2010 Florida Football Predictions

The Florida Gators enter the 2010 season with a completely different look to them, as they no longer have Tim Tebow running the show on offense. Tebow without a doubt will go do as one of the best college football players of all time, and now this team will have to try and find a way to win without him. The Gators only loss in 2009 came in the SEC Championship game against Alabama, as they finished the year an impressive 13-1 after beating Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.

The Gators enter the 2010 season with just 11 starters back, and for many schools that usually means a down year, but we are talking about one of the best football programs in the country. There is no doubt with the talent this team has just waiting to get onto the football field, they are going to be competitive year in and year out. Whether they will be good enough to win the SEC this year is a different story. Here is a look at what the Gators are bringing back on both sides of the ball in 2010, plus my prediction on where they finish the season in the SEC.

Offense: All signs point to junior John Brantley taking over the vacated starting quarterback job, and don't be surprised if this kid has a great season in 2010. Brantley is not going to rush for near as many yards or score 14 rushing touchdowns, but he is very accurate and could put up better passing numbers than Tebow did in his final season.

At the skill positions the Gators welcome back junior running back Jeff Demps, who ran for 745 yards and 7 scores last season. I would not be surprised at all if Demps passed the 1,000 yard mark this season. Looking at wide receiver the Gators lose four of their top five weapons from 2009, as the only starter back is junior Deonte Thompson. They moved fellow junior Chris Rainey into the slot receiver this spring, while adding junior college transfer Carl Moore at wide out.

The offensive line will be the key, as the Gators figure to have one of the best groups up front in the entire nation. They will make life a lot easier for Brantley, who should have plenty of time to get rid of the football, and Demps should have no problem running through the holes this unit creates.

Defense: Florida returns just five starters on this side of the ball, but don't be surprised if this unit is just as good as the group they sent out in 2009. Sophomore Omar Hunter figures to be a beast in the middle of the front four, but for the d-line to really be successful they are going to need solid production out of Justin Trattou and William Green, both of whom figure to step in and start at defensive end.

At linebacker the Gators only return junior AJ Jones, but look out for some of the young talent this team has waiting to get on the field at this position. It looks as though sophomore Jonathan Bostic and red-shirt freshman Jelani Jenkins have the early edge at the two open spots.

The rest of the teams in the SEC figure to have a hard time throwing the ball against Florida in 2010, as the Gators look to have a top class secondary this season. Even though they lose CB Joe Haden and safety Major Wright, they look to have one of the best safety duos in the country with senior Ahmad Black and junior Will Hill. At corner they return one of the best in the SEC in junior Janoris Jenkins, and are expected to start a very talented freshman in Joshua Shaw at the other corner spot.

Prediction - 1st SEC East: I have the Gators winning the East thanks to a schedule that has them playing South Carolina at home and Georgia at Jacksonville, the two top competitors in the East. We could get a preview to the SEC Championship game when Florida takes on Alabama on Oct.2.

2010 Duke Football Predictions

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Duke was once considered one of the worst BCS football teams in the country, and while they still aren't an elite program, they have continued to improve over the last couple seasons. In 2009 the Blue Devils finished at 5-7, just one win away from bowl eligibility. A big reason for the turnaround at Duke is head coach David Cutcliffe, who has brought life to a team that use to be one of the easiest games on the schedule. In 2010 the Blue Devils will have 15 starters back, and figure to have a great shot at making their first bowl game since 1994. Here is a quick breakdown of what the Blue Devils will send to the field on both sides of the ball, plus my thoughts on where they finish the year in the ACC Coastal.

Offense:

Duke had just six starters back on the offensive side of the ball last season, but still managed to increase their scoring average from 20 points to 25 points a game. This year they have nine starters back, and will look for even more improvements from this side of the ball.

A big reason the Blue Devils were so successful on offense last season was the play of quarterback Thadeus Lewis, but he has graduated and left a big hole for the Blue Devils to fill this season. Heading into the fall it looks as though sophomore Sean Renfree is going to get the first shot at taking over the starting job, but he is coming off an ACL injury so it might take him awhile to get things going.

With all the improvements made on the offensive side of the ball, the Blue Devils were dreadful at running the football last season, as they averaged just 63 yards a game on the ground. Sophomore Desmond Scott was the leading rushing for the Blue Devils with just 262 yards and one touchdown. I look for Scott to get a lot more carries this season, and should give the Blue Devils a huge boost in the ground game, as I think they could increase their average over the 100 yard mark this season.

Renfree steps into a pretty good situation, as the Blue Devils return all three starting wide receivers and senior tight end Brett Huffman. Junior Donovan Varner led the Blue Devils in receiving last year with 65 catchs for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns. While I think Varner is going to have a pretty productive season, I think we will see a bit of a drop off in the passing game this season, especially if the Blue Devils try to install the run more this year.

Up front the Blue Devils will have a lot of experience back on the offensive line, as four starters return from the 2009 season. Junior left tackle Kyle Hill figures to do a fine job protecting Renfree's blind side, but the Blue Devils must find a new starter at the other tackle position. Fellow junior Jon Needham is the frontrunner to take over the open spot, as he has the most experience and talent of any other tackle on Duke's roster.

Defense:

Duke dropped off on the defensive side of the ball last season, as they gave up just over 28 points a game last season. up front the Blue Devils return senior defensive end Patrick Egboh and junior defensive tackle Charlie Hatcher. Senior Wesley Oglesby has started 16 games during his time with the Blue Devils, and he is the prime target to take over at the other defensive end spot. As far as the other defensive tackle spot goes, look for sophomore Tyree Glover to step in and start next to Hatcher.

Duke didn't get the greatest play from their linebackers last season, but are hoping that they can improve things this season with senior middle linebacker Damian Thornton and senior weak-side linebacker Abraham Kromah back. Thornton finished third on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss last season, and will be asked for much of the same this year. Senior Adam Banks started four games for the Blue Devils at outside linebacker last season, and he figures to be the guy to step in and start all season on the strong side.

The only starters back for the Blue Devils in the secondary is senior corner Chris Rwabukamba and junior strong safety Matt Daniels, so there is likely going to be a drop off in production from this unit in 2010. Junior Jonny Williams is expected to start opposite of Rwabukamba at the other corner spot, while sophomore Jordan Byas looks to step in and start at free safety.

ACC Coastal Prediction - 5th: I think it's safe to say the Blue Devils will stay ahead of Virginia for last place in the Coastal, but I don't think we can expect them to finish any higher in this division, as the top four teams are all capable of finishing the year in the top 25. I look for Duke is going to have to pull off a few upsets if they want to reach the 6-6 mark and become bowl eligible this season.

2010 UCF Football Predictions

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Central Florida begins the 2010 college football season with a renewed belief in their system and a new quarterback under center. The Golden Knights missed the opportunity at a division title when the ECU Pirates topped the Houston Cougars to win the conference in the closing weeks of the 2009 season. The G-Knights had a successful season going 8-5 and 6-2 in the conference, including a 37-10 win over then No. 15 Houston in Week 10. They may have fared much better had they not dropped to 0-2 to start the season. However, they stormed back with six consecutive conference wins, but then concluded the campaign with their third bowl loss in as many years, falling to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers 45-24 in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

Consistency seems to be the name of the game for UCF, and if they get some, they could very well win the C-USA East crown in 2010.

Here's a closer look at the 2010 Central Florida Golden Knights to help make your College Football wagers winners.

Offense:

With the exclusion of a few key components, including quarterback Brett Hodges, the Golden Knights offense remains mostly intact. It will be the job of offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe to blend together returning veterans and new freshman in an attempt to recapture the essentials of an offense that was ranked fourth highest in scoring, while allowing the fewest points scored in the conference last season.

The offensive push will start with newly minted QB Rob Calabrese, who appears to have the starting job going into fall practice. The sophomore started in three games, along with four other appearances last season completing 25 passes for 265 yards with three TDs. He showed his leadership skills by leading a 10-play touchdown drive, where he completed 5-of-7 passes, with five minutes remaining in last year's bowl bid. His quest for a starting position will be challenged by freshman Jeffrey Godfrey who will keep the coaches looking, should Calabrese run into any unforeseen problems.

The ground attack will be led by returning RB Brynn Harvey. As a freshman Harvey rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 TDs on 261 attempts. A knee injury threatens to delay his 2010 start for up to four games. If that happens running backs Brendan Kelly and Jonathan Davis could get more opportunity to prove themselves early on.

Calabrese will have a pair of capable receivers to help bolster his passing stats in 2010. The first is junior wide out Kamar "Hollywood" Aiken who drug down 36 receptions for 610 yards last season. On the opposite side will be all-around wide receiver, A.J. Guyton. Despite his small frame, standing just 5-11, he plays much larger. The sophomore standout averaged 13 yards on 44 receptions, contributing a total of 572 yards for the G-Knights offense.

Defense:

Derrick Hallman, Lawrence Young, Kemal Ishmael, Josh Robinson and conference Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end Bruce Miller are just a few of the defending jewels that return to a very good Golden Knights squad that led the conference in total defense and sacks, as well as scoring defense, rushing defense and tackles for loss.

With the departure of Corey Hogue, Josh Linam and Chance Henderson, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, will need to be prepared to hold down the middle second row. They will get some help from Young on the outside.

The secondary looks solid with junior safety Derrick Hallman right in the thick of things.

2010 Prediction: First in the C-USA East: UCF return 19 seniors and 17 players who started at least once a year ago. Most would guess that his alone should be enough to get it done in 2010. While that factor alone does afford them a distinct advantage over other teams within the C-USA, a lot of the Golden Knights success will rest on their ability to bring back last year's defense, keeping the score low enough to overcome a sometimes-anemic offense. With other teams in the East retooling this coming season, the Golden Knights cannot afford to give up this "golden" opportunity.

For a detailed look at the 2010 Conference USA predictions check this out.

Also be sure stay up to date on all the college football odds right here this season. And check in often for more college football picks to help make your betting experience a winner.