BlogPoll: Our Preseason Top 25 (11-15)

Continuing the pick-by-pick review of our BlogPoll Preseason Poll, we've reached the spot you've all really been waiting for -- #11-15 -- starring the Hawkeyes, Seminoles, Hokies, Ducks and Wolverines. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you your preseason-projected* Capital One Bowl frontrunners.

11. Iowa
A corn-fed offensive line should aid all parts of this Big 10 juggernaut. Iowa is one of only 4 teams to make 4 straight Januaray bowl appearances and their 25 Big 10 wins are the best in that stretch. Senior QB Drew Tate still has his big target in 6'7" 242-pound TE Scott Chandler. And RB Albert Young can rack up the yards, as evidenced by his 1,376 of them last year (5.4 ypc).

12. Florida State
Wide receiver Greg Carr, at 6'6" with basketball-type athleticism, can haul down virtually anything, especially in the red zone. They got another receiver De'Cody Fagg, but we're pretty sure he went to school for these girls. Bobby Bowden has the most career wins as a head coach in the NCAA, but since his son has taken over as the offensive coordinator, they have been on the steady decline. However, senior RB Lorenzo Booker returns after turning down the NFL and Antoine Smith has 4.36 speed. And QB Drew Weatherford? He's good (as long as he cuts down on his picks).

13. Virginia Tech
The Hokies 2006 season is all about replacing Marcus Vick. Depending on who you ask, that's either a blessing or a burden -- although most would agree it's more good than bad. The mercurial brother of Ron Mexico was a distraction for the Hokies, and was never anywhere close to as good as his brother on the field. So the Hokies could benefit from addition by subtraction, not to mention a roster that's still stocked with talent. And never underestimate the power of the "Goiter", or the Hokie defense.

14. Oregon
Only lost to USC during the regular season last year and should have beaten Oklahoma in their Bowl game. They lost a giant in Haloti Ngata, but their D-line is still tough, and their O-line is gargantuan -- 296, 339, 350, 335 and 299 (sidenote--why do so many giant Samoans seem to flock to Eugene?). Sophmore RB Jonathon Stewart was considered to be "the best" running back prospect in 2004, and he could have a breakout year. But this team will be doing a lot of passing; the Ducks have learned a spread offense, and nobody has learned how to get an easy win in Eugene. Also, they should pick up at least one win just by distracting an opponent with their new bright yellow uniform configuration (one of 952 different color pairing options!).

15. Michigan
It's practically ingrained in college football lore at this point -- this season Michigan will beat someone they're not supposed to (Michigan State or Ohio State), and probably lose to someone they're also not supposed to (Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue). This is Lloyd Carr football. Shout out to the M Zone.

* - Can we start the season already, just so we can stop having to make caveats about the damned preseason poll? We really do not like these preseason polls, in case we hadn't mentioned it in the past 10 minutes. And yet, we guide you thru each pick. Such devotion to the craft here people.

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