I know, it’s VERY early. But I’m moving to Charlottesville in about 3 weeks, so I’m making my college football predictions now. The first college football games are in a mere 60 days.
Real quick, a look at how I did in 2007. First, 8 of my top 12 finished in the final top 12. Second, I correctly predicted 6 of the 12 BCS teams. Third, while I NAILED Wisconsin, Georgia, and South Florida . . . I completely whiffed on Michigan, UCLA, Penn State, Kansas, Nebraska, and BC.
On to this year . . . 
A lot has happened since January. Michigan lost their coach and their entire offense. LSU’s star QB was kicked off the team. Ohio State signed the #1 player in the nation, QB Terell Pryor. Notre Dame hired blitz-happy linebacker coach John Tenuta. Speaking of the Irish, they, along with Alabama, signed the two best recruiting classes in the nation. There are new coaches at Michigan, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Ole Miss, West Virginia, and UCLA. Here’s my take on the 2008 season, which begins (not soon enough) on August 28th.
First, the pre-season rankings:
1. Southern Cal (12-0) – 13 returning starters. 21st hardest schedule. USC lost more talent to the NFL draft than any team since Miami in the early 1990s. But if you remember, Pete Carroll has recruited better and more consistently than any coach in America over the past 7 years. SC is loaded and has no real weaknesses. Unlike last year, there is no Oregon or Arizona State to challenge them in the PAC-10, meaning the home game against Ohio State on September 13 is their season. Because that game’s in L.A., I like the Trojans to win the big game and coast into the title game.
2. Oklahoma (12-0) -13 returning starters including QB. 30th hardest schedule. I don’t love the Sooners. As a matter of fact, I almost never like the Sooners. But Oklahoma is balanced and deep and their schedule is manageable as they avoid Missouri and get Kansas and Texas Tech at home. They have a GREAT o-line and an efficient quarterback. If they can just avoid their annual choke-job against Kansas State, Texas A&M, or Oklahoma State, they could go back to the title game.
3. Florida (11-1) – 17 returning starters including QB. 12th hardest schedule. Location, location, location. Florida may not be the best team in the SEC, but it is more talented than the team that won it all in 2006 and like that team, they get all of their tough games at home. Their stellar spread offense is led by Heisman-winning QB Tim Tebow as well as stud WR Percy Harvin. Miami, South Carolina, and LSU have to come to the Swamp, they avoid Auburn AND Alabama, and their only real challenges on the road will be at Tennessee and Florida State. The Cocktail Party against Georgia could decide who plays in the SEC, or National, title game.
4. Clemson (11-1) – 18 returning starters including QB. 73rd hardest schedule. This is my dark horse national championship team. Playing in the sub-par ACC, they have the easiest schedule of any title contender. If they can beat Alabama in Atlanta on August 30, they shouldn’t have a hard time with the rest of their schedule. Florida State and Wake Forest are the only real road challenges during what could be a magical season for the Tigers.
5. Ohio State (11-1) -21 returning starters including QB. 31st hardest schedule. It’s pretty simple for the Buckeyes. If they win at SC, they will most likely finish the season undefeated and playing in their third national championship game. If not, they will have to wait and sweat because they are not going to be given the benefit of the doubt by pollsters after two straight blowout losses. OSU returns everybody on both sides of the ball, including Heisman favorite Beanie Wells, and adds all-everything QB Terrell Pryor.
6. Missouri (11-1) – 15 returning starters including QB. 64th hardest schedule. Missouri gets Oklahoma, who beat them twice last year, off the schedule, but they do have to play Texas on the road and Kansas and Illinois at neutral sites. Still, Chase Daniel and the explosive Tiger offense return with what should be an improved defense returning 8 starters.
7. Georgia (10-2) - 18 returning starters including QB. 3rd hardest schedule. UGA may be the best team in the nation, but they are simply victims of their schedule. They return 9 starters each on offense and defense, including QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno, but they have to play Florida, LSU, Auburn, Arizona State, and South Carolina ALL on the road. That’s just too much to ask of any team.
8. West Virginia (10-2) - 14 returning starters including QB. 35th hardest schedule. The only two really tough games on the schedule, Auburn and South Florida, are at home and late in the season. WVU has a completely new coaching staff, but they return Pat White and Noel Devine, so you know the offense will still be explosive. If they can split those games and best Pitt, they will represent the Big East in the BCS.
9. Auburn (10-2) - 18 returning starters. 32nd hardest schedule. Auburn breaks in a new QB and a completely new offense this year, installing the spread. The Tigers get LSU and Georgia at home, and by the time they would play Alabama and probably Florida in the SEC championship, the offense could be clicking.
10. Louisiana State (9-3) - 13 returning starters. 19th hardest schedule. The defending champs lost their QB Ryan Perrilloux to discipline issues and lost a lot of talent to the draft, but they still return much of a team that embarrassed OSU in last year’s title game. The schedule is beyond tough this year as they have to travel to Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina plus host Georgia and Alabama.
11. Texas (10-2) - 13 returning starters including QB. 23rd hardest schedule.
12. Texas Tech (10-2) - 19 returning starters including QB. 39th hardest schedule.
13. Cal (10-2) - 13 returning starters including QB. 38th hardest schedule.
14. Virginia Tech (10-2) - 11 returning starters including QB. 69th hardest schedule.
15. Penn State (10-2) - 20 returning starters. 48th hardest schedule.
16. South Florida (10-2) - 19 returning starters including QB. 60th hardest schedule.
17. BYU (11-1) - 13 returning starters including QB. 86th hardest schedule.
18. Arizona State (9-3) - 15 returning starters including QB. 40th hardest schedule.
19. Florida State (9-3) - 16 returning starters including QB. 50th hardest schedule.
20. Wisconsin (9-3) - 17 returning starters. 46th hardest schedule.
21. Michigan State (8-4) - 15 returning starters including QB. 13th hardest schedule.
22. Tennessee (8-4) - 16 returning starters. 16th hardest schedule.
23. Notre Dame (8-4) - 17 returning starters including QB. 67th hardest schedule.
24. Oregon (8-4) - 14 returning starters. 33rd hardest schedule.
25. Utah (9-3) - 16 returning starters including QB. 99th hardest schedule.
Best of the rest:
Arizona
Alabama
South Carolina
Kansas
Pittsburgh
Maryland
North Carolina
Cincinnati
Heisman Watch:
1. Chris “Beanie” Wells – Ohio State, RB2. Tim Tebow, Florida, QB
3. Knowshown Moreno, Georgia, RB
4. Cullen Harper, Clemson, QB
5. Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB
6. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, QB
7. Matthew Stafford, Georgia, QB
8. C.J. Spiller, Clemson, RB
Bowl Predictions:
BCS National Championship: Oklahoma v. USC
Rose Bowl: Ohio State v. California
Orange Bowl: Clemson v. West Virginia
Fiesta Bowl: Missouri v. Georgia
Sugar Bowl: Florida v. Virginia Tech
3 Comments until now
WOW! Arizona in the top 33? Does that mean they will actually play in a Bowl? I will believe it when I see it!
I actually like the Cats and think this will be Stoops’ best team - 10 returners on offense including the QB . . . and they even have a favorable schedule, getting USC, Cal, and ASU at home.
I will believe it if they can break their streak of going into the ASU game at 5-5, fresh off an upset of a top-5 team, needing that win to get into a bowl and then getting blown out. It has happened the last 2 years.
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