College football 2009 magazine preseason predictions (defending champion in parenthesis) Athlon ESPN Lindy's Phil Steele Sports Illustrated Sporting News Yahoo!/Rivals ACC Atlantic (BC) Fla. St. Clemson Fla. St. Clemson Fla. St. Fla. St. Fla. St. ACC Coastal (Va. Tech) Va. Tech* Va. Tech Va. Tech* Va. Tech* Va. Tech* Va. Tech* Va. Tech Big East (Cincy) Cincinnati USF WVU Rutgers Rutgers Pittsburgh WVU Big Ten (Penn St.) Ohio St. Penn St. Ohio St. Penn St. Ohio St. Ohio St. Ohio St. Big 12 North (Missouri) Nebraska* Kansas Kansas* Nebraska* Kansas* Kansas* Kansas Big 12 South (Oklahoma) Oklahoma* Oklahoma Texas* Texas* Texas* Texas* Texas C-USA East (ECU) E. Carolina* N/A S. Miss S. Miss* E. Carolina* E. Carolina E. Carolina C-USA West (Tulsa) Houston* N/A Houston* UTEP* UTEP* Houston* Houston MAC East (Buffalo) Buffalo N/A Buffalo Ohio Ohio Buffalo BGreen MAC West (Ball St.) C. Mich N/A C. Mich C. Mich C. Mich W. Mich* C. Mich Mtn West (Utah) Utah N/A TCU BYU* TCU Utah TCU Pac-10 (USC) USC* USC USC* USC* USC* USC* USC SEC East (Florida) Florida* Florida Florida Florida* Florida Florida Florida SEC West (Alabama) Alabama Ole Miss LSU Ole Miss Ole Miss Ole Miss Alabama Sun Belt (Troy) Troy N/A Troy Troy Troy Troy Troy WAC (Boise St.) Boise St. N/A Boise St. Boise St.* Boise St. Boise St. Boise St. No. 1 (Florida) Florida* Florida Florida Florida* Florida Florida Florida *2008 prediction correct; ESPN didn't make conference picks last year; Yahoo!/Rivals didn't have magazine last year