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All month, you've been waiting with baited breath to know how the folks at Gatorsfirst.com see how the 2009 National Race shakes out. The Full Month of College Football Previews is coming to a close, which can mean only one thing...
The season starts in less than a week!
Let's just jump into looking at how it's going to be:
National Championship: Florida over Texas
Let's get right to the point. My superstitions mean I hate writing this. But, regardless of where Florida was ranked, I'd be picking the national champion. And to pick anyone else, at this stage, seems a little foolish. Sure, there are question marks with our team. I even wrote about 10 of the less obvious ones. But there are many more questions for every team. And I may never again get this good of an opportunity to pick my own team as champs. Especially when I thought, before last season, we were a year away. Let's move on before I give you people more quotes to throw back at me during the season, should bad things happen.
Heisman Trophy- 10 to watch
Tim Tebow
Jevan Snead
Colt McCoy
Sam Bradford
Jahvid Best
Daryll Clark
Jeremiah Masoli
Terelle Pryor
Dez Bryant
Joe McKnight
I gave out way more names yesterday, but this season, there's really only a need to think of 3 names for the most coveted individual award in sports.
Top 5 Freshmen
1. Omar Hunter, DT, Florida
2. LaMichael James, Oregon
3. Bryce Brown, RB, UT
4. Matt Barkley, USC
5. Tate Forcier, QB, Michigan
I love that the category is &freshmen&, because I'm taking two redshirts right off the bat. The other picks are sort of no-brainers as well, especially given that USC can be assigned the 'system QB' moniker at this stage, and it appears Barkley will get his chances.
Top 5 Breakout Players
1. Aaron Hernandez, TE, UF
2. Joe McKnight, RB, USC
3. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
4. Taylor Potts, QB, Texas Tech
5. Ricky Dobbs, QB, Navy
I really, really like TMTMITHOC. I think McKnight finally comes through on the hype, as that offense has been a little stuck in neutral the last few years (were Trojan fans happy to see Sarkisian go? That's the second strangest coaching question, besides 'How can Auburn hire away someone's coach, and make their entire fanbase excited?'). Ricky Dobbs has the reputation as being perfect to run that offense- so if the world knows the Navy QBs name at all (and it's not 'Staubach'), I think you have to make a 'breakout players' list. Potts and Mallett are pretty easy calls.
Player Superlatives
Offensive POTY: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Defensive POTY: Eric Berry, DB, UT
Overrated POTY: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Underrated POTY: Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
Uh, this Tebow guy is pretty good. Berry is probably the second best player in the nation, though Taylor Mays will get the West Coast vote (and it's a tough argument). So we'll see how it plays out. Clausen threw some TDs against Hawaii, and is related to those other mediocre QBs, so he's an easy pick. I really love Gerhart, but in a Pac-10 loaded with RBs (outside of LA, even) he won't get any air time back East.
BCS Bowl Projections
BCS Championship Game: Florida v. Texas
Sugar Bowl: Georgia v. Oklahoma
Rose Bowl: Oregon v. Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl: Utah v. Notre Dame
Orange Bowl: Rutgers v. Florida State
I'm not sure when we all decided Texas was the better pick than OU. I sort of consider them interchangeable parts, but I'm going with Texas for now, because of the heads-up meeting a year ago, and because they return more on the O-line. Returning starts on the O-line is becoming a very effective way to project the college football season. In my SEC preview, I stated that I think Georgia surprises a bunch of people (beginning with Oklahoma State) this year, plus the SEC's second BCS team rarely is the loser of the championship game. Last year, you had that situation only because Alabama had recently been the undefeated #1.
I've got ridiculous, unabashed love for Chip Kelly. It's not reasonable or rational. However, I think they beat USC in Eugene on Halloween weekend, blowout Boise State week 1, and drop some other game along the way. USC will also lose to some other inferior opponent, as that's what Pete Carroll does. Should also be funny to get Ohio State ripped in a BCS game again, though there's a chance Galen Hall gets Penn State going enough to win that league, as that offense has some talent.
I think FSU wins the ACC, but is by no means 'back'. Not when they're barely in the consideration for the top 20. But an ACC title could send Bobby off. Is Jimbo really as good as they think he is?
Rutgers is the best pick among a bunch of terrible picks for Big East champ. Their schedule sets up the best.
Utah will not go undefeated, again, but they'll win the MWC and somehow get into this game. But, we won't get to find out how good they are because they'll get 10-win Notre Dame, who gets handed a free pass to a BCS bowl with double digit wins. Never mind those are all against the Coast Guard and St Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind, around a blowout loss to 'rival' USC.
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