College Football Preview!

Yesterday was the PAC-10 preview, now today I give you the full NCAA D-1 football preview including the top 10 teams, the winner of each BCS conference, the Heisman winner, & who will play in each BCS Bowl.

TOP 10:

1. Nebraska-Loses the best player in college football, Ndamukong Suh, & will actually improve. The defense should continue to anchor the team under coach Bo Pelini & the offense, which returns 9 starters, should be improved enough to get Nebraska its first BCS title.
2. TCU-if the Horned Frogs get through the Mountain West (which should be a BCS conference) undefeated they should finally break up the big boys club of the BCS & score a title game birth. & I believe they will as they return 16 starters from last year's team including QB Andy Dalton who leads all D1 QBs with 29 career victories going into the season.
3. Alabama-Bama, who returns only 1 defensive starter, won't be able to rebuild fast enough to get another BCS "Championship", but they should still win the toughest conference in college football.
4. Virginia Tech-Coach Frank Beamer & QB Tyrod Taylor are, simply put, winners. Then add in an always fantastic defense & 2 RBs in Ryan Williams & Darren Evans who have run for a thousand yards and what you get is the best team in the ACC.
5. Boise State-Returns an unfathomable 20 starters, including stud QB Kellen Moore, from last year's undefeated team. If they can get past Virginia Tech & Oregon State they may be able to reach the title game.
6. Iowa-a top notch defense that returns 8 starters including DE Adrian Clayborn (11 and a half sacks) & safety Tyler Sash (6 picks) plus an improving offense should allow Iowa to reach the Rose Bowl.
7. Ohio State-Dual threat QB Terrell Pryor & 13 other returning starters will be looking to make the BCS "Championship", if they can beat Iowa & Wisconsin on the road they should do so.
8. Texas-lost stud QB Colt McCoy & 10 other starters from last years team, but sophomore QB Garret Gilbert has already played in a national title game & Texas is never short on talent.
9. Miami-since coach Randy Shannon's first season in 2007, when the team went 5-7, the Canes have improved by 2 wins each season. Behind QB Jacory Harris & an improved defense Miami should add another 2 wins yet again.
10. Stanford-With a fantastic QB in Andrew Luck & an equally adept coach in Jim Harbaugh the Cardinal will eak out a PAC-10 title.

ACC

Atlantic-Florida State

Barring a surprising run by Boston College or Clemson, Florida State & new head coach Jumbo Fischer (& defensive coordinator Mark Stoops) should cruise towards an Atlantic title.

Coastal-Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech has a much tougher road (Georgia Tech, at North Carolina, at Miami) but if they can take two of those three they should be on their way to yet another ACC Championship game.

Championship-VT over FSU

Stoops will improve the FSU defense, but this is still a unit that was ranked 108^th last year going up against a Hokie team featuring two 1,000 yard backs.

Big East

Champion-Connecticut

Pitt is the popular pick behind sophomore RB Dion Lewis but UConn finished on a four game winning streak last season & has the best coach in the conference in Randy Edsall.

Big Ten

Champion-Iowa

Iowa and Ohio State each return 14 starters, including their QBs, from last year’s teams. Ohio State has the best offensive player in the conference (QB Terrelle Pryor) and Iowa has the best defensive player (DE Adrian Clayborn). As one can see, very little separates them. So why am I going with Iowa? They get Ohio State (& other conference contender Wisconsin) at home.

Big 12

North-Nebraska

Nebraska shouldn’t have any trouble coming out of the
far weaker north.

South-Texas

As usual the South should come down to the winner of the Red River Shootout (Texas vs. Oklahoma) & it’s pretty close to a toss up but I’ll give Texas the edge thanks to their impressive defense lead by DE Sam Acho & CB Aaron Williams.

Championship-Nebraska over Texas

Nebraska was 1 second away from upsetting Texas & winning the Big 12 last year. This year they’ll pull out the victory thanks to their greater experience (15 returning starters to 11), but it won’t be an upset.

PAC-10

Champion-Stanford

Stanford will come out of a crowded PAC-10 thanks to the excellent coaching of Jim Harbaugh, play of QB Andrew Luck, & scheduling they received (they get USC, Arizona, & Oregon State at home).

SEC

East-Florida

Florida lost Tim Tebow and 12 other starters from last season, but their replacements will hardly be scrubs & no other team in the East is ready to challenge this year.

West-Alabama

I don’t expect Bama to go undefeated in SEC play this year, not with seven of their opponents having byes before they play Bama, heck they may even lose 2, but I still expect them to edge out Arkansas & Auburn.

Championship-Bama over Florida

For the second straight year Bama beats Florida for the SEC title, except this year it doesn’t lead to a BCS title birth.

Heisman Trophy:

1. Terrelle Pryor (QB, Ohio State)

2. Kellen Moore (QB, Boise State)

3. Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford)

Rose Bowl: Iowa over Stanford

In a tight game Iowa’s superior defense will lead them to victory.

Fiesta Bowl: Texas over Connecticut

Texas should handle the upstart Big East Champs.

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech over Florida

In a hard fought defensive game Tech wins thanks to Tyrod Taylor’s speed & experience.

Sugar Bowl: Alabama over Ohio State

Ohio State is a very good team, but we’ve all seen what happens when they go up against SEC speed.

BCS “Championship”: Nebraska over Texas Christian

Defense rules the day as does Nebraska, though TCU continues to gain respect for the non-BCS schools by keeping it close.