Final 2007 rankings

I’ve had a busy week, so I didn’t have time to post my opinion on the final AP rankings. And of course, a chance to compare them with my own rankings. My rankings are presented between the brackets.

1. LSU (1): National champ and the logical pick for the number 1 spot. Lots of talent leaving, so I don’t expect LSU to compete for the title next year. But right now, that doesn’t matter much for the fans.
2. Georgia (3): Like I mentioned, close call between Georgia and USC. It’s just a matter of taste, not very much between them. But with the talent on the team, I expect to see Georgia in the National Championship game next year.
3. USC (2): I preferred USC, but I’m not allowed to vote. Together with Georgia a true contender next year, if they can keep the squad healthy and don’t lose too many players to the draft.
4. Missouri (7): Ranked too high in my opinion, even when they played great against Arkansas. Missouri has a favorable schedule next year (like Kansas this year) and has a good shot at the Big 12 Championship.
5. Ohio State (5): Dropped a bit after disappointing in the BCS game. But still a strong team and looking good for next year. Although I expect Michigan to be a better competitor than this year.
6. West Virginia (4): I valued their win higher, giving them a better spot in my rankings. Good ending to the season, but it looks a bit grim for next year.
7. Kansas (6): Too little respect for the rise of the Jayhawks. Sure, they had a pretty weak schedule. But they were in the race until the last regular game against Missouri. And they surprised everyone with the win in the Orange Bowl. Next year will be tough, with Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech returning on their schedule.
8. Oklahoma (NR): I only ranked 8 teams, I preferred Michigan above Oklahoma. Oklahoma disappointed me in their bowl game, but they are on their way back to the top. Next season looks good, but that’s the case for a number of teams.

The full AP Rankings can be found here. This will most likely complete my posting on college football for a while. But with the draft coming up and the rumors for the new season already starting, that while might turn in a very short while.

My rankings after the BCS Bowl games

Time to touch a controversial and highly personal topic: the ranking of the teams. Always open for debate, deciding which team did best is a hard job. Especially when you’re living in Europe and have to rely on little information.

My rankings:

1. LSU Tigers: I have to go with the champs as my number one team. They did a great job this season, battling through tough games.
2. USC Trojans: This one is tricky and I have Georgia as a close third. But for me, the Trojans were more impressive in their win over Illinois.
3. Georgia Bulldogs: Great game against Hawaii. No doubt they should’ve played against the Trojans in the Rose Bowl (or even the National Championship game).
4. West Virginia Mountaineers: They wrecked Oklahoma, the team I thought was one of the best at the end of the season. I was wrong and award the Mountaineers as my number 4 pick.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes: Losing twice in a row when competing for the title is tough. But they are still a solid team.
6. Kansas Jayhawks: I pick Kansas over Missouri. The victory in the Orange Bowl was as unexpected as well-deserved, which impressed me more than Missouri’s game.
7. Missouri Tigers: Very close to Kansas (and I don’t mean geographically) and impressive against Arkansas. They should’ve played in a BCS game, but didn’t. So their status got a little bit bumped.
8. Michigan Wolverines: I know, I rank Michigan probably too high. But they’ve shown they really can play really good football. The game against the Gators was great and showed that Ohio State will have it’s hands full next year.

So, those are my picks. Now we just have to wait for the final AP rankings.