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The Preseason Polls are F'n Stupid, But Here We Are Thread


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On 8/21/2023 at 8:53 AM, LTtxfan said:

Between #10 and #12 seems right for a preseason ranking for Texas.  Keep improving as the season goes on and the Horns will move up in the Top 25.  

 

SIAP...    Texas #10 

Top 25 POWER RANKINGS for 2023 🏈👀 | ESPN College Football

 

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Athlon's Big 12 Football Preseason 2023 Power Rankings

  1. Texas
  2. blOU
  3. k-state
  4. tcu
  5. tech
  6. baylor
  7. jayhawks
  8. okie lite
  9. ucf
  10. cyclones
  11. byu
  12. cincy
  13. cougar high
  14. wv

 

Article

Quote

Texas tops the preseason 2023 power rankings in the Big 12.

STEVEN LASSAN    AUG 2, 2023

Fall practice is underway across the Big 12 in preparation for the 2023 college football season. This conference should be one of the most competitive in the nation, as although Texas is the favorite, there are potentially eight teams who deserve preseason consideration to make the conference title game. Oklahoma should rebound in coach Brent Venables' second year, while Texas Tech, Kansas, Baylor, and Oklahoma State form the second tier of the conference. TCU lost a lot from last season's team that made the national championship game. However, don't count out coach Sonny Dykes' squad or the defending Big 12 champs (Kansas State) from winning the conference crown over Texas in '23.

With fall practice underway and the '23 season right around the corner, Athlon Sports power ranks all 14 teams in the Big 12:

Big 12 Football: Preseason 2023 Power Rankings

1. Texas
Everything is in place for Texas to win the Big 12 in its final year in the league. Quarterback Quinn Ewers seems poised for a step forward in play as a sophomore, and the Longhorns are deep and talented up front and at receiver. Bijan Robinson will be missed, but the offense doesn't lack for candidates or talent in the backfield. The defense took a big step forward last fall and is set for more improvement with six returning starters. Talent certainly isn't an issue in Austin. Can coach Steve Sarkisian's squad actually put all of it together and win the league? 

2. Oklahoma
The Sooners are coming off a disappointing 6-7 mark in coach Brent Venables' first season, but a path to a quick turnaround is in place for '23. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel returns to direct the team's high-powered offense, and while there are concerns about transition up front and at receiver, the backfield is deep with Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk in place. How far can Venables improve a defense that allowed 30 points a game and struggled to stop the run and the pass? A handful of portal additions should help right away, and the overall group is more familiar with Venables' scheme in his second year. The Sooners also went 0-5 in one-score games last fall, so the team is due for a little better luck in that department.

3. Kansas State
The reigning Big 12 champs will miss dynamic running back Deuce Vaughn, but coach Chris Klieman's squad has enough returning to make another run at the top of the conference. Quarterback Will Howard is primed for a breakout season after a solid finish to the '22 campaign, and the offensive line ranks among the best in college football with all five starters back. Sophomore DJ Giddens and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward form an effective one-two punch to replace Vaughn on the ground. The defense has big holes to fill in the secondary and will miss Felix Anudike-Uzomah's (8.5 sacks in '22) off the edge. 

4. TCU
Another run to the national championship is tough to envision considering the loss of quarterback Max Duggan, running back Kendre Miller, receiver Quentin Johnston, and a couple of key defenders. However, don't write off coach Sonny Dykes' team from pushing for the Big 12 title once again. Chandler Morris edged Duggan for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart before an injury against Colorado in the season opener. If Morris has a breakout year guiding TCU's high-powered offense, then Dykes' squad won't miss a beat offensively. The defense has a few holes to plug up front and in the secondary, but eight starters are back to provide a solid foundation. 

5. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders closed 2022 on a tear by winning their last four games, including a 51-48 victory over Oklahoma in overtime and a blowout of Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl. Considering the finish to last season and a group that returns 14 starters, coach Joey McGuire's team could be this year's sleeper contender in the Big 12. Quarterback Tyler Shough (if he can stay healthy) is poised for a huge senior year, especially if the offensive line improves after allowing 41 sacks in '22. With experience returning at every level, optimism is running high for an improved Texas Tech defense this fall. McGuire's squad misses Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in conference play and catches Kansas State and TCU at home in key Big 12 matchups.

6. Baylor
After winning the Big 12 in '21, the Bears slipped to 6-7 last fall. To get back on track this season, coach Dave Aranda's squad has to get more out of its passing game and quarterback Blake Shapen, and the defense has to reload in the secondary and return to its '21 form. A revamped offensive line could still be a strength if a couple of transfer additions quickly jell with returning experience. Running back Richard Reese is also back after rushing for 972 yards and 14 scores last fall.

7. Kansas
The Jayhawks showed drastic improvement in coach Lance Leipold's second year, jumping from 2-10 in '21 to 6-7 last fall. With quarterback Jalon Daniels back to pilot an offense that returns nine other starters, Kansas should have no trouble scoring points in '23. But for the Jayhawks to challenge for a spot in the conference title game, Leipold's group must improve on defense after giving up 37.7 points a game in Big 12 matchups last fall. The good news: Seven starters are back to form improving units at linebacker and in the secondary. The bad: A defensive front that struggled to generate a pass rush and stop the run is thin on experience. 

8. Oklahoma State
The Cowboys have a favorable schedule for a run at the conference title game. Coach Mike Gundy's squad won't play Texas, Texas Tech, TCU or Baylor and catches Kansas State, Kansas, and Oklahoma in Stillwater. But is that favorable slate enough to overcome the personnel turnover and concerns? The defense is transitioning to a 3-3-5 approach under new coordinator Bryan Nardo and just two starters are back from last fall. The Cowboys bring back an experienced line, but quarterback play is a question mark with former Texas Tech and Michigan signal-caller Alan Bowman expected to get the nod after arriving from the portal this offseason.

9. UCF
The Knights are positioned to have the most success of the four newcomers in the Big 12 this fall. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is a dangerous playmaker on the ground and through the air, and new play-caller Darin Hinshaw doesn't lack for skill talent to deploy. The defense also has a new play-caller (Addison Williams) after Travis Williams departed to Arkansas. The strength of this group rests up front with Ricky Barber and Tre'Mon Morris-Brash returning. But in order for UCF to challenge for a finish in the top half of the conference, reloading the secondary and developing depth across the board is a priority. 

 

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-12-football-preseason-2023-power-rankings

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On 8/7/2023 at 1:18 PM, closetojumping said:

I'm going to post a couple of threads over the next month regarding Bama, one being a mudhole thread. That considered, I just can't pass this shit up. Every preseason magazine has them top 4 or better and now the coaches poll does as well. "They just reload." And, well, they always have. They've also continued to recruit really well, at least in terms of how they're ranked. 

That all considered, this is the same age in career in which Bobby Bowden's program began a surprising backslide. In hindsight, you can see it easily now, but not in 2001. Cracks had started to show and then things started to break.

Saban, this season, has hired a guy in Kevin Steele that he's never wanted to be his DC. He went with someone he can push around. He brought in a decent OC from ND to go back to running the ball and throwing to TEs, playing "murderball", which is great if you can just outtalent and out-tough everyone.

Meanwhile, Bama has to replace something like 16 starters, including the leader on both sides of the ball. They have shit at WR, a hodgepodge of hype but nothing dynamic at TB, a mystery at QB, mediocrity in a transfer from Maryland at TE and questions across the OL.

Defensively, Turner had a shit year last season, quietly. Oatis will be awesom in the interior DL, but the rest of the guys are unproven or underperforming their ranking. They have McKinstry and true freshman talent in the secondary, and a bunch of questions in the back 7. They're ranked highly because it's Nick Saban's Alabama, not because there's a ton to love looking at the depth chart or schedule. 

Yeah. 

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3 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

K-State is the lone Big 12 team ranked outside of Texas and OU. This fucking conference's bitch-ass SOS better not fuck Texas somehow.

UCF and Kansas might be ranked depending on how they play over the next couple of weeks, but UCF plays plays Kansas and KSU over the next month.

Overall, there is no excuse for Texas not to be playing for a conference championship in December.

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10 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

K-State is the lone Big 12 team ranked outside of Texas and OU. This fucking conference's bitch-ass SOS better not fuck Texas somehow.

Let’s worry about getting to that position first, but a conference championship team with a win in Tuscaloosa on its resume is in, unless  we win it with 3 losses- in which case it’s not the SOS that fucked us.

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13 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

K-State is the lone Big 12 team ranked outside of Texas and OU. This fucking conference's bitch-ass SOS better not fuck Texas somehow.

Christ dude. 2 weeks into season and we are #4. If we finish 12-1, no matter what happens in CCG, we’ll be there. 

I’m MUCH more focused on how we handle our new reality. It’s all up to us. 

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20 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

UCF and Kansas might be ranked depending on how they play over the next couple of weeks, but UCF plays plays Kansas and KSU over the next month.

Overall, there is no excuse for Texas not to be playing for a conference championship in December.

Big XII refs say "Hold my beer!"

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On 9/10/2023 at 1:25 PM, MuellerHorn said:

UCF and Kansas might be ranked depending on how they play over the next couple of weeks, but UCF plays plays Kansas and KSU over the next month.

Overall, there is no excuse for Texas not to be playing for a conference championship in December.

John Rhys Plumlee is out for "a few weeks" according to Malzahn, so I don't know if UCF will be making it into the polls. 

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2 hours ago, LonghornSean said:

Take a look at this guy's ballot. He has Texas 10th. And Alabama 7th

https://collegepolltracker.com/football/pollster/chuck-landon/2023/week-3

 

Here's the full breakdown for Texas https://collegepolltracker.com/football/team/texas-longhorns/2023

Fuck that guy. The only reason West Virginia is in a P5 and not wandering in the wilderness with the likes of Marshall and Ball State is because Texas chose to keep the Big 12 together and invited them and TCU in accordingly. Man, I hate this fucking conference. Petty, silly bullshit.

Enjoy not being able to buy Neal Brown out for the next 2 seasons because you're school is poor and being buried at the bottom of the conference for the foreseeable future, you shoeless, toothless hillbilly.

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Looking at that Poll Tracker site, it's an excellent link. I think the other two guys that have Texas at 9 or 10 are at least consistent. They both have only undefeated teams above Texas and Bama way further down. That's fine. That Chuck Landon fucker is straight up being a petty bitch. There is no defense in having Bama above Texas as of today.

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6 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

That Chuck Landon fucker is straight up being a petty bitch. There is no defense in having Bama above Texas as of today.

I could be wrong, but I suspect it was a mistake (an egregious, vote-revoking level of mistake). He liked some tweets Saturday night (I can't believe I took the effort to look at this) to the effect that our game wasn't an upset and that Texas is clearly a better team than Alabama.  

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1 minute ago, Reynolds Woodcock said:

I could be wrong, but I suspect it was a mistake (an egregious, vote-revoking level of mistake). He liked some tweets Saturday night (I can't believe I took the effort to look at this) to the effect that our game wasn't an upset and that Texas is clearly a better team than Alabama.  

I'm sure his Twitter feed right now is either supporting your suspicion or able to debunk it pretty quickly.

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3 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

Why in the flying fuck would we move up after 3 quarters of Charlie Strong? Thanks for sucking more FSU. Still think UW is getting robbed.

You answered your own question. Wyoming is a better team than Boston College (admittedly not saying much but a 2 point win versus 21, too). Not many teams looked great this week. 

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Florida being ranked is laughable. They live in Tennessee’s head and Joe Milton sucks out loud. Also, Tennessee being ranked is comical. They shit themselves on national tv last night, they weren’t terrific against Virginia and Austin Peay gave them all they could handle. 

1 SEC team in the top 10. When is the last time that happened? Kind of stunning and yet fully deserved. 

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On 9/11/2023 at 10:16 AM, LonghornSean said:

Take a look at this guy's ballot. He has Texas 10th. And Alabama 7th

https://collegepolltracker.com/football/pollster/chuck-landon/2023/week-3

 

Here's the full breakdown for Texas https://collegepolltracker.com/football/team/texas-longhorns/2023

Wonder if he’ll move bama up after their big win in hostile road environs 

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13 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Florida being ranked is laughable. They live in Tennessee’s head and Joe Milton sucks out loud. Also, Tennessee being ranked is comical. They shit themselves on national tv last night, they weren’t terrific against Virginia and Austin Peay gave them all they could handle. 

1 SEC team in the top 10. When is the last time that happened? Kind of stunning and yet fully deserved. 

Our powers are growing. We’ve killed the sec by merely announcing our intention of joining. 

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