College Football Predictions From Country Joe

Each year about this time, a longtime acquaintance drops in to see how things are going with the family, garden, and upcoming football season tickets.

Since he is known in the hills for his ability to read the omens and see into the future, he was willing to pass along this certain gift to the Bleacher Report.

"The best league in 2008 will be the Southeastern Conference." There will be a surprise or two in the conference, and "the title game will be played between Alabama and Georgia."

"Texas is going to come back this year and win the Big 12 South," while Nebraska surprises some folks and wins the North. "Texas might not lose a game this year."

Florida State and Miami will play for the ACC championship. "Bowden will win that one."

"Pete Carroll and them" will win "the Pacific Coast" and then go on and play for the National Championship in the BCS game in Miami.

Ohio State will win the Big Ten. "Paterno will retire; he's got too old."

West Virginia will win the Big East and play USC for the National Championship. "Watch out for Pittsburgh."

"That boy at Georgia" (??? Moreno, Stafford???) will win the Heisman Trophy "over that Quarterback at West Virginia." (Pat White)

Notre Dame will "be a lot better and get back in a Bowl, whichever one wants them."

For the interest of clarity, he was asked, "What about some of the projected top teams like Missouri, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Clemson?" Oklahoma's pretty good, "better than those other ones," but "Georgia could beat any of those teams."

You've taken us this far, please reveal your BCS Champion. "Oh that's easy, USC has the best players and the best coach, so this year they win it all."

But then came the gravel-voiced warning: "By this time next year, Saban's gonna have all his pieces in place, and they gonna start winning the SEC regularly".

Bidding each other farewell, the great predictor had one other item to pass along: "Last year I told you LSU was gonna win it all, remember." Oh, yes, you did, came the knowing reply. Of such conversations are lifelong friendships made.