Gators likely to take national championship

With a fresh college football season fast approaching, there’s no better time than now to dish out some preseason awards.

Here are my picks for those who will end the season with some serious hardware along with those who will have some serious explaining to do:

National champion: Florida, Southeastern Conference. Given their history with the Bruins, this pick will ruffle some feathers, but returning a Heisman-award winning quarterback will help the Gators knock off Georgia on their way to the SEC championship and national title. They get SEC monster LSU at home this year, and their experience along with Percy Harvin returning on offense won’t hurt one bit.

The Gators just have too much talent returning and their balanced offensive attack will prove to be too much for Ohio State in the national championship in a rematch of the 2007 beatdown.

Heisman Trophy: Knowshon Moreno, running back, Georgia. The 5-foot-11-inch, 207-pound sophomore picked up over 1,300 yards last season with 14 touchdowns and no fumbles lost. He’s about as talented as an ambidextrous pitcher and has more moves than the Jabbawockeez. His stutter step is reminiscent of Reggie Bush and breaks more ankles than a mafia don.

It won’t hurt that he’s got three returning starters on his offensive line that should open up plenty of holes. Look for Moreno to lead Georgia to a Bowl Championship Series game and stake his claim as the nation’s best running back against some of the best rush defenses in the country.

Biggest surprise: Pittsburgh, Big East Conference. The Panthers have a favorable conference schedule, getting West Virginia and Louisville at home, and will benefit from a huge year from sophomore running back LeSean McCoy, who toted the rock for 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. If it can get an average performance from its quarterback position, where it struggled last season, Pittsburgh will look to be at the top of its conference by the end of the season and possibly a BCS berth.

Nobody will forget its shocker over West Virginia last season, and this year looks to be a breakthrough for head coach Dave Wannstedt who remains on the hot seat. McCoy is one of the top five backs in the nation and will be in the Heisman discussion, leading his team back into the limelight.

Most likely to be blown out in a BCS game: Looking at the previous few years, this team has got to come from the Big Ten. From Illinois to Ohio State, this conference just can’t seem to win the big one. The Fighting Illini were embarrassed at the hands of USC this past year and the Buckeyes are seemingly shown up in every bowl game they play in, but in 2009 it’ll be Wisconsin that can’t quite get over the hump.

The Badgers went 9-4 last season, including a 4-point loss to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, but the offensive firepower is just not there to compete with the big dogs from their conference, much less the national powerhouses this coming year. Despite this, they will make the Rose Bowl, piggybacking on Ohio State’s third-straight national title appearance. But they will probably lay an egg if history is any indication.

Look for Wisconsin to carry the pressure of a one-loss regular season into a double-digit loss in the postseason.

E-mail Feder at jfeder@media.ucla.edu if you think otherwise.

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