Michael Francis - http://www.college-football-blog.org
With spring seasons coming to an end, I figured it was high time to take some shots at who would emerge from each conference next year. Seems as good a thing to talk about in the off season as any, so in no particular order, here we go.
Big 12
In the Big 12 North, I’m going with up and coming Nebraska. They’ve been improving steadily and in returning some key defensive players and solid tight ends, seem eager to reestablish themselves as the football powerhouse they once were. Missouri and Kansas will both contend as well, and in fact, Nebraska plays each of them away, but I think the Cornhuskers match up well with Missouri and Kansas must also face both Oklahoma and Texas, and so will likely carry an extra loss on their record. Perhaps I’m just being nostalgic for the glory days of power football and it’s simply that I want them to win, but something makes me think that the Cornhuskers are on their way back.
In the explosive Big 12 South, another three way race should occur. With the loss of Michael Crabtree, I don’t hold high expectations for Texas Tech, and believe they will give way to Oklahoma State this year. In a league where offense rules, Oklahoma and Texas should both have talented defenses; Oklahoma showcases a solid defensive line, and perhaps more importantly in this league, Texas has an outstanding set of defensive backs. In the end, I think Texas wants the Conference Title the most, and will be driven by Colt McCoy to get it, as missing out on the big dance last season still leaves a bitter taste in the Longhorn’s mouths. Texas wins the South and the Big 12.
Big 10
While admittedly biased in this department, I have to give this conference to the winner of the Penn State vs Ohio State game, and being a Nittany Lions fan, I’ll say that PSU takes at least a piece of the title for the second straight year. OSU looks like they will have another dominating team as Terrelle Pryor continues to develop, although he looked a better receiver against Texas than a quarterback. Their biggest loss is at the running back position without Beanie Wells. The Nittany Lions have certainly lost some star power as well, but retain a good deal of talent, in particular with quarterback Daryll Clark, running back Evan Royster and linebacker Sean Lee, who will be the heart of this defense after acting as an assistant defensive coordinator last season due to a torn ACL. Other Big 10 powers such as Michigan State and Iowa will likely step up and challenge these two teams, and I would not be surprised if the winner of this conference is not undefeated.
SEC
The SEC should be a very interesting race this year in both regions, let’s start off with the West. Alabama was the team to beat last year, and would like to take another shot after reaching the conference championship game in 2008, but will be greatly hampered by the loss of seven starters on offense, and their sack and interception leaders on defense. LSU has a chance to rise back to prominence in the West, but more likely, I believe, is the rise of last season’s underdog winner, Ole Miss, who defeated Florida, LSU and Texas Tech. If you think these wins were a fluke and doubt Mississippi’s continued success, consider the fact that they return statistical leaders in passing, rushing, receiving, tackles, sacks and interceptions as well as the fact that they play both Alabama and LSU at home.
In the East, it’s hard to expect anything but continued success from the National Champion Gators. Tebow returns for another season, as does much of the defense that made this team a terror. While Vaderbilt had a breakout season last year, and will likely continue some success, I don’t think they will challenge for the top spot. Georgia is likely the biggest competition, though last year they proved to have little success against the Gators. Florida will take the East and the conference
ACC
The ACC promises to bring chaos yet again this season in trying to determine a clear winner. I’ll take a shot at it, but really anything could happen. In the Atlantic division, which last year finished with two teams 5-3 and four teams 4-4, I believe it’s Florida State’s to lose. I think they will lose it as the Seminoles bring back their quarterback and offensive line, but give up nearly everyone else, and play both Georgia Tech and UNC from the Coastal division. Instead, I see Maryland, Wake Forest and BC all fighting for the top spot. In the end, I’m going with the Demon Decons, as they return a stacked offense, have an easier cross division schedule with Miami and Duke, and play Florida State at home.
In the Coastal division, ACC champ Virginia Tech still looks impressive. The Hokies bring back a good part of their offense, though have key losses on the defensive side of the ball. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, looked phenomenal against Georgia at the end of last season, but flat out awful against LSU. I’d say the division and the conference go to the winner of the Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech game this year, and I’ll give it to the Yellow Jackets, as they play at home.
Big East
Yet another region of chaos, picking a Big East front runner is even tougher than the ACC (why did I do these two in a row?). The only teams in this conference I would consider not to have a decent shot at the title are Syracuse and Louisville. Defending champs Cincinnati looses nearly their entire defense from last year. Pitt looked strong last season, but is loosing a good number of playmakers on offense and plays away games at Rutgers and West Virginia. Uconn is developing, but has probably the roughest schedule to overcome. South Florida’s offense has some undeniable talent, but is missing much of an offensive line to protect the QB and make some blocks. West Virginia keeps Noel Devine, but losses Pat White, and has the youngest offensive line in the conference. This leaves me with Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights lose key players on defense and their quarterback, but have a pretty schedule, including four home games and Uconn as their only challenge on the road. In addition, Rutgers returns their entire offensive line and is building a strong defensive line to compliment it. In a conference that is up in the air, I’ll put my money on the team that gets it done in the trenches, Rutgers takes the Big East.
Pac 10
USC has dominated the Pac 10 for the last decade, and I don’t believe anything will change this year. Although almost losing their title to Oregon State last year (though most people didn’t seem to realize they were trailing the Beavers until their loss to Oregon in the final week of play) I don’t see anyone challenging them much this year. Oregon and Oregon State will likely be in the running, and other teams, such as UCLA have shown some improvement, but the Trojans have replaced much of their lost defense and will likely dominate this top heavy conference yet again. The up side for Pac 10 fans is that USC will play Ohio State and Notre Dame out of conference this year, which could give them some validation nationally. Although it wasn’t enough for a chance at the title last year, both teams are improved and will likely be ranked at the time they play.
So there it is folks, my way to early shot at the conference champions this year. Maybe I’ll dig it up in six months and see how I did. On second thought, maybe not…
