With the college football pre-season coming to a close all the speculation we’ve become accustomed to will as will come to an end.  Finally we will start talking about what did happen instead of what could happen.
All those questions that have been circulating will be answered.  Will Georgia be top “Dawg” in the SEC?  Can Ohio State really beat the vaunted Trojans of USC?  Will BYU or Utah or Fresno State be a BCS party crasher?
I, for one, cannot wait to start seeing some answers.  But, the pre-season isn’t quite over yet.  So how about one more bit of speculation, just for fun.
The projected winners are in bold.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac 10
Pre-Season Projection: New Mexico vs. Arizona

Congressional Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Army or Navy
Pre-Season Projection: Miami (FL) vs. Navy

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Pac-10
Pre-Season Projection: Utah vs. Oregon State

St. Petersburg Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. C-USA
Pre-Season Projection: Louisville  vs. UCF

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Tie-Ins: Sun Belt No. 1 vs. C-USA
Pre-Season  Projection: Florida Atlantic vs. Marshall

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Tie-Ins: Pac 10 vs. WAC
Pre-Season Projection: Washington vs. Nevada

Motor City Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. MAC
Pre-Season Projection: Northwestern vs. Western Michigan

Champs Sports Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big Ten
Pre-Season Projection: Florida State vs. Illinois

Emerald Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Pac-10
Pre-Season Projection: Boston College vs. UCLA

Meineke Car Care Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. Big East
Pre-Season Projection: Maryland vs. South Florida

Texas Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. Big East (in even years, C-USA in odd years)
Pre-Season Projection: Texas A&M vs. Connecticut

PapaJohn’s.com Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Cincinnati vs. Fresno State*
*There's no SEC team projected to be available. The best guess is that Fresno State, the projected winner of the WAC, would look for the best possible bowl matchup.

New Mexico Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. WAC
Pre-Season Projection: TCU vs. New Mexico State

PetroSun Independence Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Colorado vs. Kentucky

Alamo Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Pre-Season Projection: Michigan vs. Kansas

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12vs. Pac-10
Pre-Season Projection: Texas Tech vs. Oregon

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. WAC
Pre-Season Projection: North Carolina vs. Boise State

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Tie-Ins: Mountain West vs. Conference USA
Pre-Season Projection: BYU vs. Southern Miss

Sun Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame vs. Pac-10
Pre-Season Projection: Pittsburgh vs. California

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Virginia vs. Alabama

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Wake Forest vs. South Carolina

Insight Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. Big 12
Pre-Season Projection: Purdue vs. Nebraska 
 
Outback Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Michigan State vs. Tennessee

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Tie-Ins: ACC No. 3 vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame
Pre-Season Projection: Clemson vs. Notre Dame 
 
Capital One Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big Ten vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Penn State vs. LSU

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Tie-Ins: C-USA vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Tulsa vs. Ole Miss

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big 12 vs. SEC
Pre-Season Projection: Texas vs. Georgia

International Bowl
Tie-Ins: Big East vs. MAC
Pre-Season Projection: Rutgers vs. Toledo
 
GMAC Bowl
Tie-Ins: C-USA No. 2 vs. MAC/WAC
Pre-Season Projection: East Carolina vs. Miami (OH)
 
BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Rose Bowl presented by Citi
*BCS vs. BCS (Big Ten Champion vs. Pac 10 Champion, if available)
Pre-Season Projection: Wisconsin vs. USC

Allstate Sugar Bowl
*BCS vs. BCS (SEC Champion, if available)
Pre-Season Projection: Oklahoma vs. Auburn

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
*BCS vs. BCS (Big 12 Champion, if available)
Pre-Season Projection: Missouri vs. West Virginia

FedEx Orange Bowl
*BCS vs. BCS (ACC Champion, if available)
Pre-Season Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Arizona State

FedEx BCS National Championship
*BCS #1 vs. BCS #2
Pre-Season Projection: Ohio State vs. Florida
The Ohio State Buckeyes will finally get over the proverbial hump and nothing would be sweeter than to beat the team that sent them packing in the 2006 BCS Championship Game. 
The Florida Gators will be a formidable opponent and it won’t be easy, but the Buckeyes will get it done.  For themselves, for their university, for their fans, and for the good of college football. 
So there you have it.  While some of you won’t agree with my picks, this is how I see it today, before a single snap has been made and a mere 10 days before the 2008 college football season begins.  Here’s wishing this season is the best football season we’ve ever seen.