2008 College Football Predictions

Jeff Alexander takes a look at his college football top five in his 2008 college football predictions. Find out who he thinks will be in the running for the BCS Championship.

USC Trojans – Bet the Trojans at +300 to win the BCS Championship at BetUS.com

In a down year for the Pac-10, USC should rule the roost. If defense wins championships, then you have to like USC’s chances as the Trojans should boast one of the best in the nation with four potential All-Americans. The linebacker corps of Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing is the best in college football. USC will not have a big time signal caller to lean on as they have since Carson Palmer, but Mark Sanchez does have some experience. If they beat Ohio State at home in an early season showdown, the Trojans could very well run the table.

Ohio State Buckeyes – Bet the Buckeyes at +900 to win the BCS Championship at BetUS.com

Much like in the Pac-10, Ohio State will rule supreme over a conference in which many strong programs are rebuilding. I don’t see anyone touching the Buckeyes in the Big Ten so that means you can pencil them in for an 11-1 season. If they are able to beat the Trojans at USC on September 13th, Ohio State will go undefeated and be a shoe-in for its third straight title game. Ohio State is solid on both sides of the football with Heisman Trophy candidate RB Beanie Wells leading the offense and Defensive Player of the Year candidate LB James Laurinaitis setting the tone on defense. 20 starters return in all and the Buckeyes add talented QB Terrelle Pryor, who figures to get thrown into the mix as an offensive playmaker.

Oklahoma Sooners – Bet the Sooners at +900 to win the BCS Championship at BetUS.com

Oklahoma already has one national title this decade (it has played for two more) and the Sooners appear to have another team capable of winning it all. I’m not doubting that Bob Stoops can take his troops to that point again, but they will have to be better once they get there – Oklahoma has lost its last four BCS Bowls. QB Sam Bradford leads an offense which was a juggernaut in 2007 and the defense is always one of the fastest, most physical units in the country.

Georgia Bulldogs – Bet the Bulldogs at +900 to win the BCS Championship at BetUS.com

The Dawgs may have the most talented roster in the nation, but a deadly schedule could stand in their way of a national title. Georgia must play the likes of South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, and Auburn on the road. They also have to face Florida in the annual neutral-site game. Georgia has enough talent to win all of these tough games though. Running back Knowshon Moreno is a definite Heisman Trophy possibility and QB Matthew Stafford is experienced and proven. If Georgia can survive the tough SEC, it will be a lock for the BCS title game.

Florida Gators – Bet the Gators at +600 to win the BCS Championship at BetUS.com

Florida went from a national championship in the 2006-07 season to losing four games in 2007-08 as the defense basically had to be rebuilt from scratch. That defense is now seasoned combines with the Tim Tebow led offense to make the Gators a national title contender again. Not only will defenses have to stop Tim Tebow, but they’ll also have to account for the elusive Percy Harvin. Florida’s chances do hinge on the health of Tim Tebow and we know that teams are going to hit him every chance they get. Whether Florida or Georgia represents the SEC in the BCS title game will likely come down to their November 1st showdown.

Athlon Sports puts the same teams in their top five but in a different order. Check out their 2008 college football predictions here.

2008 College Football Predictions

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