College Fan Face-Off, Week 9: Who flops, who's tops in '08?

Practice has begun; pads are popping; helmets are cracking and coaches are shouting. College football is nearly here -- 20 days away to be precise.

I had the pleasure of covering the opening day of fall camp at both Georgia Tech and Georgia within this past week, and while I won't say which was more impressive, I will say that each session just made these last few days before kickoff crawl even slower.

And I know I'm not the only one.

To add insult to injury (or head-banging bad luck if you're a Bulldog fan), Sports Illustrated released its annual college football preview this week -- and there was Georgia, front and center as SI's top pick.

I say bad luck because of a supposed SI cover jinx and the fact that very few preseason No. 1 picks by that publication ever seem to finish in that position.

Yet Georgia players and fans shouldn't worry about magazines. They should be more worried about their bear of a schedule, for that may be the one thing that could really trip them up this season. (After attending practices, I can assure you that the Bulldogs won't lose games because of a talent deficiency in 2008.)

With that in mind, I asked our resident college football fans (and self-proclaimed experts) just who they expect to take that fall from grace this season, and, for that matter, who will jump up and surprise.

Will it be the Dogs? Will it be Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow -- who, despite seeming like a really decent person, draws much ire from some college fans because of the never-ending media hype that surrounds him (do you really think the dark is scared of Tim Tebow)?

Anyway read on to find out our best prognostications, and write them down. They'll be fun to throw in our faces come December.

Read what our fans had to say and then have your say. Simply scroll down to the bottom and add a comment to the story, or shoot us an email at: [email protected]. Oh, and thanks for the comments from last week's issue: "What's the biggest problem in college athletics?"

-- JEFF HART, 44, Gainesville (Alabama): In the SEC I think the biggest bust of the season could be LSU. A high ranking and the fact that they lost their quarterback could be a receipe for fall this year. I think Mississippi State could be a a big surprise this year. Last year they got a taste of success and they have a good developing team. I like the Bulldogs to challenge for the SEC West title. I think UGA has a great shot to go all the way, however, with the tough schedule they also could end up with three losses, which due to the high ranking could make them a bust. The Vols I think (and hope) are headed for a fall this year. Kentucky will fall back down to their usual cellar-dweller spot this season. AND, I believe Alabama will be better than expected and could challenge for the SEC~West title as well.

-- MATT DUBNIK, 27, Gainesville (Georgia Tech): I think the biggest surprise of the season will be Georgia Tech. Not because they are my alma mater, but because Paul Johnson will show that his offense CAN work in a major BCS conference. I think that Georgia Tech will lose their fair share of games but will prove that this can work, and that they are a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

The biggest bust will be USC. The Trojans' receivers have done nothing to prove their worth; the O-line is a major question mark; Mark Sanchez is a decent college quarterback but is (CERTAINLY) not Matt Leinart; and the D-line needs to be reworked and retooled. How are they ranked No. 2 in the country? With some tough road games, an above average schedule, and other Pac-10 teams coming around, they'll be overrated as always.

-- TREY TOMPKINS, 38, John's Creek (Vanderbilt University): This year's biggest surprise team will be Nebraska. Coach Bo Pelini knows from his days at Oklahoma how to win games in the Big 12, and they have a soft non-conference schedule over the first three games to build confidence before a test against Virginia Tech. A win in that game should propel them into contention in the Big 12 North, where the Huskers' stiffest competition is a couple of teams without a tradition of success (Kansas and Missouri) that just might wilt in the face of the re-emergence of the Cornhuskers. The team's fans are already unrealistically optimistic now that Pelini and returning "'Husker Hero" and new Athletic Director Tom Osborne are bringing back old school Nebraska values to the football program. While the Huskers probably can't beat Oklahoma, Texas isn't on their inter-division schedule this year, so a return to the Big 12 Championship game isn't unthinkable.

On the flip side, this year's biggest bust will come out of the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky will struggle out of the gate with its new quarterback. After losing to Louisville, the Wildcats will post a few uninspiring wins against FCS level competition that won't prepare the team for conference play. After that, the schedule is very unkind, with home games against Arkansas and Vanderbilt likely being the only two winnable games. The prediction here is that early conference losses send this team into a tailspin and Rich Brooks' team posts a goose egg in the SEC win column in 2008. That's a pretty drastic decline after scoring a victory over the team that eventually won the BCS Championship last year.

-- JOHN LILLY, 38, Gainesville (University of Georgia): The biggest bust will be the Vols. They are ranked 18th, and that is a joke. The whole orange nation will think that huge coaching staff will have them ready to beat the higher-ranked SEC teams, but they will lose those games, and the orange nation will call for Phil and his big staff to be fired. The surprise will be the Dawgs. I think we have a chance to run the table, even with our difficult schedule. Most Dawg fans think we will not make it through the season and win the SEC, much less the national title. So, the surprise will be the Dawgs being number one at the end of the year.

-- TEX WEBB, 71, Gainesville (University of Tennessee): Don't we all wish we knew the answer to this. I think that Auburn and Penn St. are going to be the surprise teams this year. Both have unknowns that, if they come through, will pose a lot of problems for teams (and, of course, the Vols will be better than 18th, but that won't surprise anyone.). I think that Georgia and Southern Cal will disappoint more people because of the high rankings, and their schedules will tell on them. Georgia has too many tough games in a row, and they sure can't afford any injuries.

-- TOM RITCHIE, 57, Gainesville (South Carolina): As usual, the biggest bust will come from the Big Ten. Once again, the media thinks that the Big 10 actually plays quality football, and Ohio St. is again going to get a chance to get their chops busted in the BCS championship game -- unless they actually play someone along the way.

The biggest surprise? Does Appalachian State play a Big Ten team again? Actually, being a loyal fan, I think Tommy Beecher is going to do a good job at quarterback, and so I think South Carolina will surprise a few people this year. Maybe we'll even surprise UGA again! I don't think we can win the SEC East, but I think we will be a lot more competitive and go to a decent bowl. That is always a surprise to we loyal USC fans!

-- JOHN GREENE, 31, Gainesville (Clemson University): In the SEC, I think Auburn and Tennessee might be better than expected. Though they are always strong, they have been overshadowed this preseason by Georgia, Florida, and LSU. They may not have the hype, but that may work in their favor. In the ACC, Wake Forest looks to have a really strong team returning -- maybe not as much talent as Clemson or Virginia Tech, but they will be tough.

I can see LSU not living up to expectations in the SEC and Georgia will have a tough time getting through their schedule -- not that Georgia is overrated, just that they have a grueling schedule. If they make it through with only one loss, then they should be in position to play for the national title. In the ACC, I think that Boston college is going to learn what life is like without Matt Ryan. This could be a tough year for them. It will also be interesting to see how the option offense works for Georgia Tech against defenses with much more talent than what Navy faces.

-- CAMERON WELLS, 29, Gainesville (North Carolina State University): I think the biggest surprise that you will see this year will be Duke. The Blue Devils have an experienced offense returning and should get a good boost from David new head coach David Cutcliffe. I wouldn't be surprised to see them fighting for a bowl toward the end of the season.

The biggest bust will be the Clemson Tigers. Once again Tammy and the boys have all the pressure to be ACC champs, and, once again, they will fold. If ever there is a year for them to break through in the ACC then this is it -- the conference is weak. Heck, even UNC is predicted to finish second in its division.

-- BRIAN WILLMAN, 35, Gainesville (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill): The biggest bust will be Clemson. They will be lucky to win eight games this year. The biggest surprise will be that Georgia will not win the national championship.

-- DOUG CARTER, 44, Gainesville (Wake Forest): I will go out on a limb and predict that someone other than Florida and Georgia will be the SEC champion. I would not describe this as a bust, but, considering the preseason predictions, this would be a big surprise if one of them is not the SEC champion. Perhaps the other big bust will be the arrest of the rabid and now infamous Georgia fan and blogger who taunts the team bus of Georgia's opponent each week while wearing a Dr. Seuss hat. I have heard, however, that he runs one heck of a tailgate. I will pledge $50 towards his bail.

The biggest surprise will be the second ACC championship in three years for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. The key game will be Clemson at Wake on Oct. 9.

-- LYNN STEWART, a lady doesn't tell, Gainesville (University of Kentucky): Predicting is not my thing. Kentucky just dismissed its most talented quarterback, so it is going to be a long season in Lexington. I think the biggest bust may well be Missouri on a national level. Was last year's success a fluke or can Missouri really expect to compete in the Big 12 annually? Closer to home, I am hoping that Florida is overrated. I think they are just a Tim Tebow injury away from being merely a good team, not a BCS contender. The biggest surprise nationally could be the Pitt Panthers -- built on defense, if they could find a consistent quarterback they could go from being below .500 to winning the less-than-stellar Big East. Locally, I think it would be nice to see Mississippi State contend in the West. Coming off of last year's bowl win, maybe with a few breaks, Miss. State could sneak into the championship game in Atlanta.

-- BLAIR MARSHALL, 32, Gainesville (Louisiana State University): I'm going to say that my Bayou Bengals are going to be a big surprise. We have reloaded on defense and will look to continue our domination up front and control the trenches. I believe LSU will go a fourth consecutive year allowing opponents less than 20 points per game for the season. The big question right now is on the offensive side of the ball with the lack of experience at QB. We have three warm-up games to get something going in the air, and don't forget we have one of, if not the best, offensive line in the conference and a stable of running backs. I think that LSU is going to surprise a lot of people and represent the West in the SEC championship game. By the way, I think they will face Florida and not Georgia.

The biggest bust is going to be Ohio State. The fact they return 18 starters is irrelevent to me. They play another overrated team, but solid in most areas in USC, and will get taken down by Joe Pa and Penn State for the Big Ten title this year. God help us if we have to watch yet another Ohio State team get creamed in the BCS title game again this year.

-- DAVID McGREGOR, 28, Cumming (University of Miami): The biggest suprise of the season will be maybe USC not winning the PAC-10 or maybe West Virginia winning the Big East. My biggest dissapointment is, of course, the University of Miami not being the powerhouse of old... or maybe Tim Tebow wetting the bed this year. For some reason I feel he is going to fall flat on his face... Or at least I hope so.

-- JOHN McGARVEY, 29, Gainesville (Ole Miss): The biggest surprise is going to be the Ole Miss Rebels! They have fallen on hard times in the last couple of years, going 0-8 in the SEC, and having a lack of leadership. We now have Houston Nutt as our leader and a wealth of talent. If we can overcome our depth issues, I feel we will be one of the biggest surprises in college football. The biggest bust in football will be LSU. I just think that they are going to have a difficult time living up to their preseason No. 6 ranking. They are replacing their quarterback and arguably one of the best D-lineman in recent memory. I am not saying that they are going to have a losing season. I just don't know if they will be able to live up to their high preseason ranking.

-- DEREK GREENE, 27, Gainesville (University of Florida): The biggest surprise this season will be Clemson. They return two solid running backs in C.J. Davis and James Spiller, and quarterback Cullen Harper is ready to win an ACC title. I think their defense will hold up well enough for them to win the ACC and get to a BCS bowl (probably not the title game).

As for the biggest bust, as a Florida fan, I would like to say the Clarke County Sheriff's office. I think they had a good summer workout and had eight "busts." I just think they are OVERRATED. Seriously, The University of Missouri and Chase Daniel's Heisman hopes are the biggest bust. He doesn't stand a chance to take home any hardware against SEC talent like Moreno or the incumbent Tebow. My final big bust is... Phillip Fulmer's belt buckle, it is only one buffet trip away from happening.

It's time to have your say: To join in on this week's debate, simply scroll down below and add your two cents worth, or email your comment, along with your name, age, and hometown to: [email protected].