‘Tis the season for college football predictions and leading sportsbook Bodog gives previews from the bettors’ standpoint.

Sorry Florida fans, USC is the preeminent program in college football today.

All Pete Carroll has done is lead the Trojans to seven consecutive top-four finishes in the Associated Press poll (including two national championships), seven Pac-10 titles in a row (league record) and seven straight BCS bowl berths and minimum 11-win seasons (both NCAA records).

Yet I’m here to tell you there’s a very realistic chance all those streaks end in 2009.

USC loses eight starters from a defense that last season led the nation in scoring defense (9.0, the school’s best mark since 1967), pass efficiency defense and pass defense. For good measure it finished second in total defense and fifth in rushing defense. After that shocking loss at Oregon State in late September, that unit allowed just two touchdowns in the next six games and pitched three shutouts.

The fact that it’s eight starters gone and not nine is actually a very fortunate thing for Carroll as two-time All-American safety Taylor Mays decided to return for his senior season. The Ronnie Lott clone quite possibly will be the best defensive player in college football next fall, but he might need to be. Sure, the Trojans just plug in several more high school All-Americans, but will those guys be ready by Sept. 12 when USC visits Ohio State?

The Trojans do have nine offensive starters back, but not at the most important position: Quarterback. Sophomore Aaron Corp is the starter heading into the fall, replacing Mark Sanchez. Corp beat out former national high school players of the year Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain because he didn’t turn the ball over much during the spring. And all Corp will be asked to do is manage the game and not make mistakes. With their top four rushers and stud receivers Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson back, the Men of Troy should be fine on that side of the ball.

Even if USC beats the Buckeyes again this season, the Pac-10 schedule is tougher than usual. The Trojans travel to both Oregon and California, easily their two biggest threats in the conference (neither game is in November, the month in which USC is invincible). In fact, the last time USC visited Oregon in 2007 the Ducks won. And Cal always seems to give the Trojans trouble. Shoot, don’t even rule out a possible Notre Dame upset in a mid-October non-conference game in South Bend.

I wouldn’t exactly bet against Southern Cal to win the Pac-10 this season, but those 6/1 odds to win the national title on Bodog seem too generous for a team that could easily lose twice in 2009.

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