game will be enormous.
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UPDATE: The Jacksonville Times-Union’s Gene Frenette believes the #1 ranking is a cause for rejoicing if you’re Mark Richt.
That’s the one thing that is really broken with college football–inequitable schedules.
Chuck,
I agree. However, if you look down the road at future schedules the fascinating thing is that the better programs that have bigger stadiums are now under intense fan pressure to give their fans a little more on the non-conference schedule front.
To that end, check out the future schedules of Southern Cal, Ohio State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Miami. Here:
http://nationalchamps.net/NCAA/future_schedules/
The new model seems to be schedule 1 gorilla game a year and then hit your conference schedule. Even Ohio State is participating with upcoming games against Miami, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma.
It still doesn’t compensate for having a weak conference. Much of that is cyclical. But it’s a tiny step forward in a broader broken process.
Shrink Div I to 90 or so teams and ban Div I-AA games. That’s the only real answer.
Shrink Div I to 90 or so teams and ban Div I-AA games. That’s the only real answer.
Agreed – except I’d go all the way down to eight ten team conferences.
“But as SMQ concludes, it’s hard to escape the fact that the stakes in the OSU-USC game will be enormous.”
True, but not as enormous as the WLOCP between our undefeated Dawgs and the undefeated Gators. SECCG and MNC on the line.