I like the way John Pennington describes Chris Low’s “pre-spring power rankings” post of yesterday.
You’ve got to give credit to ESPN. They have their beatwriters making new lists day after day. In fact, ESPN should just change their moniker to “LIST.”
Their shows are all list-based. Their stories are all list-based. They are the listingest listers I’ve ever seen.
And here’s their latest: Pre-Spring Power Rankings.
I mean, how dopey an exercise is this? Florida doesn’t even have a defensive coordinator right now. Several teams in the conference have to find new quarterbacks. Alabama, Low’s number one team, has to replace nine of eleven starters on defense. Florida, his number two team, by Low’s own admission, lost more talent than any other SEC team, yet winning 10 games “isn’t out of the question”. Hunh? Auburn’s getting ready to ride Cam Newton’s arm into greatness. Hey, that worked out really well for Brent Schaeffer. The list goes on (Low’s still got that mancrush on Bobby Petrino going).
Bottom line: it’s waaaay too early to be trying to establish a conference pecking order. It’s little more than a time waster, at best.
Mark Bradley, on the other hand, thinks it’s all good. I rest my case.
Get The Picture 
I guess I don’t really begrudge Low for reaching a little when trying to come up with stuff to write about. This is the very lean time of the year for CFB bloggers of all stripes, even the ones who wear ESPN’s stamp of approval.
But referring to it as a “poll” was dumb. Low didn’t walk around and tally up the rankings of a bunch of other folks he consulted with — more likely, he banged it out the same way I would have, on his couch, in his boxers, with a cup of coffee (or maybe Sam Adams) at the ready. To try and sell it as anything more meaningful than that is baloney. (Which is why we can all expect Mark Bradley to do the same.)
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It is an idiotic article, yes, but I must admit I am very, very curious whether he would have put Tennessee at #9 if the Kiffster stuck around. Personally, I think Dooley is going to have a brighter long-term future.
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Fish gotta swim and . . .
They start handcapping the next presidential election by Thanksgiving every leap year, and that’s 4 years off. This is small beer.
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Perhaps the most interesting thing to me is that we beat USC, Auburn, and Arkansas in a year universally regarded as the worst of Richt’s tenure and yet we’re ranked ahead of UT and Kentucky.
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Regard me highly at your own risk, bloggers.
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Frankly, I love this stuff and hope we keep seeing articles about “Georgia’s decline” and “Can Richt save his program?” because, as David Hale has pointed out, Richt seems to do his best when his back looks to be against the wall.
I recall Richt saying in the spring of 2004 that he felt good about where the program was. UGA went on to have a relatively disappointing season. I also recall Richt in the spring of 2008 again saying he felt good about direction of the program.
It’s when the attacks start that he seems to be most clear-eyed and motivated. It’s a shame it takes such criticism to look critically at what he’s doing and respond, but still.
If UGA wins an SEC championship this year or next, then Bradley, Schultz, Finebaum and that guy who asked Richt if he’s gotten complacent should all get rings.
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Shorter predictimicators:
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Given Mr. Low’s predictions from last year, I’d be frightened if he had the Dawgs ranked high. I’m glad he’s given Georgia a “low blow”. He’s going to be proven wrong.
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If Florida’s offense lost not only its best players, but the Greatest Player of Our Era, how can they not be worse? Is Me!-bow so easily replaceable?
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The “Dawgs” are back. The Cocks and the Dawgs will finish 1 & 2 in the East. We will be better the second half of the season than the first half. The next 4 years will be great for Dawg Fans. Go Dawgs
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