College Football Predictions
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Here are my predictions on which schools will win their respective conferences in 2011.
SEC Champion: Alabama Crimson Tide – After going 10-3 in 2010, the Tide appear poised to make another run at a national title. Bama loses quarterback Greg McElroy, wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram but appears to have plenty of talent ready to step into those spots. In fact, you can make a case that junior running back Trent Richardson is better than the former Heisman Trophy winner. The schedule also sets up nicely for Nick Saban’s crew. They have to go to Florida but avoid South Carolina and Georgia all together. And they get LSU and Arkansas at home. College football lines makers have listed Alabama at +550 to win the BCS championship.
Big 12 Conference Champion: Oklahoma Sooners – Last season, the Sooners went 12-2, a record virtually every BCS school would die for. However, that’s simply not good enough in Norman. Since Bob Stoops led OU to national title in his second season, more titles have been expected but none have been delivered. With that being said, this could be the year Stoops delivers again. Trips to Florida State and Oklahoma State are potential stumbling blocks. Still, the schedule is very manageable. Texas isn’t what it was with Colt McCoy under center and there won’t be a conference title game this year. Oklahoma is listed at +350 to win the BCS championship.
Big 10 Conference Champion: Wisconsin Badgers – Ohio State looks to be the new USC in terms of violations, which leaves the door open for Wisconsin in the Big Ten. The Wisconsin offense was the best in the Big Ten and one of the best in the nation last year, scoring 41.5 points per game and gobbling up 245.7 yards per game on the ground. Losing quarterback Scott Tolzien hurts, but Wisconsin’s strong running game will take a lot of the pressure off of his replacement. Running backs Montee Ball and James White combined for 2,048 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. These two should make up the best tailback duo in the league. Wisconsin is listed at +3500 to win the BCS championship.
Pac-12 Conference Champion: Oregon Ducks – Oregon’s only blemish last season was a three-point loss to Auburn in the BCS championship game. That loss will serve as the motivating force for Chip Kelly’s crew this season. Getting back to the national title game won’t be easy. The Ducks face a major test against LSU right out of the gate. Still, they appear to be the class of the new Pac-12 and have the benefit of playing USC and Oregon State at home to conclude the regular season. Oregon is listed at +1250 to win the BCS title.
ACC Champion: Florida State Seminoles – With a 10-4 season that was capped off by an impressive win over South Carolina in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, FSU has taken a big step toward returning to national prominence. The Noles don’t appear too worried about replacing first-round draft pick Christian Ponder either. He was no doubt the school’s best quarterback since Chris Weinke, but FSU is resting easy with EJ Manuel set to step in. He has shown glimpses of brilliance while helping lead the Noles to back-to-back bowl wins. Florida State is listed at +1050 to win the national title.
Big East Conference Champion: West Virginia Mountaineers – WVU lost two conference games in 2010 by a combined eight points, and one of those defeats came in overtime. The Mountaineers were the cream of the crop in the league on the defensive side of the ball, leading the Big East in scoring and total defense. The problem was the offense. Offense shouldn’t be a problem any longer with Dana Holgorsen set to take over at offensive coordinator. He showed just how quickly he can ignite an offense at Oklahoma State last year. West Virginia is listed at +2000 to win the BCS championship.
Mountain West Conference Champion: Boise State Broncos – The MWC title could very well come down to a Nov. 12 meeting between Boise State and TCU. Boise State has the benefit of playing that game at home on the blue turf. Plus, the Horned Frogs only return six starters from last season’s undefeated squad and will especially miss quarterback Andy Dalton. Boise State, meanwhile, will have Kellen Moore at the controls another year to lead what should be one of the highest scoring offensive in the land. Boise State is listed at +1200 to win the national championship.
WAC Champion: Nevada Wolf Pack – Nevada is coming off an impressive 13-1 season which included a 34-31 overtime win over Boise State. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is the only player in NCAA history to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 4,000, is gone but Chris Ault’s Pistol offense should remain a juggernaut. Nevada is grouped among the field and listed at +1500 to win the BCS title.
Conference USA Champion: SMU Mustangs – With 18 starters back from a squad that tied for the C-USA West title last season, SMU has an excellent opportunity to win the entire league this year. The offense has a chance to make major strides with quarterback Kyle Padron entering his third year in June Jones’ Run “N” Shoot. SMU is grouped among the field and listed at +1500 to win the BCS championship.
Mid-American Champion: Toledo Rockets – The Rockets went 7-1 in league play in 2010 but didn’t make an appearance in the MAC title game and didn’t win their bowl game. Those two things are all the motivation this team needs to win the MAC in 2011. With 17 starters back, the Rockets will have an excellent chance to accomplish their goals. Toledo is grouped among the field and listed at +1500 to win the BCS championship.
Sun Belt Conference Champion: Troy Trojans – Troy is the class of the Sun Belt, having won or shared five straight league titles. There’s room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense is good enough to win a few shootouts along the way. Troy is grouped among the field and listed at +1500 to win the BCS championship.
Need help picking more winners? Jimmy Boyd’s expert college football picks will help you do just that this season!
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