Never Enough Respect

Being an Auburn fan is tough, and it highlights what is wrong with college football. Case in point, yesterday's release of the USA Today's College Football Top 25.

#1. USC of course. Hard to argue with that, but we'll never know if their pass-happy attack would've been successful against Auburn's 2005 defense that had two secondary members taken in the NFL draft's early rounds, or if their defense could've handled three first-round picks in the NFL, will we?
#2. Texas. Please. This team could not be more overrated. Here's an idea. Score a touchdown against OU before you rank this team this high. One win over a highly suspect Michigan team in a bowl you didn't deserve to go to doesn't deserve this ranking.
#3. Tennessee. Lemme see...Auburn beat them three times in two years. At home, on the road, and at a neutral site in a championship game. Their quarterback situation is up in the air, too.
#4. Michigan. Please. They were 9-3 in a suspect Big 10 conference.
#5. Oklahoma. They graduated more key players than Auburn did last year, and gave up 35 points to a sorry Aggie team. It was only logical they'd give up more than 50 to a top-ranked team. Maybe the most overrated team on the board.
#6. LSU. Let's see. Auburn beat them last year. And an incoming freshman can win that qb job over the the erratic qb's already there?
#7. Virginia Tech. Hmmm...Auburn 16, Tech 13. And if you think an 80 yard run in the last minute of that game means something, you've lost your mind. Auburn was up 16-0 with 8 minutes to go, and fumbled going into the end zone about to make it 23-zip.
#8. Miami. Again, a 9 and 3 team in a suspect conference.
#9. Ohio State. 8 and 4 team in the Big 10.
#10. Iowa. They might be about right at this spot, but I still think Auburn could take them at home or on the road.
#11. Florida. The 2nd most overrated team in the list. They were freakin' 7 and 5 last year and lost to Mississippi State...who lost to Maine.
#12. Florida State. 9 and 3 last year, and their quarterback is out now.
#13. Georgia. Lemme see if I can find the score from last year's game...oh yeah. Auburn 24, Georgia 6 and they didn't even sniff the goal line. And the winningest starter in their history at QB left and left them with DJ Shockley, who is awful.
#14. Louisville. Please. Conference USA. Winning 11 games in that is like playing in the Big 12 north every single week.
#15. Ah...there's Auburn...followed by three teams that have 13 losses combined.

Now, I'm not saying that Auburn should be ranked #1. But last year, the Tigers were told that the reason they couldn't play for it all was because they started at #16 and USC and Oklahoma started higher and didn't lose. I get that...and it's understandable.

But, weren't those standings based on what you did the year before? And all Auburn did was become the best team in the best conference in college football and oh, by the way, they have more potential NFL draft picks on defense than they did last year. Granted, the offense will suffer some with the loss of running backs and our quarterback, but if there were a playoff and the teams were seeded this way...

I think Auburn could take Texas in the first round, and the Hurricanes in the 2nd.

There needs to be a playoff in the biggest of ways.