We have reached the point where it is a downhill drive to the start of football season. The hazy days of summer consist of MLB, WNBA and CFL. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to football.
Because of the late Labor Day holiday this year, we won’t be having any August college football. As much as I want the season to get here, I think it is a good thing as to be perfectly honest, football should not start until September. That’s just the way it is.
We are 43 days from the season opening kickoff between Presbyterian and Wake Forest (NL sorry folks) and that means it is time to look at some futures. Precisely, BCS Championship futures. Five teams, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio St., Florida and Boise St., all have odds in the single digits showing not much value. Let’s get the season started with some possible National Championship sleepers.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (+1200)Nebraska may not be considered a real sleeper as there is a lot of buzz surrounding the Huskers this season. However, with Oklahoma being the Big XII favorite, Nebraska can fall into this category. What better way for Nebraska to exit the Big XII, a conference it never wanted to be a part of anyway, with a conference title and a National Championship?
The Huskers bring back 17 starters including 10 on offense and that is important since the offense was not a strong unit last season. Replacing Ndamukong Suh is impossible but the defense, which has improved by 28 ppg and 205 ypg over two years, proves the Blackshirts are back.
The schedule sets up great for the Huskers as they have seven home games, including both Texas and Missouri, and they miss Oklahoma altogether. They could face the Sooners in the Big XII Championship to earn a spot in the Glendale, AZ fro the BCS Championship.
Miami, Florida Hurricanes (+2000)We cannot quite say that the Hurricanes are back to their old form from the previous three decades but they are on their way. They have improved from 5-7 to 7-6 to 9-4 over the last three years and head coach Randy Shannon, who was rewarded with a four-year contract extension, has this team believing once again.
Offensively, quarterback Jacory Harris is the real deal and a new West Coast offense could have him in the Heisman Trophy discussions. Miami also got Seantrel Henderson, the top offensive linemen recruit in the nation, after he was released of his letter of intent at UCS following the sanctions there. Defensively, Miami returns 10 starters to a unit that made huge strides in the second half of the season.
The big drawback for the Hurricanes is their schedule early in the season as they have three straight road games at Ohio St., Pittsburgh and Clemson. Should they pull an upset or two and it means a home showdown with Virginia Tech in the second to last week of the season is the biggest remaining roadblock.
Arkansas Razorbacks (+4000)Picking a team in the SEC to win the National Championship other than Alabama or Florida may seem like tossing money away but there is some real value here. The Razorbacks burst back onto the scene last year with an 8-5 record and plenty of room for more improvement this season. Head coach bobby Petrino knows what he’s doing and he knows he has a special team in 2010.
The best news took place in the offseason when quarterback Ryan Mallet decided to stay in school for his senior season. He will lead an offense that averaged 36 ppg and 427.3 ypg last season, ninth and 20th respectively in the nation last season. The defense will see big improvements and we saw some of those down the stretch last year. In total, 60 letterwinners are back.
No SEC schedule is easy no matter how you look at it but the Razorbacks got a great draw. The non-conference schedule is tame and in conference action, they get both Alabama and LSU at home while avoiding Florida. Arkansas has only four true road games this season. Everything is in place for a major run.
Matt Fargo is a Professional handicapper at Covers Experts, where “We only make money when you do”.