Take 'em to the bank...

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Five big predictions for 2010:

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Fifteen people who will have a major say over the course of the 2010 college football season:

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Almost as soon as it debuted nine years ago, I was hooked on 24. For a while, fighting global terrorism with Jack Bauer was appointment viewing – hide the remote, turn off the ringer, shut down the computer.

Eventually, though, the writers started recycling story lines and plot devices: Bauer's family was in trouble; CTU leaked worse than a Pac-10 secondary; an eccentric rich guy was engineering a government conspiracy.

This year on the final "day," the show went for something of a desperate re-invention, with Bauer morphing into a no-holds-barred vigilante hell-bent on starting a world war in the name of "justice." It was a ridiculous final straw for a show that had lost its mojo years before.

24 went on for eight seasons. Even with as wretched as it was at the end, I watched every single episode.

During those 192 hours, I could have been out donating my time to a worthwhile cause. I could have been out developing a new hobby. I could have just watched something else.

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Bill Snyder 2.0 is in full effect in the Little Apple. Andrew Lawson of Kansas State Wildcats blog Bring on the Cats joins Homerism to run through the not at all kinder or gentler version of the college coaching legend, as well as what the 2010 season has in store for the program.

Andrew and I cover:

• the KSU quarterback derby;
• an experienced offensive line;
• sneaky good tailback Daniel Thomas;
• the questions surrounding defensive coordinator Chris Cosh; and
• Snyder's efforts to upgrade the defensive talent.

(CLICK HERE to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.)

(Editor's note: The Skinny is back and ready for some handicapping this fall. First, though, he wants a little Skin time with Homerism's audience to get some stuff off his chest.)

It's that time of year again. The time you realize how little you care about baseball, the World Cup, LeBron James or any other "big" sports headline from the summer.

Who cares about the AL East when you have breaking news about Tampa's back-up tight end battle? (Thank you, fantasy football!) Sure, the World Cup was great in June, but in August a bunch of chauncies prancing around a field in "shin guards" seems better suited for Perez Hilton than ESPN.

It's the time of year when a text message from your buddy reading "DeJuan Miller has really filled out... looks great in pads" is perfectly acceptable. America is jonesing for its football fix, and, for better or worse, The Skinny is back for another season.

In a couple days, my brother and I will release our week one picks. But before we release the best free picks you can find on the internet, I have a few observations and comments on this summer and the upcoming season.

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Add Roy Finch and Frank Alexander to the list of the Oklahoma Sooners' walking wounded.

Bob Stoops announced today that the running back Finch has a hairline fracture in his foot, which supposedly puts him out six to eight weeks. Even though Stoops may say differently, I'd guess the shifty freshman has a 50-50 shot at being redshirted.

As is the case with linebacker Austin Box's back injury, the Sooners are fortunate to have more than enough depth at running back to weather Finch's absence. While his name has been brought up frequently during the offseason as a candidate to play right away, the reality is that Finch probably would have seen spot duty in the backfield.

However, for the time being, the loss of Finch does take an intriguing weapon out of offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson's arsenal. With his speed and elusiveness, Finch possesses the potential to be a nightmare matchup working out of the slot.

Alexander's ankle sprain sounds far less serious. Whether or not the junior defensive ends plays against Utah State probably won't make a difference, so Sooner fans shouldn't be shocked if Alexander sits out the season opener. Florida State's potent offense comes to town a week later, posing a far tougher test for OU's D, so better to have him ready then.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are coming off of back-to-back nine-win seasons, but coach Mike Gundy and his staff now face the prospect of retooling a team that returns just eight starters from 2009. Gundy also has turned over control of his offense to new coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Samuel Bryant of Oklahoma State blog Cowboys Ride for Free joins Homerism to preview the 2010 season in Stillwater.

Samuel and I cover:

• Gundy's job status;
  
• Brandon Weeden's readiness for the Air Raid;
  
• Bill Young's effect on the Cowboy defense; and
  
• the return of linebacker Orie Lemon.

A year after appearing in the national title game and winning the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns are a team in flux. Peter Bean of Texas blog Burnt Orange Nation stops by to share his thoughts on a new quarterback, a new offense and some new faces on UT's defense.

Peter and I cover:

• the transition under center from superstar Colt McCoy to talented sophomore Garrett Gilbert;
• offensive coordinator Greg Davis' I-formation acumen;
• a bevy of pass catchers trying to replace Jordan Shipley;
• questions on the Longhorns' offensive line;
• defensive mastermind Will Muschamp's pass-rushing toy chest;
• a stellar secondary; and
  
• the grudge match with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

(CLICK HERE to subscribe to Blatant Homerism's Podcast on iTunes.)

Special teams so often play a huge role in big college football games. The Oklahoma Sooners received more than a few reminders of that last year, when special teams miscues could have made the difference between winning and losing:

• BYU: Missed field goal;
• Texas: Missed field goal, fumbled kickoff return, muffed punt return;
• Nebraska: Three missed field goals.

Which isn't to say that OU's special teams were actually that bad, per se.

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