7 Bold College Football Predictions

The time is coming.

This is one of the best times of the year, where the anticipation of the start of college football ignites the sports world. Every team starts with a clean slate and high expectations. Grills are being pulled out and prepped for tailgating. Two-a-days becomes the most important news of the day.

Who can't love this time of year?!

With college football officially just a month away, it's time to make some predictions for the upcoming season. If 2009 can deliver the drama of the past two years, no question we're in for a fantastic year in college football!

Awards and the BCS matchups are coming soon. For now, though, here are some things to look for this season.

The breakout guy of the season will be California RB Jahvid Best.

I'm partial to any back who is averaging big yards, and last year, Best ripped through opposing lines for the Golden Bears, averaging just over 8 yards a carry. Best has explosive speed and is almost impossible to be caught from behind. He ran for 1,580 yards last year, yet got very little attention from anyone outside the West Coast. This year might be a lot different. The Bears travel to Minnesota on September 19, giving Best a chance to impress in front of Midwest writers. Secondly, with Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow all back this season, Best will be the refreshing twist the Heisman race needs.

A potential shocker? Kansas over Oklahoma.

Now, I'm not saying this will definitely happen, which is why it's a potential shocker for now. However, the Sooners will travel to Lawrence the week following their showdown with Texas in Dallas. If OU rolls over Texas, forget it. If they beat Texas in a total dogfight, it might be a close one, but I'd still take the Sooners. However, if Texas beats Oklahoma, and the Sooners have to travel the following week to face a Kansas team that will most likely be undefeated and ready to make a serious statement, this has the makings of a Mark Mangino-sized upset.

There will be a coaching search at Notre Dame.

Let's face it, when you're not in the Pac-10 and you've got Washington and Washington State on the schedule ... okay, so maybe the Irish got a little lucky there. However, the fan base in South Bend, eager to see a revival of Notre Dame football, will be calling for the ouster of Charlie Weis when Notre Dame doesn't win 10 games this season. The search will no doubt be a long one; who will want to take on that much pressure right away?

Florida will beat Tennessee. It will not be pretty.

Most people expect Florida to beat Tennessee, but this season's matchup at the Swamp has all the makings of what could be a blowout to remember. Urban Meyer doesn't like being trash talked, and despite SEC commissioner Mike Slive's attempts to get everyone to play nice, Meyer will not call off the dogs for this one. Lane Kiffin needs a couple of years to rebuild Tennessee, so maybe he should've waited a bit before calling Meyer out. It will be a relentless attack, aimed at teaching Kiffin a lesson, and I expect Tebow to have career high numbers when it's said and done.

Duke will pull off one upset win this season.

Don't ever underestimate a David Cutcliffe team. He's already been a success at Duke by winning more games last season than the Blue Devils have won in the three seasons before that. Now, with better athletes making their way to Durham, Cutcliffe is actually building a foundation for Duke to be a winner on the gridiron, something that hasn't happened since Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines. Duke is on the right track and something tells me that this season, they'll pull off an ACC win that no one thought they would.

After this season, the Big 12 will attempt to make Arlington, Texas their long-term football conference championship site.

The Big 12, as well as the other major conferences, has been schooled by the SEC in the media game, as well as in holding a football title game. While the Big 12 has rotated sites, the SEC has found a home in the Georgia Dome, a perfect venue for a game of such magnitude. The best answer for the Big 12 is the new Cowboys Stadium. No question, Jerry Jones has built a palace down in Big D, and the Big 12 could finally get a one-up of sorts if they can build a home at Jerry World.

The best game of Week 1 will be Georgia/Oklahoma State, and it might end up being one of the best games of the season.

Georgia's stingy defense against Oklahoma State's high-octane offense is going to make for one fantastic matchup, and will no doubt be a must see game for college fanatics. Stillwater will be rocking at the chance to knock off a SEC team early, and no doubt, Joe Cox will take his lumps early this season. Georgia's first five games are brutal, while their later half of the schedule looks much easier, despite that annual trip to Jacksonville to meet the Gators. How Cox handles himself in this game might be an indicator for how the Bulldogs end up this season.