2018 AP Preseason Rankings

[TheUpperHand]

1 hour ago, OcalaBull2 said:

When I found this, I was going to send one of these to Jim Leavitt since this was when he was the DC for the Colorado Buffs at the time and that would be perfect. But, then I realized it wouldn't be worth the money.

[79 Bull]

I get having to put in UCF but FAU in is a  joke if he doesn't put us in.  Losing to Houston on a 4th and 24 (sorry for the memory) and fighting to the end with the national champs (sorry about that too) are the only 2 losses.  It's just crazy.

GO BULLS!

Edited August 17, 2018 by 79 Bull

[TheUpperHand]

10 minutes ago, 79 Bull said:

I get having to put in UCF but FAU in is a  joke if he doesn't put us in.  Losing to Houston on a 4th and 24 (sorry for the memory) and fighting to the end with the national champs (sorry about that too) are the only 2 losses.  It's just crazy.

GO BULLS!

I guess, but if we're going to say "what about the 4 point loss vs Houston and the 7 point loss to UCF," what about the seven point win against 5-7 Tulane, six point win over 2-10 Tulsa, or 4 point OT win over 6-6 South Carolina? We could have been 7-5 just as easily as 12 - 0.

FAU and UCF have their question marks this year but I think the rankings are based more on program trajectory right now. Both of those teams overperformed last year and ended on a high note where we underperformed. FAU went from consecutive 3-9 years to 11-3 with a conference championship and beat down their mediocre opponent in their bowl game like they were supposed to. UCF went from winless, to 6-6, to undefeated with a conference championship, NY6 win, and fake claim to the national title. In that timeframe, we went 8-5 with no conference championship and a bowl loss, to 10-3 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team, to 10-2 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team again. That's been looking like our ceiling whereas FAU and UCF have been on an upward trajectory. We got our preseason respect at the beginning of last year, starting out at No. 19, picked to win the conference, did nothing with it and are now without QF.

I still think it's crazy that UCF is going to be ranked with the loss of their entire coaching staff but they return most of the players that made the 12-0 run possible so it makes sense that expectations are another Top 25 year. Same with FAU, they ended on a high note and the Lane Train is a media darling until they are brought back down to earth. Our expectations are an eight or nine win season and in the AAC that doesn't get you ranked.

[Triple B]

13 minutes ago, TheUpperHand said:

UCF went from winless, to 6-6, to undefeated with a conference championship, NY6 win, and fake claim to the national title. In that timeframe, we went 8-5 with no conference championship and a bowl loss, to 10-3 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team, to 10-2 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team again.

You left out their ass kicking in a bowl game by a less than mediocre Arkansas State team ...... and our most recent annual B'ham visit ended in a regulation win, not OT.

[chapelbull]

1 hour ago, TheUpperHand said:

I guess, but if we're going to say "what about the 4 point loss vs Houston and the 7 point loss to UCF," what about the seven point win against 5-7 Tulane, six point win over 2-10 Tulsa, or 4 point OT win over 6-6 South Carolina? We could have been 7-5 just as easily as 12 - 0.

FAU and UCF have their question marks this year but I think the rankings are based more on program trajectory right now. Both of those teams overperformed last year and ended on a high note where we underperformed. FAU went from consecutive 3-9 years to 11-3 with a conference championship and beat down their mediocre opponent in their bowl game like they were supposed to. UCF went from winless, to 6-6, to undefeated with a conference championship, NY6 win, and fake claim to the national title. In that timeframe, we went 8-5 with no conference championship and a bowl loss, to 10-3 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team, to 10-2 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team again. That's been looking like our ceiling whereas FAU and UCF have been on an upward trajectory. We got our preseason respect at the beginning of last year, starting out at No. 19, picked to win the conference, did nothing with it and are now without QF.

I still think it's crazy that UCF is going to be ranked with the loss of their entire coaching staff but they return most of the players that made the 12-0 run possible so it makes sense that expectations are another Top 25 year. Same with FAU, they ended on a high note and the Lane Train is a media darling until they are brought back down to earth. Our expectations are an eight or nine win season and in the AAC that doesn't get you ranked.

ucf can't get any higher than they were last year.  They can only go down from there, but they deserve to be ranked.  fau being ranked is a joke I don't care what "trajectory" they want to be on.   They didn't have a single decent win last year and didn't they lose some key starters.  They play in the crap CUSA and could go undefeated every year and I still wouldn't buy them being ranked in the Top 25.  If they can manage an upset at OU, then I'll eat my crow but otherwise they shouldn't even sniff Top 25.

[Triple B]

What's kind of shocking to me is that the BM doesn't have the defending national champs ranked anywhere but the Fighting Kiffins at 25. Apparently thinks the coaching change makes a huge difference ...

[Ionbull]

15 hours ago, TheUpperHand said:

I guess, but if we're going to say "what about the 4 point loss vs Houston and the 7 point loss to UCF," what about the seven point win against 5-7 Tulane, six point win over 2-10 Tulsa, or 4 point OT win over 6-6 South Carolina? We could have been 7-5 just as easily as 12 - 0.

FAU and UCF have their question marks this year but I think the rankings are based more on program trajectory right now. Both of those teams overperformed last year and ended on a high note where we underperformed. FAU went from consecutive 3-9 years to 11-3 with a conference championship and beat down their mediocre opponent in their bowl game like they were supposed to. UCF went from winless, to 6-6, to undefeated with a conference championship, NY6 win, and fake claim to the national title. In that timeframe, we went 8-5 with no conference championship and a bowl loss, to 10-3 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team, to 10-2 with no conference championship and OT bowl win over a mediocre team again. That's been looking like our ceiling whereas FAU and UCF have been on an upward trajectory. We got our preseason respect at the beginning of last year, starting out at No. 19, picked to win the conference, did nothing with it and are now without QF.

I still think it's crazy that UCF is going to be ranked with the loss of their entire coaching staff but they return most of the players that made the 12-0 run possible so it makes sense that expectations are another Top 25 year. Same with FAU, they ended on a high note and the Lane Train is a media darling until they are brought back down to earth. Our expectations are an eight or nine win season and in the AAC that doesn't get you ranked.

USF went 11-2 in 2016 and 10-2 in 2017; would’ve been 11 but the Umass game was cancelled due to conference game reshuffling after the hurricane.

USF also had their entire staff (sans King) switched up and we’re still ranked. UCF, definitely deserves to be ranked. USF doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt until they prove they dsncreplace all of those starters including Q, which is fine. 

Every AP voter’s preseason poll is different based on whatever parameters they decide to set; expected outcome, outcome based on last season, coaching staffs, their perception of certain programs, etc, so it’s more of an arm shrug than anything. I’m convinced a lot of them are to make the huge opening weekend games look bigger. 

The only thing I don’t get is why teams like Texas, FSU, Florida consistently get ranked in the preseason too 20 without having to “prove it.” Regardless of their performance last year. 

 

[Bulls On Parade]

I hate preseason polls almost as much as preseason bowl projections.

Hope Oklahoma and even Ucf destroys FAU.

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Bulls On Parade

[JTrue]

1 minute ago, Bulls On Parade said:

 

Hope Oklahoma destroys FAU. 

 

Even though we haven't beaten a legit team in a decade, I still can't root against FAU in a game like this just because I'm jealous they're the hip new thing and we're playing Umass.

[MaltLiquorBull]

Cool!  Preseason rankings.  Why even play out the season?  Thanks to preseason rankings, we already know who they the best teams are.

Bring on Elon.  1 game at a time.