Now that players have declared for the NFL and signed with their future colleges, it seems to be an...

Now that players have declared for the NFL and signed with their future colleges, it seems to be an appropriate time to revisit these projections. I'm tempted to move Michigan back to the couch after their signing of Greg Robinson, but I won't go that far. You watch, there will be a game that they lose this year because his defense will play to soft in coverage in the 4th Quarter. He will defend the scheme by stating that it would have worked if the players executed properly. He will be wrong,of course. I lived in Kansas City during his reign of error, and watched his flailings in Austin and Syracuse. UM will regret this hire.

I still think that 2009 is the start of the return of the Big Ten. For a comparable year, look back to 2000. My guess is that no team goes 8-0 in conference. I also predict that no team finishes with less than 2 total losses (and only Ohio State does that). As a result, the Big Ten only puts one team in the BCS. And as a result of that, the Big Ten has its first really good bowl season in a long time.

The National Championship Game will be played in Pasedena. After the two bowls that have their champions taken replace their teams, the selection order is Fiesta, Sugar, Orange. On to the picks...

National Championship: Florida v. Texas
Rose: Ohio State v. Oregon
Fiesta: Alabama v. USC
Sugar: Notre Dame v. Nebraska
Orange: Virginia Tech v. Rutgers

Capital One: Penn State v. Ole Miss
Outback: Michigan v. Tennessee
Champs: Iowa v. Georgia Tech
Alamo: Illinois v. Kansas
Insight: Michigan State v. Baylor
Motor City: Wisconsin v. Western MIchigan

Papa John's: Minnesota v. UConn
Independence Bowl: Northwestern v. Auburn

On the Couch with the Queso Bowl: Purdue & Indiana

I think that the order from 3-9 is interchangeable. I see a lot of 8-4 and 7-5 Big Ten teams.

about 1 year ago Bama Hawkeye 5 comments 0 recs |

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Not sure about Tennessee in the Outback

The SEC East is incredibly, incredibly week after Florida, and I could make a case for just about anyone (including Vanderbilt!) getting to the Outback. But I’m skeptical of Tennessee. Kiffin needs to stop talking and start coaching.

Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.

by cocknfire on Feb 5, 2009 7:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I like a coach who talks like he belongs, even if he doesn’t…how desperate is the situation in Tennessee?

by grahamfiller10 on Feb 5, 2009 9:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I've just got the same gnawing feeling about them this year that I had last year

I’m not sure Nick Stephens is the answer at QB, I’m pretty sure Jonathan Crompton isn’t, and if neither of those two work they don’t really have an answer. They won the last two games against Kentucky and Vanderbilt by abandoning the pass and running the ball 50-something times a game. Seriously, it looked like Woody Hayes was calling the plays. Eric Berry is really the only player they have that really impresses me. (RB Lennon Creer could be good, though.) And I’m seriously beginning to doubt whether Lane Kiffin is mature enough to be a head coach. (One Florida blog actually asked, “Was Al Davis the Sane One?”)

Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.

by cocknfire on Feb 6, 2009 12:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Here's the thing about the Outback...

Who are they going to take? I think that Georgia is going to be down substantially. Vandy will not catch as many breaks this year as last. I don’t believe in Kentucky. That leaves SC and Tennessee. Considering that SC was just in Tampa (and underperformed expectations at the gate), I see the Outback taking a the 8-4 Vols and hoping that the cocky coach has the fanbase excited.

Depending on how the SEC West shakes out, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Outback take a West team either. If the standings go Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU to the top three, Auburn could be attractive (especially is the non-Florida East is as bad as predicted).

by Bama Hawkeye on Feb 6, 2009 8:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs