The Sports Nut 2010 Preseason Predictions

Well, now that you've heard from the other 2 boneheads on here, it's my turn. I am so excited for football season...for several reasons. It's fun to watch, I LOVE tailgating, love FANTASY FOOTBALL, the cheerleaders and I hate fantasy baseball! Anyway, you should know that I am from Maine and a HUGE fan of all things New England, including my beloved Patriots!

When we look at this year's version of the NE Patriots, I am both excited yet nervous. The offense looks to be as explosive as ever, provided Wes Welker's knee holds up (knock on wood). Brady is completely healthy and his arm looks to be as strong as ever as evidenced by his 65 yard picture perfect bomb to Randy Moss in their last exhibition game vs St. Louis. Speaking of Moss, he isn't showing any signs of aging yet either so he should be able to stretch the field as usual. The rookie Tight Ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have both scored touchdowns and have shown toughness as well as great hands. Finally, the running back by committee appears it will be headed by Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor, who could be a surprise this year. Entering his 13th season, he seems to healthy and IF he can stay that way, could just be the weapon from the backfield to really keep opposing defenses honest.

The defensive side is where the nervousness comes in. The loss of Ty Warren is HUGE! Combined with the recent trades of former All-Pros, the defense is going to be young. Players such as Vince Woolfork, Jerod Mayo, Tully Banta-Cain, Gerard Warren and Brandon Merriweather are going to have to stay healthy and bring their 'A' game every night.

This means that the Pats will most likely be involved in several shoot-outs (making the Pats' skill position players very valuable for fantasy) and if they can be close, with the ball in Brady's hands and the reliable leg of Stephen Gostkowski, they should win more of them than they lose. I look for them to win the AFC East and make it to the AFC title game....from there, I haven't made a final decision. Stay tuned for that...

Now, for college football, I have been a lifelong fan of the Florida State Seminoles. It was sad to see one of the great college football coaches of all time, Bobby Bowden leave the sidelines in such a way. It was time for a change but I wish he could have gone out his way and not be forced in the manner he was. So, bring on Jimbo Fisher, the new coach of the proud Seminole program. After a ho-hum season opener at home vs Samford (still tickets available), the going gets very tough with a trip to Norman, OK to take on the Sooners and then hosting BYU the very next week. After a tough ACC schedule, they finish the year with their annual rivalry game with the hated Florida Gators. The 'Noles have a ways to go to get back to their dominating selves, but I look for them to win 8 or 9 games and go to a New Year's Day bowl game.

The other team I have a passion for is the Purdue Boilermakers after having worked there for 3 years. They are in the 2nd year of new coach Danny Hope's regime and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the direction of the team but this year will be a tough one for them. They are very very young but have lots of talent as they have recruited very well, particularly pulling great athletes from Florida. The Big Ten will be top-heavy this year with the Buckeyes, Hawkeyes, Nittany Lions and Badgers all being among the best in the country. From there, it's anybody's guess among Northwestern, Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois. A side note, looking forward to the addition of Nebraska to the Big Ten..suddenly the top of this conference will get much tougher!

Anyway, thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts...

- The Sports Nut
RIP John Wooden, the greatest coach ever