SEASONAL FORECAST

2010 CFB PREVIEW/EXACT PREDICTIONS OF WHAT WILL OCCUR
Bob Loblaw

ACC
Atlantic
1.Florida State-8-4/6-2-Christian Ponder and Jimbo Fisher will begin to revitalize the Seminole program; a home win over Boston College will decide the division.
2.Boston College-9-3/6-2-BC will have another successful season, going to a strong bowl game as Miami and Georgia Tech are off the schedule, the Eagles will battle FSU for the division title.
3.Clemson-7-5/4-4-the loss of CJ Spiller and tough non conference games against Auburn and South Carolina will keep Clemson around 7 or 8 wins at most.
4.North Carolina St-6-6/2-6-Tom O’Brien needs to get to a bowl and the play of QB Russell Wilson will dictate how far the Wolfpack go. A late November game with UNC could determine State’s bowl fate.
5.Wake Forest-5-7/3-5-Most of the NFL level talent from the last few years is gone and Wake will have to break in a new Quarterback.
6.Maryland-4-8/206-This could be Ralph Friedgen’s last season in College park unless major improvements are made after a 2-10 campaign in 2009.
COASTAL
1.Virginia Tech-11-1/7-1-An opening game win over Boise State will push the Hokies up in the polls and if the young defense gels and Tyrod Taylor and the 2 headed monster at Running Back play as well as advertised, Tech will be in the National Title conversation in late November. Back to back trips to UNC and Miami will be major tests.
2.Miami-8-4/6-2- Four major tests in a row early will keep the Canes from being as highly ranked as many in the media predict. Trips to Ohio St, Pitt, Clemson, and then home to Florida St all in a row will be brutal, and going 2-2 in those 4 will be a success. Jacory Harris will need to play well right away after missing spring practice.
3.Georgia Tech-9-3/6-2-Josh Nesbitt will need to control the offense and hope other teams have yet to figure out the option as Iowa did in the Orange Bowl. Road games at Virginia Tech, UNC, and Georgia will tell the tale.
4.North Carolina-5-7/3-5-With loads of NFL talent on the roster many are predicting a big year in Chapel Hill, but with players more concerned about the future then the present and a brutal opening schedule (LSU, Georgia Tech, @Rutgers) UNC could fall behind very quickly and once it starts downhill it will be tough to keep it together. November game vs. NC St could have a bowl bid on the line. BUST ALERT
5.Duke- 4-8/1-7 the Blue Devils have been better the last few years but playing in a brutal division will once again ruin any bowl hopes.
6.Virginia- 3-9/0-8-New coach Mike London will need to pull an upset or 2 to avoid a winless year in conference play as Virginia rebuilds.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME- Virginia Tech beats Florida St.

BOWL TEAMS: Virginia Tech, Boston College, Florida St, Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina St.
Coach of the Year-Jimbo Fisher, FSU
Player of the Year-Tyrod Taylor VT
Coach on the hot seat-Ralph Friedgen, Maryland.


BIG EAST

1.Pittsburgh-10-2/7-1-An opening win at Utah can spur the Panthers to a great season. If they get consistent play at quarterback, they could factor into the Big East but for sure this defense and RB Dion Lewis, and WR Jonathan Baldwin, 2 top NFL talents, will lead Pitt to the Big East title.
2.West Virginia-9-3/6-2-finding solid quarterback play will be key. Road games at LSU early and Pitt late will be tough for WVU to survive.
3.Rutgers-7-5/4-3-Greg Schiano’s club will once again contend but fall just short in the Big East, but don’t be surprised if they pull an upset or 2 with star in the making, Tom Savage, running the offense again.
4.Connecticut-7-5/4-3- Coming off their big nationally televised win over Notre Dame last year, UConn opens with a similar test at Michigan, win and it could be a special season on Storrs, but either way another bowl game looks promising.
5.Cincinnati- 7-5/4-3- Brian Kelly’s exit and the blowout loss to Florida put a damper on the greatest season in school history, now Butch Jones replaces Kelly and has plenty of pieces to work with including experienced QB Zach Collaros. Non conference battles with Fresno St and Oklahoma could squash early momentum. Mardy Gilyard’s playmaking will be missed.
6.South Florida-6-6/2-5-For the first time the program is without Jim Leavitt, who was forced out after last season. Skip Holtz will be a strong leader to right the ship. Road games at Miami and Florida will be brutal as USF tries to get to a bowl. QB BJ Daniels is a big time athlete.
7.Louisville-4-8/1-6-New coach Charlie Strong brings instant credibility from Florida, an opening game win over rival Kentucky would go a long way to pleasing the faithful and gaining momentum in what could be a better then predicted year.
8.Syracuse-3-9/0-7-A win or 2 in the conference would be huge for the Orange, but they are still a long way from filling the Carrier Dome like the basketball program can.

BOWL TEAMS: PITT (BCS), West Virginia, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Connecticut, USF
Coach of the Year: Dave Wannstedt, PITT,
Player of the Year: Dion Lewis, RB, PITT.
Coach on the Hot Seat: No one really, unless West Virginia underachieves and Bill Stewart starts to feel some heat.


BIG TEN
1.Ohio State- 11-1/7-1-The Buckeyes are loaded yet again and if Terelle Pryor can play like he did in the Rose Bowl, he will contend for the Heisman, and Ohio State will contend for the National Title. An early game against Miami will be a test as will the mid-October trip to Wisconsin (likely at night), and a late season trip to Iowa, which could decide the league title.
2.Wisconsin-10-2/6-2-The Badgers will be tough and John Clay could have a huge year running the ball behind a good offensive line. Games at Michigan St and Iowa will define the season, and Camp Randall will be rocking when Ohio State comes to town in October. A win there could put Wisconsin in BCS position.
3.Iowa- 9-3/6-3-The Hawkeyes will be strong again after their Orange Bowl win last year. Ricky Stanzi is back at QB, and with most of their tough games at home, Iowa will contend for the Big Ten title. As always, the early game with Iowa State will be key to getting the season off on the right foot.
4.Penn State-8-4/5-3-An early game at Alabama will test the Nittany Lions, as they look for a new starting QB to balance the offense. Evan Royster will be the first option running the ball and if they can find a passer, Penn State can move up quickly. Either way it will be another bowl trip for the ageless Coach Paterno.
5.Michigan State-8-4/5-3-Greg Jones will lead the defense and with the QB controversy settled (Keith Nicol moves to WR) Kirk Cousins won’t have to look over his shoulder all year. Avoiding any off field issues is a must.
6.Michigan-8-4/4-4-For all the talk about the spread, the Defense has been the major problem in Ann Arbor since Rich Rodriquez arrived. Improvements must be made there if Rodriquez is to get his first winning season, and likely must to save his job. Denard Robinson, who had an impressive spring will battle Tate Forcier for the QB job. Michigan opens with UConn at home then goes to Notre Dame, and both games are almost must wins. If they start 0-2, then the media circus will heat up about RichRod’s future as the new AD will be watching closely.
7.Purdue-7-5/3-5-Miami transfer Robert Marve will start at QB and the home opener vs. Notre Dame will be a huge game for Purdue to show the faithful what they have. The offense should be good, but it will be the play of the defense that will determine how far this team goes, which should be to a bowl.
8.Northwestern-7-5/3-5-The Wildcats should go to a bowl again and don’t have to play Ohio State.
9.Indiana-4-8/1-7- The Hoosiers should start 3-0, and then will look for revenge at home against Michigan before going to Ohio State. Ben Chappell and the offense will be explosive but the defense will need to help win the close games they lost last year if they are to reach a bowl.
10.Minnesota-4-8/1-7-Adam Weber and Marquis Gray will battle for the QB job, but the defense must be rebuilt and an early visit from USC could hurt the confidence level if it is a blowout.
11.Illinois-2-10/0-8-Ron Zook will need to find some magic as the Juice is gone in Champaign. The opener against Missouri is almost a must win, two disappointing seasons in a row have left Zook on the hot seat, and if things start badly it could be time for a coaching change.

BOWL TEAMS-Ohio State (BCS), Wisconsin (BCS), Penn St, Michigan, Michigan St, Purdue, Iowa, Northwestern.
Player of the Year: Terelle Pryor, QB, OSU
Coach of the Year: Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
Coach on the Hot Seat: Ron Zook, Illinois, Rich Rodriquez, Michigan.

BIG TWELVE

North
1.Nebraska-10-2/6-2-Everyone is picking the Cornhuskers to repeat as division champs for a reason, their dominating defense. Jared Crick will try to replace Suh, but the offense will need to improve for a Big 12 title to be had. Road games at Washington and Texas A+M will be tests but the mid October home game with Texas is the one everyone will be watching, though they could meet again in the conference title game regardless of the outcome.
2.Missouri-8-4/5-3-QB Blaine Gabbert and RB Derrick Washington are back and Missouri and Coach Pinkel will go to another bowl game, but won’t beat Nebraska.
3.Kansas-7-5-New coach Turner Gill will try to overcome the off-field mess left by Mark Mangino and the loss of Todd Reesing and Kerry Meier will hurt. The rivalry game with Missouri will be a battle for bowl position.
4.Colorado-6-6-Dan Hawkins will likely need a winning season to keep his job, 3 of the first 4 games are at Colorado St, at Cal, and home to Georgia, followed by a trip to Missouri. A slow start will lead to calls for a coaching change.
5.Iowa State-4-8-The Cyclones will try to build on their huge bowl win from a year ago but a brutal schedule that includes a 4 game stretch with Texas Tech, Utah, at Oklahoma, and at Texas, will be a back breaker. Game 2 at Iowa will be huge as usual.
6.Kansas St-3-9-Bill Snyder continues to try and rebuild, a home opener with UCLA will be a test.
SOUTH
1.Oklahoma-12-0/8-0-Sam Bradford’s injury hurt the Sooners a year ago, but it will pay dividends this year as QB Landry Jones is now experienced starting and running the offense and has one of the best WR’s in the land in Ryan Broyles to throw to. The offensive line is the key, if they play well, no one can stop this offense. Florida St comes to town early then of course the Texas game in October will make or break the season. Look for Oklahoma to win that one and contend for a National Title.
2.Texas-11-1/7-1-Garret Gilbert’s playing time in the BCS title game will serve him well now that he is the starter. Texas will look to run the ball more and move away from the spread of the last few years. October games against Oklahoma and at Nebraska will determine how high the Longhorns finish.
3.Texas A+M-8-4/5-3-Mike Sherman’s best team so far will have a chance to make some noise in the South. The October 9 game with Arkansas will be a shootout and A+M could have a lofty ranking come November when they face Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas in a 4 week stretch. If they can pull some upsets it could be a really big year, but don’t bet on it yet. Jerrod Johnson should have a huge year at QB.
4.Texas Tech-8-4/4-4-Tommy Tuberville brings his proven winning ways to Lubbock to try and clean up the media mess that Mike Leach created late last year. Leach won but was controversial, something Tuberville never was while winning at Auburn. The home opener with SMU should be a shootout and a chance for the new regime to find a quarterback between Potts and Sheffield.
5.Baylor-4-8/2-6-If Robert Griffith is all the way back from knee surgery this will be a dangerous team that can upset anyone. The offensive line is very good but the division will be too tough for Baylor to reach a bowl, which they would if they were playing in a different league.
6.Oklahoma St-4-8-Kendall Hunter will be the key to the offense that lost several players to the NFL and led the Pokes to the Cotton Bowl. Patience will be the order this year and Mike Gundy will need to “be a man” to oversee the rebuilding.

Championship Game: Oklahoma over Nebraska in a renewal of the old rivalry that used to decide the Big 8.
Bowl Teams: Oklahoma (BCS), Nebraska, Texas (BCS), Texas A+M, Texas Tech, Missouri, Colorado.
Player of the Year: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
Coach of the Year: Bo Pelini, Nebraska
Coach on the Hot Seat: Dan Hawkins, Colorado.

PAC 10

1A. USC-12-1/8-1-The Trojans can’t technically win the league title and go to a bowl due to some Bushes full of Money and some spilled OJ and spoiled Mayo….but they are the most talented team in the Pac-10 and it will be Lane Kiffin’s job to motivate the players even though there is no postseason to play for. Kiffin’s team played well against the top SEC teams last year at UT, and USC will do the same. Look for the Trojans to drop one league game on the road, either to Oregon St. or Stanford, but beat Oregon and hold 1st place in the league. Matt Barkley will become a star behind a stellar offensive line and the Trojans will play with a chip on their shoulder….or at least their fans hope so, at least the ones who have stuck around and stayed loyal.
1B. Oregon-10-2/8-1-Off field issues have quacked at the Ducks since their Rose Bowl loss, none bigger then the loss of QB Jeremiah Masoli. LaMicheal James is a star in the making at RB, if he can stay out of trouble (he is suspended for game 1). An early trip to Rocky Top will help gauge where Oregon stands. Road games at USC and Oregon St, will decide the conference title, and the Ducks should have the talent to get back to the Rose Bowl.
3. Oregon State-7-5/6-3-The Rodgers brothers will help whoever starts at QB to move the ball. A brutal schedule including trips to TCU and Boise St before conference play will test the Beavers right off the bat. The Civil War with Oregon could be for a Rose Bowl bid since USC is ineligible.
4. Arizona-7-5/5-4-An early visit from Iowa will test Arizona, but this once again a bowl team, which could easily upset one of the above teams in conference play. Nick Foles is experienced at QB, but new coordinators on both sides of the ball will be something to watch.
5. Washington-7-5/5-4-Look for Jake Locker to lead Washington back to a bowl game for the first time since 2002. A brutal schedule though will be tough, as Washington opens at BYU, plays Nebraska, at USC, Oregon St, and at Oregon with conference games sandwiched in between. If Locker is to contend for the Heisman as many predict, UW will need to pull some upsets.
6. Stanford-6-6/4-5-With Andrew Luck back at QB, Stanford should have a dangerous offense, but a rebuilt defense and the loss of Toby Gerhart leave questions. Games 4, 5, and 6 are huge, at Notre Dame, at Oregon, and USC, but the Cardinal cannot look past anyone else to these 3. Another variable to watch for is if rumors about the Michigan coaching job start to fly, Jim Harbaugh’s name will surely be on the short list, and will any of that speculation effect the team?
7. UCLA-5-7/4-5-Rick Neuheisel is still waiting to get things going in LA. Maybe the probation of USC will help in the recruiting wars to come, but for now the Bruins are still a fringe bowl team, and early games at Kansas St, home vs. Houston, and at Texas could open up a rocky start to the season. At some point Coach Neuheisel will need to beat USC, and the game this year could determine bowl eligibility for UCLA.
8. Arizona State-5-7/3-6-Michigan transfer Steven Threet will start at QB for Dennis Erickson, whose seat is beginning to get as hot as the summers in Tempe. Road games at Wisconsin, Oregon St, USC, and Arizona will likely lead to another losing season in Tempe, and put Erickson, the former National Champion coach at Miami, on the hot seat.
9. California-4-8/2-7-After several years of high pre-season expectations that led to disappointment, Cal will not have those problems this year. Jahvid Best is gone to NFL, and Kevin Riley will have to fulfill the potential that has been waiting for his at QB the last few years. Game 2 at home with Colorado will be big to try and head into conference play with some much needed confidence.
10. Washington State-2-10/0-9-Since Mike Price left not much has gone right in Pullman. A lack of talent and experience across the board will leave Paul Wulff on the hot seat by season’s end, and the question will be not whether or not its time for a change, but if it is worth it and will it change anything?

League Champion: Oregon (by virtue of USC’s probation)
Bowl Teams: Oregon (BCS) Oregon St, Arizona, Stanford, Washington
Player of the Year: Matt Barkley, USC.
Coach of the Year: Lane Kiffin, USC
Coach on the Hot Seat: Dennis Erickson, Arizona St.

SEC

EAST

1.Florida-11-1/7-1-The Gators will once again win the East, which will play far weaker then in past years. Quarterback John Brantley will be expected to pick up where Tim Tebow left off, as best as anyone can and high profile recruits all over the field who have been waiting their turn will keep Florida in every ball game. Back to back games at Alabama, then home to LSU, will likely keep the Gators from going undefeated, but even with a loss they will be in the familiar position at the end: win the SEC title game = play for the National Championship.
2.Georgia-9-3/6-2-UGA will once again finish behind Florida. A new QB must be found to throw to AJ Green. Game 2 at South Carolina will be huge for momentum and will tell how they will finish in the division. Mark Richt needs to beat Georgia Tech at home after last year.
3.South Carolina-9-3/5-3-This might be Steve Spurrier’s best chance to win a division title, if the Gamecocks don’t have their usual mid season drop off. Stephen Garcia is back at QB with lots of experience around him, the schedule is favorable and everything points to a big year, but it’s still hard to buy all the way in so we shall see…..
4.Tennessee-6-6/3-5-Derek Dooley will begin picking up the pieces left by Lane Kiffin’s brief stay in Knoxville. A treacherous schedule, including consecutive games with LSU, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, along with Florida and Oregon at home, await a young, but possibly talented Volunteer squad. The Kentucky game late may be a battle for bowl eligibility.
5.Kentucky-6-6/3-5-Joker Phillips takes the reins from Rich Brooks and inherits a solid core of athletes including Randall Cobb and QB Morgan Newton. Kentucky will surprise people and the opener at Louisville will be a huge game for both new coaches. The Cats should be in contention for a bowl at season’s end and could easily upset one of the big boys along the way.
6.Vanderbilt-3-9/1-7-Bobby Johnson’s abrupt resignation will not help Vandy to rebound after going winless in the SEC in 2009. 4 tough opening games in a row could easily lead to an early loss of confidence for a team that badly needs some.

WEST

1. Alabama-11-1/7-1-The defending National Champions return much of their squad and everyone knows Nick Saban will not allow complacency to overtake his program. An early test against Penn State will help build confidence heading into the SEC season, which includes a 3 game stretch at Arkansas, Florida, and at South Carolina, along with a November trip to Baton Rouge where Saban is hated. The Tide will likely lose one conference game along the way, and the Iron Bowl will be for the West title. They will beat Auburn and once again play in the SEC title game with a shot at the National Championship on the line. Your problems are good when you have a second running back taking carries from last year’s Heisman winner.
2. Auburn-10-2/6-2-Auburn fans believe in Coach Chizik after the Tigers nearly upset the Tide a year ago. Former Florida recruit Cameron Newton brings instant impact at QB and the Tigers will leap LSU and battle Alabama for a shot at the SEC title, but with the game being in Tuscaloosa, it will be tough.
3. LSU-9-3/5-3-Les Miles seat may be getting hot in Baton Rouge and early games with UNC and West Virginia are close to being must wins or the boos will start. The Tigers still have questions on offense but the defense is solid and will keep LSU in games. The season finale at Arkansas will be a battle for bowl position.
4. Arkansas-8-4/4-4-All eyes will be on Ryan Mallet, a top Heisman candidate, and the high powered offense as Bobby Petrino has the perfect QB to run his system. Mallet will throw for lots of yards and touchdowns as long as he can stay upright. The question will be if the defense can avoid allowing shootouts every week. Don’t be shocked if Arkansas knocks off one of the top SEC teams and gets to the Cotton Bowl.
5. Mississippi-7-5/3-5-Houston Nutt’s team may start 5-0 before they hit a wall of A’s (Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn) how they respond will dictate the season’s outcome. They will not miss Jevan Snead and all his turnovers and another bowl trip is likely. Many will say Ole Miss underachieved last year but it was more a result of overzealous rankings as 9-4 is not a bad year in Oxford.
6. Mississippi State-4-8/2-6-An egg bowl win energized the faithful as Dan Mullen has brought renewed enthusiasm to Starkville. Now his team must win and reach a bowl, which will be tough in the best conference in America. The Ole Miss game could be for a bowl bid if things fall into place.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Alabama over Florida
BOWL TEAMS: Alabama (BCS TITLE Game), Florida (BCS), Auburn, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky.
Player of the Year: Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas
Coach of the Year: Urban Meyer, Florida
Coach on the Hot seat: Les Miles, LSU

OTHER:
Boise St-The opener against Virginia Tech will decide if Boise can contend for a national title as they are ranked high enough in the preseason to get there. They will lose to Tech, win out, bid adieu to the WAC, and hope for a BCS bid.
Utah-Opening with Pitt at home will be huge for the program, but not as big as a win in November at Notre Dame on national TV will be. Another team that will have BCS at large hopes at the end if they can beat BYU.
TCU-Led by Andy Dalton TCU likely has the best chance of the non-bcs teams to go undefeated as their toughest game out of conference is against Oregon State.
Notre Dame-Brian Kelly begins his tenure with 6 games against teams licking their chops to beat the Irish. Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College, and Pitt will all likely be favored against the Irish and if they lose most of those confidence will wane before the easier games kick in, until of course Utah and USC come calling November. Someone will need to get the ball to Rudolph and Floyd as a rebuilding year may be very tough to swallow for the faithful.

HEISMAN FAVORITES:
Raise your hand if you had Mark Ingram on your short list before last season….. so it’s likely someone will come out of the woodwork and win but heading into the season the favorites are…..
1. Ryan Mallet-Arkansas
2. Terelle Pryor-Ohio State
3. Mark Ingram-Alabama
4. Landry Jones-Oklahoma
5. Dion Lewis-Pittsburgh
6. Jacory Harris-Miami
7. Kellen Moore-Boise State
8. Andy Dalton-TCU
The winner will be the one whose team wins enough big games because of him and stays in the national spotlight all the way to the end.

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The National Championship matchup will be between Oklahoma and Alabama. Alabama, even with a regular season loss somewhere, will beat Florida for the SEC title and with the respect the SEC has gained winning the last 4 National Titles, the Tide will get the nod ahead of other 1 loss teams, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Texas due to their schedule strength and the advantage of playing a huge end of season game on national tv. For any of the others to make it they will need their laste season rivals to be ranked high and Virginia Tech will need to have a strong opponent in the ACC title game, which is not likely. Alabama will then beat Oklahoma 31-19 to win their second straight National Championship and Nick Saban will get a “Bear” hug from the faithful.

BCS GAMES:
ROSE BOWL: Ohio State vs. Oregon
ORANGE BOWL: Pittsburgh vs. Virginia Tech
SUGAR BOWL: Florida vs. Wisconsin
FIESTA BOWL: Texas vs. Boise State
BCS TITLE GAME: Alabama vs. Oklahoma