Pete Carroll has “Never Been So Pumped Up”

He’s lying, obviously. I find it hard to believe that Carroll has “never been so pumped” about a season (but not this pumped). Every morning Pete Carroll wakes up, it is the most pumped he has ever been. Meanwhile, Jim Tressel is as pumped as he has ever been, issuing the statement: “How difficult is the challenge? Tremendously difficult. They bring a lot at you.”

Slow down coach. I know fall practice is right around the corner and you are going to be like a kid in a candy store with all the new recruits (namely Terrelle Pryor). All the seven on seven summer workouts are great for the players, but the real work comes August 4th with the start of actual practice.

USA Today released their Top 25 with Georgia at #1, USC at #2, and Ohio State at #3. I love the spot for Ohio State. While its hard to start at 13 and win your way to second, 3rd is prime real estate especially since a team Ohio State plays is in directly front of them. Therefore, it is up to Georgia. Hold down the #1 spot and let the others fight for #2. We do know Georgia has a tough schedule and deserves to be in the title game if they go undefeated (possibly with one loss), but does USA Today really need to throw 6-6 South Carolina in as one of those pitfalls?

Wisconsin, Illinois, and Penn State also crack the Top 25 compared to USC’s 3 (#3 Ohio State, #16 Arizona State, #20 Oregon). At this point, OSU plays five teams in the preseason poll (let’s just hope they can stay there).

Right now, each of the Buckeyes’ ranked opponents have QB issues: Wisconsin doesn’t have one, Illinois has Juice, and Penn State has a running back that throws. Meanwhile, Rich Rod is likely to play two guys he will call “quarterbacks.” Add in the inexperienced owner of a 3-6 TD:INT ratio against teams not named Notre Dame, a.k.a. Mark Sanchez, and things are looking good for the Buckeyes.

My greatest hope for the season is that the teams on the schedule give Ohio State some problems this year. I hope they exploit OSU and keep the scores close. “Poe, have you gone mad?” No, because it is obvious that is what this team needs. It is fun to run through seasons with nothing except a Juice and a Zooker in your way, but it does not give you the conditioning, mental and physical, you need to win the championship. USC and Wisconsin are sure to give OSU some games. I think Penn State, Michigan State, and Michigan each have chances to give them some fits. And, I love it.

Speaking of Michigan, they somehow, someway made it into the preseason Top 25 at #24. (Can Rich vote more than once?) I guess that blow out of Florida gave them some credentials, well except that entire team is long gone.