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The Trojans of Southern California are the hands-down favorite to sit atopthe UWIRE College Football Poll to begin the season, garnering 26 of 28 first-place votes.
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"You know they're good when a local columnist writes that they may havetoo much talent," wrote Ryan Killian, sports editor for the Daily Texan(University of Texas).
Indeed, led by Heisman candidate QB John David Booty and a defensereturning 10 starters, USC had so much talent in their backfield that blue-chip high school recruit Emmanuel Moody transferred this week to defendingnational champion Florida.
USC opens this Saturday against Idaho.
Despite having to replace No. 1 NFL Draft pick JaMarcus Russell at QB,UWIRE voters felt confident that LSU was the best bet to finish the yearplaying in New Orleans against USC for the national title.
For Kentucky Kernel (University of Kentucky) columnist Jonathan Smith,it's their SEC schedule that helps the Tigers rise to the top.
"They get Florida, Auburn and Arkansas at home and avoid Tennessee andGeorgia from the East," he wrote.
LSU's first SEC test is on the road Thursday night against MississippiState.
Armed with a pair of Heisman candidates in QB Pat White and RB SteveSlaton, West Virginia is ranked third.
"Combine the easy schedule and two of the best players in the nation forinstant success," wrote Matt Gelb of Daily Orange at Syracuse.
It was offensive firepower that earned Michigan the fourth spot.
"Top offensive trio in the Big Ten -- QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WRMario Manningham and the defense isn't half bad either," wrote Kevin Hagstromof The Badger Herald from Big Ten foe Wisconsin.
Daily Nebraskan (University of Nebraska) sportswriter Jonathan Crowl wasthe lone voter to pick Florida as the No. 1 team in the land. The Gators rankfifth in the UWIRE College Football Poll.
"Champions are dethroned by losses, not sportswriters," he wrote.
With a schedule that features SEC foes Tennessee, Auburn and LSU in thefirst 6 weeks, the Gators will be tested nearly every week.
Red River rivals Texas and Oklahoma claimed the sixth and eighth spots inthe poll, respectively.
Texas "probably has the most pure talent after USC," wrote Tim Bella ofthe Texas Christian University Daily Skiff. But he pointed out that the lossof defensive guru Gene Chizik to Iowa State could hurt the Longhorns.
Oklahoma has a new QB in redshirt freshman Sam Bradford and a stable ofrunning backs to replace Adrian Peterson. The question for Diamondback(University of Maryland) football beat writer Andrew Zuckerman is how well theSooners will rebound from their upset loss to Boise State in last year'sFiesta Bowl.
"Any chance the Sooners run Statue of Liberty and/or hook 'n ladderplays?," he wrote. "Didn't think so either."
Wisconsin earned the seventh spot in the poll, thanks to 16 returningstarters and a 12-1 record in 2006.
"Word out of Madison is that [All-Big Ten RB] P.J. Hill is quicker and theO-Line is bigger," wrote Daily Iowan (University of Iowa) sports editorCharlie Kautz. "Yikes."
Most voters talked about how they expect No. 9 Virginia Tech to playinspired ball as the campus recovers from the April 16 shootings earlier thisyear.
A defense led by linebackers Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall will help, butthey have a tough early test -- traveling to LSU in the season's second week.It'll be a chance for the ACC to see where it stands against the SEC.
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