College Football This Season

Just thinking about the season, this might be a year of transition, nationally.  I'll get to the SEC in a bit, but in the Big 10, Nebraska joining will change that dynamic.  The Pac-12 (or whatever they are calling it) is in a continuing state of flux due to the USC probation and emergence of another team to rival them on a yearly basis, plus the impending addition of Utah.  The Big 12now10 still has to address the Texas issue.  Speaking of Texas, was last year an outlier or a new reality for the Longhorns?

I could write a whole article on Big East suckitude.  The ACC looks to be business as usual.  Oh, and there is that plucky team in Boise that plays in the cute stadium with the blue carpet.

My off the cuff thoughts on the season:

• The Big East will have a one loss champion.  They won't play in the National Championship Game. If the SEC East is a kingdom of blind men, the Big East is a kingdom of incontinent, hobbled toy poodles. West Virginia just happens to have the best doggie diapers.
• USF will beat Notre Dame on Sept 3rd.  Lou Holtz will swear he knew it, then blame Charlie Weiss. The media annoints USF the next TCU team that will unseat West Virginia.
• There will be upsets of BCS-autoqualifier teams by non-BCS conference team on September 3rd (USF over Notre Dame BYU over Ole Miss*) and September 24th (San Diego State over Michigan).  USF because I like any Skip Holtz coached team to have the upper hand when they are given plenty of time to scheme.  San Diego State because they are a better team than Michigan.
• Nebraska won't win the Big 10.  They won't even play in Lucas Oil Stadium in December. As good as their defense has been, their offense has been just that bad.  I don't see that improving enough to stay with Michigan State.
• Utah will win the Pac-12 South, but by default.  USC will go undefeated; consults Tommy Tuberville on having national championship rings made.
• Texas will look to be all the way back, until they get blown out in back to back weeks in Ocotber. The Sooners' defense will make the revamped offense look not revamped in the Red River Shootout.  The next week, T. Boone Pickens buys Canada and declares himself Pope of Saskatchewan after the Cowboys humiliate Texas in Austin.
• Boise State won't play in a BCS Bowl this year.  TCU will win the MWC, then move to the kingdom of poodles.
• Ohio State will only win six games.  The folks in Columbus find a way to blame Herbstriet.
• One of those wins will be Michigan.  Who says cheaters always lose?
• Houston will be a surprising top-10 and undefeated team on October 30, but will end up not playing for the C-USA championship.  Surprisingly, their first loss of the season will be to a lame duck Neil Callaway at UAB.

These are just a few things I've been thinking about.  Any surprises you are looking for around the nation this season?

TD

*Thanks to the two commenters for pointing out that USF is in the Big East.  Originally, I had them seperate like you see above, but lost my nerve on the BYU over Ole Miss win, so in the interst of editorial brevity, I combined them without thinking about USFs conference, which is more like a confederation of low rent hooker shanties inhabited by blow up dolls than a real conference.  I'll go on a limb with the BYU thing, too.