This week's blogpoll roundtable is hosted by Doug of Hey Jenny Slater. Here is what he asked to the world. Here is how we responded.
1. Without naming names, a few teams seem to have popped up frequently on everyone's "overrated" lists in the preseason, so let's forget about them for the moment and concentrate on a different group: sleepers. Which currently unheralded team are you currently putting at least a few of your chips behind in the hopes that you'll be able to say "totally called that" once they've accomplished big things by the end of the season?
We here at FTRS create our poll ballot in a unique way. It's a combination of all three of our individual polls that results in our final decision. While looking at our ballot and comparing it to the overall poll, FTRS' "sleepers" would have to be TCU (kinda sorta) and Texas Tech. We put the Horned Frogs at 13th while every other poll has them at 17th. It's not a huge disparity but it's something to take worth noting. Let's also look at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders lost both Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell and got taken to the woodshed by Ole Miss. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth. But with the the magic that is Mike Leach and his offense, would you really be surprised if they were a force to be reckoned with again?
2. In a similar vein, pick a sleeper player on your team whom nobody's talking about right now and tell us why we will be talking about them by December.
Jerrard Tarrant. The only way you know his name right now is because of those rape allegations that were dropped last year. This guy is fire. He's speedy, quick and will be a power as a corner back. Last year our punt returning absolutely sucked and the last time we scored a touchdown off a punt was Jonathan Smith in 2003. That's six years ago! If our punt returns will ever get back to the days of Kelly Rhino it will be because of Tarrant.
3. Florida is about as big a consensus favorite as we've seen in recent years, but remember, USC got 62 out of 65 first-place votes in the AP's 2007 preseason poll and still managed to lose to Stanford. Given how difficult it is to go undefeated period these days, where do you think the Gators are most likely to stumble in the regular season?
Looking at their schedule it's so hard to say that they won't stumble. But then, that's the problem with the preseason and lots and lots of talk, after a while everything blends together and everybody wins! If the Gators stumble, it will be in Baton Rouge against the Tigers. Death Valley is always tough and if LSU is on a hot streak things will get tough for the Golden Child and Co.
4. Which regular-season game not involving your team or conference are you most looking forward to this year?
Alabama and Virginia Tech. This game is in my own backyard and it's time for the ACC to earn some respect and beat the SEC in the national spotlight. Beyond the game, various other bloggers are coming to Atlanta for the weekend for this game, most notably the guys from GobblerCountry, CollegeGameBalls, BeerControlOffense, and Tomahawk Nation
5. In honor of Georgia's opening-weekend opponent and their most prolific booster, let's say you somehow come into T. Boone Pickens money and can buy anything you want for your program -- facilities upgrades, an airplane for recruiting, buy out the contract of that coach you hate, you name it. Where does your first check go?.
Have you ever tried to navigate yourself around Bobby Dodd Stadium? While there is not a bad seat in the stadium, it's a journey, a hike, and a maze all combined into one trek. When the day arrives that I have T. Boone Pickens' money, Bobby Dodd's concourses will all be large enough to drive a division of Persian War Elephants through.