2011 College Football Predictions

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Football!!!!!!!!!!!!

Real football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Predicting College Football is a very fun and useless activity. There's so much that is unknown about every team right now, that nobody really has any idea until the madness begins to unfold. However, there's no way I'm not getting some of my thoughts on the 2011 season on the record. Last year I picked Ohio St to beat Virginia Tech in the National Championship (after changing my pick from Auburn-Oregon at the last minute). I find few things in life as entertaining as looking back at a season's predictions after it has played out in its entirety.

2011 College Football Predictions

ACC - Florida St. over Virginia Tech

Everybody is touting Virginia Tech as their surprise National Championship contender this year, but it's all due to schedule. That never seems to pan out, although I'm deftly intrigued by their new 6'6 QB Logan Thomas (potentially this year's Cammy Cam Cam Cam). The Seminoles are the most intriguing team in the nation to me, in that I could see them exploding onto the scene and running the table (#swag), or falling flat on their expecations' face (weren't that good last year, and lost their QB). However, this will still remain the most boring of conferences, with the other 11 teams wading anonymously through the season.

Surprise Team- Duke (recruited a hell of a QB in Brian Anderson this year)

Big 12 - Texas A&M

Suck it Big 12. Remember when everybody was blaming Nebraska for the destruction of the Big 12? You won't be hearing that sentiment anymore. Texas A&M left the conference before it even found a home, and had no bones about it, placing all the blame on the infamous Longhorn Network. For the record, we should all be rooting for Texas to go 0-12 this season. It should be our common bond. Oh, the football. Oklahoma can't really deal with expectations anymore, and will drop atleast one along the way. I love Oklahoma State's team (Justin Blackmon - said in the Derek Jeter voice), but I don't think they're poised enough to handle it yet either. So out of respect for their decision (and because they didn't lose after inserting new QB Ryan Tannehill - good sleeper Heisman pick), I'm going with the Aggies. If they get past both Arkansas (neutral site) and Oklahoma St. (home), they might go undefeated (and win in Oklahoma). I like both KU and K-State to surprise some folk, while Mizzou fades back to the pack at 6-6.

Surprise Team - Texas Tech (Team Tuberville)

Big East - West Virginia

Is this conference still big enough to write about? Now what everybody is saying about Virginia Tech, I would turn around and say the same thing about West Virginia. Their conference schedule is weak, but they got two winnable non-con's to write home about (@Maryland, LSU at home). If they win both of those, they might run the table and cause some carnage. Their new head coach is Dana Holgorsen, who came up under Mike Leach's tutelage at Texas Tech, spent some time at Houston (going nuts with Case Keenum), and then directed Oklahoma State's offense last season (surpassed all expectations). This dude knows offense. And I bet everybody knows his name by the end of this season.

Surprise Team - Syracuse (just because Nick Wright might be reading)

Big Ten - Wisconsin over Nebraska

Everything about this season will be completely new, which has me emotionally turned on.

Everything Nebraska is dependent on Taylor Martinez (he'll excel as soon as people stop saying T-Magic). Were his late season struggles of 2010 due to his injured ankle, or an enlarged goiter that took over his brain? Answer A and Nebraska could do serious damage this year. Answer B and I could easily see 4 losses for this team, as they shuffle through potential QB's. My greatest hope is that Jared Crick continues the Pelini tradition at defensive tackle and mauls folks. My biggest fear is new offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who was the running backs coach of last season. However, my favorite part about the team is how they have all but returned to their days of option football, but just doing so in a more contemporary fashion. I might come out with more to say on Nebraska before Saturday, but wanted to get my most primal of thoughts out first.

Elsewhere in the conference, I love the addition of QB Russell Wilson to Wisconsin (formerly of NC State). He's a senior transfer, with 1 year of eligibility left on his resume (kinda like Sam Keller, remember him?). I think Nebraska has a real tough time in their first conference game in the Big Ten, traveling to Madison for a nationally televised night game. However, I think those goofy North of the border bastards trip up somewhere, keeping them out of the National Championship.

Surprise Team - Northwestern/Illinois (QB'd by former Rockhurst product Nathan Scheelhaase)

Pac-12 - Arizona St. over Stanford

I wrote last season that I wasn't buying into Stanford QB Andrew Luck just yet. Well, that lasted about 2 games or so. The almost unquestioned best player in the country returns, and gets the one team that beat him last year at home this time. That team of course is Oregon, who might be the most stacked team in the country, and would receive my #1 vote as of right now. However, it's very difficult to go undefeated two years in a row (just ask Boise St.). I think Stanford gets the win over Oregon, in what many people are calling the game of the year (I'd go with Oklahoma - Florida St. personally). HOWEVVVVVA, these Pac-12 geeks aren't used to the powers of a conference championship game. Anybody remember the inaugural Big 12 Championship Game? I do, but I wish I didn't. Texas upset (understatement) Nebraska, killing their shot at 3-peat (and what mighta been a 4-peat). I think history repeats itself, and an 8-4 Arizona St. team (would be USC, but they're ineligible) knocks off an undefeated Stanford team in the first Pac-12 Championship.

Surprise Team - Arizona

SEC - Alabama over South Carolina

Five straight National Championships for the SEC conference. After writing that, I will cheer for anybody outside of Austin, TX to win the whole shebang this year. So who will it be from the SEC? LSU is a bit overrated, and probably has the toughest schedule in the country. I already know what South Carolina ate for breakfast this morning (Thanks ESPN South Carolina!). Florida is gonna suck. I'm not understanding the Arkansas hype (great WR's mean nothing without a QB). Mississippi St. seems like fun, but no. Georgia will overachieve. But dammit, that means it's gotta be Alabama, who I'm already tired of (although I really hope they start that black QB, I can't take anymore Crodie Parker McElroys in my life). I think they drop a game somewhere, but sneak in because of the strength of the SEC. And I'm tired of writing about the SEC. End.

Surprise Team - Georgia (the underachieve/overachieve theorem)

Non-BCS
I have very little to say here, except that I've grown very tired of Boise St. They started as everybody's darlings, and they had their little blue turf, and they were fun, but enough already. You get way too much credit. You change conferences, and only go to the Mountain West after TCU and BYU say they're leaving? Either join the big boys, or go away. Here's to hoping Georgia mudholes you on Saturday night.

heisman Race (have I gotten over Ndominant Suh not winning the heisman? No, lowercase h!)
1. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
2. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
3. Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon
4. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise St.
5. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

BCS Games:
Rose - Wisconsin over Arizona St.
Orange - West Virginia over Florida St.
Fiesta - Stanford over Boise St.
Sugar - Oklahoma over Notre Dame

National Championship Game:
Texas A&M over Alabama