The fall air, the cracking of the helmets, blocking, tackling and debates of who is better. I love it!

My picks for the upcoming National Football League season:

In the AFC East I predict New England Patriots 11-5, Miami Dolphins 10-6, Buffalo Bills 10-6, and New York Jets 8-8.

In the AFC North I predict Baltimore Ravens 11-5, Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6, Cleveland Browns 5-11, and Cincinatti Bengals 4-12.

In the AFC South I predict Indianapolis Colts 12-4, Tennessee Titans 12-4, Houston Texans 8-8, and Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10.

In the AFC West I predict San Diego Chargers 10-6, Denver Broncos 9-7, Oakland Raiders 7-9, and Kansas City Chiefs 5-11.

In the NFC East I predict Philadelphia Eagles 12-4, New York Giants 11-5, Dallas Cowboys 10-6, and Washington Redskins 5-11.

In the NFC North I predict Green Bay Packers 12-4, Minnesota Vikings 12-4, Chicago Bears 9-7, and Detroit Lions 1-15.

In the NFC South I predict Atlanta Falcons 11-5, Carolina Panthers 10-6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-8, and New Orleans Saints 7-9.

In the NFC West I predict Arizona Cardinals 10-6, Seattle Seahawks 8-8, San Francisco 49 ers 7-9, and St. Louis Rams 4-12.

Who will win the AFC? The Tennessee Titans. They will battle NFC champs Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl. The league MVP will be Adrian Petersen.

The Vikings, with Brett Favre at quarterback, will win the Super Bowl. Petersen will be named MVP for the game.

Here are a few more predictions for football season:

Albert Lea will beat Austin by two touchdowns!

 Florida will win the NCAA national championship over Texas.

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings each will win the home game of their series this year.

The Detroit Lions will win a game. Yahoo!

 Some NFL player will have a drug problem, a gun problem and an ego problem. My guess for T.O. is all three.

Brett Favre will retire at end of season, then un-retire, then comeback and go to the Lions, boosting attendance and leading the league in most jerseys sold in one division in the history of the NFL. Mid-season he will demand a trade to the Bears, who need him because Jay Cutler is sidelined because of an accident tripping over his ego during a game. During his first game as a Bear, Favre will have his arm come completely off and then retire at age 42 to coach Mississippi high school football and go shopping with his wife.

Tribune Publisher Scott Schmeltzer’s column appears every Thursday.