Every pre-season, we see a team who is hyped incredibly by the media and sportswriters around the nation, predicted to achieve great things once the season begins. This team is called a darkhorse for the national championship, a top 10 contendor, and is almost assuredly going to compete for their conference championship. Then the season begins, reality sets in, and the media realizes they completely ignored the fact that their favorite to make it big lacks a cohesive offensive line, or a balanced offense, or a secondary that can cover your hobbled, arthritic grandmother. The bubble of hype that has been built all pre-season long pops, and blows up in the media's face. Clemson 2008 is a good example. Oklahoma State 2007 is another good one.

So, what media darling is likely to see their hype bubble pop in 2009?

Well, the bottom third of Athlon's Pre-Season Top 25 all appears to be the victims of irrational exuberance. #8 Virginia Tech, #9 Oklahoma State, and #10 Mississippi all look suspect to me.

Mississippi is making hay off of their upset win over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. What sportswriters are ignoring is the loss of LT Michael Oher and DT Peria Jerry, both first round picks in the NFL Draft. Jerry's loss is particularly important, because now that he is gone, opposing teams can focus on double-teaming DE Greg Hardy. Oher's loss will be felt, because he protected Jevan Snead's blindside. I am also weary of Ole Miss because Houston Nutt is their coach; while I think Nutt is a terrific coach, who develops players well, and gets more out of his talent than expected, I don't know if he can handle a team that is top 10 from the get-go. Mississippi does have a favorable schedule, though, with Alabama at home and LSU on the road looking like their only tough games.

#9 Oklahoma State is rolling in the good feelings caused by the return of all of their offensive skill positions, with QB Zac Robinson, RB Kendall Hunter, and WR Dez Bryant all coming back. My problem with Oklahoma State is that I've heard all of this hype before; in 2007, Oklahoma State was supposed to make a big splash behind "the greatest offensive in college football", featuring QB Bobby Reid, RB Dantrell Savage, and WR Adarius Bowman. The claims to greatness in Stillwater ended after they were thrashed by Georgia, 35-14, in a season opener that wasn't as close as the score indicates. The big question for Oklahoma State in 2009, as it has been with State every year Mike Gundy has been the head coach, is their defense. New defensive coordinator Bill Young should help immensely, but until we see the results on the field, ranking OSU in the top 10 just seems like a sick joke to play on the Cowboy fans.

#8 Virginia Tech is the biggest head-scratcher of them all. I realize Virginia Tech is the back-to-back ACC Conference Champion, but with the collection of cream puffs that conference has become, that really isn't saying much. Being ACC Champion in football is akin to being declared the World Champion Pillow Fighter; you don't scare anyone, and people laugh at you instead of taking you seriously. The Hokies are led by QB Tyrod Taylor, who threw for 2 TDs and 7 INTs last season. A 2:7 TD:INT ratio usually earns you a spot on the bench at most programs, but Tech is happy with Taylor. Tech does return leading rusher Darren Evans, who gained 1, 265 yds on the ground last season, good for 11 TDs. The passing game needs to improve, though; Taylor had only 1,036 yds passing last season, and the Hokie offense as a whole averaged a horrific 303.4 yds per game last season, good for 11th in the ACC, and 103rd nationally. With games against Alabama to open the season, and Nebraska in the third week, with Marshall sandwiched inbetween, a 1-2 start and tumbling right out of the top 25 is expected for this Hokie team. More than any other, this Virginia Tech team is a victim of irrational exuberance, and should see their hype bubble pop early in the 2009 season.