Never Too Soon To Talk College Football

I look forward to fall more than any other time of year (except for March).  Knowing that each week counts if you want to play for a National Title makes every game huge.  It's only June and two full months until the season starts, but there are at least ten teams that have a shot at winning it all. 

My Top Eight College Football Questions for 2007:

1.  Here in Madison, the Badgers are ranked as high as No. 4 in preseason mags.  Doesn't matter who is quarterback (Donovan or Evridge), Camp Randall will be rocking.  Can Wisconsin win the Big 10?  Heck, let's aim higher.   The National Title? 

2.  Can the Lebron James of high school football, Jimmy Clausen, walk into South Bend and lift the Irish to places (recently) unknown?  Sure, Brady Quinn was good.  Jimmy Clausen is much better. But will Clausen get the surrounding cast to bring a National Title in Notre Dame in the next few years?  All I ask of the BCS is not to put the Irish into a BCS game if they aren't worthy.  Is that so much to ask? 

3.  Will Ohio State be able to replace Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalex and stay at the top of the Big 10?  No.  Next question.

 'What?  Me worry?'

4.  What can Nick Saban do with Bama?  This year the SEC, along with every other year, is far too strong for Saban to lift the Crimson Tide in the upper tier of the best conference in college football.

5.  Can Hawaii QB Colt Brennan throw for 5000 yards this year?  I wouldn't put it past him.  He is in the right offense, has a great arm and wide receivers who can fly.  Not that we'll ever get to see any of his games when they start at midnight here in the Midwest.

 Can this be John David Booty's year?

6.  Who is the best team in the country?  USC?  Florida?  Can John David Booty take the Trojans to Matt Leinert territory?  Can Tim Tebow actually throw the ball?  Yes and yes.  But who wins the National Title? 

7.  Yes, Arkansas has the best player in college football (Darren McFadden), but can Coach Houston Nutt keep his job into 2008?  Best recruits leaving, parents fuming, playbooks going up in smoke, etc.  Houston Nutt isn't going to be able to win enough in the SEC to keep his job after this season.

8.  Who wins the Big 12?  Sophomore Colt McCoy returns for just his second season in Austin and has a fantastic offense around him (think Limas Sweed, Selvin Young, Jamaal Charles, etc).  Who replaces Paul Thompson as Oklahoma's QB? 

** I'd like to have a question about the Heisman Trophy, but since the player who wins the award never amounts to jack squat, I'll pass on that one.