With season 1 a mere two days away, it's time to take a peek at what the national pundits have to say. Which teams and players will rise to the top? Which coaches will be on the hot seat by week 3? Which program will face possible NCAA sanctions first? Let's take a look...
Preseason Rakings and Team Outlooks
#1 Oklahoma
"We are really just enjoying being ranked #1," said C0ach_Gump. "These players are so used to being the best, and they aren't scared of anything. I think the relaxed attitude will allow us to cruise past Alabama and Tennessee, and then, bring on those Pac 12 rivals. Boomer Gumper Sooner!"
It will be interesting to see if the NCAA slaps the Sooners with any significant penalties after Coach utvol27 bolted town amidst a mushroom cloud of investigators sniffing around the program. Rougue booster "Big Snacks" may now be in jail, but the punishment for the Sooners may be forthcoming.
The pundits prediction: The Sooners will finish the regular season 11-1 and will make the Pac 12 title game. They're an incredibly talented team...but can they beat Oregon?!
#2 Alabama
Alabama will have to somehow manage to come out of the SEC West though. The Tide plays LSU, Tennessee, Florida State, and Miami in the conference, and 6 total user games. Losing 3 of those games will make it difficult to win the West, and contend for a BCS Bowl.
Coach zeejaydee coulbe be ready to make another step toward being a predominant power. If Alabama gets off to a great start and upsets #1 Oklahoma in week 1...look out!
The pundits prediction: Alabama will finish the regular season 9-3. Starting the season strong will be key, as the Tide plays Tennessee, FSU, and LSU in 3 consecutive weeks late in the season.
#4 LSU
"This squad is extremely talented," Coach cjohnchavis said. "I'm a little concerned about their mindset though. We'll find out very fast how good we are, and playing NC State, Oregon, and Michigan to open the season will be difficult."
Once again, the Tigers will rely heavily on its defense and its potent secondary. The Tigers' offense will be fairly balanced, with veteran QB Jordan Jefferson, RB Spencer Ware, and WR Rueben Randle handling a bulk of the load.
If LSU can somehow manage to start the season 4-0, the Tigers will enter an all-important SEC game against Florida State unbeaten and ready for the Noles. That game could set the tone for the SEC race and might be a preview of the SEC title game should things go the Tigers' way.
The pundits prediction: The Tigers should be contenders all season and have a chance to win every game. Beating old rivals Coach StuBucksman (Oregon) and Coach UTVOL54 (FSU) will be tough, but both games are played in Death Valley. If LSU can split those games, it could be a sweet ride for the Tigers by season's end.
#5 Oregon
"They have both adapted well to our new offense, which will remain top secret until week 2 against LSU," Coach Stu said. "We will not need to use anything new against Illinois, my 'coulda-been alma mater'."
Coach Stu, just like Coach UTVOL54 at FSU, has vowed to wear a new uniform combination for each game, bu expect a heavy dose of the matte-Black helmet for the Ducks. "I am in love with many things, but these helmets just invoke a passion in me that is rarely rivaled," Stu said. After an off-season of touring with his neo-soul-funk-jazz band Sensual BBQ, the Coach has enjoyed spending time in Eugene with his family and Phil Knight, who has supplied the Coach with a new pair of shoes each day since his arrival.
The pundits prediction: The Ducks are the odds-on favorite to win the Pac 12 North division. Tough matchups against #1 Oklahoma and arch-nemesis Coach utvol27 and USC will be the biggest roadblocks to the Ducks reaching the national title game. Even though they're ranked below the Sooners, we consider these crazy quacks to emerge victorious in the Pac 12 in season 1.
#10 Florida State
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| Prime Time made Keds cool before Coach Stu?! Who knew? |
"I'm really excited about this season," said Coach UTVOL54. "This team is very coachable, and what's not to love about opening the season in Hawaii?"
The pundits prediction: We'll know a lot about the Noles after the first 5 weeks of the season. Playing coach utvol27 and USC and week 2, then traveling to Baton Rouge in week 5 will be huge tests. If the Noles come out of that gauntlet undefeated, it may be tough to stop their momentum. Of course, games against Alabama, Boise State, Tennessee, Miami, and Florida still remain on a very difficult schedule. The Noles will finish 11-1, but the SEC East race will come down to the wire.
#22 Texas
The Longhorns will also add some recruiting competition for teams who recruit the state of Texas, including LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma. If Texas, judging from preseason rankings and schedule strength, have possibly the easiest road to the Pac 12 title game, but they we think they will have to win 2 of their in-conference user games against USC, Oklahoma, or Michigan. Can they do it? It could be an interesting year.
The pundits prediction: The Longhorns will finish the season ranked in the top 15, higher than where they started, but will narrowly miss out on going to the Pac 12 title game. However, if the Horns can upset #1 Oklahoma, then we change our minds, and predict that the Eyes of Texas will be traveling to Hawaii to face off against Oregon at season's end.
USC
USC starts the season unranked, a challenge that excites Coach utvol27. "We are so under the radar, but I know for a fact...the rest of the Pac 12 and the nation is scared of this sleeping monster in LA," he said. "We 'll be able to lock down recruits nationwide, and no one, even Coach Stu, is going to step on the field against us truly believing that they're going to emerge victorious."
Strong words coming from the leader of an unranked program, but does anyone want to bet against this young whippersnapper?
The pundits prediction: The Trojans will improve drastically throughout the year, and if they can manage to go on the road and defeat FSU in week 2, a championship season may come out of the woodworks. But, we think that this season might be a rebuilding/laying the groundwork type of year for USC. By season 2, we'd predict they'll be back in the spotlight, but for season 1, they will be successful at playing the role of spoiler...knocking 1 or 2 teams out of the national or conference title race. The question is, will you bet against them too?
Tennessee
The Vols are looking to take the next step in competing for an SEC East title. Coach EBDial returns to Knoxville for his 6th season, and thinks that this might be his best team yet. The problem is, the SEC is once again loaded with powerhouses, including the addition of FSU and Miami. The Vols are led by sophomore QB Tyler Bray and sophomore WR Justin Hunter. Thrown in a veteran Rb in Tauren Poole, and the Vols young offense might cause big trouble in the SEC. The Vols have had a tremendous preseason, and Coach EBDial is quietly optimistic that his team will suprise some people this season.
"Our theme song has been "Don't You...Forget About Me," said Coach EBDial. "Everyone is sleeping on the Big Orange this season, and that's going to be a mistake. We are ready to turn the SEC upside down."
The Vols open the season against BYU before facing off against #1 Oklahoma. Is it unthinkable that the Vols could shock the world and defeat the Sooners in Week 2? Stranger things have happened.
The pundits prediction: Tennessee peaked at #12 in the season 5 poll in RUTS3, the highest finish of any of the 5 seasons. Coach EBDial has established himself as an offensive genius. Can he take the next step to shore up the Vols' defensive woes? They'll have to remain injury free, but we think Tennessee will finish the season with 8 or 9 wins heading into the bowl game. The Vols keep building momentum, and we think they'll be an SEC East contender in season 2.
The Wolverines and rookie RUTS Coach roop1189 enter the season as a huge unknown. No one knows what to expect from Coach roop1189, and that could be a scary prospect for the Pac 12. Speedy Qb Denard Robinson could prove to be a lethal threat for opposing defenses. Roop's challenge will be to coach up the defense so as to allow their team to stay close in games. If they can keep games close, Robinson's legs can carry them to victory.
"Denard's versatility at the QB position is unmatched in RUTS or the nation," said Roop. "We're excited about that."
Roop's other hurdle will be to overcome the sentiment that he likes sticking forks in electrical outlets. After the RUTS team draft video, Michigan fans were concerned that their coach may not be 'all-there,' but since taking over the progran, he has more than proved otherwise.
"Look," said Roop, "that photo was taken of me when I was a wee-little-lad. I have grown up so much and learned many lessons. I never, ever stick forks into electrical outlets anymore, and the Wolverine Nation can rest assured I am the right man for the job."
Michigan opens the season with 2 straight Pac 12 games against UCLA and Arizona, and then, the gauntlet begins. The Wolverines play #4 LSU, #6 Ohio State, and #3 Stanford back-to-back-to-back in weeks 3-5. They need to win 2 of those games to remain in the hunt for the conference title, and it will be tough. Then, the Maize and Blue close the season against arch-nemesis Coach stinvol and the Miami Hurricanes. A rivalry that might become one of the best in RUTS.
The pundits prediction: Michigan will surprise some teams this season. They are an unranked, but very talented team. Although they may fall short of reaching the Pac 12 title game, we think they will beat 1 or even 2 teams they're not supposed to beat...could that start with LSU in week 3 when they visit Ann Arbor? That's a scary trap game for the Tigers, and if Michigan can pull the upset, who knows how far they can go. Coach stinvol earned a trip to the conference title game in his RUTS rookie season in RUTS3, can Roop do the same?
The Hurricanes and Coach stinvol don't care what you say about them. Cheaters? Scandalous? Money launderers? Cold-blooded rappers? Yeah, maybe. But they are a team to be reckoned with. The Hurricanes took the Big 12 by storm in season 1 of RUTS3, upsetting coach utvol27 and earning a trip to the Big 12 title game in his rookie season. Now, Miami, along with rival FSU, are heading to the SEC East. Along with that comes tougher rivalry games but also a renewed challenge to take the conference by storm.
Coach stinvol's first order of business was to hire showman/look-at-me guy/coach Trooper Taylor away from SEC rival Auburn to coach the Canes' special teams unit. A move that Coach stinvol called the "best decision he's made in the past 13 hours."
The Hurricanes, who will be sporting new green helmets this season for some games, and coach stinvol is excited about what lies ahead.
"We have a tough road, but I am predicting right now that we will be 9-0 entering our game against FSU in week 12," stinvol said. "That means, YES, we're beating Alabama. We're beating USC. And, the nation is going to be really afraid of the Canes."
Who are we to tell this fiery coach to simmer down? Miami has a great shot to win the SEC East, and they are a strong contender to win the entire SEC. It will take a strong year from veteran QB Jacory Harris, who may be the nation's worst dressed QB, but he is a game changer who can win with his legs, arms, or overalls.
The pundits' prediction: Miami is a really good team, and we're not sure how they managed to enter the season unranked. Coach stinvol has remained loyal to the program, which is currently in a state of unrest after recent allegations of epic proportions. Coach stinvol isn't worried about the past though, he's focused on the future. Miami will have a good season, and who knows, if they can upset FSU in week 12, could wind up in Atlanta to play for a shot at a national title.
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Who is predicted for overall title?
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