Louisville, which started in 1912, is the only one close, and a poster claims LaPrise was born earlier than your date, so that may be who he is thinking of.  So, will Ohio be #34?  Other teams in the running for 30-34 include Louisiana Tech, Houston, Tennessee, Rutgers, Mississippi State, and BYU.  I'm calling it Louisana Tech 34, then Houston 33, and Ohio 32.

Good thinking, Manny. What occurs to me reflecting back to 2010 is the joy I experienced that someone would regard us in the top 50 percent of teams; about how far we had come since nobody regarded us higher than about 85th or 90th (at best!).

Two quick comments:

1.  Some of us remember the days of PapaL and OldFreakNasty when we were "Bottom Ten" material and we hit the preseason rankings at something like 105 out 107 Div-1A schools at the time.  We've come a long way, baby!

2.  All of Phil Street's College version have sold out at the Athens Walmart and Little Professor Bookstore.  Little Professor is ordering more and they should be in either this Friday or next.  I know this because I procrastinated too long and don't have mine yet.  Rich at Little Professor sent in the reorder when I was in his store a few days ago.  I think this is but another little piece of evidence that a lot of Bobcat fans are getting hyped for football!

Louisiana Tech at 32! Looking over the clue:


"Tomorrow’s program scored more points last season than it did over a four-year span that capped the career of the head coach with the most wins in school history."


So looking through our record books, Peden's last 4 teams scored a total of 511 points. Last years team scored 427. So we are 31 or better.

I'm taking a wild stab that the answer is Houston, which scored 690 points last year. Their winningest coach was Bill Yeoman, whose last four years, 1983-1986 were 4-7, 7-5, 4-7, and 1-10. Given that they didn't win a lot of games, it is conceivable that they averaged 15 points a game or less. 

If it is Houston, that makes the most likely contenders for #31 Tennessee, Rutgers, Mississippi State, BYU, and Ohio.


...we're wearing the eyepatch. It's just a matter of not waking up in a ditch.

I think we are pretty close to our selection. Maybe Rutgers, Tennessee, BYU or Houston come before us. We are already ahead of some teams who received votes in the preseason coaches poll, plus Florida who is ranked #23.

Fun fact: Of the 31 teams left in Pre-snap Read's countdown, we are the only one who didn't receive any points in the Coaches poll.

True Confession:  You'll see Mississippi listed above, yet, Mississippi State should have been the one listed.  My copy n paste in haste has lead me to be just like the folks who use Ohio when they mean State.  I am sorry, and owe Ole Miss my contrition regarding this major slight.

Mississippi State #31

cat4ever, no problem. It just goes to show how, even though some clue may be obscure, and unlikely, it may apply to some other team as well, or be really close. In this case it was especially tricky because, while McKeen was at Mississippi State for ten years elapsed time, during one of those he did not have a team due to the war, so he actually only coached nine years. I almost missed that when I first glanced at him.

With these high rankings, indeed Ohio has they eyepatch. They will get the best effort from everyone they play, and no one will take them lightly. I disagree about one thing, though.

I do think this team has the potential of being dominant. I am hopeful that in many games they can pull the first string midway through the third quarter. If so, that will be evidence that Ohio has finally taken the next step up. When your reserves can get a quarter and a half of PT in 4-5 games a year, that does four things for you, all good:
1. The starters take less snaps, and are less likely to be hurt. As you get tired, later in a game, the chance of injury goes up.
2. Those that are injured can be pulled earlier, giving them more time to heal, and less chance of re-injury
3. Reserves get a lot more plays in, and get them at a time that is not just "mop-up time". Then, when they are needed, they are not green. This allows teams to "reload, not rebuild".
4. It improves the morale among the reserves, knowing that they might get on the field.

I don't disagree with you that they may find a way to lose a game or two somewhere along the line. Almost all of their most challenging games are on the road, while all their easiest ones are at home. That's good in that they could play 100 players in some, if they get a big lead, but makes it a lot easier to drop one they should win.

Commenter says Houston is #30.

There is one thing that's starting to bug me with the rankings so high and Ohio is not mentioned yet. The dumb asses might have forgotten about us and we are not going  to be ranked??

I kinda hope that does happen.  At that point I would love to see him attempt to keep the sham going and try to sell the nation on Ohio being #5.

What if Paul came out at number 29 and its Ohio.  But his article is about the Buckeyes.  The O$U fans go off on him and he claims it's because he says he's color blind and when he was in Columbus getting the story ready he simply saw all these hats and shirts with Ohio on em!