Tyler Conway (Bleacher Report) — Another mass exodus of NFL talent and another coordinator taking a head coaching job. As long as Alabama has Nick Saban and a wealth of 5-star talent, it doesn’t matter.
The Crimson Tide are once again the nation’s top-ranked team in the first Associated Press poll of the 2021 college football season, which was released Monday. This is the first time Alabama has been the preseason No. 1 since 2018, after Clemson held the mantle the last two years.
Alabama or Clemson has topped the preseason poll in each of the last five seasons. The Tigers dropped to No. 3 this year, one spot behind Oklahoma, with Ohio State and Georgia rounding out the Top Five.
1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Clemson
4. Ohio State
5. Georgia
6. Texas A&M
7. Iowa State
8. Cincinnati
9. Notre Dame
10. North Carolina
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Florida
14. Miami
15. USC
16. LSU
17. Indiana
18. Iowa
19. Penn State
20. Washington
21. Texas
22. Coastal Carolina
23. Louisiana-Lafayette
24. Utah
25. Arizona State
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 107, Ole Miss 106, TCU 40, Liberty 36, Auburn 32, North Carolina State 14, Michigan 12, Northwestern 8, Boise State 7, Nevada 7, Brigham Young 6, Ball State 6, Houston 5, Boston College 5, UCF 5, West Virginia 3, UAB 2, Army 2, UCLA 2
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CH always seems like the happiest guy on earth (well, almost!) during his lame practice pressers. This makes him all the more aggravating to watch as he spouts off his routine, meaningless platitudes. I usually try to skip his narratives, but I decided to take one for the team!
He didn’t want to sit behind Slovis. I believe he thought Graham Harrell preferred Slovis, if both were healthy. Plus, he probably wanted to win more games and get exposure (as well as better OL protection) with a much higher-ranked team that was competitive with the best.
He was in the right place at the right time. Always marvel at God’s plans, injury leads to amazing opportunity for success. Switch places and Slovis is at Georgia and Daniels is at SC. Both should make good money in the NFL.
Based on my listening to Clay The Cat Helton’s latest presser, it’s my impression that he is absolutely petrified of too many injuries and the inability of a talented but very thin USC team to withstand losing players.
I’d be interested to hear if anyone else felt the same?
That is why I am predicting a second half of the season collapse. They are still trying to figure out the starting lines and which side they will play. The good teams have that set. Once you get past the starters this USC team gets weak fast.
If your assumption is true, #1- he has never recruited to build depth or #2-the backups he has easily recruited that other better division 1 programs passed on, are not at the same level of performance needed to step in and execute as starters, so, #3-he depends on a limited number of skill players to win games with the coaching guidance of Harrell & Orlando and fears their loss.
For those of you who have been missing Clay Helton’s pressers, you just got to catch his latest, entitled Fall Camp #8. He still loves to say “when the bullets start flying.” It’s classic Clay!
A former member alerted me to this and I thought I would share the positive story about JT Daniels. I really hope his idea catches on. It would restore my faith in athletes who play college sports. This comes from the ‘Dawg Nation’ blog page. JT Daniels is one of the many high-profile college football stars who is taking advantage of the new name, image and likeness rules. And now it seems that both Daniels and his Georgia football teammates will benefit from the rule changes. According to a report from Darren Rovell of The Action Network, Daniels has signed… Read more »
Boy with the BYU deal open to anybody on the team and JT Daniels deal to share the wealth, scholarship limits are a thing of the past. Walk ons will get a piece of the action. Not only football but think about baseball with its what 7.5 scholarships.
Well the AP poll was charitable to the Pac12, giving them the same number as the SEC. Some schools in there I am scratching my head about, but after all it is totally meaningless, but let the rah rah begin. If it wasn’t for Saban and Alabama, the SEC wouldn’t be the so called powerhouse they think they are. I do think Georgia is going to whip Alabama this year, Kirby is due. LSU is going to drop fast, and the teams from the Group of 5 will drop also. I do think Iowa St will stay around a while… Read more »
It has probably already had a lot of play here, but I heard that idiot CH squandered the scrimmage opportunity on Saturday (one of only two scrimmages allowed) by playing all the twos and threes mostly and resting the ones. Does this man ever learn a G-D thing in life? That was a rhetorical question, no need to answer. This is a year where we lose to UCLA, at home, and it could be ugly. 6-6 will never have looked so bad. In the end, though a coaching change will be made, we’ll bungle that too. The fact that CH… Read more »
I don’t get it where some are saying SC has a soft schedule. The first half of the season, yes, but then SC gets #24 Utah, #9 ND, #25 ASU and a rival game with sucla. And if the Trojans win the South they will get either #11 Oregon or #20 Washington.
I know it’s too early for a poll but I can see Clay the Cat in Bohn’s office- “Hey coach Bohn can I get an extension on my contract or maybe a raise? I have the same win loss record as Saban and he’s number one. I don’t think I should be treated like number two.”
You know there’s going to be at least 5 or 6 game balls to pass around this season. They are like gold to the administrators from other planets where winning isn’t such a big deal.
For a different perspective, this ranking comes from the NCAA. 9. Oregon (4-3 in 2020, not ranked) The 2020 season was weird and difficult for all. Oregon is no exception. A bunch of players sat out the season and the Ducks didn’t even win their division, but Oregon got to play in the Pac-12 title game. A win there jumped them into the Fiesta Bowl at only 4-2. Like many teams, off-season focus is at quarterback. Boston College transfer Anthony Brown may get the nod. 13. Notre Dame (10-2 in 2020, No. 5 in final AP Poll) It’s going to… Read more »
We missed on McMillan. Another kid in our back yard headed elsewhere.
USC’s been missing a lot lately with the locals. The negative recruiting against Helton could be a huge factor, but I’m just guessing here.
just another reason for Clay to be gone. Ugh. Tired of having to say that.
CH always seems like the happiest guy on earth (well, almost!) during his lame practice pressers. This makes him all the more aggravating to watch as he spouts off his routine, meaningless platitudes. I usually try to skip his narratives, but I decided to take one for the team!
Per Inside College Football (CBS Sports Network), the 2021 Heisman Trophy Odds (via William Hill) are as follows:
1.QB Spencer Rattler (OU) +550
2.QB D.J. Uiagalelei (CLEM) +700
3.QB Bryce Young (ALA) +900
4.QB C.J. Stroud (OHIO ST) +1000
5.QB JT Daniels (GA) +1200
Kedon Slovis didn’t make this top five list. Check out the schools.
Slovis is not on a premier team. To win the Heisman (in IMO) you have to be the best player on the best team.
Something to see JT in the national spotlight. I’m fuzzy on the particulars on why he needed to transfer with Slovis coming in when he got injured.
He didn’t want to sit behind Slovis. I believe he thought Graham Harrell preferred Slovis, if both were healthy. Plus, he probably wanted to win more games and get exposure (as well as better OL protection) with a much higher-ranked team that was competitive with the best.
He was in the right place at the right time. Always marvel at God’s plans, injury leads to amazing opportunity for success. Switch places and Slovis is at Georgia and Daniels is at SC. Both should make good money in the NFL.
Based on my listening to Clay The Cat Helton’s latest presser, it’s my impression that he is absolutely petrified of too many injuries and the inability of a talented but very thin USC team to withstand losing players.
I’d be interested to hear if anyone else felt the same?
That is why I am predicting a second half of the season collapse. They are still trying to figure out the starting lines and which side they will play. The good teams have that set. Once you get past the starters this USC team gets weak fast.
If your assumption is true, #1- he has never recruited to build depth or #2-the backups he has easily recruited that other better division 1 programs passed on, are not at the same level of performance needed to step in and execute as starters, so, #3-he depends on a limited number of skill players to win games with the coaching guidance of Harrell & Orlando and fears their loss.
I put my money on #2.
For those of you who have been missing Clay Helton’s pressers, you just got to catch his latest, entitled Fall Camp #8. He still loves to say “when the bullets start flying.” It’s classic Clay!
Link?
I don’t have the heart to post it here. But it’s all over FB.
Try USC Scoop
A former member alerted me to this and I thought I would share the positive story about JT Daniels. I really hope his idea catches on. It would restore my faith in athletes who play college sports. This comes from the ‘Dawg Nation’ blog page. JT Daniels is one of the many high-profile college football stars who is taking advantage of the new name, image and likeness rules. And now it seems that both Daniels and his Georgia football teammates will benefit from the rule changes. According to a report from Darren Rovell of The Action Network, Daniels has signed… Read more »
Boy are those Dawgs gonna fight for him. What a leader!
You are right Golden, it is better to give than receive. Those guys will protect him like nobody has ever been protected before.
Boy with the BYU deal open to anybody on the team and JT Daniels deal to share the wealth, scholarship limits are a thing of the past. Walk ons will get a piece of the action. Not only football but think about baseball with its what 7.5 scholarships.
Well the AP poll was charitable to the Pac12, giving them the same number as the SEC. Some schools in there I am scratching my head about, but after all it is totally meaningless, but let the rah rah begin. If it wasn’t for Saban and Alabama, the SEC wouldn’t be the so called powerhouse they think they are. I do think Georgia is going to whip Alabama this year, Kirby is due. LSU is going to drop fast, and the teams from the Group of 5 will drop also. I do think Iowa St will stay around a while… Read more »
Actually, where you start out has lot a to do with where you end up in the polls.
Hopefully, LSU beats up badly on UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 4.
That’s particularly true if the loss is Game 1 or 2. But not so much if it’s late in the schedule.
USC’s just very lucky it doesn’t have to play ND early on, especially in South Bend, and maybe neither ORE nor UW all season long.
That would be nice, but UCLA does pretty well vs the SEC
Remember a few years ago when USC was ranked #1? Where did they end up?
Are you seriously picking out one year, and one team?
so much for pac-12 togetherness
It has probably already had a lot of play here, but I heard that idiot CH squandered the scrimmage opportunity on Saturday (one of only two scrimmages allowed) by playing all the twos and threes mostly and resting the ones. Does this man ever learn a G-D thing in life? That was a rhetorical question, no need to answer. This is a year where we lose to UCLA, at home, and it could be ugly. 6-6 will never have looked so bad. In the end, though a coaching change will be made, we’ll bungle that too. The fact that CH… Read more »
I don’t get it where some are saying SC has a soft schedule. The first half of the season, yes, but then SC gets #24 Utah, #9 ND, #25 ASU and a rival game with sucla. And if the Trojans win the South they will get either #11 Oregon or #20 Washington.
I know it’s too early for a poll but I can see Clay the Cat in Bohn’s office- “Hey coach Bohn can I get an extension on my contract or maybe a raise? I have the same win loss record as Saban and he’s number one. I don’t think I should be treated like number two.”
You know there’s going to be at least 5 or 6 game balls to pass around this season. They are like gold to the administrators from other planets where winning isn’t such a big deal.
Clay The Cat Helton has probably got all his game balls signed and ready. I wonder if he’s putting any kitty whiskers on the laces? 😂
For a different perspective, this ranking comes from the NCAA. 9. Oregon (4-3 in 2020, not ranked) The 2020 season was weird and difficult for all. Oregon is no exception. A bunch of players sat out the season and the Ducks didn’t even win their division, but Oregon got to play in the Pac-12 title game. A win there jumped them into the Fiesta Bowl at only 4-2. Like many teams, off-season focus is at quarterback. Boston College transfer Anthony Brown may get the nod. 13. Notre Dame (10-2 in 2020, No. 5 in final AP Poll) It’s going to… Read more »