Cold Omaha predicts the future.

You never know what is going to happen when it comes to Minnesota sports news. But we at Cold Omaha have seen the future. It looks pretty in some spots -- downright ugly in others. Since everyone loves lists, here’s a list of things you can expect to see in 2008.

*The Minnesota Vikings will make the playoffs next year, but will lose to the Eagles in the first round. Tarvaris Jackson will play well enough to become the full-time, undisputed starter at quarterback, but the lack of a pass rush will do the Vikings in once again.

*The Golden Gopher football team will win 3 non-conference games next fall, but won’t win a game in Big Ten play. Prior to the signing date this winter, 2 members of the Gophers highly rated recruiting class will decide to sign someplace else, leaving all the Brewster backers with little on which to hang their hats.

*The Twins will struggle this year and won’t make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Johan Santana, traded to the Red Sox in January of 2007 will help pitch the Sox into the playoffs, but Torii Hunter’s California Angels will knock them off in the ALCS and will go on to win the World Series against the New York Mets.

*Tubby Smith’s 2008-2009 Golden Gopher basketball team will be ranked in the Top 25 heading into Big Ten play next year. The Gophers will be a bubble team at the end of the season this March, but will fail to make it to the big dance. Colton Iverson will be the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

*The Minnesota Timberwolves will have the first pick in the NBA Draft and we still might not pay much attention to the Wolves.

*Joe Mauer will bounce back and challenge for a batting title in 2008. He still won’t hit more than 10 homeruns in a season, which will irritate us to no end.

*Disstraktor will finally regain his 2006 form and produce a website worth checking in on every 2-3 weeks.

*Jacoby Ellsbury, sent to the Twins in the Johan Santana deal, will steal 20 bases for the Twins next year. Delmon Young will hit 20 homeruns.

*Denny Green will make a coaching comeback when he is hired as head coach of the 49ers – either this year or next, whenever Mike Nolan is fired.

*Just prior to training camp, Zygi Wilf will threaten to relocate the Vikings since he can’t seem to get public support for a new stadium. The legislature will get funding done during the next bonding session, thus finally ending all of the stadium talk for at least the next 20 years.

*Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics will fall to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, cementing KG’s status as a player not quite good enough to win the big one.

*A core-group Las Vegas reunion will happen at some point during 2008. Please.