ESE84 Wrote:I don't think you did. My beef is that you have the consensus-like "safe" picks, when the history of C-USA has been unexpected programs rising to the top.

In 2006, many of the experts were like CFN, predicting:

Tulsa 8-4
UTEP 8-4
USM 7-5
Houston 7-5
East Carolina 6-6
Memphis 6-6
UCF 6-6
Marshall 5-7
SMU 5-7
UAB 4-8
Tulane 3-9
Rice 0-12

UTEP, Memphis and UCF did not bowl but Rice did. Tulsa finished third in their division. I suspect 2005 was the same, and the experts did not see Tulsa and UCF in the championship game.

Make some gutsy picks. Tulane has some talent, but UAB seems in turmoil. Rice has an awful lot coming back on offense (probably more than the other West contenders), and a new coach known for defense. The last Rice coach, also known for defense but unable to show any in Houston, has moved up the road. Does UH have a leader like Kolb among their talent?

I'd go:

East:

USM
East Carolina
Marshall
Memphis
UCF
UAB

West:

SMU
Rice
UTEP
Tulane
Houston
Tulsa

While the East may be all about USM, parity lives in the powerful West where someone has to finish last.

I meant nationwide picking wild ones. My gutsy pick is South Florida winning the Big East. When I make predictions, right or wrong, they're guesses. The problem for Tulane is that the deck is stacked vs. them with teams like Tulsa, Houston, SMU and UTEP in their division. Don't get me wrong, these teams could very well prove all of us wrong. Last year, I pegged Houston in the West, although I went with UCF in the East and the conference and that was a disaster.

And the one thing I WILL NOT do is kiss a++ for ANYONE.

Plus, Ill give you points for putting your $$$ where your mouth.

I'll give you a thumbnail of the rest and you judge safe or gutsy.

ACC
Atlantic
1. Boston College (I ranked them #11 in my pre-season poll)
T2. Wake Forest
T2. Florida State
4. Clemson
5. Maryland
6. N.C. State

Coastal
1. Virginia Tech (wins CCG)
2. Georgia Tech
3. Miami
4. Virginia
5. North Carolina
6. Duke

Big East
1. South Florida (#12 in my pre-season poll)
T2. West Virginia
T2. Louisville
T4. Rutgers
T4. Cincinnati (8 win team <overall>)
T6. Pittsburgh
T6. Connecticut
8. Syracuse

Big Ten
1. Michigan
T2. Wisconsin
T2. Ohio State
T4. Penn State
T4. Iowa
T6. Illinois (7 win team <overall>)
T6. Purdue
8. Michigan State
9. Minnesota
T10. Northwestern
T10. Indiana

Big XII
North
1. Missouri
T2. Nebraska
T2. Kansas State
4. Kansas
T5. Iowa State
T5. Colorado

South
1. Texas (wins CCG)
T2. Oklahoma
T2. Texas A & M
4. Texas Tech
5. Oklahoma State
6. Baylor

Pac-10
1.. USC
T2. UCLA
T2. Cal
4. Oregon State
T5. Arizona (8 wins)
T5. Oregon
7. Arizona State
8. Washington State
T9. Stanford
T9. Washington

SEC
East
1. Florida
T2. Georgia
T2. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt

West
1. LSU (MY Pre-season #1) (wins CCG and National Championship)
T2. Arkansas
T2. Auburn
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State

MWC
1. TCU
2. Utah
3. BYU
T4. Colorado State
T4. Wyoming
T4. New Mexico
T7. Air Force
T7. UNLV
T7. San Diego State

WAC
T1. Hawaii
T1. Boise State (will lose TWICE this year)
T1. San Jose State
T4. Nevada
T4. Fresno State
6. New Mexico State
T7. Idaho
T7. Louisiana Tech
9. Utah State

MAC
East
T1. Ohio (wins CCG)
T1. Miami (Ohio)
T3. Akron
T3. Kent State
5. Bowling Green
6. Temple
7. Buffalo

West
T1. Western Michigan
T1. Central Michigan
3. Toledo
4. Northern Illinois
T5. Eastern Michigan
T5. Ball State

Sun Belt
T1. Middle Tennessee
T1. Arkansas State
T1. Louisiana-Lafayette
T1. Troy
5. Florida Atlantic
6. North Texas
7. Louisiana-Monroe
8. Florida International