Fans cheer inside the Superdome during the first half of the BCS National Championship college football game Alabama and LSU Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in New Orleans.The college football season ended hours ago. So it’s a perfect time to look at an entirely too early preseason poll for the 2012 season. (And before you roll your eyes, know that my preseason poll at this time last year had Alabama No. 1 and LSU No. 3.)
Here is one view of the top 12 for 2012, and remember the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft is Sunday. That could really alter a team’s positioning. Baylor, for instance, could be quite high if Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III returns but much lower if he declares for the draft:
LSU. The Tigers will feature the best defense in the country. The Tigers started seven sophomores on defense Monday night.
Southern California. Lane Kiffin will have the nation’s top quarterback in Matt Barkley, and the Trojans will be out of NCAA timeout.
Alabama. No team could be hit harder by early defections than the Tide, who likely will lose at least three underclassmen to the NFL draft. Of course, they had three first-round picks leave early before the 2011 season, and that hardly slowed them.