As a Nebraska alum, I’d love to go with my beloved Huskers. But, alas, I cannot. We have too many holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but especially the o-line and backfield. About the only things that give me positive vibes are Crouch and the fact that OU, KSU, and Notre Dame all come to Lincoln. We’ve only lost there once since 1991. But I will admit I cannot see NU getting past ND, KSU, OU, and Colorado 4-0. We just don’t have a team near the level of our mid-90s teams.
As far as I’m concerned, Oklahoma is #1 until someone knocks them off. Many people think it will be Texas, but didn’t they lose to OU by 49 points? I would even go so far as to say the Longhorns are the reason I don’t trust recruiting gurus anymore.
As for the Sooners, I know they have a lot coming back, but Heupel was the heart of that team. In 1996, NU had nearly everyone back except Frazier, so we were almost sure we’d 3-peat. It turned out losing the star QB meant more than we thought (although we did pick it back up and win it in 97). The Big XII will make it tough for OU to repeat. Even though OU ran the table last year, they nearly ran out of gas at the end of the season vs A&M, Tech, and (gasp!) Okie State.
I can’t see Miami winning in Tallahassee, nor can I see Spurrier getting through the SEC unscathed. The two Oregon teams are SI’s flavor of the year, but I’m not fooled.
If I were a betting man, I’d have to go with Florida State. They lose some players, but they do play in a ridiculously easy conference (which, IMHO, is a slap in the face to teams in the Big XII, SEC, Pac-10, and Big Ten). Even though we hear noise from Clemson and Georgia Tech, it would still be a monumental upset for FSU not to get its 8 automatic ACC wins. They get Miami at home, and then can spend the rest of the season vs Duke, Maryland, Wake, etc, getting ready for the Gators in the Swamp.
Then maybe they’ll luck out and get an inexperienced Big East team in the title game (like in '99).
-Michael