Is there a bowl game in Washington's future? Ok. No, there's not. But you still owe me for the reading.
I’ve gone through every BCS schedule. Every home game, every road contest, and every rivalry bout, and this is what came out the other end. Call it what you will, but you won’t find a more detailed breakdown of each team’s predicted schedules anywhere on the web.
The SEC again looks like the king of the conferences and could be in for a huge year even by Southeastern standards. Florida, Ole Miss, LSU, and Alabama are all top ten teams in my mind, and the talent is unparalleled. The Buckeyes look like the team to beat in the Big 10…again. About as surprising as finding feathers in a pillow, but I just call it like I see it. Texas and Oklahoma still own the Big 12, but Oklahoma State is looking to join the fight. Anyway, I’m giving it all away in the intro. Read on to find out just who this year’s surprise teams will be. I’ll give you a hint…it’s not Washington.
ACC
| Atlantic | Coastal | |||||
| Florida St | (9-3) | (6-2) | Va Tech | (11-1) | (8-0) | |
| Clemson | (7-5) | (4-4) | Ga Tech | (9-3) | (6-2) | |
| BC | (7-5) | (4-4) | UNC | (9-3) | (5-3) | |
| NC St | (7-5) | (4-4) | Miami | (7-5) | (4-4) | |
| Wake | (6-6) | (3-5) | Virginia | (6-6) | (2-6) | |
| Maryland | (5-7) | (2-6) | Duke | (4-8) | (1-7) |
FSU appears to have a friendly enough schedule to make it to the ACC Championship game for the second time, and the first time since 2005’s inaugural contest. The rest of the Atlantic Division will be stuck in a three way quagmire for second place between BC, Clemson, and NC State. Wake should drop off after losing some major defensive talent. Maryland will likely miss out on a bowl by default, as they look to be the worst team in the conference with one of the toughest schedules.
Virginia Tech should get back to nationally prominent status with loads of starters back on both sides of the ball and stability at the QB and RB positions. Georgia Tech will have an outside shot with so many starters back to run their sophomore version of the option, but likely lost too much on the defensive line to take the division. UNC will continue to improve though it won’t show much on the record due to their schedule. I don’t see Miami making the major leap that most are predicting. UVA looks down, but they continually surprise. Still I see a heavy 7 win ceiling. And finally, Duke appears set to dwell in the basement for at least one more season.
Predicted Championship Game
Va Tech over FSU
BIG EAST
| USF | (9-3) | (6-1) |
| WVU | (9-3) | (5-2) |
| Pitt | (8-4) | (4-3) |
| Cinci | (6-6) | (4-3) |
| U Conn | (6-6) | (4-3) |
| Rutgers | (7-5) | (3-4) |
| Louisville | (5-7) | (2-5) |
| Syracuse | (3-9) | (0-7) |
The Big East again appears wide open, though it doesn’t appear that teams like Cinci or UConn will have the firepower to contend for the conference title. South Florida should be much improved with Matt Grothe back to lead the offense one last time and George Selvie looking to bounce back from a subpar junior season. West Virginia has the look on paper, but they lost some key parts on the offensive line, and playing without Pat White for the first time in four years won’t be easy.
Pitt has a talented, though raw, roster and could be a sleeper team to take it all home. Cinci probably lost too much on defense, and even though Randy Edsall is a great coach UConn probably won’t have the offense to finish higher than third. Rutgers will face similar scoring issues, but should be strong defensively. Louisville could be another surprise story, and I feel they’ll be better without Hunter Cantwell, but they still appear a year away from a bowl. Syracuse looks like a sure bet to go winless in conference play.
PAC 10
| Oregon | (10-2) | (8-1) |
| USC | (11-1) | (8-1) |
| Cal | (10-2) | (7-2) |
| Oregon St | (8-4) | (5-4) |
| Stanford | (6-6) | (5-4) |
| Arizona | (6-6) | (4-5) |
| Arizona St | (6-6) | (4-5) |
| UCLA | (4-8) | (2-7) |
| Wash | (3-9) | (2-7) |
| Wash St | (2-10) | (0-9) |
This could be the year. Finally it appears that USC may have lost too much experience to continue their dominant ride as the Pac 10’s master and commander. Oregon appears the most likely candidate to knock off the Trojans. Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount should be a very effective rushing duo, but the defese lost a lot of talent, especially in the secondary. Cal has an outside shot to head to the Rose Bowl, but they always seem to fold against SoCal. I’ve learned not to bet against Oregon State, but, again, the losses on defense are substantial.
Stanford could be headed to their first bowl under Jim Harbaugh, and I see them winning six games if they can pull one big upset. Arizona and Arizona State will be middle of the road clubs after losing their offensive stars. UCLA looks to take a step back this season, but big things are brewing in Pasadena. And the Washington brothers will likely occupy the cellar once more, though Jake Locker could have a big year in Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
BIG 12
| North | South | |||||
| Kansas | (10-2) | (6-2) | Texas | (11-1) | (7-1) | |
| Colorado | (8-4) | (5-3) | Oklahoma | (11-1) | (7-1) | |
| Nebraska | (8-4) | (5-3) | Ok St | (10-2) | (6-2) | |
| Missouri | (6-6) | (3-5) | Texas Tech | (7-5) | (3-5) | |
| Kansas St | (5-7) | (2-6) | Baylor | (6-6) | (2-6) | |
| Iowa St | (3-9) | (0-8) | Texas A&M | (5-7) | (2-6) |
It all comes down to who wins the Red River Rivalry in the South. I like Texas after they pulled it out last year, and I think they have more talent returning at some key spots than OU does. Their pass rush should again be ruthless, and I don’t think the new OU O line will be ready for Will Muschamp’s blitz packages. Oklahoma State has an outside chance to make their first conference title game appearance, but a total lack of defense will likely overshadow an amazing offense. Texas Tech seems to reach bowl eligibility every year, but they’ll drop considerably after losing so many stars. Baylor could end up in a bowl if a few things fall into place. Robert Griffin is one of the best young QBs in the league. Texas A&M doesn’t seem to have much going for them after losing their two most talented offensive players.
Kansas looks like the favorite in the North, and should finally be able to get over the hump now that Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin are gone from Missouri. The Tigers should be a decent team, but losing that kind of firepower will hurt. Colorado is one of my surprise teams of the year, and I see them as a dark horse to win the division. Nebraska continues to rise under Bo Pelini, but they might have lost too much along the O line to have a championship year in 2009. I look for them to be major conference contenders in 2010. Kansas State appears almost devoid of talent now that Josh Freeman is gone. Losing Gene Chizik could go either way for Iowa State, but their lack of playmakers goes beyond coaching.
Predicted Championship Game
Texas over Kansas
BIG 10
| Ohio St | (10-2) | (7-1) |
| Illinois | (10-2) | (6-2) |
| Penn St | (10-2) | (6-2) |
| Iowa | (9-3) | (5-3) |
| Minnesota | (7-5) | (4-4) |
| Mich St | (8-4) | (4-4) |
| Michigan | (6-6) | (3-5) |
| Wisconsin | (7-5) | (3-5) |
| Purdue | (4-8) | (2-6) |
| NW | (4-8) | (1-7) |
| Indiana | (4-8) | (1-7) |
Looks like recent order should be restored to the Big 10. Ohio State will need a lot out of Terrelle Pryor with nearly every offensive skill player needing to be replaced, but I think he’s up to the task. Outside of a road contest at Penn State, they appear to have an easy enough Big 10 slate. Illinois is another surprise team of mine, and while the defense will need major production from plenty of fresh faces, the offense should be the best in the conference. Penn State always has a chance with Darryl Clark under center and Evan Royster in the backfield, and the defense looks pretty strong, but the Nittany Lions have really struggled with consistency lately. Iowa is a trendy pick to challenge for the crown, but I don’t see it, and losing Shonn Greene will put too much pressure on QB Ricky Stanzi, and he doesn’t handle pressure well.
Michigan State and Wisconsin lose too much on offense to be real threats, but both appear to be headed back to the postseason. Minnesota could have another surprising start, but the home stretch will again be where the Gophers prove their mettle. They play Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa on the road. Still Eric Decker is one of the most underrated WRs in the country. Michigan looks like a better team in year two of the Rich Rod era. They could reach bowl eligibility again with an upset or two. Purdue, Northwestern, and Indiana are in for long seasons. All are losing major contributors offensively, and none have ever been known for stout defenses.
SEC
| East | West | |||||
| Florida | (12-0) | (8-0) | Ole Miss | (11-1) | (7-1) | |
| Georgia | (9-3) | (6-2) | LSU | (10-2) | (6-2) | |
| Tennessee | (7-5) | (3-5) | Alabama | (10-2) | (6-2) | |
| Kentucky | (7-5) | (3-5) | Arkansas | (7-5) | (3-5) | |
| Vandy | (5-7) | (2-6) | Auburn | (6-6) | (2-6) | |
| S Carolina | (6-6) | (2-6) | Miss St | (3-9) | (0-8) |
Get ready, because the strongest conference in the land could be in for a huge year even by their own epic standards. Florida is my only pick to go undefeated, and getting Tim Tebow back along with all 11 defensive starters (including all 11 backups) should make this team bulletproof. Georgia appears down on paper, but the talent in Athens is substantial and the Dawgs always play well when the expectations are down. Tennessee should be better, or at the very least rejuvenated. The talent is always above average in Knoxville, and the new staff should be able to improve on last year’s dismal attempt. Kentucky is a sleeper team to really make some noise in the conference. The offense should be better with another year of experience, and the defense has begun to build a reputation of its own. Vandy and South Carolina appear interchangable, and one will miss out on a bowl, thus sending the other to the postseason.
It’s scary to pick Ole Miss to go 11-1, but I’m sticking with it. Losing Peria Jerry and Michael Oher will hurt, but there are capable replacements in Ed Orgeron’s old cupboard. Houston Nutt has his best quarterback ever in Jevan Snead, and the energy around Oxford hasn’t been this high since Eli Manning was in town. Alabama will have an amazing defense, which is no surprise for a Nick Saban team, but the losses on offense (especially the line) will make the Tide vulnerable. LSU has as much talent as anyone in the country. If they can find stability at QB through Jordan Jefferson they could head back to another SEC Championship game. Arkansas will be a dangerous team after shocking a few foes in Bobby Petrino’s first year. Big things are expected from QB Ryan Mallett. Auburn will always be tough defensively, but after their failure to adapt to Tony Franklin’s spread attack, I don’t see much reason for hope under Gus Malzahn and Gene Chizik. Mississippi State has a possibly great new coach in Dan Mullen, but the Bulldogs are the least talented team in the league by far and could be a real threat to go winless in conference play.
Predicted Championship Game
Florida over Ole Miss
{ 1 trackback }