The AP’s annual accounting of which college football teams start the season born on third base isn’t due for another couple months, maybe, but EA Sports has already ranked them for NCAA Football 11 which releases in three weeks.
Credit Pasta Padre, who took down all of the final build’s Top 25 from the floor at E3 (while, I’m told, he was battling illness). Defending national champion Alabama retains that spot at No. 1. Oregon is a preseason No. 4; even though Jeremiah Masoli was suspended the entire season back in the spring, they lost another couple receivers to bad grades. I’d be surprised if they poll that high in real life. Boise State at No. 5 is probably where the Broncos will sit in their last year before they hit the Mountain West Conference.
The rest of the poll makes sense without going into a pointilistic examination of returning starters. But, even without that, I’m gonna call out EA Tiburon. North Carolina’s a preseason No. 22? The fuck? If this is meant to mimic the tendencies of a bunch of sports writers who wish they went to Chapel Hill, spot on. Because No. 22 is just enough to genuflect to all that perfect-college-town Blue Heaven bullshit and acknowledge the annual handjob from U.S. News and World Report without putting the Tar Heels up to any real expectations. That’s a football team that, halfway decent, will get ranked five to seven positions higher, even with two losses, purely because of Michael Jordan and Dean Smith. Think I’m lying? Kansas, aka UNC-Lawrence, beat jack shit in 2007 and nearly played for the national title.
Here’s the full ranking:
1 – Alabama
2 – Ohio St
3 – Texas
4 – Oregon
5 – Boise State
6 – Florida
7 – Virginia Tech
8 – TCU
9 – Nebraska
10 – Iowa
11 – Wisconsin
12 – Georgia Tech
13 – USC
14 – Miami
15 – Oklahoma
16 – Pitt
17 – LSU
18 – Penn St
19 – Oregon St
20 – Arkansas
21 – Florida St
22 – North Carolina
23 – Utah
24 – Cincinnati
25 – Houston
NCAA Football 11 Top 25 [Pasta Padre]
