Early Top 25 Polls for 2008
The very early top 25 for 2008 are out and the Buckeyes are at the top of the polls (again):
Sports Illustrated: 2
Scout.com: 1
ESPN.com  6
CSTV.com: 5
Sports Illustrated:Â #2
Who’s back: RB Beanie Wells, WRs Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline, LB James Laurinaitis, CB Malcolm Jenkins.
Who’s not: T Kirk Barton, DE Vernon Gholston, LB Larry Grant.
Skinny: OSU was the unquestioned winner of the NFL derby, with likely first-rounders Laurinaitis and Jenkins opting to return. Wells is a potential Heisman winner.
Scout.com:Â #1
SEC fans will go ballistic at the notion, and America might let out a collective groan at the thought of OSU in another national title game, but with all the returning talent, this really should be 2008’s best team. Remember, 2007 was supposed to be a rebuilding year and a stepping-stone to this season. Getting to the national championship was unexpected gravy. Shock of shocks, most of the stars decided to come back for one more year with DE Vernon Gholston the only early defector.
The Buckeyes don’t have the speed or athleticism of the top teams, right? The NFL certainly doesn’t think so with at least 11 starters, not including both kickers, who’ll be drafted with five, LB James Laurinaitis, LB Marcus Freeman, CB Malcolm Jenkins, RB Beanie Wells, and OT Alex Boone, who’d be starting on day one of the 2008 NFL season.
A national punching bag after two straight blowout losses in BCS Championships, the Buckeyes will be good enough to get another shot with almost everyone of note returning on offense including QB Todd Boeckman and top receivers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie. The defense might lose Gholston and LB Larry Grant, but nine starters are back. PK Ryan Pretorius and P A.J. Trapasso form one of the nation’s best kicking duos.
ESPN.com: #6
The Buckeyes will have all the pieces in place for yet another run at the BCS title game, especially if All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis returns for his senior season. Tailback Beanie Wells is the Buckeyes’ next superstar, and receivers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie are both coming back. Quarterback Todd Boeckman has to continue to improve throwing the football, and right tackle Kirk Barton will be a big loss. The defense could be even better in 2008, with end Lawrence Wilson coming back from a broken leg and promising rising sophomore Cameron Heyward adding weight and getting stronger. After playing a light nonconference schedule in 2007, the Buckeyes travel to USC on Sept. 13 and play Big Ten road games at Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois
CSTV: #5
Ohio State - The Buckeyes did not look as overmatched in this year’s national title game compared to last year and they’re still bringing back a ton of talent for 2008 in Todd Boeckman, Chris Wells and James Laurinaitis. There will be some losses on the offensive line, and Vernon Gholston’s gone as well, but Tressel’s bringing in more talent than he knows what to do with these days and he’s still one of the best coaches in the country. Much to the chagrin of many fans around the country, the Buckeyes could easily find themselves playing for the national title yet again. 2007: 11-2, BCS Championship Game.
Feel free to add any you find!
somewhere, Mark May is yelling at a group of small children out of frustration that someone would put Ohio State as a preseason no. 1.
That said, the naysayer in me is curious whether or not the high rankings are just to puff us up for the USC game so, in the likely event we lose that decision (likely in that the last marquee early season matchup USC lost was in 2002 to Kansas State), we could hear the overrated-weak-Big-10-can’t-hang-with-speed talk all over again.