PSU at the bottom of Lindy's and Athlon Top 25's

This is what I get for waiting to post this. You've now probably already read about this, but here it is anyway...

Rnk	Lindy's	Athlon
1	Alabama	TBA
2	Boise State	TBA
3	Ohio State	TBA
4	Texas	TBA
5	Florida	TBA
6	Wisconsin	TBA
7	TCU	TBA
8	Virginia Tech	TBA
9	Oklahoma	TBA
10	Iowa	TBA
11	Nebraska	TBA
12	USC	TBA
13	North Carolina	TBA
14	Pittsburgh	TBA
15	Oregon	TBA
16	Arkansas	Wisconsin
17	Georgia Tech	Arkansas
18	LSU	Pittsburgh
19	West Virginia	North Carolina
20	Miami	Connecticut
21	Georgia	Missouri
22	Cincinnati	Auburn
23	Houston	Penn State
24	Penn State	LSU
25	Utah	Clemson

Here it comes, folks. The preview magazines are ramping up their marketing blitz prior to their big release week around June 1 each year. One of the best ways to generate buzz is to release, either in their entirety or in parts, the preseason top 25 rankings that will be featured in the actual magazines. It's a great teaser for most college football fans.

The problem with these magazines--among so many others--is that they hit stores in early summer, even though much can change in the two months before actual kickoff. But their business model has worked, and continues to work, for one major reason: By early summer--after recruiting dies down, spring practice is done, and the spring games weren't quite as exciting as we all though they would be--fans are so incredibly parched for the real season to start, $8.50 or so is nothing compared to the thirst-quenching splash of college football it can buy.

Now we get our first taste, as Lindy's top 25 was leaked out yesterday (purposely?), yet still remains absent from the Lindy's site. I figured since Lindy's made the biggest (read:first) splash of the magazine season, it'd be good to see if any other preview mags had their rankings out. Turns out, Athlon was the only one, but even they only had part of the top 25, as it looks like they will be releasing one new top-25 team each day... or something like that.

Also, Lindy's preseason All-America teams named Penn State's senior offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski to the first team. So take that for what it's worth.

But I think both rankings for Penn State are a bit low, despite my blatant homerism here. I'll give you that there are questions about this team, but are they any worse than, say, the questions on Alabama's defense? This will all get worked out as the summer goes on, or at least until Phil Steele* releases his magazine and totally PWNS every other college football preview annual on the rack.

*Disclaimer: I do write for PhilSteele.com

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