Is Georgia underrated at No. 5 in first Coaches Poll? | College Football Enquirer Podcast
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss the preseason USA Today/Coaches poll that was released on Tuesday, and debate which teams should be ranked higher than they landed on the list.
Video Transcript
DAN WETZEL: Number one, Alabama Crimson Tide. Got all but two votes for number one.
PAT FORDE: That surprises me.
DAN WETZEL: I don't know that they're number one. I don't know that I'd pick them number one, but I get why everybody picked them number one. But they should not be an overwhelming number one like that.
PAT FORDE: Yeah, that surprises me.
DAN WETZEL: This alone will make it-- this is how used Alabama fans are to only hearing-- like, I will get ripped for that comment. "Hater! You hate the Tide! He was doubting us!"
PETE THAMEL: Keep your rat poison out of this podcast. Keep this-- I don't want your rat poison.
DAN WETZEL: You shouldn't be an overwhelming number one when you don't have a quarterback, and all that. I mean, that's all I'm saying.
PETE THAMEL: Six, did they have six first draft picks?
PAT FORDE: They have three returning starters on offense. Three returning starters on offense!
DAN WETZEL: Lack of imagination out there, not someone else not picking anyone other than Alabama. All right, Clemson's number two. They have zero first-place votes. So I wouldn't put them there. I'd put-- Georgia, I think, is the favorite in that opening weekend game. So I would have put Georgia, if not one, two. Probably would have voted Georgia number one. That's who I'd vote number one if I was voting.
PETE THAMEL: Me too, actually.
DAN WETZEL: I would put Georgia. And I know, but if we're looking at what this season has, it's gonna be Georgia.
PAT FORDE: I've got the mental block-- I mean, I think on paper, Georgia's probably the most talented. Has the best combination of talent and experience. But I've got the mental block, because every year, they find one game to absolutely not show up.
DAN WETZEL: All right. So Clemson's two, Oklahoma is three. Oklahoma, I predicted that they'd be the belle of the offseason, with the big whatever Bowl. They had a big bowl.
PETE THAMEL: Yeah, they destroyed Florida in the bowl game.
DAN WETZEL: Yeah. Number four is Ohio State. Seems right to me. Any objections to either of those two?
PAT FORDE: Nope.
DAN WETZEL: It's got to be around there. Georgia is five. Underrated, as far as I'm concerned.
PETE THAMEL: Oh, wow. Should Georgia go to one if they beat Clemson?
PAT FORDE: That's--
DAN WETZEL: Yeah, they should go to number one if they beat Clemson.
PETE THAMEL: I think so, too.
PAT FORDE: Sure. 100%. Whoever wins that game should be number one.
DAN WETZEL: If you're doing this for real, yeah. Like, absolutely.
PAT FORDE: Right, yeah.
DAN WETZEL: But will they? Oh, you know. Who's Alabama opening with? They play somebody, don't they?
PETE THAMEL: Miami.
PAT FORDE: They're playing Miami. And Miami's pretty good. I mean--
DAN WETZEL: Miami's checking in at 16th. So, all right. Number six is Texas A&M. Fine with that. Number seven, Notre Dame. I think that's over. I would-- that, to me, is too high.
PAT FORDE: I'd put Notre Dame somewhere in like 10 to 13, probably. Something like that.
PETE THAMEL: I would put Iowa State ahead of them. Because of what they have coming back.
PAT FORDE: Notre Dame is good where Notre Dame is going to be good, right? They have the best tight end room in the country, period. They have a very good offensive line. But I think, yeah, I think they're maybe a pinch high, but not too much.
DAN WETZEL: Iowa State is eight. I think we all would say maybe move them up. I mean, to me, this comes down to, can they split and/or beat the Sooners twice? Other than that, I see them as a favorite.
PAT FORDE: To me, like broad strokes, the top five are the top five. I would have Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Georgia in some combination. You can put them however you want. I wouldn't argue, necessarily. Then I think there's a gap. But then the gap, to me, it starts with Cincinnati and Iowa State, probably that next group. And I would put Cincinnati ahead of them, because I think they should have been ahead of them last year, frankly.
DAN WETZEL: Carolina is nine, Cincinnati is 10. Cincinnati's going to get their chance at Notre Dame and Indiana.
PAT FORDE: That's going to be one of the absolute keys to the season, if Cincinnati can take care of business. They've got the opportunity. Both those games are on the road. But if they win both of those games and they are undefeated through that point-- and I think the Notre Dame game is October 2-- they better be in the top three.
