1. Appalachian State will NOT pull another Appalachian State. Turns out I was right...App State's first game was in Death Valley to take on the LSU Tigers...and they lost 41-13. Quite a different environment than the "Big House" of UMichigan. If anything, last year's upset by the Mountaineers over the Wolverines tipped off the LSU coaching staff that they were for real, and it showed in the final score.
2. The USC-West/Slowhio State will be radically overhyped, and a blowout. Right again...the media was all over this one, but I think everyone knew that USC was gonna win this one (and that they did...35-3). Slowhio State had only 35 second-half yards. Maybe Jim Tressel should've started Pryor...
3. It won't be pretty for the new SEC head coaches. Well, I was kinda right. Arkansas finished 5-7 under the leadership of Bobby Petrino, but Ole Miss did very well under headman Houston Nutt, who went 9-4 including an upset win over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl.
4. The SEC will not be represented in Miami on January 8th of [this] year. Strike one for Patrick. Florida locked up a spot in the BCSNC game by going 12-1 and beating #1 Bama in the Dome 31-20 to win the SEC. They deserve to be there, and most people probably have them beating the Sooners.
5. Instead, the NC game matchup will be Slow-hio State vs. Oklahoma. Again, half right. OSU was kinda close following a 10-2 campaign, but the Sooners earned locked up their spot after beating Mizzou to win the Big 12.
6. Tim Tebow will not repeat as Heisman winner. After the season Tebow had and they way they destroyed their opponents after the Ole Miss loss, I should've been wrong about this one. Instead, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford picked up the Heisman, which makes Thursday night's game the 4th (?) ever matchup of teams w/ Heisman winners on their rosters.
If you have any doubts about Tebow's abilities, just watch this video.
7.The mighty Red Raiders of Texas Tech will be amazing this year...or we'll all be disappointed. I'll count this one right, considering Texas Tech finished 11-2 (losses to OU and Ole Miss - no shame in that).
8. Kansas will neither return to a BCS bowl nor come close to an undefeated season. Another W - Kansas finished 8-5 with an Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota.
9. The under-center-based option offense will work in a major conference...if the Jackets can hold on to the ball. And thankfully, it did. I think I speak for most college football fans when I say that this season was a huge success for the Yellow Jackets, despite the blowout loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl. Tech finished 9-4, including wins over Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and Georgia...all this despite an ACC-leading 33 fumbles, of which Tech lost 18. (that's ~2.5 fumbles and ~1.4 lost fumbles per game). My magic number for the Jackets was 1.5, and it turned out I was right on.
Recap: Seven out of nine...not bad.
Later this week (if time affords it), I'll present my 2008 LOLAwards here. Until then, I wish everyone a great first day back to the grind.
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