ESPN’s way too early 2019 Top 25

[SciCat]

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...pn-college-football-way-too-early-top-25-2019

Cats come in at 19, tops in the B1G West. The SEC love continues, with four in the top 10.

Let’s hope this represents ESPN’s habit of underrating NU’s actual results.

 

[Alan Smithee]

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...pn-college-football-way-too-early-top-25-2019

Cats come in at 19, tops in the B1G West. The SEC love continues, with four in the top 10.

Let’s hope this represents ESPN’s habit of underrating NU.

Interesting: the segment on NU correctly notes that NU "will have to replace" Thorson, but makes no mention of Hunter Johnson alongside its mention of Trent Green.

 

[BFDCat]

Wow is this poor journalism. "with two-way star Thorson departing." Huh? And they mention Green but no mention of 5* transfer Hunter Johnson? Oh, and ranked below the Utes. Give me a break, ESPN blows.

 

[zeek55]

Yeah, not mentioning Hunter in next year's analysis basically makes the whole thing worthless...; he's going to be our most important player next year.

 

[SmellyCat]

I want to know what "two-way star" means in regards to Thorson.

 

[NJCat]

I want to know what "two-way star" means in regards to Thorson.

I'm guessing it isn't the B in LGBT.....

[jk]

 

[pawildcat]

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...pn-college-football-way-too-early-top-25-2019

Cats come in at 19, tops in the B1G West. The SEC love continues, with four in the top 10.

Let’s hope this represents ESPN’s habit of underrating NU’s actual results.

SEC love always continues. A prime example of why I support the eight-team playoff.

 

[Hungry Jack]

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...pn-college-football-way-too-early-top-25-2019

Cats come in at 19, tops in the B1G West. The SEC love continues, with four in the top 10.

Let’s hope this represents ESPN’s habit of underrating NU’s actual results.

Actually 5 SEC teams: Bama (2), Georgia (3), Florida (7), A&M (9) LSU (10).

Syracuse at #15 without QB Dungey seems generous to me. He made that team go.

 

[zeek55]

Most important thing for us is that this really feels like an offseason that will match 2012's in terms of positive buzz around the program. That's always a positive for recruiting as the 2020 class loads up with the new facility fully on-line and a great 4 year run in the books.

We should have gotten that entering this year but for uncertainty about CT's rehab.


Either way, we'll be the defending West division champs with Hunter Johnson taking over.

There will be a lot of talk about Nebraska being "back" and Wisconsin returning to their usual dominance, but we have every chance to make a big statement those first 6 weeks starting with Stanford.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Looks like NU is no better than 5th in the West in 2019. Wisky and Iowa make top 25. Purdue and Nebby in “best of rest”.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-football-rankings-2019-127471431/

 

[chariots]

Actually 5 SEC teams: Bama (2), Georgia (3), Florida (7), A&M (9) LSU (10).

Syracuse at #15 without QB Dungey seems generous to me. He made that team go.

Dungey was a tremendously gutsy, and as a result, often injured player. Tommy DeVito saw a lot of action for Syracuse and imo has a better arm

 

[Alan Smithee]

Save that 247 link. I don't think it won't look pretty, at least so far as the West is concerned, at this time last year.

This morning somebody posted Pat Forde's grade on Dabo's ascension in 2008. This won't be as bad a miss as Forde's, but I think we'll be much happier than we'd be at 5th (or worse).

 

[LACatFan]

Looks like NU is no better than 5th in the West in 2019. Wisky and Iowa make top 25. Purdue and Nebby in “best of rest”.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-football-rankings-2019-127471431/

Chris Hummer ranked #1 in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 Clown Co. College Football Sports Writer Rankings.

 

[NorthNJCatsfan]

For the ‘Cats first game next year, the unranked Cardinal will be stoked to make a statement. Maybe they will want kickoff at 8:00 PST.

 

[NU Houston]

Yeah, not mentioning Hunter in next year's analysis basically makes the whole thing worthless...; he's going to be our most important player next year.

But of course last year, they had no trouble citing Shea Patterson's transfer to Michigan as a big reason to place the Wolverines in the top 10...

 

[pawildcat]

Wisky is finally paying for all the years they got the dregs of the East in the crossover games. They get both the Michigans and Ohio State next season.

 

[NJCat]

Wisky is finally paying for all the years they got the dregs of the East in the crossover games. They get both the Michigans and Ohio State next season.

Ouch.

 

[JoeWildcat]

USAToday's 2019 preseason ranking just came out and listed three Big 10 West teams in the top 25, and NU was not one of them. I want some of that $ action. If we are not one of the top 3 I will be shocked.

 

[Alan Smithee]

We have finished ranked (AP) in four of the last seven seasons.

This year was the second straight we started unranked but finished ranked.

Much better, of course, to finish ranked. Just ask #4 Wisconsin (preseason).

 

[DaCat]

USAToday's 2019 preseason ranking just came out and listed three Big 10 West teams in the top 25, and NU was not one of them. I want some of that $ action. If we are not one of the top 3 I will be shocked.

Being ranked high in the preseason matters for recruiting and program prestige. After our wonderful season, it shows that lightweights like USA McPaper still don't get it.

 

[ricko654321]

Wisky is finally paying for all the years they got the dregs of the East in the crossover games. They get both the Michigans and Ohio State next season.

They've played Michigan every one of the last 4 (?) years, as long as we've been playing MSU each year. There also was a year that they played Michigan, OSU, and MSU, back when MSU was coming off of a CFP appearance I believe. Their schedule has been just as tough as ours if not tougher. And Nebraska has gotten OSU every year.

If anyone has gotten off easy, it's been Iowa (matched with PSU), this past year had an easy road for sure and also generally speaking over the recent cycle (also the other lower tier teams in the West, but who cares about them).

 

[phatcat]

They must have updated the stories after thousands of Cats fans pointed out their error. HuJo is now referenced

 

[NU Houston]

They've played Michigan every one of the last 4 (?) years, as long as we've been playing MSU each year. There also was a year that they played Michigan, OSU, and MSU, back when MSU was coming off of a CFP appearance I believe. Their schedule has been just as tough as ours if not tougher. And Nebraska has gotten OSU every year.

Yeah, I don't get the criticism of Wisconsin's schedule. That was 2016, when MSU, OSU and Michigan were all top 10 ranked when Wisconsin played them. They also started that season with a win against LSU and beat Akron by 44 points. In 2017, their first game was against Alabama. What's the criticism here?

 

[RhabdoWildcat]

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...pn-college-football-way-too-early-top-25-2019

Cats come in at 19, tops in the B1G West. The SEC love continues, with four in the top 10.

Let’s hope this represents ESPN’s habit of underrating NU’s actual results.

I see Stanford mentioned multiple times as a tough game. Northwestern? Not once (only as a side-mention in the Nebraska section).

And where is Stanford on this list? I'm surprised the Stanford slurpers at ESPN didn't place them as an obligatory Pac 12 presence in the top 10.