Alabama, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, looks capable of another run to the Bowl Championship Series championship.

The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 poll over the weekend, and the top five looked very familiar to our Top Five, which I posted here earlier this summer.

Here’s the AP Top 25:

1. Alabama (54);14-0;1,491;1;6-0;93-57;Last;No.;1;preseason;1978
2. Ohio St. (3);11-2;1,400;5;3-1;90-62;22nd;consec.;preseason;rank
3. Boise St. (1);14-0;1,336;4;2-0;78-73;Highest;preseason;rank
4. Florida;13-1;1,237;3;2-1;95-57;Lost;Tebow;and;4;assistants
5. Texas (1);13-1;1,223;2;3-1;86-65;Gilbert;replaces;Colt;McCoy
6. TCU;12-1;1,160;6;2-1;82-59;Highest;preseason;rank
7. Oklahoma (1);8-5;1,104;_;3-3;90-57;Record:;799-302-53;(.715)
8. Nebraska;10-4;1,033;14;3-2;92-70;19;starters;returning
9. Iowa;11-2;1,007;7;2-1;89-53;The;tough;games;are;at;home
10. Virginia Tech;10-3;973;10;2-2;96-60;6;straight;10-win;seasons
11. Oregon;10-3;870;11;4-2;95-58;Defending;Pac-10;champions
12. Wisconsin;10-3;822;16;1-2;83-59;Only;13;seniors;on;roster
13. Miami;9-4;785;19;3-2;88-55;Bosher;is;nation’s;best;PK
14. Southern Cal;9-4;590;22;2-2;82-69;Just;70;scholarship;players
15. Pittsburgh;10-3;516;15;0-1;85-55;Tough;non-conference;games
16. Georgia Tech;11-3;511;13;1-2;88-65;Defending;ACC;champions
17. Arkansas;8-5;496;_;1-4;93-51;Mallett;&;WR;crew;are;back
18. North Carolina;8-5;397;_;2-1;81-48;21;returning;starters
19. Penn St.;11-2;382;9;1-1;77-62;45th;year;for;Paterno
20. Florida St.;7-6;379;_;2-2;92-47;Fisher;replaces;Bowden
21. LSU;9-4;300;17;1-3;91-60;6;senior;starters;;2-O,;4-D
22. Auburn;8-5;296;_;1-3;85-56;Entire;coach;staff;returned
23. Georgia;8-5;206;_;1-3;86-57;Frosh;QB;Murray;will;lead
24. Oregon St.;8-5;198;_;1-4;83-56;Rodgers;brothers;are;lethal
25. West Virginia;9-4;184;25;1-1;86-56;Five;major;NCAA;violations
Others receiving votes: Cincinnati 108, Stanford 81, Utah 80, South Carolina 71, Houston 66,
Connecticut 32, Notre Dame 31, Missouri 27, BYU 19, Arizona 15, Clemson 15, Texas Tech 14, Navy 12, Washington 8, Texas A&M 7, Mississippi 6, Oklahoma St. 3, Cent. Michigan 2, Middle Tennessee 2, Temple 2, Boston College 1, SMU 1, UCF 1.

Steve’s take:. Both the AP voters and myself, see an Alabama team that lost some key players from the top defense in the country. But the plus for the Tide is the return of 10 starters on offense, which will need to be more productive as the defense gets up to speed. Ohio State and Boise State, based on their schedule, have a very good chance at running the table, while Florida could challenge the top three. AP has Texas at No. 5, based on the play of Garrett Gilbert, who shined in the BCS title game loss to Alabama. I want to see how they how the sophomore will do without Jordan Shipley as a target. But the Longhorns will have a good shot at the top 10 by year’s end. I like Oregon at No. 5, again they have the schedule to make a BCS run after returning most of the key figures from last year’s 10-3 squad that lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. The question mark is at QB, where Jeremiah Masoli was kicked off the team, leaving Nate Costa and Darron Thomas to fill the void. I’m banking they can.

Above: UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel at Pac-10 Media day last month.

One of the best things why I’m looking forward to covering UCLA on Saturday’s at the Rose Bowl this year is coach Rick Neuheisel, who is always good for a good quote, and had a great one today.
As you know, UCLA is adapting some principles of Nevada’s Pistol offense into his attacking scheme this season. Neuheisel addressed the reason for the change today, saying it’s being used to help jump-start the team’s running game, which has been somewhat stagnant his first two years in Westwood.
But his words are much better:
“We look at it like that guy who looks at himself in the mirror and tells himself he’s skinny, when he’s not. You have to face reality and realize that you need to go on a diet.
“That’s how we are with our running game. We haven’t been successful, and we feel this (scheme) will help us. You have to look to ways that will help you run the football. If not the traditional way, then why not look at keeping up with some of the trends (in college football).”
The Pistol, which Neuheisel compared to a veer attack with a shot gun, is expected to give UCLA a chance to be effective running the ball. This is nothing new to Neuheisel, who switched to a veer attack to jump-start the running game while at Washington in 2002. UCLA gets its first test Sept. 4 at Kansas State.

Notre Dame and Texas, two of the nation’s marquee programs, have signed a four-game contract and will meet four times between 2015-2020. The series will begin Sept. 5, 2015 in South Bend, Ind, with the Irish visiting Austin, Texas in 2016. The series will conclude at Austin in 2019 and in South Bend in 2020.
The teams have met 10 times previous, the last in 1996.

Here’s is a link to the story of Notre Dame agreeing to face Texas

Steve’s take: How could you be against this? It’s always great when two of the country’s traditional powers meet, especially when they don’t have a long history of facing off. My best memory of Notre Dame vs. Texas goes back to the 1977, when No. 1 Notre Dame saw its chances go up in smoke to Texas and Earl Campbell, giving the No. 1 slot to the Longhorns.

Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, left,
has taken his act to Ole Miss and the Southeastern Conference.

Jeremiah Masoli, who was kicked off the Oregon football team by coach Chip Kelly after the former City College of San Francisco quarterback was involved in two separate illegal transgressions, will attend the University of Mississippi after Rebel coach Houston Nutt offered him a roster spot as a walk on over the weekend. He will be eligible immediately because, due to NCAA rules, he earned an undergraduate degree at Oregon and was accepted to graduate school at Ole Miss.
Here’s the Associated Press story on Masoli flying south.

Continue reading “Masoli touches down at Ole Miss” »