Here is CBS take on the coming 2014 Season:

1. Florida State: The Seminoles will lose several contributors from their perfect 2013 run, most notably All-American defensive back LaMarcus Joyner, center Bryan Stork and potentially junior wideout Kelvin Benjamin. But the Heisman Trophy winner will be back, and Jimbo Fisher has recruited well enough that any hole will immediately be plugged by just another blue-chip NFL-bound prospect. They'll start 2014 where they ended the season before.

2. Alabama: Even after finishing the season on a two-game losing skid, even after losing AJ McCarron and C.J. Mosley, the Tide remain the most dependable "brand" in college football. And among a host of candidates for the second, Nick Saban and Co. will likely get the benefit of the doubt for the second spot, particularly if the quarterbacks on hand have a solid spring.

3. Stanford: The Cardinal have emerged as the most reliable team in the Pac-12, and even if they lose some of their star wattage going into 2014 -- linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy are gone, and star guard David Yankey might be close behind -- it's hard to imagine David Shaw's team taking much of a step back, especially if Kevin Hogan bounces back from an up-and-down 2013.

4. Auburn: The Tigers might lose Tre Mason and star left tackle Greg Robinson to the draft, and many of their steadiest defenders are seniors. But Nick Marshall and at least seven other offensive starters will return to Gus Malzahn's offensive machine, and the Tiger front seven has plenty of young talent to build around.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...irst-guess

Then there will be the inevitable teams that come out of nowhere (2013 Auburn, 2013 Mizzou).

just for fun-
Sugar: Florida St vs Auburn
Rose: Alabama vs Stanford
Orange 16 Clemson vs 7 Michigan St
access bowl teams:
5 Oregon
6 Ohio St(automatic)(remember, conference champ can not go to the Orange Bowl- must go access bowl)
8 UCLA
9 LSU
12 Baylor(automatic)
23 UCF(automatic)

Ohio State & Michigan State are in the same division next year too, plus Michigan State travels to Oregon.

So Alabama loses "star" QB and already had a bad O-line this year, yet they start out #2 so far. Unbelievable, yet, unsurprising...

MSU isn't losing many starters this year, almost all of the offense is returning and most of the defense is. How we aren't ranked ahead of Oregon and Ohio State puzzles me... I'd put us with Auburn and Standford.

Anyone else notice NDSU is in the also considered?

(01-07-2014 12:09 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  MSU isn't losing many starters this year, almost all of the offense is returning and most of the defense is. How we aren't ranked ahead of Oregon and Ohio State puzzles me... I'd put us with Auburn and Standford.

Nobody really counts CBS sports. Take a look at ESPN's too early top 25, you may be happier. Outside of Alabama STILL being ranked #2. Da fuq is wrong with people.

Edit: The link would be nice, eh? *slaps forehead*

http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...5-rankings

(01-07-2014 11:18 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Ohio State & Michigan State are in the same division next year too, plus Michigan State travels to Oregon.

Yeah, I doubt sportswriters look at next year's schedules before they write these early top 25 lists. There aren't enough wins to go around for the teams they've picked at the top. The writer is just packing in all the name teams and teams that did well this year, rather than trying to figure out who might actually win when the teams play each other next fall.

This list has three Pac-12 teams that all play each other in the top 8, and three SEC West teams that all play each other in the top 9; that probably can be a final outcome only if all six of those teams win all their non-con games and don't get upset by any lesser teams. Auburn also plays both Georgia and South Carolina, so they have five games vs. teams in this list's top 15. (In contrast, Alabama once again gets a very favorable "crossover" draw, they play the 2013 5th and 6th place teams from the SEC East, Florida and Tennessee.)

EDIT: ESPN has a similar pre-season ranking out

http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...5-rankings
1. FSU
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Stanford
5. Auburn
6. MSU
7. UCLA
8. OU
9. Ohio St
10. LSU

... Same issue: There's not enough Ws to go around for all these teams to finish this highly given how many games they play against each other.

(01-07-2014 12:13 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:09 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  MSU isn't losing many starters this year, almost all of the offense is returning and most of the defense is. How we aren't ranked ahead of Oregon and Ohio State puzzles me... I'd put us with Auburn and Standford.

Nobody really counts CBS sports. Take a look at ESPN's too early top 25, you may be happier. Outside of Alabama STILL being ranked #2. Da fuq is wrong with people.

How they still have Oregon over MSU and Stanford puzzles me, they weren't a unstoppable team this year and they still won't be next year. This is why I hate being Michigan's "little brother".

Also, how is Florida, Ole Miss, and North Carolina on this list (ESPiN)? Such a joke...

(01-07-2014 12:25 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  Also, how is Florida, Ole Miss, and North Carolina on this list (ESPiN)? Such a joke...

Ole Miss should be pretty good next year.

(01-07-2014 12:18 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:13 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:09 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  MSU isn't losing many starters this year, almost all of the offense is returning and most of the defense is. How we aren't ranked ahead of Oregon and Ohio State puzzles me... I'd put us with Auburn and Standford.

Nobody really counts CBS sports. Take a look at ESPN's too early top 25, you may be happier. Outside of Alabama STILL being ranked #2. Da fuq is wrong with people.

How they still have Oregon over MSU and Stanford puzzles me, they weren't a unstoppable team this year and they still won't be next year. This is why I hate being Michigan's "little brother".

Not sure who MSU has returning, but I'd pick Oregon over Stanford if I had to make a pick this far in advance. Stanford is losing a lot on defense, and if they have to rely more on Hogan that won't be good for them. I'd even be tempted to pick UCLA higher than Stanford, except that I doubt UCLA's defense will be tough enough to warrant that.

(01-07-2014 12:14 PM)Wedge Wrote:  There's not enough Ws to go around for all these teams to finish this highly given how many games they play against each other.

It does guarantee that the team that does survive out of say, Oregon/Stanford/UCLA is pretty much a lock for the top 4 because they'll have the benefit of wins over other highly ranked teams. And if somehow Oregon State has a great year and beats Stanford and Oregon, they'll get the Auburn/Missouri treatment and get an express ticket to the top of the polls by virtue of their amazing wins over highly ranked teams.

It's interesting to see the PAC benefiting from the usual SEC treatment going into next year.

(01-07-2014 12:26 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:18 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:13 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:09 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  MSU isn't losing many starters this year, almost all of the offense is returning and most of the defense is. How we aren't ranked ahead of Oregon and Ohio State puzzles me... I'd put us with Auburn and Standford.

Nobody really counts CBS sports. Take a look at ESPN's too early top 25, you may be happier. Outside of Alabama STILL being ranked #2. Da fuq is wrong with people.

How they still have Oregon over MSU and Stanford puzzles me, they weren't a unstoppable team this year and they still won't be next year. This is why I hate being Michigan's "little brother".

Not sure who MSU has returning, but I'd pick Oregon over Stanford if I had to make a pick this far in advance. Stanford is losing a lot on defense, and if they have to rely more on Hogan that won't be good for them. I'd even be tempted to pick UCLA higher than Stanford, except that I doubt UCLA's defense will be tough enough to warrant that.

Losing 3 offensive linemen and 6 defensive starters, I thought we were losing less than that.

(01-07-2014 12:30 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:26 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:18 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:13 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:09 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  MSU isn't losing many starters this year, almost all of the offense is returning and most of the defense is. How we aren't ranked ahead of Oregon and Ohio State puzzles me... I'd put us with Auburn and Standford.

Nobody really counts CBS sports. Take a look at ESPN's too early top 25, you may be happier. Outside of Alabama STILL being ranked #2. Da fuq is wrong with people.

How they still have Oregon over MSU and Stanford puzzles me, they weren't a unstoppable team this year and they still won't be next year. This is why I hate being Michigan's "little brother".

Not sure who MSU has returning, but I'd pick Oregon over Stanford if I had to make a pick this far in advance. Stanford is losing a lot on defense, and if they have to rely more on Hogan that won't be good for them. I'd even be tempted to pick UCLA higher than Stanford, except that I doubt UCLA's defense will be tough enough to warrant that.

Losing 3 offensive linemen and 6 defensive starters, I thought we were losing less than that.

If MSU keeps Narduzzi, your defense should still be tough. They can settle the Oregon argument when they play on September 13 in Eugene. That should be one of the biggest non-conference games of the season.

(01-07-2014 12:28 PM)TomThumb Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:14 PM)Wedge Wrote:  There's not enough Ws to go around for all these teams to finish this highly given how many games they play against each other.

It does guarantee that the team that does survive out of say, Oregon/Stanford/UCLA is pretty much a lock for the top 4 because they'll have the benefit of wins over other highly ranked teams. And if somehow Oregon State has a great year and beats Stanford and Oregon, they'll get the Auburn/Missouri treatment and get an express ticket to the top of the polls by virtue of their amazing wins over highly ranked teams.

It's interesting to see the PAC benefiting from the usual SEC treatment going into next year.

All those teams were really good this year. ASU was pretty good as well and so was USC after Orgeron took over. The Pac is also benefitting from the TV exposure, for the last couple of years they've been on TV so much more than they were under the awful TV deal that the previous commissioner stuck them with.

And like you say, it helps to have the same teams be consistently near the top (like the SEC has), so that when someone else (like Auburn and Missouri) takes them down, they get credibility.

(01-07-2014 12:10 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  Anyone else notice NDSU is in the also considered?

Just a throw in. I'd put them in consideration for top 25 THIS year, but they are losing their head coach, as well as the bulk of the team that led their back-back-back National Championship run.

(01-07-2014 12:38 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:30 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:26 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:18 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  

(01-07-2014 12:13 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  Nobody really counts CBS sports. Take a look at ESPN's too early top 25, you may be happier. Outside of Alabama STILL being ranked #2. Da fuq is wrong with people.

How they still have Oregon over MSU and Stanford puzzles me, they weren't a unstoppable team this year and they still won't be next year. This is why I hate being Michigan's "little brother".

Not sure who MSU has returning, but I'd pick Oregon over Stanford if I had to make a pick this far in advance. Stanford is losing a lot on defense, and if they have to rely more on Hogan that won't be good for them. I'd even be tempted to pick UCLA higher than Stanford, except that I doubt UCLA's defense will be tough enough to warrant that.

Losing 3 offensive linemen and 6 defensive starters, I thought we were losing less than that.

If MSU keeps Narduzzi, your defense should still be tough. They can settle the Oregon argument when they play on September 13 in Eugene. That should be one of the biggest non-conference games of the season.

Corrrection on the date above: 2014 Pac-12 football schedules were announced today, and the MSU-Oregon game has been moved to September 6.

http://pac-12.com/article/2014/01/08/pac...l-schedule

Three interesting games on September 6, so far:

Michigan State-Oregon (announced as an afternoon game).
The last Michigan-Notre Dame game (night game at South Bend).
USC-Stanford, presumably a night game given that MSU-Oregon has been announced as a day game.

I would love to think that ECU will be in the preseason top 25... but that ain't happening. We'll likely receive some votes and enough of them to put us in the 40-50 range, maybe even in the 30-40 range. The AAC will be wide open and will be won by either Cinci, Houston, UCF or ECU. I do think that the AAC will finish the season with up to three ranked teams.