<p>[Alabama</a>, Texas A&M post-spring college football Top 25 - College Football - Andy Staples - SI.com](<a href=“http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130507/post-spring-top-25/?sct=hp_t12_a2&eref=sihp]Alabama”>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130507/post-spring-top-25/?sct=hp_t12_a2&eref=sihp)</p>
<p>Either way, Sept. 14 is going to be epic.</p>
<p>Does that dude really think LSU is the 13th best team in the country??? </p>
<p>The loser of that Sept 14 game will finish no higher than third in the division. Both will still have to play LSU in November, and LSU ain’t losing both of those games.</p>
<p>Let the trash talking begin, lol. :)</p>
<p>Roll Tide, slippy.</p>
<p>Ooooooh! Isn’t number thirteen supposed to be unlucky? ;)</p>
<p>malanai = blessing
slippy = curse</p>
<p>Just kidding!</p>
<p>LOL, Class2012!</p>
<p>Slippy, I’m with you - LSU should be ranked higher than that. And the LSU game will be a tough one. And probably a tough ticket to get, too.</p>
<p>Poor Slippy…one of these days he’ll give up those purple-donning Tiggers.</p>
<p>Just loving that Number One team. Rollllllll Tide!</p>
<p>Slippy,</p>
<p>It all has to do with the schedule. LSU plays 5 teams ranked in this poll’s top 15. I’m not into conspiracy theories, but LSU drew the toughest SEC East teams by far of any of the expected SEC West contenders.</p>
<p>Also, a number of the non-SEC teams ranked above LSU in this poll’s rankings play one or two challenging games at most, and in the case of Louisville, their entire schedule is a joke. Until pollsters truly punish teams for soft schedules and reward teams for difficult schedules (or FBS goes to a true playoff like FCS & other divisions), you will always see undeserving undefeated or 1 loss teams from weak conferences ranked above 2 (or more) loss teams from stronger conferences.</p>
<p>I’d like to point out that Vanderbilt, #23 on this list, is trying to build into a serious contender in the SEC. They have a real opportunity to make a name for themselves with their schedule this year. They play South Carolina #7 (who they would have beat last year if not for an absolutey horrible call late in the game), Georgia #9, TAM #2, and Florida #8.</p>
<p>Go Commodores! I love their progression the last few years. Competition is good for the entire league.</p>
<p>With my son at Vanderbilt and my daughter starting as a freshman at Alabama next year I was disappointed that they are not on each other’s schedule this season. Maybe Vandy can win the East and they can play in the SEC Championship.</p>
<p>^^^Dream on! Now, Vandy’s baseball team is nothing to sneeze at. But they still can’t hold a candle to LSU’s baseball team.</p>
<p>That’s one good thing about pre-season. We can imagine great things for any team and it hasn’t been squashed by reality yet.</p>
<p>I’d say that 13th rank for Losing State University is just about right… ;)</p>
<p>I will also say our schedule is on the soft side this year. That will definitely not be to our advantage with all the Haters out there. I am sure ole Verne is working on his criticisms already.</p>
<p>Vandy is up and coming, but they still have a long way to go.</p>
<p>And then we have Auburn. Well… Nevermind.</p>
<p>Here is one reason I really hope S ends up at UA. My current teams of choice are Purdue and Mizzou. Boo - I need someone GOOD to root for!</p>
<p>Alabama’s schedule is on the soft side because the guy in the SEC office who put together the “transitional” schedule for 2013 (meant to cycle the league into 14-team divisional play) is an Alabama graduate, and he did everything in his power to protect his team. His name is Mark Womack, and he is the associate commissioner of the SEC.</p>
<p>LSU gets Florida and Georgia from the East. Bama gets Tennessee and Kentucky. If you think this was anything other than intentional, you are a moron.</p>
<p>Time to drop permanent opponents from the other division. Nobody cares about your stupid “rivalry” with a crappy Tennessee team. Try playing Florida every single freaking year.</p>
<p>I would say “don’t get me started,” but too late.</p>
<p>Yeah, he’s probably the same SEC guy who gave just about everyone 2 weeks to prepare for Bama in 2011, including LSWho. </p>
<p>I’d offer some cheese to go with that whine, but I don’t like antagonizing friends. ;)</p>
<p>Roll Tide, slippy. Love your devotion.</p>