by Mac Stevenson

Created on: September 11, 2009

In the world of sports, the atmosphere of color and excitement surrounding college football is like nothing else. Each season it's become a favorite pastime of fans and the media to declare which major conference is the best.

Going into the 2009 season, the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 are generally acknowledged as the top two leagues in the nation. That may or may not prove to be the case.

Florida of the SEC is the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, and rightfully so. The Gators have almost all of their key players back and they are the defending national champs. QB Tim Tebow has already won one Heisman Trophy and he's one of the favorites to win this year. In addition, the Gators return all of their top 22 defensive players; that's almost unheard of.

In the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma were ranked right behind Florida in the media polls. It took just one week to take care of OU; the Sooners lost more than their game with BYU the first week of the season. QB Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy last season and he's out indefinitely with an injured shoulder. Besides Bradford, OU lost their All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham; he had knee surgery and he's out for the season.

Texas looks like the favorite in the Big 12, but Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas are all capable of challenging the Longhorns for the league title.

Southern California of the Pac-10 will certainly challenge for the national championship. The Trojans play at Ohio State this coming Saturday (Sept. 12) and the winner will be in the hunt for the national title. That victor will be USC.

Alabama of the SEC will be a competitor for the Number-One ranking; they will have to defeat Florida to make the national championship game.

Notre Dame has a favorable schedule that could allow the Fighting Irish to make the national championship game. But Notre Dame has a date with USC in South Bend on October 17 and that will end their dreams of national glory. USC has too much overall talent for Notre Dame.

Penn State of the Big Ten and California of the Pac-10 are two dark horses that could sneak into the championship game. Those two conferences are not as strong as the SEC and Big 12 from top to bottom, but they still have some powerful teams.

One prediction that's safe to make concerning the 2009 season is that fans will continue to plead for a national playoff. It's a shame that college administrators won't go along with this idea because it would be so easy to do by using the present bowl games for a playoff. Let the national championship be decided on the playing field, not by the votes of media and coaches.

Florida is the obvious choice to win it all, but upsets in college football are frequent and shocking. At least, with the present BCS system, there is a playoff of sorts. The prediction here is that Texas will play Florida for the national championship on January 7 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. And Florida will repeat as national champions.

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