College Football Only a Month Away

Anyone who knows me knows that I am in love with sports but enjoy nothing more than sitting on my couch watching football from 10 am to midnight on Saturday's in the fall, then taking a few days to dissect what happened on the field the previous week before previewing the weekend to come.  

In the past it seems like waiting for college football season to get here takes an eternity and don't get me wrong, this year is no different when I think how long a month really is. However, with only a month to go, its time for me to start predicting what will happen this season.

In the days and weeks to come I will get you conference by conference and team by team breakdowns to some degree or another. I will let you know who I feel is flying into 2008 under the radar as well as let you know what Preseason favorites will be forgotten about quickly as the chase for the BCS Championship begins in a month or so.

To start things off, nothing can possibly top what happened in 2007. Who can forget Appalachian State’s incredible upset over Michigan in the Big House? Stanford forgetting they were supposed to lose by 40 and beating USC in the Coliseum. Not to mention Navy finally beating Notre Dame, in South Bend to top it off.  

Parlay those with all the #1 and #2's we saw last year and there is a season that we will likely never see again in our lifetimes. We go now to the off season where coaching changes were made at some of the biggest names in college football, including Nebraska and Michigan.

Although 2008 in all likelihood will not have as many upsets or shockers as we saw in '07, don't think for a second that this season will be any less exciting by any means. This is one of those years that does not seem to have a clear-cut #1 or favorite heading in. Everyone's lovechild at the end of 2007 Georgia is many people favorite to win it all but even they have plenty of questions.  

Can Knowshown Moreno avoid the Sophomore Slump that has haunted so many in the past? Can the young offensive line do it again and get the job done up front? Can the Dawgs survive a schedule that includes traveling to South Carolina and Arizona State on consecutive weekends while also playing rivals Tennessee and Florida as well as having to make it through the SEC Championship game potentially.  

If Georgia makes the BCS Title game, no one can argue they didn't earn it. USC is of course, USC, but they have questions as well. After losing much to the draft do they have enough to make it back to a their first BCS Title Game since the showdown at the Rose Bowl against Vince Young and Company in the first week of 2006?

The offense is expected to struggle, we will probably learn much about this team on September 13th as they play host to Ohio State in a game that is as hyped as I can ever remember for an early September showdown. The Buckeyes have been embarrassed in the BCS Title the past two years, will they make it a third or is this the year they get back over the hump? Time will tell.

That’s only three of several teams who could end up holding the glass football in January. Stay tuned for more to come as I will break down each contender and tell you why or why not to expect them in Miami with a chance for college football's crown this January.