If Georgia finishes higher than a 21st in the rankings next season, Aaron Murray will have a lot to do with it.
It seems to be a race every year which media outlet can get its college football preseason rankings out first — kind of like which department store decorates for Christmas first.
Well, a site called NationalChamps.net has established the new standard: It just came out with its 2011 rankings, and we haven’t even made it out of recruiting. Or the bowl season. Or December.
Georgia fans — you’ll neither be thrilled nor surprised. Georgia Tech fans — get ready to rumble.
The No. 1 ranked team on NationalChamps.net’s rankings is Oklahoma, followed by Alabama, LSU and then the two BCS title game opponents, Oregon and Auburn (is Cam Newton coming back or something?).
The Dogs are ranked 21st, which seems about right given the uncertainty on defense and the offensive line and the likely departure of A.J. Green to the NFL.
Then there’s Georgia Tech, which didn’t make the site’s top 25 — or even the top 50.
The only fan base probably more upset is USC’s. The Trojans checked in at No. 43, just behind Air Force, Kentucky and Northwestern. Enjoy, Lane Kiffin.
Preseason rankings mean little even in August. So you can imagine how little weight they carry nine and a half months before kickoff. But they do say something about perception. In this case, the perception is that the Dogs have something to prove and the Jackets’ 6-6 record this season is far closer to reality than the ACC title they won last year.
Do you agree? I’m heading out to Athens Tuesday morning to chat with Mark Richt, so I figured this would be a nice warm-up to a college football column later. What are your early — really early — thoughts on next season?
Below are NationalChamp.net’s rankings, including links to brief analysis.
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2011 Top 25
Click on each team for breakdown
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Louisiana State
4. Oregon
5. Auburn
6. Ohio State
7. Arkansas
8. Missouri
9. Stanford
10. Texas A&M
11. Oklahoma State
12. Michigan State
13. Wisconsin
14. Boise State
15. Nebraska
16. Virginia Tech
17. TCU
18. Florida State
19. South Carolina
20. Notre Dame
21. Georgia
22. Connecticut
23. Mississippi State
24. Michigan
25. Tulsa
Teams 26-50 depth charts included
26. West Virginia
27. Arizona State
28. Florida
29. Utah
30. Penn State
31. Texas
32. Maryland
33. Miami FL
34. Clemson
35. Pittsburgh
36. SMU
37. Tennessee
38. Miami OH
39. North Carolina State
40. Air Force
41. Kentucky
42. Northwestern
43. Southern California
44. Navy
45. Baylor
46. San Diego State
47. Iowa
48. Boston College
49. Southern Miss
50. Brigham Young
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489 comments Add your comment
David Granger
December 21st, 2010
6:52 pm
Good! Best thing that could happen for us. They can take those pre-season ratings and cram ‘em up their tailpipes. (Hope we Dawg fans learned that a few years ago…)
insider
December 21st, 2010
7:02 pm
Jess
December 21st, 2010
11:02 am
UGA needs to try and beat a team with a winning record, instead of bigger goals. Murray led Dogs in 2010, worst in Richt’s coaching career, couldn’t beat a single winning team. Thank goodness the Murray era is finally over.
Lemay will end up being a wide out at uga. And a very good one
Surprised
December 21st, 2010
7:29 pm
Not a Bama fan at all but I love what Nick Saban said in an interview.
To paraphrase:
A lot of people like to sit around and talk about where they think their team should be ranked each year — instead of focusing on what it takes to get them there.
Let's Talk About UGA!
December 21st, 2010
7:33 pm
DawgNation,
My dawgs aren’t pre-season #1?
What the hell?
Anybody want a beer?
Go Dawgs!
Sic ‘em!
Woof! Woof! Woof!
derek
December 21st, 2010
8:18 pm
Where’s Boise State?!
Also, I take exception with “The U” being @ 33. They’re returning 90% of their of Defense, minus 1 first rounder. Again, I think Miami will surprise a lot of people next year, and coming in @ 33 it won’t be difficult.
Mayo
December 21st, 2010
9:01 pm
Enter your comments here
Mayo
December 21st, 2010
9:01 pm
Not happy? Yawn: pretty happy here, no-life!
dawginduluth
December 21st, 2010
9:06 pm
911: What’s your emergency?
Dawginduluth: We’re #21 with only Tech left to play and everyone wants to give Richt one more year!
Special K
December 21st, 2010
11:17 pm
Let the drinking of the uga kool-aid begin. lol
HOTbobby
December 22nd, 2010
8:42 am
It really makes me sad to see how many Dawg fans get such a kick out of turning their back on us to bash tech. Anyone who thinks for an instance that we are a top 21 team, doesn’t know jack about football, just like the ones making this poll. Except for our qb, we are terrible. We have been terrible, and we will continue to be terrible! I have preached the last two years about the source of the problem, only to be chastized by these same morons.
Number 1 rushing O in USA ,..... so what about #1 in wins???
December 22nd, 2010
9:25 am
When I read about a college team and their stats like mega passing yards or rushing yards, two things immediately come to mind.
1.) What conference are they in? This is telling.
2.) How many wins vs big boy schools did they have?
GT in the ACC and then vs Iowa and LSU and UGA ( w/ 890 total yds in Sanford Stadium) STILL LOST these out of conference games. That rushing prowess is wonderful for GT, I suppose but what about wins? I would rather have 189 total yds and win 21-20 than have 450 yds per game and lose.
Remeber the old U of California teams with Bartkowski and later Joe Roth and others like Craig Morton 100 years ago? They could hum the pigskin up and down the field and in fact vs UGA in the mid 70s did gain a bunch of yds but UGA won. A rushing attack that churns up tons and tons of yds but loses is worthless. I mean look at GT’s bowl this year. Number i rushing team and ONLY the Weedeater extended GT a bid. See? Number one is wins is very good but not in passing or rushing at 6-5 or 6-6.
Next year is CPJ’s 4th and about every 4 years at GT and counting the Dodd era, GT has a new coach about ev ery 4 years and next year may validate this for CPJ.
1967- 2010??? Dodd, Fulmer, Carson, Rogers, Curry, Lewis, Ross, Gailey and CPJ and two or three more that I can not recall. CPJ is in trouble. Yes, just like CMR.
Duck Fan
December 22nd, 2010
9:36 am
As always, UGA is overrated.
Police Blotter
December 22nd, 2010
9:38 am
Too bad they don’t give bonus points in the rankings for living in a war zone…..Tech would garner much more support. Is nothing sacred….can’t even escape the crime wave in your own dorm room. What gives?
Number 1 rushing O in USA ,..... so what about #1 in wins??? II
December 22nd, 2010
9:41 am
UGA also faced Brigham Young in Athens in Ray Goff’s era and Brigham Young had his g.g.g. grandson Steve Young running the show. You all recall Young? he um, ah, played in the NFL for years and was a great one.
Well, with all of his rushing yds and all of his passing yards ………………..UGA WON that game. Oh, it was in Goof’s era too.UGA was no good then either but we took care of BY.
Stats are for losers. See GT and their number 1 rushing start in the Independence Bowl, as that was the oNLY bid they got with that stat.
GT's D? Well better move em over to Ethel St and the dorms
December 22nd, 2010
10:12 am
If Gt has a D, the aqdministration had better move them over to the dorms and on to Ethel St. GT’s “men” are getting pistol whipped every week. These poor nerds will go home for Christmas or whatever Muslim ( GT Go Taliban ) holiday there is and tell momy and daddy and sis that they got pistol whipped and robbed and their parents will be thinking that they ran their mouthes after the UGA game.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHA Pistol Whipped on campus. Wow!!
RambleOn84
December 22nd, 2010
10:13 am
Trash like the above comment is why the dog fans are hated across the nation.
UGA's fans are "toothless red necks"
December 22nd, 2010
11:44 am
The only “toothless” person that I know if is on the GT campus, he being robbed and having his teeth knocked out. Surely, the GT “rich grads” can hire some specialty guards to patrol campus ………………can’t they???
I mean stopping the thuggery at GT ought to be priority # 1. The school through the Tech Fund can afford to hire 25-30 security guys that are in plain clothes and can view what is happening in and around the campus, 24/7. Off campus is s different story, I know. Vigilantes are not what i am saying here.
Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.
There could be supects very close by
December 22nd, 2010
11:47 am
With the history of GT’ safety # 37, Joey Don’t Open My Trunk Hamilton and Rebeun I Ain’t Shooting Houston and others, there could be some suspects close by the GT campus with all of this crime.
Inquiring minds want to know.
RambleOn84
December 22nd, 2010
11:50 am
Irony is a dog fan calling out former Tech players for getting arrested.
The difference is
December 22nd, 2010
11:57 am
Hey Ramble On,
Take a look at the GT criminal charges in the last two or three years and those of the UGA players. I will start with Dog DE Robinson now gone from Athens for shoving his gal toy around and your DE Hall? Is he not STILL on campus?? Did he not play in 2010??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm???
Our kids stole a helmet, pinched a girl in bar in Valdosta ( highly regarded QB GONE) Ealey TWICE drove a car and bumped into a parked car in parking lot ( dumb I will admit ) and Caleb King driving w.o. a license or a suspended license and T King for a DUI. Not good but …………….but ………………… but look at these charges for the GT men. Rape, assault and drugs.
Keep it on the apples to apples comp.
Merry Christmas !!
RambleOn84
December 22nd, 2010
12:01 pm
Hall was suspended indefinitely until the charges were dropped.
Sorry Paul Johnson abstained from conducting his own criminal trial process.
Tarrant was falsely accused of rape and he lost a year for it. When it all came down to it, the judge saw the case as fraudulent.
Reuben Houston was over five years ago.
Joe Hamilton was caught drinking and driving with some weed in his car.
But keep grasping for straws.
GT45
December 22nd, 2010
12:12 pm
Don’t worry, holelickers, CPJ is going to be here a long long time. He will not settle for mediocrity, the way that ya’ll have. He will not change his standards to satisfy a few, like your coach has. He won’t allow his players to underachieve, like your team has. We have won 27 games the last three years, how about you?
I stand corrected about it all, except one ....
December 22nd, 2010
1:57 pm
I see, All charges dropped. I got it. Now I understand and will admit I was wrong, except on this one factoid:
CPJ is 1-2 vs Richt and UGA in this particular era is the worst in years and years. With two losses to one bad football team in three tries …………………how does that make CPJ look??? Hmmm??
GT is 1-9 over the last 10 years and that is all.
Merry Christmas!
PS we also OWN your basketball team lately and we still own Florida over the entire UGA/Florida series.
A She She
December 22nd, 2010
1:57 pm
GT not accepting mediocrity…..now that is rich. Nerds have a good season (by their standards) and all of a sudden they don’t accept mediocrity. The whole A She She is a joke of a league. If you can’t win the A She She you should just quit………
I stand corrected about it all, except one ....II
December 22nd, 2010
2:01 pm
One more comparison ………….we all know that Caleb King “is evil because he drove w.o. a Ga license”. Correct? is that not what all of you bad mouthing, I hate UGA folks were saying?? Hmm?
Well, then why is Joey Hamilton’s DUI and WEED possesion no big deal. They are far worse than driving w.o. a license. % year back? Still it doe snot matter as he is one of your greatesd players.
Get real GT urban types ……………your guys can be thugs too ……………ask Reuben Houston.
Dolly Madison would argue with y'all in the ACC
December 22nd, 2010
2:07 pm
Mediocrity is the nick name for the ACC when just about any tv sportscasters out side of Charlotte or Raleigh or Winston Salem or Blacksburg or College Park, MD speak of the league. ESPN ranks it way down the list even below the Mid America Conference or that funky Big East thing.
Besides ………………………….Dolly or was it James Madison STOMPED one of your best teams and frankly, I had not a clue whetehr they even had a football team, beyond flag ball.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA
When do GT and UGA play some basketball. We all know that “GT in the ACC IS A BASKETBALL SCHOOL” ………………………..right?????
Please remain at GT a lonnnnnng time, CPJ
December 22nd, 2010
2:15 pm
CPJ is known as a genius, just ask Richt, another genius, right???
CPJ thought to lose by 8 is wonderful. His brilliant pressure cooker strategy was to “allow UGA to score and go up by 8 and that was apparently thought by him to be more heroic and manly. What ever happened to the let us stop them, cause a fumble and kick a winning FG strategy or something.
Oh, I um, ah, forgot ………………..y’all had that Blair Witch kicker. FG was simply impossible.
GT throwing that pigskin two years in a row only to lose is so funny to UGA fans. # 1 rushing team in the universe and you cannot win the darned game over the worst UGA D in maybe 50 years, except for 08 and 09.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA
Maryland is back
December 22nd, 2010
2:32 pm
Dick Shiner of the Urange Bowl Maryland Terrapin football team would be so proud. He also played QB for the Falcons in the early years. So will Boomer Esiason.
Maryland will be one hot team and the ESPN crowd will give them a lot of focus, as they want to see what Leach has left. He will churn out a passing team within two years and GT may get 400 yds rushing but MD will see 550 yds days passing it. They will score on GTat will, if they play and they will beat most ACC teams within two or three years.
ACC just got better with his hire and Maryland being good will make GT’s chances of a minor bowl much, much higher. Bowls want to see passing teams and Maryland will be that under Leach and GT will be rendered just so 70s in style.
GT does badly next year again for the third time in 4 years …………………CPJ will be toast. He is already in trouble with his mounting losses to UGA in their worst era ever.
Notice that not one school contacted any one on CPJ’s staff and AL Groh for example, has all of that NFL experience that CPJ bragged about last year. How did all of the work out for you, Jackets???
FMC
December 22nd, 2010
7:15 pm
Thank goodness. Now that this site has ranked everyone for next year we can just skip the season. I sure will save a lot on season tickets and tailgating expenses. Of course, I will have to come up with something else to do every Saturday afternoon.
bill
December 22nd, 2010
9:13 pm
You know, I keep reading that PJ won with Chan’s recruits. That is correct. Please tell me what Chan won with Chan’s recruits? Yes, PJ has to recruit better or it could get rough. But Tech won the ACC last year. If Nesbitt doesn’t get hurt at Va Tech, Tech may have won that game. Chan played Reggie Ball. Played him when Ball kept getting worse after good frosh year. Can’t blast PJ for winning. Chan really didn’t.
A She She
December 22nd, 2010
10:16 pm
Won the A She She…….is that an honor? Kind of like being the tallest midget?
Logan Booker
December 22nd, 2010
11:28 pm
Howdy superDawg/dawgfan/Sanford Drive/A She She,
Call home (404-839-6691 in case you forgot) or email us lgnbkr@gmail.com. Your PC privileges are bing suspended here at the house young man. You just can’t live in the basement the rest of your life and obsess over these blogs! I want you in bed now or this computer is history buddy and you’re grounded too!! Love, Mom & Dad
A She She
December 23rd, 2010
12:27 am
Daddy Booker:
Everyone knows that you allow us access to the internet. This is our release of energy just like yours was playing with your slide rule and going to the Trek conventions. Let us have our fun and we promise not to tell mom about your blowup doll.
Logan Booker
December 23rd, 2010
1:26 am
A She She,
I need you to stop wearing the red pantie$, step away from the PC and go to bed now!! For God’s sake try to act like a man for a once and grow up! Your Mom is so disappointed in you flunking out of school and now look at you – you’ve turned into a pervert. PLEASE try to get a girl friend, a job, some friends, or something, ANYTHING!! Your Mom and I are tired of supporting a 27 year old and your obsessions. And, will you please stop barking like some Dawg when wearing girl’s underwear!?! Get a life PLEASE!
A She She
December 23rd, 2010
9:22 am
Daddy Booker:
You know the apple does not fall far from the tree…..why are you judging me for following in your footsteps….mom told me about you and the cat one lonely afternoon. So what if I have flunked out….I can always go to a different school to and get a degree like you did at Southern Poly….you still tell everybody you are an engineer and that’s how you picked up mom. Of course she thought that it meant you drive a train. Does your anger mean we will not be headed to DragonCon together again this year?
UGA Thugs
December 23rd, 2010
10:35 am
Hey Jeff,
where is UGA ranked in preseason arrests predictions?
UF Alum
December 23rd, 2010
10:37 am
I stand corrected about it all, except one ….
Dude, you are not facing reality. UF has romped your louzy team 19 of 22 years. WE OWN YOUR LOUZY TEAM! GO GATORS
gt eds9000
December 24th, 2010
5:38 pm
Does anyone out there remember the “Black Watch ” defense? They took real pride in what they were doing, and put their hearts and souls into it! Is there not a defensive m otivator out there that can ressurect that determination?
Techismybee-otch
December 27th, 2010
11:04 pm
Hey “I know nutthing” Schultz-Shouldn’t you be calling for Psul Johnson’s head and how his offense is rendered, like yourself, impotent. Tech lost five of its last six games and…Tech has dropped its past six bowl games, including the last three under Johnson. In those losses, Tech’s option offense has averaged 8 points and 263 yards.Time for him to go…he obviously can’t coach with the big boys..lost to Air Force…Air Force…..wow….