With the start of the 2010 Georgia Southern football season just a week away, let’s take this week to look at each opponent and make a prediction for the year.

The Eagles open up the Jeff Monken era Sept. 4 at home against a Savannah State program in disarray. They had 33 players who did not participate in spring practice because of various reasons. Add a coaching change to the mix, and it looks to be a tough year for the Tigers.

On Sept. 11, Southern will travel to Navy. This should be an interesting game as Monken faces a team he coached for six seasons as an assistant under Paul Johnson. But Navy has been running this offensive system since 2002. This GSU team has been running it since, well, March. Advantage: Navy.

The Eagles stay on the road and face Coastal Carolina the following week in its final non-conference game of the season. The Chanticleers enter the 2010 season picked to finish third in the Big South conference this season. Because Savannah State is so bad and Navy is pretty darn good, this game is really the first measuring stick of the season.

Following the Coastal game, GSU will open its Southern Conference schedule with a home game on Sept. 25 against Elon who enters the season ranked no. 7 nationally. In 2009, the Phoenix posted a 9-3 record and advanced to postseason play for the first time in school history at the Division I level.

After a bye week, the Eagles host Wofford on Oct. 9. The Terriers will look to rebound from a dismal 3-8 season last year. The Eagles win at Wofford last year was GSU’s only road win all season.

Southern hits the road for Chattanooga the next week to play a much improved UTC team. The Mocs are picked fifth in the SoCon preseason coaches’ poll after posting their first winning season since 2005 last year under first-year head coach Russ Huesman.

Oct. 23 sends the Eagles to Charleston to face The Citadel — a team that always gives GSU a tough game. Although the Bulldogs are at the bottom of the preseason polls, this game has never been easy for the Eagles.

GSU returns home on Oct. 30 to host the Samford Bulldogs — a team Southern has not beaten since Samford joined the conference in 2008. The Bulldogs are picked fourth in the preseason poll.

Then, mark your calendars for Nov. 6. It’s homecoming, and Appalachian State is coming to town. The Mountaineers lose Armanti Edwards, however they’re loaded again and picked to win the conference and ranked no. 3 in the country. But they have to come to Our House. And hopefully by this point in the season, the Eagle offense will be clicking. This one will be fun.

The Eagles finish the season with two road games starting with Western Carolina. Western has struggled over the past few seasons, but the last time Southern visited Cullowhee, it took the largest comeback in FCS history to beat the Catamounts. So don’t take them lightly.

Southern’s season finale is at Furman. The Paladins put a whooping on the Eagles last year in Statesboro when they jumped out to a 24-0 lead and held on to win. Furman is picked third in the SoCon, and if you have to choose just one road trip to make this season, I recommend this one.

            So let’s throw out a prediction, shall we? This team is inexperienced. With an entirely new system, it’s almost as if everybody is a freshman. The Eagles likely will lose a game or two they shouldn’t. They might also win a game or two that surprises some people. But under this coaching staff, they will compete.

Things will get better, but it might not show with this season’s win-loss total.

Tattler prediction: 6-5.

Now, go prove me wrong boys. GATA!