If the four major preseason college football magazines have it right, then clear your plans for Nov. 1.

The experts believe the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will be larger than ever when Georgia faces Florida in their annual border rivalry. Two magazines (Lindy's and The Sporting News ) chose the Bulldogs as their top-ranked team. Two others (Phil Steele and Athlon Sports ) selected the Gators -- led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow -- for the top spot.

Athlon Sports picked Georgia, which returns quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno, fifth, while Phil Steele has the Bulldogs ninth. Phil Steele notes Georgia, which closed the 2007 season with seven consecutive wins, is a national title contender but has a schedule ranked as the third-toughest.

Coach Mark Richt (72-19 in seven seasons) had the Bulldogs playing on a high level last season. Georgia beat Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech in the same season for the first time under Richt. Then, after narrowly missing a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, Georgia pounded Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl and finished with a No. 2 ranking.

Now, the magazines are buying into the Bulldogs. Here's a sampling of what else the magazines expect in 2008:

MORENO FOR HEISMAN: After last season's breakthrough, when he ran for 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns, Moreno is being hyped as one of the top Heisman Trophy contenders.

Can he win it as a sophomore?

All four magazines believe so, rating him high on their lists. It can only help Moreno's campaign that Tebow took home the hardware last season as a sophomore, becoming the first to do so.

Tebow, Florida's signal caller, is also a Heisman favorite. He will try to join Ohio State's Archie Griffin as the only player to win the award twice.

If Moreno and Tebow are still in contention for the honor, the importance of the Georgia-Florida game will be even greater.

ORANGE CRUSH: The publications are cautiously optimistic about Clemson. The Tigers, 9-4 last season, are ranked in the top 10 in all four magazine polls.

The Sporting News said, "Really, this is the season it happens for Clemson. We think."

The reluctance to totally embrace the Tigers is likely because they have not had sustained success in coach Tommy Bowden's nine-year tenure. Clemson is 3-4 in bowl games under Bowden, failing to either play in a BCS bowl game or win the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Still, Lindy's notes Clemson returns 16 starters, including quarterback Cullen Harper and running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller, and the ACC has no clear-cut favorite this season.

"Clemson should win it," Lindy's writes. "Then again, Clemson should have done a lot of things over the years under Bowden."

CAROLINA PRIDE: The Gamecocks were the talk of the nation after last year's 6-1 start. Then, South Carolina finished with five consecutive losses and failed to receive a bowl bid.

That downward spiral has most publications picking the Gamecocks to finish fourth in the tough SEC East behind Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. Only Phil Steele rates the Gamecocks, giving them a No. 18 national ranking and a No. 3 ranking in the SEC East.

One reason for hope is the return of senior middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, of Thomson.

Brinkley, a 2006 first-team all-SEC member, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game at LSU last year. However, Brinkley has received a medical redshirt to play this season.

RAMBLING REBOUND: The Sporting News ranked Georgia Tech's off-season hiring of Paul Johnson as the top among 16 throughout the country. The former Georgia Southern and Navy coach encounters low expectations -- none of the magazines rank the Yellow Jackets in the top 25.

Georgia Tech, 7-6 last season, is implementing an option offense and will have to replace quarterback Taylor Bennett, ACC leading rusher Tashard Choice, and seven defensive starters.

Still, The Sporting News projects the Yellow Jackets to make their 12th consecutive bowl trip.

THOSE AREN'T PEANUTS ROASTING: Lindy's , Athlon Sports and The Sporting News all agree that Washington's Ty Willingham, Arizona's Mike Stoops and Syracuse's Greg Robinson are the three coaches under the most pressure to succeed this season, or risk being fired.

Willingham is 11-25 in three seasons. Stoops has no bowl appearances in four years. Robinson has won seven games in three seasons, two against lowly Buffalo.

WHOM WILL OHIO STATE LOSE TO IN THIS SEASON'S BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME? An SEC team, of course.

The Buckeyes are ranked in the top five in all three magazines' polls and have a manageable schedule. If Ohio State wins at Southern California on Sept. 13, it will cement its place among the top three teams.

If the Buckeyes can make their third consecutive national title appearance, they might want to avoid facing another SEC school after losing to Florida in 2007 and LSU in 2008. Since 1993, Ohio State is 0-7 against SEC schools.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.