What fun is the coming season without putting some bold predictions out on the table. Last year I didn't do so bad, calling Notre Dame's debacle, sort of calling that Kentucky would pull off a huge upset, predicting that Rutgers was going to take a few steps back, and that the Big Ten champ would lose to LSU in the national championship game. Not bad, right?

Since I'm feeling extra confident, we're taking it up a few notches with 10 9 bold predictions and one guaranteed to be right.

10. Lou Holtz Will Be Wrong Every Week, Especially In Predicting 10+ Wins From Notre Dame
In typical Lou Holtz fashion, we'll state the obvious right off the bat in the hopes you'll think we're intelligent. Whenever I'm in doubt picking a game, I wait to hear what Lou has to say and then go the other way. It's as good a bellwether as any other.

Holtz got off to a great start last night by claiming that Notre Dame would win at least 10 games and that his other school, South Carolina would win the SEC East. Neither will happen, particularly the Irish prognostication.

Charlie Weis will have a better team this fall, no doubt, they aren't going to embarrass their fan base on a weekly basis, but they're also not going to light the country on fire. The one huge asset the Irish have in their favor is a schedule that is much more manageable.

A winning record is likely, but lets go ahead and chalk up losses to Michigan State, Pittsburgh, at Boston College and USC just for starters. I'm guessing Holtz wasn't much of a math major, because that's four losses. Anyways, onto some more serious predictions...

9. Pittsburgh will be 9-1 when West Virginia visits November 28th
Hard to believe, but yes a Chicago Bears fan is fully on board the Dave Wannstache bandwagon. LeSean McCoy is a legit Heisman talent, the Panthers get big play receiver Derek Kinder back, and have several quarterback options from which Wannstedt should feel comfortable. The schedule isn't terribly difficult and the defense is good enough for the Big East.

8. Kansas Jayhawks will fall back to 6-6
I realize they have a lot of the same players back, but this time the Jayhawks play the best of the Big XII South. Chalk up losses to Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech, in addition to Nebraska, Kansas State and South Florida. It's not that they're that much worse, but the schedule doesn't help out nearly as much.

7. Fresno State, not BYU is the non-BCS party crasher
Brigham Young is the better football team, but Fresno State has a schedule that sets up a little more favorably. After the Bulldogs upset Wisconsin September 13th, they'll vault into the Top 15 in the country and with an easy stretch during the heart of the season will rack up enough wins to climb them into the Top 10 before they visit Boise State for the deciding game. QB Tom Brandstater might be the quarterback who makes the biggest vault up draft boards this fall.

6. Michigan will go 6-6 in Rich Rodriguez first season
Naturally, I'll be accused of some bias here, but I just don't see this season going any other way. RichRod has said multiple times that his QB situation has kept him up all night. Now I know I shouldn't believe a word he says, but I do trust him on this one. And I don't think he's been up all night because he's thrilled with what he's got. There's no doubt that Michigan will find the perfect QB, someone even better than Pat White at West Virginia... it is Michigan after all. They don't recruit. They select. BUT, this year is going to be a debacle under center. Starting tomorrow against Utah will be former walk-on, former wasn't even good enough to hold a clipboard, Nick Sheridan. It may go well enough to beat Utah tomorrow, but as Big Ten approaches I don't like there odds of finishing any better than 4-4 in conference play. Wait till next year...

5. Kirk Ferentz will be looking, taking a new job after season's end
I'm not going to say he's fired, because he's a good coach, but couple a 3-4 win season with all the other off-the-field issues and I suspect Ferentz will explore other options. The good news though, is that Maine and Florida Int'l are the first two games on the schedule. Enjoy!

4. UCLA beats USC on the final weekend, pushing the Trojans out of the BCS Championship game
BCS madness erupts, again, after the Bruins and Rick Neuheisel stand up to Pete Carroll in their first showdown. It's at home, UCLA will have nothing to lose but another game, and Norm Chow will chew up a defense he knows very, very well. This sends USC behind Ohio State, despite beating them earlier and create a national title game everyone will hate.

3. Terrelle Pryor actually will live up the hype, helping Ohio State reach the BCS Championship
It's rare that a player getting as much hype as he has actually lives up to the hype in year one. Tim Tebow did it, and Jim Tressel will follow his model as far as playing time. He'll put Pryor into situations where he can be successful and slowly take more snaps form Todd Boeckman. In the end, it'll be his mobility that lifts the Buckeyes over Wisconsin and Michigan State on the road in close games, and an easy season ending win over Michigan.

2. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman (again)
Not terribly bold, but then again only one man has ever accomplished this feat previously. Most are predicting that the voters will shy away from voting Tebow simply because of their reverence for Archie Griffin and the Heisman mystique, but he's going to have a more successful season individual, and his team....

1. Florida Gators will defeat Ohio State (again) in the National Championship
Sorry, but it's going to happen. Brace yourself, and start stocking up on booze.