Raiderstation

It’s that time of year for us to dog fight about who’s college team is better.

Best way to start it out IMO is with the preseason coaches poll that just dropped:

Preseason Coaches Poll
1.Ohio State
2.Oregon
3.Georgia
4.Texas
5.Notre Dame
6.Indiana
7.Miami
8.Texas A&M
9.Oklahoma
10.Ole Miss
11.Alabama
12.Texas Tech
13.LSU
14.USC
15.BYU
16.Michigan
17.Penn State
18.Tennessee
19.Washington
20.SMU
21.Utah
22.Iowa
23.Clemson
24.Houston
25.Missouri

We all know who are backing after that last few years but the 2026 season is almost upon us.

For my own part, this year is special I’m attending my first home game ever at ND on 9/12.

Toast wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2026 8:21 pm From 1993 to 1997 Nebraska went 60-3 with three Natty's. Bama's 60-6 run from 2011-2015 is considered by some as the most dominant five years stretch in NCAA history.

In my opinion Nebraska was as good during their quasi dynasty.

The Bama faithful tends to get punch drunk when their buck is up. No pun intended but the tide is turning.

You & Willmark have always been SEC haters lol I understand your Jealousy, but come on Toast 3 Natty's doesn't sniff Bama's Ass lol And if you live on the West coast your kind of out of the FB scenario anyways it's a Tsunami or Election away from being totally Irrelevant

pfish57 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2026 8:36 pm You & Willmark have always been SEC haters lol I understand your Jealousy, but come on Toast 3 Natty's doesn't sniff Bama's Ass lol And if you live on the West coast your kind of out of the FB scenario anyways it's a Tsunami or Election away from being totally Irrelevant

I always liked BAMA. I actually followed them pretty closely during the Gene Stallings era.

Just funny to watch the smugness of the SEC fans giving way to the new reality of the NCAA FBS landscape. Everyone plays by the same "rules" now and the SEC fanboys don't like it.

Toast wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2026 8:32 am I always liked BAMA. I actually followed them pretty closely during the Gene Stallings era.

Just funny to watch the smugness of the SEC fans giving way to the new reality of the NCAA FBS landscape. Everyone plays by the same "rules" now and the SEC fanboys don't like it.

They ran from Nascar once it truly was more open. The south has this trait I seem to find, very assimulate-like.

Notre Dame does have a very weak schedule and the SEC is currently too overly hyped. Both are true statements. The SEC benefits from pre season rankings, that's just the truth. IMO, teams should start the season off with the ranking they ended with. I don't care how much a team has changed. It's all perception from pundits as far as if they're improved, worse, whose great and who isn't. The only fair and honest way is the carry over ranking from the previous year. From there it will sort itself out in an authentic inarguable way

It's no longer having and recruiting the best players that has changed the landscape of NCAA football...it's money.

And I don't see using last year's final rankings as a barometer for the next year...some teams lose more key players than some others and some teams have a much better off season of recruiting. Preseason polls don't mean much because they are based mostly on opinion but as the season goes on things have a way of bringing the cream to the crop.

Last year's Indiana team was ranked 20th in the AP preseason poll and 19th in the coaches poll.

Toast wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2026 8:32 am Just funny to watch the smugness of the SEC fans giving way to the new reality of the NCAA FBS landscape. Everyone plays by the same "rules" now and the SEC fanboys don't like it.

It is rather amusing. Suddenly the Emperor has no clothes and they are like "yes he does!"

...SMH.

raidersince63 wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2026 1:12 pm It's no longer having and recruiting the best players that has changed the landscape of NCAA football...it's money.

And I don't see using last year's final rankings as a barometer for the next year...some teams lose more key players than some others and some teams have a much better off season of recruiting. Preseason polls don't mean much because they are based mostly on opinion but as the season goes on things have a way of bringing the cream to the crop.

Last year's Indiana team was ranked 20th in the AP preseason poll and 19th in the coaches poll.

It's always been about money. Now there is (some) transparency and more zeros.

Last year's record isn't a barometer for how good/bad the team will be but the polls aren't a barometer either. At least it's honest. It can't be argued and it's fair. How many f[raiders_icon]cking sec teams start out top 25 and get mopped out. At the end of the season they get counted as ranked wins lol. The preseason polling is a built in way for bias, corruption & outright bullshit. There's no perfect way to decide the initial top 25. So in that sense, starting the year from the previous rankings is the best route. & that will also sort out whose the best and who isn't in the exact same way as the season goes along

Toast wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:47 am It's always been about money. Now there is (some) transparency and more zeros.

I was referring to the recent advent of the NIL as to what has reshaped the landscape of NCAA football.

Can't really compare the earlier "under the table" type of money to what players are getting nowadays.

raidersince63 wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2026 12:33 pm I was referring to the recent advent of the NIL as to what has reshaped the landscape of NCAA football.

Can't really compare the earlier "under the table" type of money to what players are getting nowadays.

The dollars are much bigger but look at the asinine salaries that coaches have been getting paid, not to mention the booster perks that they were allowed. Pretty hypocritical when Saban complains about NIL money considering what he was making. The boosters and head coaches started this shit.

Toast wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2026 1:08 pm The dollars are much bigger but look at the asinine salaries that coaches have been getting paid, not to mention the booster perks that they were allowed. Pretty hypocritical when Saban complains about NIL money considering what he was making. The boosters and head coaches started this shit.

I'm pretty much the same way concerning MLB...and you can just bet on a lock out coming on December 1.

Toast wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2026 1:08 pm The dollars are much bigger but look at the asinine salaries that coaches have been getting paid, not to mention the booster perks that they were allowed. Pretty hypocritical when Saban complains about NIL money considering what he was making. The boosters and head coaches started this shit.

His entire run is now very suspect IMO. He bailed out right when everyone started doing the same thing Alabama was doing for years.

Funny that.

raidersince63 wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2026 1:34 pm I'm pretty much the same way concerning MLB...and you can just bet on a lock out coming on December 1.

I am about through with MLB as well.

Toast wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2026 6:02 pm I am about through with MLB as well.

They've ruined MLB, NFL and most all major sports and none of them are now the same sports I grew up with.