The latest issue of Sporting News has its predictions for next year.
Their Top 10:
1) Alabama - Julio Jones will make All America, then leave for the 2011 draft; Alabama will still have one of the top three defenses in the SEC; Mark Ingram will not post the numbers to repeat as the Heisman winner.
Schedule rating: 5/5 - Penn State visits in September, and the SEC rotation also brings in Florida.
2) Oregon - Oregon will rank No. 1 in total offense among BCS teams; Chip Kelly will become the next $4 million/year coach; Oregon will run the table in the Pac-10.
Schedule rating: 2/5 - Ducks visit Tennessee on 9/11 and the Pac-10 schedule sets up well.
3) Ohio State - Ohio State will still have the best defense in the Big Ten; Terrelle Pryor will become a solid passer through the offseason; Ohio State will return to the BCS Championship game...and lose again.
Schedule rating: 3/5 - A win at home against Miami could help Ohio State in the computer polls, as will games against Wisconsin, Iowa, and Penn State.
4) Boise State - The Broncos will beat Virginia Tech in October; Kellen Moore will be invited to NYC as a Heisman finalist; Boise will go undefeated in the WAC.
Schedule rating: 1/5 - Beating Virginia Tech in D.C. and Oregon State at home combined with an undefeated season could put them in the national championship game.
5) Georgia Tech - Josh Nesbitt will improve as a thrower and become the focal point of the offense as well as part of the Heisman trophy conversation; Georgia Tech will win the ACC again, and Paul Johnson will be hired away by an elite BCS school; Georgia Tech will again finish with a better record than Georgia.
Schedule rating: 4/5 - Georgia Tech hasnt separated itself enough from the rest of the ACC to expect upper-tier league games to be gimmies, and nonconference road games against Kansas and Georgia will be tough.
6) Miami - Jacory Harris will play all of 2010 the way he played the first half of 2009; Miami will feature its most complete defense since 2002; An NFL team will pursue Randy Shannon as its next head coach after the 2010season.
Schedule rating: 5/5 - A prove-it year for Randy Shannon includes games against Ohio State and Pitt along with games against the top half of the ACC.
7) Florida - The Gators will throw better than they ever have under Urban Meyer, and QB John Brantley will be first-team All-SEC; Florida will take a step back on defense with key personnel losses and the departure of defensive coordinatior Charlie Strong; If Steve Addazio coaches the Gators in 2010, they will lose three games in the regular season
Schedule rating: 2/5 - The Gators have to travel to Tuscaloosa, but the nonconference schedule will be awful until Florida State truly rebounds.
8) TCU - TCU's defense will rank among the top three in the nation; RB Matthew Tucker and QB Andy Dalton will form the MWC's most dangerous duo; TCU will roll through the Mountain West but fall short of a BCS bowl.
Schedule rating: 1/5 - Schedule was incomplete as of press time. If TCU can nail down a game with Oregon State, it will improve an awful nonconference schedule that includes SMU and Baylor.
9) Nebraska - Cody Green will win the starting QB job from Zac Lee in spring practice; The Huskers will win the Big 12; DT Jared Crick will follow the lead of Ndamukong Suh and become the most dominant player in the Big 12.
Schedule rating: 1/5 - Texas visits Lincoln and Oklahoma is off the schedule. Their toughest nonconference test is a trip to Washington.
10) Wisconsin - The Badgers will make power football cool again; QB Scott Tolzien will be the nation's bestt game manager; Chris Borlan is the Big Ten's next star linebacker.
Schedule rating: 2/5 - Bret Bielema's best team yet gets UNLV, San Jose State, Arizona State and Austin Peay in nonconference play and a Big Ten schedule with no game against Penn State.
