First of all, you never listen to ESPN prognosticators. Secondly, understanding college football is a year round commitment whereas most jump from football to basketball, to baseball and back to football. Seasons aren't successful based upon what you do during the season as much as they are during the off season. Defections, injuries during off-season training, class work (or non-work), and personal activities go a long way in figuring out how a season could go. Of course, you still have to play, but other factors are important and it's a year long thing so those in the know use it in deciding what may happen. Polls are not important right now except to motivate players going into pre-season camp, but do reflect potential success.

Preseason polls don't mean nothin'. Look at OU's #1 last year.

Very few teams ranked #1 in pre-season end up there when the season ends. Polls are just talking point this time of year. Teams that don't meet the polls expectations are not failures, the pre-season polls failed. That is the problem with polls, it unfairly puts teams in a position they may not achieve, then the team is blamed for failing, when actually its the polls that have failed. Take a little salt with those pre-season observations.