It’s here! Our 2010 college football picks are ready and raring to go here at Bankroll Sports, and to get you ready for the first week of play, we’ve got the list of only the best NCAA football trends that can point you in the right direction towards cashing in on a slew of winners! Get your college football betting season off on the right foot with these hot college football trends!

Thursday, September 2nd: Pittsburgh Panthers @ Utah Utes
Trends of Note
-The Panthers are only 2-6 ATS in their L/8 games played in the month of September
-Utah is a whopping 27-12-1 ATS in its L/40 games played outside of the MWC
-The Utes are 10-4-1 ATS in their L/15 home games

Series History
Utah defeated the Panthers 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl in 2005, marking the first time that a non-BCS team went to one of college football’s premier bowl games. The Utes destroyed the 14 point spread that day and made an embarrassment out of U-Pitt, the Big East champs for that year.

Friday, September 3rd: Arizona Wildcats @ Toledo Rockets
Trends of Note
-The Wildcats are just 2-7 ATS in their L/9 road games
-Arizona is 0-4 ATS in its L/4 games played outside of the Pac-10
-Toledo is just 1-4 ATS in its L/5 games overall dating back to last year

Series History
These two teams have met twice before, in 2008 and in 1985. Arizona won both games, crushing the Rockets 41-16 in ’08 and easing to a 23-10 decision two and a half decades ago. Young RBs Nick Grigsby and Keola Antolin, both of which are still around for the Cats, combined to rush the ball 29 times for 157 yards and three TDs in the victory two years ago.

Saturday, September 4th: UCLA Bruins @ Kansas State Wildcats
Trends of Note
-The Bruins are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their L/5 non-conference tussles
-UCLA is 34-16-2 ATS in its L/52 games played in September
-K-State is 4-1 ATS in its L/5 home games and 5-1 ATS in its L/6 overall
-The Wildcats are just 5-17 ATS in their L/22 non Big XII games

Series History
Last year, the Bruins used a stifling defense and 119 rushing yards from RB Johnathan Franklin to roll to a 23-9 victory over the Wildcats. That was the only lifetime meeting of these two schools prior to this week’s NCAA football betting bash in Manhattan.

Saturday, September 4th: Connecticut Huskies @ Michigan Wolverines
Trends of Note
-The Huskies are 7-0 ATS in their L/7 road games and are 12-2 ATS in their L/14 overall
-UConn is 34-16-1 ATS in its L/51 non-conference clashes
-Michigan is 4-1 ATS from last September

Series History
First meeting

Saturday, September 4th: LSU Tigers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Trends of Note
-The Tigers have covered four straight NCAA football spreads against the ACC and 15-7 ATS in their L/22 non-SEC duels
-LSU is 4-1-1 ATS in its L/6 neutral site games
-North Carolina failed to cover both spreads last season against the other five BCS conferences

Series History
You have to go back to 1985 and 1986 to find the last two times that these teams met. LSU won both games and covered both spreads, winning 30-3 in the Bayou and 23-13 on Tobacco Road.

Saturday, September 4th: Oregon State Beavers @ TCU Horned Frogs
Trends of Note
-Oregon State is 23-9 ATS in its L/32 games overall
-The Beavers are 8-21-1 ATS in their L/30 games played in the first month of the season
-TCU is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 games overall

Series History
First meeting

Sunday, September 5th: SMU Mustangs @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Trends of Note
-SMU has gone 4-1 ATS in its L/5 road games
-The Mustangs are just 3-13-1 ATS in their L/17 games against the Big 12
-Texas Tech is 3-1-1 ATS in its L/5 games played in the month of September

Series History
The home team is 4-1-1 ATS in the L/6 clashes of these Lone Star State rivals. The Red Raiders are 3-1-1 ATS in their L/5 and 6-2-1 ATS in their L/9 against SMU. Two years ago, the Mustangs were defeated 43-7 by T-Tech, marking the third straight year in which they were beaten by at least 32 points in this series. SMU hasn’t covered a college football betting line in this rivalry since 2004, a 27-13 win for the Red Raiders. The Mustangs haven’t won a game in this series for two decades.

Monday, September 6th: Boise State Broncos vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Trends of Note
-The Broncos are 7-1 ATS in their L/8 games played outside the WAC
-Boise State is 17-7-1 ATS in its L/25 games overall
-Virginia Tech has covered five straight spreads
-The Hokies are just 4-9 ATS in their L/13 games played in September

Series History
First meeting

They are the teams who upset your favorites. They are the underdogs you root for or hate every year. They can win you big money, or they can bust you out with their upset victories. Their dream? Making a BCS bowl game. These are the top ten non-BCS schools, or mid-majors, if you prefer.

#1 Boise State Broncos: We all know the Broncos. Since 2006, the blue turf bandits have made off with victories over Oregon State, Oregon, Utah, and TCU. Let’s not forget the Statue of Liberty play to defeat Oklahoma in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. Since that undefeated year, the Broncos have four total losses. Last year’s team saw QB Kellen Moore throw for 39 touchdowns to just three picks. Wide receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis combined to catch 142 balls for 1,896 yards and 24 touchdowns, while running backs Jeremy Avery and Doug Martin averaged 5.5 yards and 6.0 yards per carry, respectively. The two combined for 21 scores. Last season’s top-ranked scoring offense retains all of these leaders, so matching last year’s 450.8 yards and 42.2 points per game is doable. The defense retains star cornerback Brandyn Thompson, who intercepted five balls in 2009. Most of the defense from last year was made up of freshmen and sophomores, so this unit is only going to improve. This season, the Broncos open with Virginia Tech, a school that has struggled in early-season games as of late. With a win, the Broncos would be set to not just make a BCS bowl, but be the first non-BCS school to reach the National Championship game.

Key non-conference games: Virginia Tech (N), Oregon State
Key conference games: @ Nevada, @ Idaho

#2 TCU Horned Frogs: Since 2005, the Horned Frogs have taken out Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Stanford, Utah, BYU, Boise State, Virginia, and Clemson. Last year’s impressive squad, led by quarterback Andy Dalton, averaged 456.7 yards and 38.3 points per game. Dalton threw for 2,756 yards, 23 scores, and eight interceptions. This year, he will be throwing to a trio of seniors in Jeremy Kerley, Jimmy Young, and Bart Johnson, who combined for 110 receptions and seven scores in 2009. Running back Matthew Tucker averaged 6.4 yards per carry last year, scoring eight times. He will be the primary running back with the loss of Joseph Turner. A defense that gave up just 239.7 yards and 12.8 points per game retains the majority of its starters, though both Jerry Hughes and Darryl Washington are now in the NFL. Like Boise State, the Frogs have several freshmen and sophomores returning with great experience. They will have their chance to make another statement with a week one game against Oregon State.

Key non-conference game: Oregon State (N)
Key conference games: BYU, @ Utah

#3 Navy Midshipmen: Navy sails into 2010 coming off a ten win season, including victories over both of the other service academies. The Middies lost three games by seven points or less. With the return of quarterback Ricky Dobbs and another year of the famed spread-option offense, Navy is looking for another great season. Dobbs threw just 105 passes in 2009, completing 56 of them for 1,031 yards, six touchdowns and three picks. Of course, on the ground, he ran 315 times for 1,203 yards and a whopping 27 tuddies. Joining him in the unique offensive attack are fullback Vince Murray and a host of young, but talented slot-backs ready to replace Marcus Curry. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry on 182 touches, scoring six times. However, Curry was dismissed from the team in May after violating team rules and failing a drug test in January. Eager to step up are backs Gee Gee Greene, Alex Teich, and Aaron Santiago. Greene averaged 6.2 yards per rush last year, while returning 33 kickoffs for 607 yards. Teich contributed 376 yards on 70 carries. On defense, Navy will be led once again by DE Jabaree Tuani and safety Wyatt Middleton. They will have to re-tool at linebacker however, as the three starters are gone. Tyler Simmons will be heavily relied upon to lead the new group. Navy has a favorable schedule, so another ten win season is looking likely.

Key games: @ Air Force, Notre Dame(N), @ East Carolina

#4 Houston Cougars: There is a significant drop-off after Boise State and TCU, but Houston took out Texas Tech, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State last season. The Cougars feature a high-powered offense and the nation’s statistically leading quarterback in Case Keenum. Keenum completed 492 of 700 balls last year for 5,671 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 15 picks. The team returns three 1,000 yard receivers in James Cleveland, Tyron Carrier, and Patrick Edwards. The three combined for 27 touchdowns, all averaging at least 11.3 yards per catch. Clearly, there is not much use of the running game, but if needed, the Cougars have two running backs in Charles Sims and Bryce Beall, who are capable. Sims averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored nine times, while Beall gained 670 yards and scored seven touchdowns. Don’t look for the 108th ranked defense to improve much, however. Last year’s unit gave up 451.3 yards and 30.1 points per game. Senior cornerback Jamal Robinson intercepted five balls a year ago and will lead a defense that is extremely young. Houston will be in the spotlight in its final game of the year at Texas Tech.

Key non-conference games: @ UCLA, Mississippi State, @ Texas Tech
Key conference games: @ SMU, UCF, Tulsa

#5 Temple Owls: You’re asking yourself: “How did Temple get on any top ten lists, other than maybe the worst schools ever?” Well, my friend, Temple has turned it around, at least for a little while. Yes, it lost to Villanova in week one of the 2009 campaign, but then again, Villanova won the FCS championship. The Owls put together a nine game win streak, finishing the regular season at 9-3 before losing by nine to UCLA in their first bowl appearance since 1979. Vaughn Charlton returns as the quarterback for 2010, but last year was not impressive; he completed 107 of 213 passes for 1,390 yards, ten scores, and 11 picks. This will obviously have to improve. The wide receiving corps is deep, with only two players getting more than 20 catches. Five receivers caught at least two touchdowns, but none caught more than three. The ground game is the real excitement for the Owls, with star running back Bernard Pierce. Last season, Pierce carried 236 times for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns. Matt Brown also ran for 529 yards and five scores on 89 carries. On defense, the Owls should again be strong against the run, with an experienced and large line and senior linebackers Elijah Joseph and Amara Kamara leading the way. However, opposing quarterbacks racked up 226.4 yards per game, blasting through the Owls’ secondary. The schedule is no cakewalk, with the first four games against Villanova, Central Michigan, Connecticut, and Penn State. However, Temple could easily get another 9-3 season and MAC title game appearance.

Key non-conference games: Connecticut, @ Penn State
Key conference games: Central Michigan, @ Northern Illinois, Ohio

#6 Nevada Wolfpack: The Wolfpack quietly had a 7-1 conference record and the best rushing offense in the nation a year ago. After getting stomped by Notre Dame, Colorado State, and Missouri, the team went on an eight game win streak, before losing its final regular season game and a bowl bid against SMU. Returning this year is quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who completed 166 of 282 throws for 2,052 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six picks. He was the top dual threat in the nation, adding 7.3 yards per rush on 161 carries, scoring 16 times. Rejoining last year’s number one ranked ground game is Vai Taua, who averaged 7.8 yards and scored ten times on 172 carries. The team loses its third 1,000 yard rusher in Luke Lippincott, but there is plenty of depth in Mike Ball and Mark Lampford. At wide receiver, the team returns Brandon Wimberly, Tray Session, and Chris Wellington. The three combined for just nine touchdowns in the nation’s 107th ranked passing offense. The Wolfpack will need to improve their passing offense to keep up their winning ways. Last year’s unit gave up a second to last ranked 297.8 yards per game through the air. In the team’s five losses, the opposition scored at least 31 points. The line and linebacking core losses are minimal, and the only way to go is up for the secondary. The conference road schedule is terribly brutal, however.

Key non-conference games: California
Key conference games: @ BYU, @ Idaho, Boise State

#7 Utah Utes: The Utes are looking tough once again for 2010. They have some holes to fill on defense, but with BYU losing Max Hall and other staples, Utah is primed to be right there with TCU. The offense will be led by sophomore QB Jordan Wynn, who threw for 1,329 yards, eight scores, and four picks in a half season’s work after replacing junior Terrance Cain. The team loses a 1,000 yard wide receiver in David Reed, but retains Jereme Brooks, who led all receivers with seven scores. Sophomore Luke Williams will be the second throwing option for Wynn, having caught just nine passes last year. The rushing attack will be led by Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata. Asiata tore his ACL early last season and was granted an extra year of eligibility. Wide emerged as a more than capable replacement, racing for 1,070 yards and 12 touchdowns on 202 carries. On defense, only five starters return. Last year’s unit allowed just 176.2 passing yards and 20.2 points per game. The biggest hit comes at linebacker, with all three starters now gone. However, junior J.J. Williams is expected to lead a young group. The schedule isn’t easy, but Utah does get most of the big games at home, including Pittsburgh, TCU, and BYU.

Key non-conference games: Pittsburgh, @ Notre Dame
Key conference games: @ Air Force, TCU, BYU

#8 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders: MTSU isn’t exactly one of the most talked about mid majors, but last year it showed it really does have a capable football program. The Raiders finished behind Troy for the Sun Belt title, but won ten games, including a bowl victory over Southern Miss. Now, it might just be MTSU’s year to win the Sun Belt. The offense will be led by a great dual threat in Dwight Dasher. He led his team with 1,154 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, while throwing for 2,789 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. At wide receiver, the team loses Chris McClover and Patrick Honeycutt, who combined for 961 yards and nine scores. Remaining are Garrett Andrews and Shane Blissard. The two only combined for 19 catches last year, though. This year’s defensive unit also has some strength. DE Jamari Lattimore returns, having racked up 5.5 sacks. Safety Jeremy Kellem has been named the Sun Belt preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Blue Raiders will have their first statement game opportunity in week one, when the Minnesota Golden Gophers come to Tennessee.

Key non-conference games: Minnesota, @ Georgia Tech
Key conference games: @ Louisiana-Lafayette, Troy

#9 Northern Illinois Huskies: The Huskies are again on the rise, with back-to-back bowl appearances and an impressive win at Purdue last season. Now, they return several key starters and look to appear in the MAC Championship game with Temple. The offense will once again feature a strong running game, with senior Chad Spann. Last season, Spann gained 1,038 yards and scored 19 times on 179 carries. Fellow running back Me’Co Brown has left the program, so JUCO transfer Jasmin Hopkins will see action early. Chandler Harnish will again be the quarterback and will try to improve on a mediocre performance, throwing for 1,670 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions last season. The 109th ranked passing offense will be searching for a top wide receiver, as only two caught more than one touchdown. Landon Cox appears to be the man, leading last year’s squad with 535 yards and four scores on 45 receptions. Defensively, the Huskies should be set. Nine starters are returning, but will need to improve on last year’s measly four total interceptions. Last year’s unit also allowed opponents to convert 41.2% of the time on third down, but did sack the quarterback 29 times. Where it really counts, the Huskies only surrendered 21.2 points per game. This season, the Huskies will face a brutal schedule, with four of the first five on the road. However, with the departure of Dan LaFevour at Central Michigan, the MAC West is NIU’s to lose.

Key non-conference games: @ Iowa State, @ Minnesota
Key conference game: Temple

#10: Central Florida Knights: The Knights are going to be a power in Conference USA’s East Division. The story here is the defense, which allowed just 84.7 rushing yards per game last season. Seven starters are returning, including DE Bruce Miller, who was responsible for 16 sacks in 2009. At cornerback, sophomore Josh Robinson will make another impact, intercepting six passes in his freshman debut. A unit that a year ago allowed just 22.5 points per game has nowhere to go but up. The offense is a different story, with junior Rob Calabrese stepping in at quarterback. He threw for three scores and no interceptions in limited action in 2009. Leading running back Brynn Harvey should be back from knee surgery in time for the season opener. On the plus side, the offense returns four starting linemen and its top receiver in Kamar Aiken, who scored nine times and averaged 16.9 yards per catch last year. The Knights have an excellent chance to make the C-USA title game, led by their lights-out defense.

Key non-conference games: North Carolina State, @ Kansas State
Key conference game: @ Houston

The 2009 College Football Season kicks off Thursday night with 9 different games that will take the spotlight as college football enthusiast tune in to the opening night of football. South Carolina travels to North Carolina State in the opening premier match-up which will be followed by a battle between top 25 teams No. 16 Oregon at No. 14 Boise State. There will be plenty of action throughout opening night and surely bettors will be eager to get an opportunity to make some quick cash and get things off to a good start to their seasons. Of course, most will be betting on the game totals and over/unders. However, we take a look at some interesting prop bets from BetUS Sportsbook (100% football bonus using this link) & Sportsbook.com (50% football bonus using this link) for the first night of football and break down unique ways to cash in and earn some money while watching these games.

Free Prop Bet Pick #1 – South Carolina Gamecocks at North Carolina State Wolfpack 

Double Result Odds:
South Carolina/South Carolina +250
South Carolina/Tie +2000
South Carolina/North Carolina State +500
Tie/South Carolina +2000
Tie/Tie +8000
Tie/North Carolina State +2000
North Carolina State/South Carolina +600
North Carolina State/Tie +1800
North Carolina State/North Carolina State -200

The “double result” bet is perhaps one of the simplest exciting bets with the opportunity to really make some money. If you are not familiar with this type of bet, you are basically predicting initially the winner of the first half and then the winner of the 2nd half. There are 9 different scenarios that can play out and all of them usually have profitable odds. North Carolina State will enter the game as 4 point favorites due to a strong offense behind the young talented quarterback of Russell Wilson. However, we tend to warn that Wilson and company may not have an easy task of overcoming the South Carolina defense. The Gamecocks secondary ranked 2nd in the country last season holding teams to just 159 yards per game through the air. South Carolina may have lost a large portion of that secondary, but they have a history of producing a strong secondary and have put plenty of cornerbacks in the NFL over the past few years. The Gamecocks defense will also be very solid up front and should get a lot of pressure making it difficult for the Wolfpack offense. The big question will be if the South Carolina offense can deliver. The quarterbacks had plenty of trouble last year throwing more interceptions than any team in college football (27). Stephen Garcia will be the man behind center this year and he has a lot of upside if he can be accurate. Even with 4 interceptions in the first half last year, the Gamecocks routed the Wolfpack in a 34-0 blowout on opening night. The Wolfpack should have no trouble getting on the board this year, but that is not to say they will have tons of success. The Gamecocks defense should get the job done again and it could be similar scenario despite what the media may be predicting.

Free Football Pick – South Carolina/South Carolina

Free Prop Bet Pick #2– Oregon Ducks at Boise State Broncos

Who will score first?
Oregon -105
Boise State -115

This particular game will highlight two very talented offense in what could very well turnout to be a high scoring shootout. The Ducks offense ranked 7th nationally in 2008 gaining 484 yards per contest while the Broncos ranked 18th racking up 440 yards per game. The over/under total is listed at a lofty 64.5 points a game so touchdowns are to be expected. However, who will score first? Well that could be simple if we first knew who would get the ball first? Well that may be a stretch, but both offenses should get the better of the defense. However, we all know how offenses some time take some rhythm before they spark early in the year especially in the opening match-up. Last year, it took Oregon until the end of the season before the offense became alive. Even if they are to come out ready this Thursday night they will play a solid Boise State defense that ranked 20th overall in 2008. The Broncos on the other hand will go against one of the worse pass defenses from 2008. Oregon ranked an extremely disappointing 111th last season against the pass allowing 270 yards per game. Add to the fact that the Broncos have only lost two games on their home field in the last ten years and there is plenty reason to think they will be the first to ignite on offense. Oregon will give them a run for their money, but they will likely make a late charge.

Free Football Pick – Boise State -115

Free Prop Bet Pick #3 – Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes

First Quarter Betting Line:
Utah State +4.5
Utah -4.5

The Utah Utes became college football’s version of a Cinderella story last year after an undefeated season that was captivated by a heroic and convincing victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Utah will enter opening night as the number 19 team in the nation when they travel to take on inner state foe Utah State. Utah had an impressive offense in 2009, but despite popular perception it was the defense that made the difference. The Utes will return 8 of those starters that contributed to the nations 11 best defensive unit. Utah State on the other hand returns one of the worse defenses in the land. The Aggies barely ranked inside the top 100 allowing 412 yards per game. The Aggies will have a solid quarterback in Diondre Borel, but it may be a difficult task overthrowing the Utes tough defensive front. The Utes should be able to control the Aggies fairly easy and that is a big reason they are 20 point favorites. America’s new favorite team should control this game from start to finish and the defense should keep the team from getting behind even if they are to come out flat. Points should be easy to come by and the Utes will led by two scores at the end of the first quarter.

Free Football Pick – Utah -4.5

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The dog days of summer are vastly approaching and for sports fans that means that baseball will soon be the only major sport making the headlines. For a large majority of sports enthusiasts that do not stay on track with baseball, the most of us we will be counting down the days to the first kickoff of the 2009 football season. The 2009 College Football season promises to be exciting as ever. Tim Tebow will try and lead the Florida Gators to their 3rd National Title in 4 years. Florida will be one of the leading favorites again for teams to win the 2009 National Championship along with some familiar faces in Oklahoma and Texas. However, we will take a brief look at the teams who are staging to emerge into the national spotlight this year who are among the less coveted teams in the nation. Take a look as we break down our top 5 sleeper teams to make a name for themselves in 2009.

#5 – Boise State Broncos

It is hard to pick a team that went undefeated in the regular season in 2008 as a sleeper, but that is the case with the Broncos this season. The main reason they grab this spot is they have a great chance at snatching the BCS automatic bid in 2009. The reason is that the Broncos have a cupcake schedule very similar to last year’s undefeated regular season. Outside of Oregon, Boise State could walk through the regular season without losing a game and not even have to be playing their best football. Add to the fact some of the top teams will have pretty hectic schedules this year and Boise State could be sitting pretty by season’s end. The Broncos defense lost a few players, but having Kellen Moore in control of the offense should be enough to pick up any slack. If the Broncos run through another regular season undefeated, and most teams are sitting with two losses they could make their way into a BCS Bowl Game. Not to mention the BCS will be more anxious to get a non-BCS team in after Utah stunned Alabama last year in the Sugar Bowl.

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#4 – Florida State Seminoles

A decade ago you would have never considered Florida State as an underdog type team. However, the Seminoles have been missing from College Football’s main stage for quite some time now. However, Florida State showed steps in the right direction in 2008 anchored by a strong defensive group. The Seminoles will return 8 starters on the defensive side of the ball and will likely be among the best in the nation on that side of the ball. The Seminoles could use some explosive offensive threats that would really make them dangerous. Christian Ponder will be the man behind center and that could be either the rise or fall for Florida State this season. The Seminoles have a great chance snatching ACC Championship honors this season if everything goes well. The Seminoles will attempt to capture a 10 win season which would surprisingly be their first since 2002.

#3 – California Golden Bears

California was a solid team in 2008 and they have a lot to build off heading into this season. The Golden Bears were not run over by any team last year and they will return 17 starters from their 2008 campaign. While I am sure many will disagree, I believe the Golden Bears could really make a run at the Pac-10 title this year. One of the main reasons is Jahvid Best at running back. Best was at his best towards the end of last season averaging 210 yards over the final 3 games and racking up over 1,500 yards on the season. The Golden Bears will rely on Kevin Riley behind center this season and he should have a progressive year. The California defense should be another unit that shows improvement from 2008 as well. The Bears had a top 25 defense last season and could be a good bit better heading into 2009.

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#2 – Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State has a great chance to bust out from the big shadows of Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 this season. The high powered scoring conference will not lack any need for points this year and Oklahoma State could possibly have the best offense of anyone. Oklahoma State finished 9-4 a year ago, but they played everyone very well including Texas who barely escaped an upset in Lubbock 28-24. The Cowboys look to return nearly the exact same offense this season. The offense has all the makings to post huge numbers and could easily become one of the best in the conference. That’s right this offense can compete with anyone. Quarterback Zach Robinson and running back Kendall Hunter should provide the type of balance needed to stay effective. On top of their tremendous potential on offense, Oklahoma State should not be too bad on the defensive side of the ball as well. The Cowboys could use a little bit of help in the secondary, but should have strong enough rushing defense to hang with anyone in the conference. The Cowboys get Texas and Texas Tech at home while finishing the season at Oklahoma. If the ball bounces there way, this team could catch fire.

#1 – Mississippi Rebels

The Rebels were our team to watch out for last season in the SEC and we think they will be a team to watch out for among the national ranks in 2009. Houston Nutt should have possibly been the Coach of the Year for his amazing work he did turning around the Ole Miss program last season, but rather that award actually went to Nick Saban at Alabama. Mississippi finished 2nd in the SEC West last season and really did not get any rhythm until the latter part of the year. The Rebels lost back to back close games against South Carolina and Alabama before winning their last 6 games including a blowout over the high powered offense of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. QB Jevan Snead really showed some great signs at quarterback last year and could be on the verge of a breakout season in 2009. Add to the fact the Rebels were the only team to beat Florida last season, and they have the most upside of any team with 4 losses from 2008. The defense should be another solid unit similar to last season’s team that ranked 19th nationally. Mississippi will get South Carolina on a Thursday night game and Alabama two weeks later early in the season. If the Rebels can get off to a fast start, there may be nobody that can stop them throughout the rest of the season.