Ultimately, the litany of rankings and polls that are produced by media members before the actual college football season starts in the fall doesn’t mean a whole lot. It affects how fans look at teams and occasionally has an effect on the way that betting lines shake out in the fall. But the only true thing that matters in the end is what happens on the field when the teams actually play.
That’s probably a sentiment you’ll be hearing a lot from the Oregon Duck fans this week after the Pac-12 preseason media poll was released on Thursday. While the Ducks are still predicted to finish in the top half of the league, the projection from media members shows it might be a frustrating year for Dan Lanning and his team.
Bulletin board material? I wouldn’t be shocked.
Of course, with as much talent as there is in the conference — USC, Washington, Utah, and Oregon State are all ranked in the top 25 going into the year — it would be understandable for any team to stumble a couple of times throughout the fall. However, Duck fans have high expectations for this team considering the depth of talent on the roster.
Here’s a look at how the full Pac-12 preseason media poll projects the final standings will look like this year out west: