Kaimin college football predictions

Although we’re a week late in our college football predictions, we think we gave ourselves an advantage over experts at the likes of ESPN and Athlon. As last season taught us, one in which the number two team in the country was knocked off week after week, predictions are just a shot in the dark.
Bowl Championship Series National Title Game – Florida vs. Southern California. Junior quarterback Tim Tebow did it all for the Gators on offense last season. Another season for Tebow and junior burner Percy Harvin will do nothing but pay dividends for the eventual Southeastern Conference champs. 

Although we’re a week late in our college football predictions, we think we gave ourselves an advantage over experts at the likes of ESPN and Athlon. As last season taught us, one in which the number two team in the country was knocked off week after week, predictions are just a shot in the dark.
Bowl Championship Series National Title Game – Florida vs. Southern California. Junior quarterback Tim Tebow did it all for the Gators on offense last season. Another season for Tebow and junior burner Percy Harvin will do nothing but pay dividends for the eventual Southeastern Conference champs. 
USC will roll through a tough Pac-10 behind junior quarterback Matt Sanchez and an abundance of depth on offense, including nine running backs who were high school All-Americans. If Pete Carroll and company can outlast Big Ten favorite Ohio State in a crucial week-two showdown then a chance to become the dynasty of the decade will become a reality. Tebow will add a familiar looking trophy to his list of accolades, but becoming just the second player to win back-to-back Heisman Trophies will not help Florida overcome the football factory that is Southern California. -CN
Heisman Memorial Trophy – Tim Tebow, Quarterback, Florida, JR.  The 6-foot-3 240-pound Tebow will not put up the preposterous statistics (4,091 total yards, 55 total touchdowns) he accumulated in last season’s Heisman campaign simply because Florida won’t ask him to. But the Gators marching through the ever-brutal SEC on their way to a second BCS national title game in three years will prove enough to help Tebow become the first player since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin to win multiple Heismans. -CN
Doak Walker Award (Top running back) – Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, Soph.
Moreno burst on the scene as a freshman. If not for a freak season by now-departed Darren McFadden of Arkansas, Moreno’s 1,334 yards would have led the SEC. If Moreno can handle the hype, he might fulfill the Athens faithful’s desires who say he is the second coming of the all-time top Dawg, Herschel Walker. -CN
Fred Biletnikoff Trophy (Top wide receiver) – Jeremy Macklin, Missouri, Soph.
It will be a battle of the Big 12, as fellow sophomore Michael Crabtree (1,962 yards, 22 touchdowns last season) will again put up big numbers. But Macklin’s versatility on the outside and as a returner combined with the Tiger’s success as a team will be enough to outweigh Crabtree’s unbelievable statistics. -CN
Chuck Bednarik Award (Top defensive player) – James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State, SR. – The defending Butkus award winner will cap his career by adding another trophy to his mantle as he leads a stingy Buckeye defense for a fourth season.  -CN
Game of the Year: South Florida at West Virginia (Dec. 6)
Here’s the bottom line: Last year, we were one game away of having a West Virginia - Missouri national championship. The SEC is ruthless, and the Big Ten and Pac-10 will have surprising depth, meaning all national title favorites could have multiple losses come December. If West Virginia can make a case for the national title, so can South Florida, with the winner of this game potentially running the table and earning a title game berth, not to mention the possibility of sending their respective quarterbacks (White, Matt Grothe) to New York the following week for the Heisman ceremony.  -RS
Surprise Team: Fresno State
This is the most fearless program in the nation. Their willingness to test themselves against non-conference mammoths over the past seven years will finally pay off. Whether they can survive the gauntlet, which includes upcoming match ups against Wisconsin and UCLA, will determine if they will be the third WAC team in as many years to crack the BCS. Only one facet of Fresno is certain: sophomore running back Ryan Matthews will be a hallowed national name by the end of the season.  -RS
Best Storyline: Return of the Classics
Notre Dame, Penn State and Alabama all return to national relevance. The recruiting genius of Charlie Weis will be on full display at Notre Dame, but his highly-touted offense must carry a green defense. The first half of Notre Dame’s schedule holds only one true threat in Michigan State, which could propel the Irish to a nine-win season. Penn State comes in flying under the radar, much like 2005 when they went 11-1 and won the Orange Bowl. Head coach Joe Paterno has a senior-laden team, and a hidden gem at quarterback in Daryll Clark. Alabama is the best on this list, as displayed last Saturday when they trounced ACC favorite Clemson. The vintage storyline gets richer as 82-year-old Joe Paterno and 79-year-old Bobby Bowden sit atop the all-time win list with the season ahead. –RS
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