PREDICTIONS FOR 2010

September 1, 2010

FINALLY! Another season of college football is upon us. Here’s how I see the season shaking out.

SEC East – With Saint Timothy gone in Gainesville, the Gators will take a bit of a step backwards. They are still loaded with talent, but I could see 2-3 losses this year. Georgia has potential, but their schedule is not kind. They’ll play 4 league road games, in addition to the game in Jacksonville with Florida. I’ll go with my SEC Sleeper, South Carolina. The Gamecocks have tons of experience. In a transition year in the SEC East, I’ll take the Old Ballcoach.

SEC West – No team has gone unbeaten in SEC play for three straight years since Herschel Walker’s Georgia teams from 1980-82. Back then, they only played six conference games. Bama will stumble, but expect them to recover and win out. Auburn is a threat, but the Iron Bowl is in Tuscaloosa.

SEC Sleeper – South Carolina has 16 starters back including QB Stephen Garcia. They get Georgia at home in week two. A win there and they will contend for the East crown all year.

Big 12 South –Once again, the game in Dallas on October 2^nd should determine the division crown. Although, Garrett Gilbert played admirably in Pasadena filling in for Colt McCoy, OU will have too much for the Horns. The Sooners’ schedule will keep them from being perfect, but a return to the league title game is within reach.

Big 12 North –The final year in the Big 12 for Nebraska, should be an enjoyable one. The Huskers don’t play OU and get Texas, Missouri and Colorado at home. They are by far the class of the North. If they are even average on offense, a double-digit win season is likely.

Big 12 Sleeper – After back-to-back losing seasons, Texas A&M is ready to make some noise under Mike Sherman. With 16 starters returning, the Aggies have experience. Their schedule allows for a gaudy league record thru October. They’ll face OU, Nebraska and Texas in November.

Big 10 –The league is deeper this year, but it’s still OSU’s title to lose. I don’t believe they are good enough to stay perfect, but they should claim another trip to Pasadena with Iowa coming in a close second. Wisconsin is a threat, but I don’t believe the Badgers are good enough to beat the Bucks… even in Camp Randall. As for PSU, mark down three losses from the start to Bama, Iowa and OSU. There will likely be at least one more too.

Big 10 Sleeper –Northwestern is very well coached. They have great experience up front, which will help them to break in new starting QB and captain Dan Persa (of Liberty High School here in the Lehigh Valley). They do not play Ohio State and could easily enter November undefeated.

Pac 10 – This league is absolutely wide open. I have changed my mind on this pick seven different times. The only thing I’m sure of is that Washington State will still be lousy, and while Washington has talent, their schedule will keep them out of the picture for Pasadena. USC may end up with the best record, but they are banned from a bowl game. So, I’ll take Cal. They were my pick last year, and they failed to live up to expectations. Now, with less hype, and a manageable league slate, they’ll get that Rose Bowl bid.

Pac 10 Sleeper –Last year, I named Stanford my Pac 10 sleeper. As odd as this sounds, they’re still a sleeper. Most people think RB Toby Gerhart took their chances to Minnesota. QB Andrew Luck is very good, and Harbaugh may be coaching for the same position at his alma mater. Their first three Pac 10 games are @ UCLA, @ Oregon and USC. If they get thru that 2-1 or better, the game with Cal will be for the roses.

ACC Atlantic – The ACC is still very balanced. Clemson will be no push over, but this division comes down to the FSU-BC game which happens to be in Tallahassee. The Noles over-all schedule is tough with games versus BYU, Florida and Oklahoma. However, the ACC road schedule is cake. Jimbo Fisher makes the FSU brass look good with a league title.

ACC Coastal – Georgia Tech lost too much up front for me to believe the Yellow Jackets can go back-to-back with no passing game. UNC is loaded on defense, but the offense is questionable. Virginia Tech will be solid as always, but they play at UNC and at Miami. That leaves the Canes. If they win in Columbus on September 11^th, watch out.

ACC Sleeper –Picking a sleeper in the ACC is not easy. Outside of the top seven teams (any of which could win the league), the others are clear have nots. I’ll say Clemson just because they play their best when no one pays them any attention.

Big East –Pitt may have the best player in the country in RB Dion Lewis. They lack experience at QB, which makes a tough schedule very daunting. The Backyard Brawl will likely be for a BCS bid. The Mountaineers only play three league road games, and one of those is at Louisville (a team expected to be in the cellar). WVU has lots of experience. Expect them to give LSU a good game in late September in a tough road test.

Big East Sleeper – UConn may win this league outright. They have 16 starters back from a team that won 8 games despite the tragedy of losing a teammate to an on-campus murder midseason. They have both WVU and Pitt at home.

The Rest –While I do not think for a second that Boise State could run the table in ANY BCS conference, I believe with eight months to prepare, they will defeat a good but not great Virginia Tech team. After that, not much stands in the way of a perfect season. TCU will make another run at a BCS game, but I don’t believe they’ll be unbeaten again. As for Notre Dame, expect 8-9 wins. They only play three road games all season. They’ll be good offensively, and have 4-5 games they can win just by showing up.

BCS Championship Game – Alabama (SEC Champ) over Boise State (At-large)

Rose Bowl – Ohio State (Big 10 Champ) vs. California (Pac 10 Champ/Rep)

Sugar Bowl – Florida (At-large) vs. Iowa (At-large)

Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma (Big 12 Champ) vs. Pitt (Big East Champ)

Orange Bowl – Florida State (ACC Champ) vs. Texas (At-large)

Capital One Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Auburn

Outback Bowl – Penn State vs. South Carolina

Cotton Bowl – Nebraska vs. Arkansas

Gator Bowl – Northwestern vs. LSU

Chick-Fil-A Bowl – Georgia vs. Miami

Champ Sports Bowl – Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech

Games of the Week:

Pitt @ Utah – The Panthers brutal schedule (Utah, Miami and ND) starts fast with this Thursday night opener. RB Dion Lewis is worth watching any time the Panthers suit up. With QB Bill Stull gone, Pitt will need to grow up quick at QB. The Utes have experience on offense, but not on defense with only four starters returning. Look for a big night from Lewis leading to a Pitt win.

UConn @ Michigan – This is not an easy way to start a crucial year for Rich Rodriguez. UConn brings back 16 starters from a team that lost five games last year (all by 4 points or less). They won at Notre Dame and whipped South Carolina in their bowl game. Michigan’s defense is still in question, but their offense will move the ball and score points. I’ll take the Wolverines in a must win opener.

Boise State vs. Virginia Tech – This neutral site game will be played at Fedex Field Monday night. The Broncos have 20 starters back including QB Kellen Moore. The Hokies are a definite step up in opposition. Having 8 months to prepare for this is a big help for Boise. They can beat almost anyone in a one shot deal. If Boise can eliminate any big Beamer ball plays in special teams, I think they edge a talented but overrated Va Tech squad.