It is the best time to work in the sports business. College football is finally here. Every team has a clean slate. Every team is optimistic. Talking heads like me get to make predictions. I'm not all that great at the predicting part, that's why you can watch me doing the sports segment and not the weather segment.

Let me start by saying that I picked Michigan to win the national title last year. They lost their season opener at home to Appalachain St. Did I mention that I'm not all that good at predicting?

I'm going to do it anyway.

I think Texas has a legitimate shot at winning the Big 12. Even with a very young secondary and a lot of untested players, the 'Horns are athletic and fast. UT has a great, not good, great quarterback who has played a lot of games and won a lot of games. Texas has a pair of receivers who run great routes and can catch the football. Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley are not big like Limas Sweed but they may be the best tandem of receivers in the Big 12. Sorry Tech, I'm still not sold. Malcom Williams will make a lot of plays as will Tight end Blaine Irby. (Think David Thomas, the early years.) Most importantly the offensive line is healthy. They all played last season and they, like the rest of this offense, are athletic. Vondrell McGee will run for over 1,000 yards behind this line.

Defensively Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle will both be all conference. They will make plays and they will make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. Guys like Chase Daniel are great unless they don't have time to throw. The young secondary will look a lot better if the 'Horns front 7 are in the other team's backfield. Rashad Bobino, my all-time favorite Longhorn to interview, will pass Justin Blaylock on the list of games played in a Texas uniform. He's not the biggest or the fastest guy on the field but he's started 38 games for UT including the National Championship game back when he was a freshman. I think he'll lead the team in tackles. Lamarr Houston could be the key. He was great at defensive end last year and this year he'll play tackle. A tackle with the speed of an end. That's a great idea. I guess that's why Will Muschamp makes the big bucks. Gene Chizik made a similar move back in 2005 when he moved Drew Kelson from safety to linebacker. Kelson brought speed to the position and it was a great fit for Chizik's system.

The Longhorns' schedule is stacked. Which team can they not beat? Missouri, maybe. Oklahoma, sure. They could lose those games but why can't they win them? Missouri has had one great year and they have to come to Austin. Kansas won a BCS game but they lost a ton of talent off that team. Texas was very close to beating OU last year. I can still see that Jamaal Charles fumble inside the 5-yead line like it was yesterday.

Texas should start the year with 4 wins. That trip to Colorado may just be the toughest road game of the season. Don't laugh. They signed the running back the Longhorns wanted. Darrell Scott will be great, probably the freshman of the year in the Big 12. Their quarterback , Cody Hawkins, is the coaches son and he got better and better towards the end of last season. They actually beat Oklahoma in Boulder last season.

It seems to me that Mack Brown has really enjoyed playing the role of the "forgotten" team in the Big 12. Everyone is talking about Texas Tech in the south. The Red Raiders should be good and they will be tough to beat in Lubbock. We say that every year but Harrell and Crabtree will be the most dangerous Quarterback/Wide receiver duo in the conference.

I don't think the team that makes it out of the South will do so without a loss. I think the North champ will also have at least 1 loss.

This isn't shaping up to be a National Title contending year for the Longhorns but with this schedule and a high preseason ranking, who knows what will happen.

I do think Texas will win the South and play for the Big 12 title in Kansas City in December.

But then again, I could be wrong.