re: Worst top 25 ballot ever?

It's hard to explain this to someone who appears incapable of understanding it, so I shouldn't even try.

The easiest thing is, no one gives a shite what you think you saw. Read his article if you want his justification. Your real beef is you looked at the ballot and didn't see Bama in the top two, so you lost your mind.

His preseason poll:

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1. Florida State: A dominant offensive line, Heisman winning quarterback (Jameis Winston) and manageable schedule make the Seminoles the team to beat. If Winston stays out of trouble (off the field), FSU has a great chance to repeat.

2. Ohio State: The defensive front is loaded and QB Braxton Miller’s back. What’s more, tOSU misses the best of the Big Ten’s West division.

3. Alabama: The tailbacks and receivers are as good as any in the country – all they need is someone to distribute the ball (either Jacob Coker or Blake Sims). Oh, and Georgia and South Carolina are not on the schedule.

4. Oklahoma: If quarterback Trevor Knight stays healthy – he couldn’t last year — the Sooners should contend for the title. Their defense will be good enough to stop anyone in the Big 12.

5. Wisconsin: Melvin Gordon leads a first-class power game, but the reason for this lofty ballot position is the schedule: The Badgers miss Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan, which makes 10+ wins, and a gaudy end-of-season ranking, quite possible.

6. Oregon: Marcus Mariota one of the top-three players at the most important position, and the Ducks miss both USC and ASU. But Oregon must get bigger and tougher to beat Stanford and run the table.

7. Michigan State: The Spartans have more than enough experience and playmakers to hold their own in Eugene on Sept. 6 in the top non-conference game of the season.

8. UCLA: The offensive line should do a better job protecting Brett Hundley and opening running lanes. There are playmakers throughout the defense. In other words: No excuses, Bruins.

9. Georgia: Tailback Todd Gurley returns, along with eight defensive starters. And the Dawgs miss both Bama and LSU.

10. Baylor: Bryce Petty’s return offsets what figures to be a spotty defense. The soft schedule means Baylor should be undefeated heading to Austin on Oct. 4.

11. USC: Not much margin for error because of depth issues, but the starting 22 is awfully good. Sark won’t have much time to figure things out given the front-loaded schedule.

12. Stanford: Four new starters up front, no proven tailback, a retooled defense and brutal road schedule (Oregon and UCLA, for starters) make a fifth consecutive season of 11+ wins unlikely.

13. Auburn: We’ll assume the Tigers used up their miracles last fall and return to the pack.

14. Mississippi: The first of four sleepers on my ballot, largely due to the return of QB Bo Wallace and nine defensive starters.

15. Marshall: With Rakeem Cato at the controls and a soft schedule, the Herd is the best bet to bust the BCS … err, never mind.

16. LSU: The Tigers lost a ton of talent and the schedule is rugged. But it’s LSU, and LSU always finds a way to win 10+ games. (OK, maybe not always. But seven of the past nine years.)

17. Virginia Tech: Quarterback Logan Thomas’ departure leaves a sizable hole, but the Hokies have returnees everywhere else and a schedule that does not include Clemson or Florida State.

18. South Carolina: The loss of Jadeveon Clowney isn’t as significant as the departure of Connor Shaw, who threw one – count ‘em: ONE – interception last year.

19. Oregon State: Sleeper No. 2 … The return of quarterback Sean Mannion, combined with a renewed commitment to the running game and improved defense, should vault the Beavers onto the top tier of the Pac-12.

20. Iowa: Sleeper No. 3 … The Hawkeyes have a well-stocked offense and don’t play Michigan State, Ohio State or Michigan.

21. Boise State: First-year HC Bryan Harsin inherits an elite tailback in Jay Ajayi (1,400 yards) and reliable quarterback in Grant Hedrick.

22. Notre Dame: The good: Everett Golson is back to (presumably) run Brian Kelly’s option attack. The bad: The schedule, which includes Michigan, Stanford, Florida State, Arizona State, Northwestern, North Carolina and USC.

23. Texas Tech: Sleeper No. 4, and here’s why: Kliff Kingsbury can coach, and the schedule is soft enough for the Red Raiders to pile up wins before a difficult November.

24. Northwestern: The Wildcats return 17 starters, but is there enough quality depth for them to compete for the B1G title? Probably not.

25. Duke: Good coach (David Cutcliffe) + veteran QB (Anthony Boone) + soft schedule = eight or nine wins.

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To his mind, LSU beat the team he believed was the fifth best in the country. Right or wrong, he can justify what he did.

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Based on what I saw, LSU is borderline top 20. Wisconsin at 10? Did he watch the second half of that game??

LSU fans keep bringing up that his poll is based on "on the field" results. LSU's on the field results were suspect at best. Heck half of LSU's fanbase were lighting their torches at halftime.

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Bias noted, carry on.

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Based on what I saw, LSU is borderline top 20. Wisconsin at 10? Did he watch the second half of that game??

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Nobody knows who's good or how good they are after one game. It's like watching your team's spring game. If the QB passes for 500 yards, is he that good, or is your defense that bad? Wisconsin might be an 0-12 team or an 11-1 team this year. Wherever you or anyone else think they will finish is purely speculative opinion at this point. He's just as entitled to think Wisconsin is a top 10 team as you are to think they suck. Neither one of you has the faintest clue and you are both just guessing, just like everybody else at this point. For all we know, Vanderbilt might be the best team in the SEC and Temple might be the freaking Seahawks.