I don't think anything will be surprising about Notre Dame. They've got a weak schedule, and will still go about 6-6. I wouldn't be surprised if they went 0 and 4 before their first win. Anyway...
I'm thinking Alabama will go, at best, 8-4 this year. I'd like to see better, but the SEC is just amazingly tough right now and Nick Saban is working with a team that Mike Shula recruited on school tradition alone. The four loses I'm predicting - LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida State. I could interchange Florida State with Georgia and Arkansas for Auburn - those are always wildcard games that could go either way no matter what the records are. At worst, I'll allow a 7-5 season.
Florida has got stiff competition coming from LSU, who I'll predict to take the SEC and possibly the National Title against USC.
I finally got my season tickets, a few weeks ago. I'm pumped up!