In these parts, it’s practically an annual epidemic.
The ice cream has melted, and the milk’s gone sour.
Yes, daddy did it again.
Nearing the end of a dutiful grocery trip, he dared walk through the magazine aisle, convinced he possessed the steely resolve to sneak no more than a glance at its glorious collection of preseason college football issues.
Pfffh. Yeah, right.
Forgetful football fanatics, rejoice.
This summer, help is here for you and your poor, gagging kinfolk. Ever at your service, the Sports Seer has scoured the best parts of those glossy stat-filled sirens so you don’t have to.
I’ve targeted each mag’s Top 5, the SEC teams in the Top 25, and the Razorbacks and Tide selected by outlets releasing preseason All-America teams. I’ve even thrown in a few online outlets for good measure and poll compilations for good measure.
Just know most of these publications prognosticated in April or May, after spring practices wrapped. Some notable stuff has happened since then, such as Ohio State’s program combusting.
Big Papa AP poll is coming down the slide, but you’ll have to wait until August 20th until splashdown. In the meantime, here are other batches of speculatory crack cocaine to tide you over.
Lindy’s
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Florida State10. Arkansas
11. South Carolina
16. Georgia
20. Florida
21. Mississippi State
24. Auburn— Eight SEC Teams in Top 25
— Alabama players* make up five of the eleven SEC players selected to first and second All-America teams; Knile Davis: Second team All-America
* I tallied Alabama preseason All-America selections b/c that program seems to have set the standard this summer.
Sporting News
1. LSU
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Stanford
5. Oregon11. Arkansas
15. Mississippi State
19. South Carolina
21. Auburn— Six SEC Teams in Top 25
— Alabama had three of the ten SEC players on first and second All-America teams; Joe Adams and Knile Davis, the “most underrated player in the country”: third team All-Americans.
Athlon Sports
1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Oregon
4. Florida State
5. Boise State8. LSU
14. Georgia
16. Arkansas
18. Florida
21. South Carolina— Six SEC teams in Top 25
— Alabama had three of the ten SEC players selected to first and second All-America teams
— Knile Davis, on the Heisman Trophy watch list: Second team; Jake Bequette: Third team
Phil Steele’s
1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Boise State
4. Oregon State
5. Virginia Tech7. LSU
9. Georgia
13. Arkansas
14. South Carolina— Five SEC teams in Top 25
— Alabama had five of the 12 SEC players selected to first and second All-America teams (Bequette, Childs and Franklin: Third team, Adams: Fourth team)
Blue Ribbon
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Stanford
5. Oregon10. South Carolina
14. Arkansas
16. Georgia
21. Mississippi State— Six SEC teams in Top 25
SI.com, Andy Staples
1. Oklahoma
2. Oregon
3. Alabama
4. LSU
5. Stanford8. South Carolina
13. Arkansas
18. Auburn
22. Mississippi State— Six SEC teams in the Top 25
CBSSports.com, Dennis Dodd
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Stanford13. Arkansas
15. Auburn
17. South Carolina
20. Mississippi State
23. Georgia
25. Florida— Eight SEC teams in the Top 25
ESPN.com, Mark Schlabach
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Florida State
4. Oregon
5. LSU11. Arkansas
17. Georgia
19. South Carolina
20. Florida
25. Mississippi State— Seven SEC teams in Top 25
Man cannot live by one ESPN source alone. The following was slapped together by a 38-person panel of the Mothership’s finest statniks and talking heads:
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Boise State8. South Carolina
12. Arkansas
18. Florida
21. Mississippi State
22. Auburn— Seven SEC teams in the Top 25
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Florida12. South Carolina
14. Arkansas
19. Auburn
20. Mississippi State
22. Georgia
23. Florida-Eight SEC teams in Top 25
As usual, the SEC bestrides the nation like a chinstrapped Colossus. This season, though, the league appears deeper than usual. Because of the rise of South Carolina and Mississippi State, SEC sauce coats nearly a full third of the Top 25 lists of CBSSports.com and Lindy’s. Only the Cleveland, Ohio-based Phil Steele had fewer than six SEC teams in his Top 25.
Meanwhile, Arkansas steadily climbs toward the perennial Top-10 status it so craves. After being ranked between No. 16 and No. 21 in last season’s polls, its average ranking is around 13 this season.
Arkansas finished last season ranked No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll. It last finished that high in 1988.
For some of you stat geeks, the above numbers simply don’t quench an undying thirst for data. You want more, and you should know more is out there to be given. A few geniuses have taken the process a step farther – calculating preseason Top 25 ranks by compiling polls of various national publications. I present two below:
This consensus poll extracts “votes” from the published polls of 15 websites and magazines. Teams ranked No. 1 get 25 points and so on down to one point for those ranked 25th.
1. Oklahoma, 367 points
2. Alabama, 349 points
3. LSU, 336 points
4. Oregon, 335 points
5. Florida State, 282 points
12. Arkansas, 206 points
13. South Carolina, 179 points
19. Mississippi State, 77 points
20. Georgia, 74 points
23. Auburn, 58 points
25. Florida, 52 points— Eight SEC Teams in Top 25
Southeastern Conference office
For media days, the SEC sicced its infohounds on the pages of Athlon, Blue Ribbon, Kickoff, Lindy’s, Phil Steele and Sporting News. They dug up the following average national rankings by compiling those publications’ Top 25 polls.
1. Oklahoma, 1.57
2. Alabama, 1.71
3. Oregon, 3.71
4. LSU, 4.43
5. Boise State, 5.4312. Arkansas, 12.57
13. South Carolina, 13.29
17. Georgia, 17.57
21. Florida, 22.71
23. Mississippi State, 23.14
Only seven SEC teams ranked in the Top 25?!!
C’mon, SEC office, you can self-promote better than this. Next season, save yourself some time and use 247Sports.com’s numbers.
Arkcentrism in the House
At least two Little Rock-based publications have churned out Top 25 rankings. Not surprisingly, Arkansas gets the most love in their pages.
Hooten’s Arkansas Football
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Boise State8. Arkansas
12. South Carolina
14. Florida
17. Mississippi State
18. Auburn— Seven SEC teams in Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Florida State10. Arkansas
13. South Carolina
17. Georgia
19. Mississippi State
22. Florida
24. Auburn— Eight SEC teams in Top 25
For photos and a look at UCA’s preseason rankings, check out a previous edition of this article at
