Ten Bold Non-BCS Conference Predictions for 2008

With every MAC East team getting at least one first-place vote in the MAC Media Poll at the conference’s media day last month, the consensus is that the Eastern half of the conference is up for grabs. 

Buffalo has just as good of a shot as anyone else, and with Turner Gill getting veteran Drew Willy back at quarterback, the Bulls will find themselves in the MAC championship game by season’s end.

 

5. Navy Will Keep the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy

I have no idea why some people think that just because Paul Johnson is gone that Navy will suddenly regress from being the preeminent Service Academy team.

Sure, that Troy Calhoun fellow had a decent year out in Colorado Springs last year, but after losing almost all his offensive production to graduation this spring (and what was left of it to injury this summer), the Air Force Falcons will be in major rebuilding mode.

The same can be said for Army, which likely will have significant “ground express” issues on offense as they move to an option-based offense (basically, they will fumble a lot) in Stan Brock’s second year.

No, Navy may not be as good this year as they were in the last two years, but they won’t have to be to return to the White House lawn next spring.

 

4. Florida Atlantic WON’T Win the Sun Belt

The conference is better than most people (myself grudgingly included) give it credit for.  Like the MAC, I think we’re seeing it even out from top to bottom, with too many teams gunning for the supposed “top team.” 

I think FAU finds its way into a bowl now that the Sun Belt has secured multiple tie-ins, but a dog-eat-dog conference slate will leave the conference with an unlikely winner.  Just don’t ask me who it will be.

 

3. Max Hall Will Be a Heisman Finalist

I think I’ve said all I could possibly say on this subject.

 

2. Boise State Will Win the WAC

No disrespect to Fresno State, but the Bulldogs have suffered too many past letdowns in conference for me to be downing the Kool-Aid this early.

I actually think Pat Hill’s club gets past the likes of Rutgers, UCLA, and Wisconsin—but just like in 2004, when they crushed Washington and Kansas State to come out of the gates, they’ll proceed to drop a game against a mid-level WAC team somewhere in the middle of the season.

They will eventually fall to a Boise State team that makes its pay from winning conference championships.

 

1. BYU Will Go to a BCS Bowl Game...and Win

I’ve said it before in much more detail, but just in case you’ve been turning a deaf ear to me, I’ll go over the abridged version one more time. 

BYU’s offense will be nothing short of prolific now that Max Hall and company have had an entire offseason to gel, while the defense, despite major personnel losses, will be serviceable under head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s tutelage and scheme.

Once more, they’re playing a schedule that supports getting to a BCS bowl game, and with Mendenhall’s ability to keep his team humble, he won’t likely have them looking past potentially dangerous conference matchups with Utah and TCU.

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