Preseason Polls

[RunInRed 16,360]

We'll use this thread to track all the off-season poll predictions from the pundits ...

Phil Steele's Projected AP Top 25

1. Ohio State

2. TCU

3. Alabama

4. Baylor

5. Oregon

6. Michigan State

7. Southern California

8. Florida State

9. Auburn

Just two years ago, Auburn was in the national title game despite not even being ranked in the preseason. Last year, the Tigers underachieved as they opened up preseason No. 6 and finished No. 22, including an Outback Bowl loss to Wisconsin. While they lose their QB,

Jeremy Johnson

looked great taking over for

Nick Marshall

and has a lot of talent to work with. Defense has not been a strong suit for Auburn in recent years, but with eight returning starters and

Will Muschamp

as the defensive coordinator, it will be this year. Auburn has just four true road games, and none of the four teams finished 2014 ranked. With another great recruiting class coming in, Auburn should make the preseason top 10.

10. Georgia

11. UCLA

12. Ole Miss

13. Notre Dame

14. LSU

15. Clemson

16. Arizona State

17. Georgia Tech

18. Wisconsin

19. Missouri

20. Arkansas

21. Mississippi State

22. Oklahoma

23. Boise State

24. Tennessee

25. Stanford

http://www.philsteel...15/DBApr27.html

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Need them to be in a role where I feel they feel they're disrespected. They felt that in 2010 and in 2013.

[aubearcat 2,132]

The poll on ESPN had AU #4 with osu #1, tcu #2, & Oregon #3. ua was #7 and 8 of the top 25 were sec teams.

[Randman5000 4,224]

Incredible amount of respect after finishing 22nd last year, losing lots down the stretch And playing like crap. Brett Mcmurphy just picked us to win it all over TCU.

[RunInRed 16,360]

SEC post-spring power rankings

Edward Aschoff, College Football

1. Auburn: The Tigers officially found their quarterback in Jeremy Johnson, and the running game figures to be incredibly fierce with Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson heading the pack. We always knew the offense would be fine, but Will Muschamp's arrival as defensive coordinator has added some edge to a defense that believes it made headway this spring. Also, the return of rush-end Carl Lawson is a major upgrade for that side of the ball.

2. Georgia

3. Ole Miss

4. Alabama

5. Arkansas

6. Tennessee

7. Mississippi State

8. LSU

9. Missouri

10. Texas A&M

11. South Carolina

12. Florida

13. Kentucky

14. Vanderbilt

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/101153/sec-post-spring-power-rankings-4

[PigskinPat 2,568]

Need them to be in a role where I feel they feel they're disrespected. They felt that in 2010 and in 2013.

^^This x100^^

[WarEagleAU 0]

Mark Schlabach's Projected AP Top 25 (ESPN)

1. Ohio State

2. TCU

3. Oregon

4. Auburn

If new quarterback

Jeremy Johnson

is as good as advertised, Auburn coach

Gus Malzahn

's high-octane spread offense should be better than ever. Will Auburn's defense be any better? Malzahn hired former Florida coach

Will Muschamp

to give his team's defense more teeth, and linemen

Montravius Adams

and

Carl Lawson

are good building blocks.

5. Southern California

6. Baylor

7. Alabama

8. Michigan State

9. Georgia

10. Clemson

11. UCLA

12. Notre Dame

13. Arizona

14. Ole Miss

15. Florida State

16. LSU

17. Wisconsin

18. Georgia Tech

19. Arizona State

20. Tennessee

21. Arkansas

22. Boise State

23. Stanford

24. Missouri

25. Louisville

LINK

[Tiger 8,818]

When has the media ever been right about picking the eventual national champion?

Thinking about putting some money down, but I think I need to see Stat's formulaic prediction on who will be good and the certain number of players with a certain amt of experience playing.

[keesler 5,924]

When has the media ever been right about picking the eventual national champion?

Well hell, if they didn't have Auburn in their mix folks on here would belly-ache and complain that AU gets no respect....... :-\

[Tiger 8,818]

When has the media ever been right about picking the eventual national champion?

Well hell, if they didn't have Auburn in their mix folks on here would belly-ache and complain that AU gets no respect....... :-\

LOL yeah, its either AU gets no respect or the respect will be the cause of the team losing 5 games.

[WarEagle84 0]

Need them to be in a role where I feel they feel they're disrespected. They felt that in 2010 and in 2013.

^^This x100^^

I think it's about time we learned to lead from the front. Yes, feeling disrespected can be a good motivator, but if we want to be considered an elite program, we're going to get a lot of respect, and we need to learn to live up to it. Find another source of motivation.

[AUbritt 611]

Need them to be in a role where I feel they feel they're disrespected. They felt that in 2010 and in 2013.

^^This x100^^

I think it's about time we learned to lead from the front. Yes, feeling disrespected can be a good motivator, but if we want to be considered an elite program, we're going to get a lot of respect, and we need to learn to live up to it. Find another source of motivation.

Agreed.

Jordan Spieth was interesting in his reply to an interview question about his mindset going into match play. He said he plays as if he's two holes down from the start. If he makes up the 'deficit', he resets it in his mind to two holes down. That way, he always stays aggressive and keeps the hammer down.

The HBC once said that it's not his job to keep his team from scoring. The point was that the offense had always to have the mentality of going out and scoring, no matter the actual score in the game. Conversely, the defense must always want to prevent the other team from scoring and get the ball back for the offense. It's simple, but pretty hard to do with a lead.

I hope JJ and the rest of the offense treat every drive as if we need to score a TD to tie the game at the end. I hope the D plays as if they need to hold the opponent scoreless to preserve a win. If we do that, I suspect the rankings will take care of themselves.

[OnthePlains 2,014]

I know it has nothing to do with results but man I hate it when folks start picking AU at the top. It just never seems to work out well for us.

[Tiger 8,818]

I know it has nothing to do with results but man I hate it when folks start picking AU at the top. It just never seems to work out well for us.

Hopefully the players don't buy into this. I imagine they constantly hear AU IS BETTER AS UNDERDOGS. Probably doesn't work too well to have that hammered into their minds all offseason.

[Auburn4life 24]

SEC post-spring power rankings

Edward Aschoff, College Football

3. Ole Miss

Did I miss something. Didn't Ole Miss lose a lot of players from last season?

[WarEagleAU 0]

SEC post-spring power rankings

Edward Aschoff, College Football

3. Ole Miss

Did I miss something. Didn't Ole Miss lose a lot of players from last season?

Miss State

[AUwent 3,747]

A&M is being rated waaaaaayyyyy too low. I'm scared of them.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Need them to be in a role where I feel they feel they're disrespected. They felt that in 2010 and in 2013.

^^This x100^^

I think it's about time we learned to lead from the front. Yes, feeling disrespected can be a good motivator, but if we want to be considered an elite program, we're going to get a lot of respect, and we need to learn to live up to it. Find another source of motivation.

I'm just going off of prior history

Auburn hasn't done well from the lead in decades

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

A&M is being rated waaaaaayyyyy too low. I'm scared of them.

2016 is their breakout year. Kyler Murray, more elite defensive pieces to fit Chavis' system as well as more time to develop their already good offensive pieces.

[war eagle6 0]

A&M is being rated waaaaaayyyyy too low. I'm scared of them.

I would be if cej was still dcoordinator. Other than that, we owe them big time

[Randman5000 4,224]

Incredible amount of respect after finishing 22nd last year, losing lots down the stretch And playing like crap. Brett Mcmurphy just picked us to win it all over TCU.

Brett was correct on 3 of 4 picks on playoff last year as well.

[AUwent 3,747]

^In fairness, the playoff had four of the top five pre-season AP teams.

If these early ESPN rankings are a sign of the pre-season AP poll, I hope the same thing happens this year.

[Randman5000 4,224]

^in fairness, last year was one of the least surprising finishes ever.

Yeah. I still cannot believe Miss St choked though

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

As with pre season polls every year we again have to ask, do the pollsters mean these are the best 20 teams right now (taking into account how teams did in 2014 plus changes in rosters & coaching staff between bowl games and 2015 kickoff - as Phil Steele's seems to indicate) or are these pre season polls a prediction of the best teams in order when all's said & done in January 2016 - as ESPN's narratives with its annual pre season polls seem to indicate. I suggest Muschamp gives us a heck of a bump in the Steele-poll model.

[RunInRed 16,360]

CBS's Dennis Dodd has AU at No. 7 ...

7. Auburn: The defense has to be better, especially with the addition of coordinator Will Muschamp. The Tigers gave up at least 31 points six times last season, the most in one campaign since 2011. At quarterback, Jeremy Johnson may be Nick Marshall plus one-half.

http://www.cbssports...t-spring-top-25

Also,

The Sporting News: No. 3 - Auburn