Quick Picks: Selecting My 2010 BCS Conference Winners + Thursday Night's Games

Written by Aaron Torres | 01 September 2010

If you read my work at all, you know that come the middle of August, I'm a college football introvert.

Nothing else matters. I don't want to go on dates, go to the movies or go to the beach. Baseball becomes a non-existent part of my life until October. I'd much rather spend August locked in my room, figuring out who the backup long snapper at New Mexico State is, and how a change at defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee will impact the Sun Belt race. Don't judge me, that's just how I am.

Well this year has been no different. I feel like I've been writing about college football for six months now, yet somehow, the games haven't even started yet. I've broken down all these teams every way I know how to; the good and the bad, their strengths, weaknesses, whatever. Simply put, I can rattle off Auburn's road schedule easier than I can my own family's birthdays, which is great for you the reader, but bad for my dad who's turning 58 sometime this month.

So with that, here are my college football conference previews. They aren't my usual, long, rambling diatribes, if only because I feel like I've already talked about all these teams from every angle I can. But I do need to get my picks on paper, if only so you have something to make fun of me for at the end of the season.

Also, be sure to check back for the first of my award winning (Ok, maybe not), college football picks column, this coming Friday. Until then, I'll hold you over with a few of my selections for Thursday night, found at the end of this article.

Now onto, the conference preview picks.

ACC Atlantic: Florida State

I received a lot of heat for the comments I made on Bobby Bowden in my "Way Too Early, Top 25 Preview." But you know what? I stand by them. The guy's time has passed, I'm sorry but it's true. Bobby Bowden needs to worry about finding a fourth for his lunch time conasta game, not beating Urban Meyer and Randy Shannon.

Besides, Florida State is in good shape with Jimbo Fisher. This offense is going to score a lot points, mainly because they did so last year, and bring basically everyone back. With an infusion of youth, this defense will be better too. And when I say youth, I'm not talking about all those hot-shot recruits, but Mark Stoops as the new coordinator. Like Bowden, Mickey Andrews time had to come to move on. The guy thought his players were wearing leather helmets.

Give me Jimbo Fisher. And give me a Florida State Atlantic title.

ACC Coastal: Georgia Tech

I'm not a fan of calling teams, coaches or players, "sexy picks," if only, because I find the phrase really creepy.

Regardless, coming into this year, Miami seems to be everyone's "sexy," pick, with Virginia Tech being the safe one, and the North Carolina the "Well, it might look crazy now, but if everything breaks right I'm going to look like a genius in December," pick. Good luck with that. Especially when the Tar Heels don't score a point against LSU this weekend.

Either way, give me Georgia Tech to win the Coastal and here's why: Everyone talks about the losses of four underclassmen to the NFL (including their leading rusher, leading receiver and one of the best sack guy guys in the country), but I don't care. They've still got Josh Nesbitt, and as long as he's there, it doesn't matter who plays running back or wide receiver, they're going to move the ball. Fill in the next guy, it doesn't matter. In this system running backs and receivers are expendable parts. Games are won and lost by quarterback play.

As for the defense, I wasn't really sold, at least until I did an ACC Preview podcast with Michael Felder of InTheBleachers.net. As a former player, he told me what it was like to prepare for an Al Groh defense, and I promise you, it ain't pretty. Even if Groh set back the head coaching profession back by 15 years.

Finally, let's look at the schedule. Because as the kids say, I love it!

They avoid Florida State and Boston College out of the Atlantic, which is a big, big deal. They play North Carolina in Week 3, and honestly, it's anyone's guess as to who- if anyone- will be eligible to play for the Tar Heels at that point. Finally, they get a bye week before a big Thursday night trip to Virginia Tech (although Virginia Tech has a bye too), with that mid-week game giving them an extra few days to prepare for Miami the following Saturday.

ACC Champion: Georgia Tech

FSU's young defense is going to have seven days to prepare for Georgia Tech after playing Florida the week before? Umm, good luck with that.

Give me Tech in their second straight Orange Bowl.

Big East: UConn

I've already made my case on UConn, so I won't get too much into it here.

Simply put, they return a lot of experience, at all the right positions: Quarterback, offensive line and in the front seven of their defense. The only place they can really be exposed is in the defensive secondary, but look at their schedule...who exactly is going to expose them?

Speaking of that schedule, all I can say is ooo, la and la. Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia, all at home.

Also remember, UConn went 8-5 last year, but lost those five games by a combined 15 points. Seriously, look it up. This could've been a 10-win team last year. It will be in 2010.

Big 10: Iowa

Last week I explained why I didn't think Ohio State would win the Big 10, so now let me give you a few quick thoughts on why I think Iowa will.

Really it isn't one thing they're great at, as much that they're just good at everything. They've got experience at quarterback (although as I've said many, many times, Ricky Stanzi can be a bit erratic). They've got AMAZING depth at running back. Three guys could lead Iowa in rushing this year. And Adrian Clayborn is back to lead this defense. If you don't remember the name, just ask our buddy Josh Nesbitt about last year's Orange Bowl. He's still got Clayborn's cleat marks on his back.

Finally, there's the schedule. Historically, the Hawkeyes have owned Penn State and Wisconsin (then again, if history was our only barometer, I'd have Army playing Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game). And I really think after what happened against Ohio State last year, Iowa wants the Buckeyes. They get them at Kinnick Stadium in 2010. An early season trip to Arizona scares me a bit, but that has no impact on the race for the Big 10 title.

Iowa may have just missed the Rose Bowl last year. I think they get there in 2010.

Big XII North: Nebraska

I've got to give it to Nebraska fans. They've done a good job of talking me into this team.

We all know that the defense was great last year, but it was the offense that worried me. Zac Lee was more erratic than Lindsay Lohan behind the wheel with a few drinks in her, his backup's weren't much better. Other than Roy Helu, this whole offense left me underwhelmed.

But as Nebraska fans pointed out to me, Lee was pretty banged up for most of the second half of the season, and still did a commendable, if not spectacular job at quarterback. Helu and Rex Burkhead are back, and going to get their yards on the ground. This offense will be better.

Besides, who's beating them in the North anyway? Missouri? No thank you. Iowa State? Not in this lifetime. Colorado? Eww. Just eww.

Big XII South: Oklahoma

We all know that this will come down to Oklahoma and Texas, Texas and Oklahoma (And please don't try to sell me on A&M. I'm begging you. When they learn to tackle, and can hold The Sisters of The Poor under 45 points, then we'll talk).  But as much as I went back and forth on this one, I just can't see Garrett Gilbert going into the Cotton Bowl on October 2 and beating Oklahoma. I like the kid. Think he may win a National Championship before he's done. It just won't be this year.

Big XII Champion: Nebraska

Why? I have no good explanation. I really don't. Just one of those hunches, I guess.

Here's my logic in a few pieces:

First off, Nebraska is pissed off about the way last year's Big XII Championship game ended. Even though they lost fair and square, they're pissed. I think they get their revenge this year.

Secondly, I don't like Bo Pelini, I love him. I watch his press conferences, and the guy turns reporters into puddles of goo. I can only imagine what playing for him must be like.

Three, there's something about Landry Jones at Oklahoma that I'm just not sold on. Maybe it's the mustache (seriously, that might be it). And while I know he was thrown into a tough situation last year, I can't get past the fact that every time I watched him, the kid seemed to make really dumb mistakes, at really, really bad times.

It goes against everything I've written so far, but on the record, I'll take Nebraska to win the Big XII title.

Pac-10: Stanford

I made my case for Stanford last week. Call me crazy. It's ok, I've heard much worse. From my own mother.

SEC East: Florida

Believe me, I'm not one of those guys that looks at last year's stats and records, and makes my picks for this season based on that (although I could see why you might think that way).

Still, I'm taking Florida, but it's not so much about the Gators as it is everyone else. Vandy's done, and the season hasn't started yet. I like Kentucky, but not enough to take this division. Tennessee barely has enough bodies to make up a flag football team let alone a real one. South Carolina, well, when it comes to them, fool me once shame on you, fool me five years in a row...

Which leaves us with Florida and Georgia. Truthfully, I've been talked into the Bulldogs to a degree this year. A lot of people have correctly pointed that because of injuries the last couple years, they may have the deepest offensive line in college football this season. And we all know that if you've got a really good offensive line, it lets you get away with a lot of difficiencies other places.

I do believe the defense at Georgia is going to be better too. To me, it wasn't so much that they were under-skilled and overwhelmed last year, just that at some point they stopped listening to Willie Martinez. That won't happen this year with Todd Grantham.

With that, there are  few reasons I'm still taking Florida. One, Urban Meyer owns Mark Richt. NASA actually scientifically proved it this summer. At this point Urban might as well just pay the mortgage on Richt's house.

More importantly though, it comes down to quarterback play. Both teams are inexperienced, yet only Georgia is young. John Brantley might not be the seasoned vet that Tim Tebow was, but with three years in this system, I trust him more than I do Aaron Murray.

I still think the Gators are a 2-3 loss team this year. But I'll take them to make their third straight trip to Atlanta.

SEC West: Alabama

Like I said with Florida, I'm not dumb enough to think Alabama is going to be as good as they were last year, go undefeated, anything like that. They will lose at least one game during the regular season. Maybe to Florida. Or Arkansas. Or truthfully, I think it could be LSU. People forget how well the fightin' Les Miles' played the Tide last season.

But I don't think they're going to lose more than one game during the season, and I still think their closest competitors (Auburn/Arkansas/LSU) are going to lose at least two. By default, that puts them back in the SEC title game as West Champions.

SEC Champion: Alabama

I started out this column by talking about sexy picks, and we'll end it there too. I know it's not fun to pick Alabama to win the SEC, but let's look at this realistically.

If they played Florida (my projection), they'd be heading to Atlanta with the more experienced qb, the two best running backs on the field, and the best wide receiver too. The lines would be neutral since each is way more experienced on offense than defense. Alabama seems like they'd have the better linebacker core, with Florida the advantage in the secondary.

Simply put, there's just more good players, with more experience for the Crimson Tide.

Really the only thing that could actually work against Alabama, is if they win when Florida comes to Tuscaloosa on October 2nd. I find it hard to see Urban Meyer letting anyone beat him three times in a row.

Still, give me the Tide. It isn't sexy, but it's smart.