All Conference Champs and National Champ predictions

Give me your post-spring picks for conference champs and national champs.

As much as it pains me to say this, USC has to be the favorite to win the national title again this year. The Pac 10 is weak and with so many guys back the Trojans will be ranked #1 all year.

ACC - Virginia Tech (Beamer Ball continues to take the spotlight away from FSU and Miami)
Big 10 - Iowa (Hawkeyes beat out Michigan and Ohio St., which is reeling from too many scandals)
Big 12 - Oklahoma (Texas has Vince Young, but still can't stop the Sooners ground game)
Big East - Louisville (Move from CUSA looks even better once the Cards are in a BCS bowl...who said Kentucky's a basketball state?)
Pac 10 - USC (Does anyone else play varsity football in this conference?)
SEC - LSU (Tigers take SEC title in a rematch with Tennessee, then finally get to meet the Trojans...maybe)

I think the BCS gets messier and messier in 2005....Instead of three teams having a shot to win the National Championship like in 2004, in 2005 you've got four teams with a claim to play for the title. So the BCS opts not to play a title game or crown a champion, thereby letting the AP proclaim USC as its "paper champions" prior to the bowl game loss to LSU.

 

ACC-I go with ThUg (Miami), for two reasons. One, I just can't believe Miami is "down" for three consecutive seasons, practically and, two, their biggest question mark (QB) will likely be seen as a strength by season's end. Kyle Wright has quite the resume, and if he's the real deal, they'll be fine.

Yes, Fla St and Va Tech are on the road, but Beamer has a history of choking when he's the lead horse and, well, Florida St. just doesn't seem to be what it used to be anymore.

Big-10: I'll go with Ohio St. in a squeaker over Iowa. Ohio St returns a (ridiculous) 18 starters and only has one tough conference game on the road (Michigan). I don't buy into the scandals keeping them from winning, though. Being on probation didn't keep Galen Hall and Terry Bowden from racking up the wins in past seasons, and controversy swirling around this team may cause them to take on an "us versus them" mentality and bond even more intensely.

Oh, and as great a coach Kirk Ferentz seems to be, you have to admit Tressel is one hell of a good coach in those tough, closely-played ball games. That's the edge over Iowa...oh, and the fact that the game is in Columbus this year, too.

Big XII-Texas, all the way. If not now, when?

Big-East-Who cares, really, but since I have to pick...I say Louisville takes the league by storm, underscoring further how pathetic it is from a football standpoint.

Pac-10-USC. A self-evident choice.

SEC-A few notes first: I don't believe in rating a team lower than they should be just b/c they hadn't "won big" in recent years. Tennessee definitely has the talent but, come on, that schedule is quite difficult.

I mean, Florida and LSU.

On the road.

In *consecutive weeks*

Dude, that's tough.

Toss in road games against intense rival Alabama and Notre Dame and this team could go 11-0 or 10-1...or 8-3, just as easily.

Florida, Florida, Florida...Their schedule is spaced very, very nicely. Since they play Georgia in Jacksonville every year, that's a road game that really isn't, making LSU their one and only really tough road game (though South Carolina should be a fun one to watch).

LSU's schedule is also nicely paced (though Florida and Auburn in consecutive weeks gives one pause...but they're both in Baton Rouge), and the talent is evident.

In a *close* call, I lean LSU over Florida for two reasons. One, LSU's non-conference schedule is slightly easier (Az St. versus Fla. St, so perhaps a little less wear and tear come conference time-?) and, two, you can't discount the big difference in what the two new coaches are doing, specifically on offense.

Meyer's offense is world's removed from what Zook ran whereas Miles was wise enough to both keep the old OC but to keep the scheme the same, for the most part.

Florida is going to win the East, that I feel pretty confident about.

We'll see soon enough.

 

ACC - Florida State
Big 10 - Ohio State
Big 12 - Texas
Big East - West Virginia
Pac 10 - Arizona State
SEC - LSU

NC Game - LSU vs Texas

 

ACC - Miami
SEC - LSU/UGA
Big 10 - Iowa
Big XII - Oklahoma
Pac 10 - USC

 

Thanks to Tejas Tiger, LSUGradin99 & Marine Tiger (Semper Fi)! It's fun to speculate, especially this far out and you get bragging rights when and if the predictions come true.

 

I agree that USC is the team to chase to the Rose Bowl. However, they are having some critical eligibility problems right now - included in the potential ineligibles is Lendale White, the bruiser RB. I think White has been a very underrated (even for being a Trojan) contributor for SC. White rounds out that offense's potency. With the departure of Norm Chow, they will need White to establish themselves and to control games late...

Keep an eye on Lendale White's situation.

 

You guys picking Texas over Oklahoma are bold.

I know statistically Texas has to beat them eventually, but I don't see any reason why it will be this year.

Texas's running game will be weak even if Selvin Young (who i like, but not like that) can stay healthy and that's a big if.

Decent young WR corp, but V. Young can't complete a pass longer than 20 yds to save his life.

They couldn't stop the Okl. running attack last year and that's even with D. Johnson having like 15 tackles and a FF. That's a monster hole to fill.

Texas has another 10 or so years left under Mack Brown (according to his newfangled contract) and I fully expect them to go 0-10 (doubt he lasts that long).

 

Florida's defense is not strong enough to win the SEC East.

Meyer will have to outscore Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Alabama for Florida to win the East because their defense is not even average. They will have to start true-freshmen linebackers.

On the Florida official football site, they posted the results of their Spring Game as a 34-28 win. They actually put a W up there!

Unfortunately, the 62 point total also pointed out their defensive weaknesses.

I'm going with LSU/GA

Big 12 Texas (Texas doesn't play Kansas State or Nebraska) OU is their only tough game.

Big 10 Ohio State (Iowa plays three fairly easy pre-season games and then will go on the road to Columbus and get waxed)

PAC 10 USC (Puke and puke some more - and they even play Arkansas )

ACC Florida State (FSU has pretty decent talent this season)

 

ACC - Florida State vs UM in title game rematch with UM prevailing.

Big 10 - Ohio State simply because they have home field advantage over Iowa and they do not play Wisconsin. Iowa plays the Badgers on the road.

Big 12 - Texas A & M vs Nebraska in the title game with aTm winning the title.

Big East - West Virginia in an upset over Louisville. The Mountainers show up a year late.

Pac 10 - USC even if the do lose all the players presently not listed on the depth chart.

SEC - LSU(7-1) vs UGA(6-2) in the title game with UGA winning the east. UT beats UF, who beats UGA, who beats UT. UGA's other conference losss comes vs Auburn. UF and UT both loose to LSU. UGA wins tiebreaker with a higher BCS ranking as UT loses to Notre Dame OOC and UF loses to FSU OOC.

LSU defeats UGA 35-14 in SEC CG.

 

Anyone know where the ACCCG will be played? On the same date as the SECCG?