Welcome to the 2008 Season

Welcome to the 2008 season! With the season opener less than 24 hours away, here is a look at the preview of all you need to know to sound knowledgeable. Let's begin with the basics ...

Conference Previews:
ACC
Atlantic
Favorite: Clemson
Challenger: Florida State
Sleeper: Wake Forest
Disappointment: Boston College
Basement: N.C. State
Coastal
Favorite: Virginia Tech
Challenger: Miami
Sleeper: North Carolina
Disappointment: Georgia Tech
Basement: Duke

Big East
Favorite: West Virginia
Challenger: South Florida
Sleeper: Pittsburgh
Disappointment: Louisville
Basement: Syracuse

Big Ten
Favorite: Ohio State
Challenger: Illinois
Sleeper: Michigan State
Disappointment: Michigan
Basement: Minnesota

Big XII
North
Favorite: Missouri
Challenger: Kansas
Sleeper: Colorado
Disappointment: Nebraska
Basement: Iowa State
South
Favorite: Oklahoma
Challenger: Texas
Sleeper: Texas Tech
Disappointment: Texas A&M
Basement: Baylor

Pac-10
Favorite: USC
Challenger: Arizona State
Sleeper: Washington
Disappointment: Oregon
Basement: Washington State

SEC
East
Favorite: Georgia
Challenger: Florida
Sleeper: Tennessee
Disappointment: South Carolina
Basement: Vanderbilt
West
Favorite: Auburn
Challenger: LSU
Sleeper: Arkansas
Disappointment: Alabama
Basement: Mississippi

Conference USA
East
Favorite: East Carolina
Challenger: Central Florida
Sleeper: Southern Miss
Disappointment: Marshall
Basement: UAB
West
Favorite: Tulsa
Challenger: Houston
Sleeper: SMU
Disappointment: Tulane
Basement: UTEP

MAC
East
Favorite: Bowling Green
Challenger: Ohio
Sleeper: Temple
Disappointment: Akron
Basement: Kent State
West
Favorite: Central Michigan
Challenger: Western Michigan
Sleeper: Toledo
Disappointment: Northern Illinois
Basement: Eastern Michigan

Mountain West
Favorite: BYU
Challenger: Utah
Sleeper: TCU
Disappointment: New Mexico
Basement: UNLV

Sun Belt
Favorite: Florida Atlantic
Challenger: Troy
Sleeper: Middle Tennessee
Disappointment: Arkansas State
Basement: Florida International

WAC
Favorite: Boise State
Challenger: Fresno State
Sleeper: New Mexico State
Disappointment: Hawaii
Basement: Idaho

Bowl Predictions:
BCS National Championship: USC v. Florida
Rose Bowl: Illinois v. Georgia
Fiesta Bowl: Texas Tech v. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma v. Pittsburgh
Orange Bowl: Clemson v. BYU

Scheduling: A Disturbing Trend

Like all of you, nothing gets my blood running faster than a Saturday slate full of compelling gridiron matchups. Lately, that means Notre Dame's early schedule, followed by conference play. After early October, Notre Dame doesn't play anybody (except on even years where they play Southern California in November), and conference big boys are scheduling fewer interesting interconference matchups each year. I've listed the nonconference schedules of what I consider the upper half of each conference.

Atlantic Coast Conference
Boston College: Army, UMass, Bowling Green, Notre Dame
Clemson: Lousiana-Monroe, Furman, Central Michigan, South Carolina
Florida State: UAB, Colorado, Alabama, Florida
Georgia Tech: Notre Dame, Samford, Army, Georgia
Miami: Marshall, Oklahoma, Florida International, Texas A&M
Virginia Tech: ECU, LSU, Ohio, William & Mary

Top 5 Matchups:
1) Virginia Tech vs. LSU
2) Florida State vs. Florida
3) Miami vs. Oklahoma
4) Florida State vs. Alabama
5) Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

Verdict: Half of these schools (FSU, GT, Miami) have scheduled two marquee games. A lot of these other games are not only not marquee, but are downright uninteresting. Clemson vs. Furman? Virginia Tech vs. William & Mary? Sign me up!

Big East Conference
Louisville: Murray State, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, Utah, NC State
Pittsburgh: Eastern Michigan, Grambling State, Michigan State, Virginia, Navy
Rutgers: Buffalo, Navy, Norfolk State, Maryland, Army
West Virginia: Western Michigan, Marshall, Maryland, East Carolina, Mississippi State

Top 5 Matchups
1) West Virginia vs. Maryland
2) Louisville vs. NC State
3) Louisville vs. Kentucky
4) Pittsburgh vs. Virginia
5) Rutgers vs. Maryland

Verdict: This is utterly embarrassing. No Big East team should be considered for national championship contention (are you listening, West Virginia?) until these schools schedule someone of note outside conference play. These guys are lucky Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White has pledged to play this conference three games per year starting in 2009.

Big Ten Conference
Iowa: NIU, Syracuse, Iowa State, Western Michigan
Michigan: Appalachian State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan
Ohio State: Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, Kent State
Penn State: Florida International, Notre Dame, Buffalo, Temple
Wisconsin: Washington State, UNLV, The Citadel, Northern Illinois

Top 5 Matchups
1) Michigan vs. Notre Dame
2) Penn State vs. Notre Dame
3) Michigan vs. Oregon
4) Ohio State vs. Washington
5) Wisconsin vs. Washington State

Verdict: Remove Notre Dame from the equation and these out-of-conference matchups look very ordinary. Michigan vs. Oregon should be fun. Ohio State can't be faulted for how badly Washington has fallen, but this game could drive one of the final nails into Tyrone Willingham's coffin.

Big XII Conference
Colorado: Colorado State, Arizona State, Florida State, Miami (OH)
Nebraska: Nevada, Wake Forest, Southern California, Ball State
Oklahoma: North Texas, Miami, Utah State, Tulsa
Texas: Arkansas State, TCU, UCF, Rice
Texas A&M: Montana State, Fresno State, Louisiana-Monroe, Miami
Texas Tech: SMU, UTEP, Rice, Northwestern State

Top 5 Matchups
1) Nebraska vs. Southern California
2) Oklahoma vs. Miami
3) Texas A&M vs. Miami
4) Nebraska vs. Wake Forest
5) Colorado vs. Florida State

Verdict: An unusually heavy schedule for Nebraska makes this top 5 interesting. Nebraska will probably keep it closer with the Trojans than folks are expecting, but that still doesn't look like a winnable game for the Cornhuskers. Colorado vs. Florida State could be funny.

Pacific-10 Conference
Arizona State: San Jose State, Colorado, San Diego State
California: Tennessee, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech
Oregon: Houston, Michigan, Fresno State
UCLA: BYU, Utah, Notre Dame
Southern California: Idaho, Nebraska, Notre Dame

Top 5 Matchups
1) Southern California vs. Notre Dame
2) Southern California vs. Nebraska
3) California vs. Tennessee
4) UCLA vs. Notre Dame
5) Oregon vs. Michigan

Verdict: Say what you want about USC, but they don't build a light schedule ever. Notre Dame and Nebraska may be their two toughest games in 2007, and they're both out of conference. California will be looking for revenge against Tennessee, as will UCLA against Notre Dame.

Southeastern Conference
Alabama: Western Carolina, Florida State, Houston, Louisiana-Monroe
Arkansas: Troy, North Texas, UT-Chattanooga, Florida International
Florida: Western Kentucky, Troy, Florida Atlantic, Florida State
LSU: Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Tulane, Louisiana Tech
Georgia: Oklahoma State, Western Carolina, Troy, Georgia Tech
Tennessee: California, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette

Top 5 Matchups
1) LSU vs. Virginia Tech
2) Florida vs. Florida State
3) Tennessee vs. California
4) Alabama vs. Florida State
5) Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

Verdict: A few of these games should be interesting, as listed above. Most of them are not. The SEC may be "the toughest conference in college football," but their out-of-conference schedule is far from it. On the bright side, it's not as bad as the Big East's.

Fortunately, there are still some good intersectional football games left in the modern college football landscape. That said, probably half of them are due to longstanding rivalries, like Notre Dame vs. Southern California, Florida vs. Florida State, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech and the like. As long as those rivalries stay alive (c.f. Penn State vs. Pitt), we'll at least have some interesting games outside conference play. But until teams are dinged for playing doormats, this trend will only get worse.

Conference Previews: The Pac-10

2005 Standings

Pac-10	Conf	Overall
USC	8-0	12-1
Oregon	7-1	10-2
UCLA	6-2	10-2
California	4-4	8-4
Arizona State	4-4	7-5
Stanford	4-4	5-6
Oregon State	3-5	5-6
Arizona	2-6	3-8
Washington State	1-7	4-7
Washington	1-7	2-9

Gerry's Pick: The Pete Carroll critics mention the "Chow Effect" every season, and yet the Trojan offense has rolled since the departure of offensive coordinator/god Norm Chow. Well, I think this is the year we will see the Chow effect. Matt Leinart, the field marshall of Chow's offense, has departed for the Arizona Cardinals. Reggie Bush and LenDale White, the 1-2 combo that devastated opponents' defensive fronts and opened up the aerial attack, have also departed for the NFL. John David Booty/Mark Sanchez will be operating from a different playbook and offensive philosophy. The Trojan offense will still be strong, but this will not be the juggernaut of years past. Enter Jeff Tedford and his band of Golden Bears. The Trojan killers will end the reign of the Trojan Dynasty in the Pac-10. California

Gerry's Predicted Conference Standings

California

USC

Oregon

Arizona

Stanford

Arizona State

UCLA

Oregon State

Washington State

Washington

Chris' Pick: No Bush. No Leinart. No Problem. Coach Pete Carroll has plenty of unknown talent to mold into his next offensive superpower. While I don't agree with making John David Booty the starting quarterback over Mark Sanchez, Booty will certainly suffice as the playcaller with big targets like Dwayne Jarrett and halfback Chauncey Washington. California is the only Pac-10 foe that can challenge this power, but Tedford's boys would need a superhuman performance from running back Marshawn Lynch to pull off the upset. If only Notre Dame wasn't on their schedule, USC would be headed back to the title game. USC

Chris' Predicted Conference Standings

USC

California

Oregon

Stanford

Arizona State

Arizona

UCLA

Washington

Oregon State

Washington State

Conference Preview: The Big XII

2005 Standings

North	Conf	Overall
Colorado	5-3	7-6
Nebraska	4-4	8-4
Iowa State	4-4	7-5
Missouri	4-4	7-5
Kansas	3-5	7-5
Kansas State	2-6	5-6

South	Conf	Overall
Texas	8-0	13-0
Texas Tech	6-2	9-3
Oklahoma	6-2	8-4
Texas A&M	3-5	5-6
Baylor	2-6	5-6
Oklahoma State	1-7	4-7

Gerry's Pick: Vince Young may be gone, but not much has changed at the top of the Big XII, or as I like to call it, Texas and the XI dwarves. The Longhorns have one huge hurdle to clear en route to a return to the BCS National Championship game - a date at home with the Ohio State Buckeyes. If the Horns survive the Bucks, I believe they'll run the table. Texas

Gerry's Predicted Conference Standings

North	South
Iowa State	Texas
Nebraska	Texas Tech
Colorado	Oklahoma
Missouri	Baylor
Kansas State	Texas A&M
Kansas	Oklahoma State

Chris' Pick: Apparently it only takes two strikes to remove Oklahoma from the title race. Rhett Bomar's lush-ess driving and his plush summer job have made him ineligible for the Sooners this year. And as many college analysts know, Bomar was the last hurdle between Texas and the Big XII title game, and as Gerry said, if Texas can beat the Buckeyes in Austin, Texas should be in the thick of title game. Texas

Chris' Predicted Conference Standings

North	South
Colorado	Texas
Iowa State	Oklahoma
Nebraska	Texas A&M
Kansas	Texas Tech
Missouri	Baylor
Kansas State	Oklahoma State

Conference Previews: The SEC

2005 Standings

East	Conf	Overall
Georgia	6-2	10-3
Florida	5-3	9-3
South Carolina	5-3	7-5
Tennessee	3-5	5-6
Vanderbilt	3-5	5-6
Kentucky	2-6	3-8

West	Conf	Overall
LSU	7-1	11-2
Auburn	7-1	9-3
Alabama	6-2	10-2
Arkansas	2-6	4-7
Mississippi	1-7	3-8
Mississippi State	1-7	3-8

Gerry's Pick: The SEC has been the most competitive conference in football for years now. One could make a case for a half dozen teams this year. In the East, Georgia and Florida are powerful, while Tennessee is loaded with talent. South Carolina has Steve Spurrier, for whatever that's worth. In the West, LSU and Auburn are both top-5 caliber programs, while Alabama is building steam and Arkansas is primed for a big year. That being said, I could see Georgia, Florida, LSU, or Auburn walking away with it this year (which is the way it's been for years now). This conference is impossible to predict, so here's my shot in the dark: Geaux Tigers. LSU

Gerry's Predicted Conference Standings

East	West
Georgia	LSU
Tennessee	Auburn
Florida	Arkansas
South Carolina	Alabama
Vanderbilt	Mississippi
Kentucky	Mississippi State

Chris' Pick: The two hot hires from last year were Charlie Weis and Urban Meyer. Weis has certainly made his presence known in South Bend, leading the Fighting Irish to a Fiesta Bowl appearance last year. But I am predicting that Urban Meyer is going to be the hot name this season, bringing Florida to an SEC championship. Sure, Chris Leak is not the most accurate quarterback in the country and Urban's offense is relying on his shaky arm, but remember that Meyer made that spread offense work with Alex Smith at the helm in Utah (and the 49ers are still curious how). A great recruiting class from last year will add the needed depth to make the team a real contender. Watch out boys, the Gators are loose. Florida

Chris' Predicted Conference Standings

East	West
Florida	Auburn
Tennessee	LSU
Georgia	Arkansas
South Carolina	Alabama
Kentucky	Mississippi
Vanderbilt	Mississippi State

Conference Previews: The Big Ten

2005 Standings

Big Ten	Conf	Overall
Penn State	7-1	11-1
Ohio State	7-1	10-2
Wisconsin	5-3	10-3
Northwestern	5-3	7-5
Michigan	5-3	7-5
Iowa	5-3	7-5
Minnesota	4-4	7-5
Purdue	3-5	5-6
Michigan State	2-6	5-6
Indiana	1-7	4-7
Illinois	0-8	2-9

Gerry's Pick: This pick is a no-brainer. There is no team in the Big Ten even close to Ohio State. With guys like Troy Smith and Ted Ginn, Jr. returning, the Buckeyes' offense could be truly scary in 2006. More bad news for Lloyd Carr and the Maize and Blue - Tressel and company will win the Big Ten again. Ohio State

Gerry's Predicted Conference Standings

Ohio State

Iowa

Wisconsin

Michigan

Minnesota

Penn State

Michigan State

Purdue

Northwestern

Illinois

Indiana

Chris' Pick: They are number one for a reason. Ohio State is straight-up nasty and are going to win games with a tremendous offense instead of defense this season. They have a holy trifecta on offense that rivals any team in the land -- Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., and Anthonio Pittman. Michigan may only lose one Big Ten game, but that will be enough to surrender the Big Ten crown to Tressel and Co. Ohio State

Chris' Predicted Conference Standings

Ohio State

Michigan

Iowa

Wisconsin

Michigan State

Penn State

Purdue

Minnesota

Illinois

Indiana

Northwestern

Conference Previews: The Big East

2005 Standings

Big East	Conf	Overall
West Virginia	7-0	11-1
Louisville	5-2	9-3
Rutgers	4-3	7-5
South Florida	4-3	6-6
Pittsburgh	4-3	5-6
Connecticut	2-5	5-6
Cincinnati	2-5	4-7
Syracuse	0-7	1-10

Gerry's Pick: The national media have already declared this race over. For some folks, the only question is whether or not West Virginia will win the national championship. Indeed, the Mountaineers were impressive against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl last year. But, I'm not buying into it. Louisville is superior to West Virginia on both sides of the ball. QB Brian Brohm may make a run at the Heisman Trophy this year. November 2 could well be a de facto Big East conference championship game. Expect the Cardinals to defeat the Mountaineers soundly that day. Louisville

Gerry's Predicted Conference Standings

Louisville

West Virginia

Pittsburgh

Rutgers

South Florida

Connecticut

Syracuse

Cincinnati

Chris' Pick: Unlike Jason Whitlock, I don't think West Virginia is the best team in the country. Hell, they aren't even the best in their conference! You can say all you want about West Virginia's Pat White-Steve Slaton backfield, but they don't stack up as well as Louisville's Brian Brohm and Michael Bush. And the biggest advantage for Louisville -- coaching. Bobby Petrino is an innovative play-caller, and I expect Louisville to take West Virginia out of the championship race. Louisville

Chris's Predicted Conference Standings

Louisville

West Virginia

Pittsburgh

Rutgers

Connecticut

South Florida

Cincinnati

Syracuse

Conference Previews: The ACC

2005 Standings

Atlantic	Conf	Overall
Florida State	5-3	8-5
Boston College	5-3	9-3
Clemson	4-4	8-4
North Carolina State	3-5	7-5
Maryland	3-5	5-6
Wake Forest	3-5	4-7

Coastal	Conf	Overall
Virginia Tech	7-1	11-2
Miami (Fla.)	6-2	9-3
Georgia Tech	5-3	7-5
North Carolina	4-4	5-6
Virginia	3-5	7-5
Duke	0-8	1-10

Gerry's Pick: Throughout most of its history, the Atlantic Coast Conference has been more of a kingdom than a democracy, with Bobby Bowden and his tribe of Seminoles reigning supreme. While some of his championship teams have had ugly records (the 2005 installment lost 5 games), King Bobby has found a way to win this conference with alarming regularity. I predict more of the same in 2006. While the Seminoles of this decade differ starkly from the high-powered offensive juggernauts of the 1990's, FSU's roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. I don't see a national title contender emerging from the ACC, but the Seminoles are still the class of this conference. Florida State

Gerry's Predicted Conference Standings

Atlantic	Coastal
Florida State	Virginia Tech
Clemson	Georgia Tech
Boston College	Miami (Fla.)
Maryland	North Carolina
North Carolina State	Virginia
Wake Forest	Duke

Chris' Pick: This is one of the weakest years the ACC will see. Miami is going to have a disappointing season behind junior quarterback Kyle Wright (however, it will be enough to win the Coastal Division); Virginia Tech's one-trick pony offense has left town (criminal or no criminal, he was a Vick); and the tobacco-road basketball trio will find themselves at the bottom once again. In these circumstances, Florida State looks like the best pick, but I also like the dark horse in Georgia Tech. I won't go against Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles though, as they will prove they are the better team against Miami -- twice. Florida State

Chris' Predicted Conference Standings

Atlantic	Coastal
Florida State	Miami (Fla.)
Clemson	Georgia Tech
Boston College	Virginia
North Carolina State	Virginia Tech
Maryland	North Carolina
Wake Forest	Duke