Are you ready for some Football?

'Tis the season...football season that is. The NCAA football season has begun. LSU thumped Mississippi State with more games to follow this Labor Day weekend.

I have to admit that I am ready. After a year's hiatus from college football thanks to my adventures in Narnia last fall, I say, "bring it on!" As I was riding my bike to work this morning, it felt like football season. The weather has been cooler here in Nebraska the last few days. In fact, it got down to the 50's last night. Biking to work has been fabulous. Ask me again about the weather when we get the first ice storms of October, and I will probably have other opinions on the weather, but right now the weather is great.

As I was riding to work this morning, I began seeing the signs of the times. Cars decked out in football gear; everything from window flags to a fresh crop of bumper stickers. Students walking to classes wearing jerseys and Nebraska shirts. Football is in the air here. I have found Nebraska fans ravenous for the start of football season as the Tennessee fans I know from my hometown. In some ways, it almost has the feel of Christmas eve.

Hope springs eternal, I suppose. For a state that does not really have a professional sports team, college football is king. I think the Huskers will do alright this year. I think best case scenario is a 10 win season. 9 wins is probably more realistic. Trendy sports prognosticators are picking Missouri to win the Big XII north over Nebraska. I am not quite sold on the idea. Missouri can make a run out it, but they have to prove they can win down the stretch and not collapse at the end, which they have managed to do for decades. I think the Big XII south will come down to Texas/Oklahoma, although Texas A and M might have something to say about it this year.

So, here's my prediction for the team that plays within a 5 minute walk of my job. I hate making preseason predictions until I see at least one or two games because what is a team does and what a team is on paper is often two different things.

That having been said, here we go: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Toss up, Number in Parentheses = my point spread/differential.

Nevada :W (+30)
@Wake Forest :W (+6)
USC :L (-14)
Ball State :W (+26)
Iowa State :W (+10)
@Missouri :W (+2)
Oklahoma State :W (+ 3)
Texas A & M :T (Even Money)
@Texas :L (-4)
@Kansas :W (+22)
Kansas State :W (+10)
@Colorado :W (+15)

Preseason Record Prediction for Nebraska: 9-2-1

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