I am a big believer in the idea that if you want to predict the future, you have to use the past as your guide.

Predicting winners is never an exact science. If it was, then sports betting wouldn't be a multi-billion-dollar industry because all of us on the top half of the IQ ladder would never lose.

You and I don't know who is going to win the national title, but we all probably have our short list of top contenders.

I have looked at the past 10 BCS national champions (1999-2008) and have discovered five characteristics that all of these teams share. I have used these trends to narrow my list of national title hopefuls to seven teams.

While some of these teams are no-brainers, others may surprise you because ...

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