Kickoff

Everybody sing with me:

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”

Heh.  I turned the mojo on last night and finished all of the yardwork I had to do both at church and at home, so I had an opportunity to sleep in this morning.  Well, I woke up at 6:30 and was too excited to go back to sleep.  Have I mentioned that I love college football?

My Work Picks
We have an annual tailgate party at work that culminates with making picks for SEC champion and national champion.  I like to use my work picks for dark horses.  I try to select teams that probably won’t make it, but it’s at least somewhat plausible that they will.  (You know, picks that make you look like a genius if it works out.  I selected Georgia and West Virginia last year, which wasn’t looking ridiculous even into November.)

For national champion, I picked Arizona State.  They have questions on the offensive line, which is generally the last place you want them.  However, Dennis Erickson is already a champion, and his team won 10 games in his debut with the Sun Devils last year.  Plus, they host Georgia September 20, who will almost certainly still be #1.  That’s a chance to make a huge statement entering the heart of conference play, and if they get some jelling on the O-line, who knows?

For SEC champion, I picked Alabama.  Naturally I’d love to see this happen, but it’s not a heart pick—they’re simply the only plausible dark horse candidate in the conference, in my view.  Georgia and Florida are loaded and getting most of the love.  LSU won it all last year.  Auburn should be quite good, and they have three games to work out any offensive glitches before LSU comes to town.  Somebody said Tennessee.  Well, they won the East last year.  (Didn’t remember that, did you?)  I briefly considered pulling the lever for the Nutthouse in Oxford, but in the end, it was the Tide.

My Real Picks
I think Georgia’s press is a little too adulatory, and their schedule a little too tough.  Florida’s out-of-conference schedule includes Miami and Florida State, each of which may be a little better this year, but they’re still shells of their former selves.  (Naturally non-conference losses have no effect on the SEC, but they do have potential to get into players’ heads, hence the mention.)  Plus, Tebow will have some running help in the backfield this year, and the defense should be improved.  Finally, they have Richt’s celebration to avenge at this year’s World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (and no, I’m not ever calling it whatever the wussy politically-correct name is for it now).  I think the Gators win the SEC.

For national champion, I have Oklahoma defeating USC.  I know Ohio State would like to get back to the title game for their eighth third try in a row to close the deal, but I think the Big Ten is going to be tougher top to bottom this year than anyone is talking about.  Throw in a trip to USC, and I think they could lose three times.  I think the SEC will beat itself bloody, and nobody gets out alive.  (Yes, LSU won it all with two losses last year, but we won’t see that again anytime soon.)

My Crimson Tide
Alabama will be better this year.  There will be no late-season collapse including a loss to a cupcake, and there will be no third-in-a-row loss to Sly Croom.  If freshmen come online in a big way, and if injuries don’t badly cripple an already dicey defense, I think 9-4 or 10-3 is a reasonable expectation.

As for tonight against my friend Cheryl’s Clemson Tigers, and hopefully as a tone-setter for the season, I offer my single favorite moment of Alabama football since the ’99 season:  the first play on offense vs. Florida in 2005.  Folks, 2008 can be like this.  Let’s go!  Roll Tide!

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