Category: college football

2023 College Football Season Preview

College football is finally back in our lives, which means we’ll be treated with the best sport on the planet for the next four months. And this could be one of the craziest seasons we’ve ever seen. Here’s my preview of what should be another fantastic year of college football.

Cover photo taken from News IO.

The best sport in the world is finally back. College football has returned to us after a long seven month wait, and we could be in for one of the most fun seasons we’ve ever seen. 2022 will be a tough act to follow, but this is shaping up to be a season featuring some absolute juggernauts at the top that could provide us with some of the best games in recent memory as everyone vies to reach Houston and the National Championship. And with this being the last season of the both the four-team playoff and the Power Five as we know it before realignment takes shape, we are bound for some classic college football craziness. Here’s how I see each of the Power Five conferences playing out, along with my Heisman and Playoff picks for what could be one of the best college football seasons of all time.

Big Ten

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes

Runner-Up: Wisconsin Badgers

If only the Big Ten got rid of their division system one season earlier. If there was ever a time to let the teams at the top of the league go at it, it’s now. The conference is as top-heavy as it has ever been with the big three of Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State boasting absolutely loaded rosters that can and will compete for this year’s national championship while the other 11 teams look up in admiration.

The two-time defending B1G champion Michigan Wolverines are undoubtedly the favorites heading into the season, and for good reason. In each of the last two seasons, they’ve thrashed their rivals from Columbus en route to conference titles and CFP berths. However, Jim Harbaugh’s squad is still chasing that elusive first Playoff victory. Despite Harbaugh’s upcoming absence due to a self-imposed suspension for recruiting violations in 2020, Michigan should cruise for the first ten weeks of their season thanks to a combination of their incredible talent — both returning and new — and one of the softest schedules in all of college football that culminates in matchups against Penn State and Ohio State in two of their final three games.

Almost all of the Wolverines’ key players from their dream 2022 season are back. QB J.J. McCarthy enters his second year a starter with perhaps the best RB duo in football behind him with returning stars Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Their offensive line has been reloaded with two senior transfers to complete a unit featuring five players with a combined 23 years of experience. The receiving corps is also led by veterans Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson. Like last season, Michigan’s defense is extremely balanced with playmakers everywhere like Will Johnson and Mike Sainristil in the secondary and the senior edge-rushing duo of Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell. Simply put, this is the most complete and talented team in the conference, and maybe all of college football. If Michigan doesn’t complete all of their three-peats, the season will be considered a failure.

Michigan RB Blake Corum is back to lead the offense after a sensational 1,463 yard, 18 TD season in 2022. (h/t 247Sports)

It might not seem like it on the surface, but Ohio State is a program in flux. The Buckeyes enter each season with three goals: beat The Team Up North, win the Big Ten, and win a national championship. They haven’t beaten Michigan since 2019 and have been embarrassed in back-to-back seasons. They haven’t won the Big Ten since 2020, and they only played in that game on a technicality. They haven’t won a national championship since 2014. Under Ryan Day, Ohio State is hitting 3-for-11 on their goals. That’s a .273 batting average, which would be solid in baseball but is absolutely dreadful for a program as proud as this one. There’s no excuse for the Buckeyes to be underachieving as much as they have been under Ryan Day. They have been blessed with countless offensive gems and have nothing to show for it. This is the season that he has to get Ohio State back to how they were under Urban Meyer. If he doesn’t, his time in Columbus might be up.

Luckily for Coach Day, his 2023 squad is another lethal one. C.J. Stroud is gone, but his replacement will be either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown (note: it is extremely strange that we are entering September and this QB battle hasn’t been settled yet), each of whom are extremely capable and talented quarterbacks. It helps that the surrounding cast is the best in the nation with two preseason first-team All-Americans at wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. — the best WR in football and perhaps the most unique WR prospect I’ve ever seen — and Emeka Egbuka. The Bucks also boast a bullish RB tandem with veterans TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. But offense is never a question in Columbus. It’s the defense that has let this team down again and again. Jim Knowles was brought in last year to fix that problem, but his first season was a resounding failure that included back-to-back embarrassments to end the year against Michigan and Georgia. This year’s unit returns every key player that suffered those embarrassments, headlined by the star pass rush duo of Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau and field general linebacker Tommy Eichenberg — a preseason first-team All-American. The secondary is significantly weaker than the front seven, and they will really need to pull their weight if the Buckeyes want to get where they want to. If young guys on this defense like C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles get their chances, the unit can take huge strides. It’s just hard to put any faith in the Ohio State defense at this point.

Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. could have a record-breaking season in Columbus. (h/t Sports Illustrated)

In Happy Valley, everything is lining up for Penn State to have their dream season. James Franklin has his most talented, complete team yet with studs all over the place and a plethora of returning talent from last season’s Rose Bowl-winning team. The running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen is one of the best in the country, the WR room features your typical Penn State wideout talents like KeAndre Lambert-Smith and underrated Kent State transfer Dante Cephas, and the offensive line is bolstered by perhaps the best tackle in the country in Olu Fashanu. The defense features studs like Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson, and Kalen King who should each hold down their respective sections of the field.

Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton spearheads one of the best rushing attacks in college football. (h/t Penn State Athletics)

There are only two real question marks with the Nittany Lions. The first one is new QB Drew Allar who has all the talent in the world to take this team to new heights. If Allar lives up to his potential, this team could cut through the Big Ten like a hot knife through butter. But he is inexperienced and could have some growing pains. I believe in Allar’s ability, and he should be a treat to watch. The second question mark is one that has loomed over this program for years now, and that’s James Franklin himself. There’s no doubt that he is a fantastic recruiter and — at the very least — a solid coach. But so many times he has fallen short in the biggest moments. I’d like to think that he and the program will keep the momentum from their great 2022 season where they only lost to Ohio State and Michigan and won a Rose Bowl. But it’s very hard to put any faith in a guy that hasn’t given anyone a reason to have any.

These three heavyweights will all go head-to-head this season, so it should all play out in a fairly straightforward manner… right? Not exactly. The way I see it, each of the three teams is built to beat one of the others, but not both. I think Michigan clearly has the blueprint to beat Ohio State as we have seen for two years in a row, but I think Penn State can match up with them physically. With that game being in Happy Valley, I see Penn State being the lone loss on Michigan’s schedule. However, Penn State clearly struggles with the overwhelming offensive talent that Ohio State possesses, and with the Nittany Lions traveling to Columbus for that game, I think the Buckeyes hand Penn State their only loss.

So, when this merry-go-round is all wrapped up, each of these three juggernauts will sit at 11-1. Who heads to Indianapolis? It would come down to the team whose Big Ten West opponents have the highest combined winning percentage. Ohio State plays Wisconsin, Purdue, and Minnesota while Michigan takes on Minnesota, Nebraska, and Purdue and Penn State clashes with Iowa, Illinois, and Northwestern. What stands out to me there is how awful the Nittany Lions’ trio is shaping up to be. It’s safe to say that they’ll get the short end of the stick in this scenario. And even though I believe that Michigan will notch their third straight win over Ohio State, I have the slightest feeling that Wisconsin’s success in year one of their new regime under Luke Fickell will catapult the Buckeyes to the top of the standings for a matchup with those very Badgers in the Big Ten Championship game where Ryan Day’s squad punches its ticket to the College Football Playoff with their first conference title since 2020.

But that doesn’t mean the season is cooked for Michigan or Penn State. Similar to Ohio State last season, they will certainly be in consideration for a playoff spot despite not even winning their division. The chances of one of them sneaking in are higher than you think.

SEC

Winner: Georgia Bulldogs

Runner-Up: Alabama Crimson Tide

Like the Big Ten, the SEC is as top-heavy as ever. But unlike the Big Ten, this should play out in a much more straightforward manner.

The two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs are searching for college football’s first three-peat in nearly a century (Minnesota from 1934 to 1936). History would say the odds aren’t exactly in their favor, and the sport is extremely strong at the top. But each of the contenders has to go through Georgia. Ohio State came oh so close in the Peach Bowl last season before TCU got steamrolled in the national championship.

Now, the Dawgs are back and still absolutely loaded despite losing perhaps the most decorated player in program history in QB Stetson Bennett IV. The offense will see a lot of change following the departure of OC Todd Monken, but they still have the players to move the needle. Redshirt junior Carson Beck takes over under center, and while he’s not going to blow anyone away, he’s a very talented player with a better arm than Bennett. He’ll be helped out by an experienced group of skill players including Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards out of the backfield and Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint out wide. But we all know the true star of this offense is Brock Bowers: one of the best tight ends in recent memory and a surefire 2024 top ten pick. His talent alone will make this offense virtually unstoppable. But Georgia under Kirby Smart has been known for their defense, and this year’s unit is reloaded with some absolute studs like sophomore star Mykel Williams flying off the edge and a sensational secondary trio of Kamari Lassiter, Malaki Starks, and Javon Bullard. This is perhaps the most talented team in college football and a very worthy preseason No. 1 that plays one of the most embarrassingly easy schedules I’ve ever seen. Only one team stands in their way of a 13-0 cakewalk to the Playoff.

Georgia TE Brock Bowers is a generational talent at his position. (h/t Press Democrat)

Alabama is in their longest title drought in almost a decade. That drought is two seasons. God, Nick Saban really is the GOAT. And this is a perfect year for the Crimson Tide to bounce back and return to their expected glory. For the first time in forever, Bama is seemingly being overshadowed. Letting them be the underdog is probably a mistake.

Yes, Bryce Young is gone and this offense hasn’t lived up to expectations in a while. But the new-look offense is more of a blast from the past. This Alabama team is going to beat you up and run it down your throat just like the first half of the Saban dynasty. Bill O’Brien has been replaced by Tommy Rees, so this offense should also be more watchable in general. The starting QB will either be Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner who would play the role of Jake Coker or A.J. McCarron or Jalen Milroe who would play the role of Blake Sims or a young Jalen Hurts. They’ll make the throws and plays they have to while the other guys on the offense do the heavy lifting. All the while, the defense will be thumping people left and right with their physicality and athleticism. Dallas Turner leads the way off the edge as one of the premier pass rushers in college football and one of my absolute favorite players to watch. The secondary features some of the best DBs in the nation with Kool-Aid McKinstry, Malachi Moore, and Caleb Downs — a young superstar in the making. This is going to be a team that reminds you of the Alabama teams of the early 2010s, which will be good enough to get them to an SEC Championship Game. The only question is whether or not that will be their peak. With Nick Saban leading the charge, I’ll never doubt what this team is capable of.

Alabama LB Dallas Turner could be the next great Alabama pass-rusher. (h/t Touchdown Alabama)

But I think beating Georgia could be a very tall task. They’ve previously had success with beating the Dawgs when they had the offensive athletes to do so, similar to Ohio State’s blueprint against them last year. This isn’t that kind of Alabama team. Still, they should be good for a run at a playoff spot, and I’d be shocked if they wind up on the outside looking in come Selection Sunday.

The rest of the SEC isn’t much to look at. Teams like LSU, Tennessee, and Ole Miss should linger for a while, but I just can’t see them stepping up and competing with the two juggernauts at the top. LSU is certainly the third best team in this conference with their uber-talented squad in year two under Brian Kelly, but they have a very tough opening test against Florida State and have to travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama. Similarly, the Vols are coming off a resurgent season of their own, but it’s hard to believe they won’t get smacked by Georgia. Ole Miss has arguably the best running back in football in Quinshon Judkins, but they don’t have enough talent elsewhere to keep up in the brutal SEC West. Barring something unforeseen, this is a two-horse race.

Pac-12

Winner: Oregon Ducks

Runner-Up: Washington Huskies

One last ride. The last dance. Insert other clichés here. 2023 is the last year of the Pac-12 as we know it, which is a fact that fills me with melancholy. This once-proud conference is one that I grew up loving and gave me and so many others lifelong memories. We are all devastated to see it fall apart the way it has. But the silver lining here is that this year’s Pac-12 is absolutely stacked and should be a treat to watch and cover.

You might think the conversation starts with the defending champion Utah Utes or headline-grabbing USC Trojans, but I would point you in a different direction. I think the Pac-12 runs through the Pacific Northwest and two bitter rivals in Oregon and Washington. These are the two best teams in the conference for very similar reasons. Each team is entering year two of a new regime under a new head coach with Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Washingon’s Kalen DeBoer. Each team is led by a quarterback in his 148th year of football who transferred in 2022 and vastly exceeded expectations with Bo Nix of the Ducks and Michael Penix Jr. of the Huskies. Each team has a star WR in Oregon’s Troy Franklin and Washington’s Rome Odunze. Everything is lining up for these two teams to be on a season-long collision course culminating in a October 14th heavyweight fight in Seattle and an eventual rematch in Las Vegas in the conference title game.

Bitter Pac-12 Rivals Washington and Oregon will be neck and neck at the top of the conference in 2023. (h/t UW Dawg Pound)

With so many similarities, what separates these two? I’d like to say defense, but neither one is particularly impressive. They both had some low lows in 2022, and neither unit stands out heading into this season. But Oregon has revamped that side of the ball with a plethora of transfers, and I think that can put them over the top. I don’t think they will beat the Huskies and their explosive offense on the road, but that loss will help them get their act together down the stretch en route to a revenge victory in the title game to secure their first actual conference championship since 2019.

But what about the others? Utah is coming off back-to-back conference titles and Rose Bowl appearances, and like the two teams I’m buying into this year, they are led by a veteran QB in Cam Rising. They have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and some of the best program culture in the sport in year 19 under Kyle Whittingham. USC just missed out on the Playoff in 2022, has the incumbent Heisman winner in Caleb Williams — who is also one of the best QB prospects in history — among abundant offensive talent and arguably the best offensive mind in Lincoln Riley. Oregon State is in the midst of their own resurgence under Jonathan Smith and should be getting an offensive lift with the arrival of Clemson transfer QB D.J. Uiagalelei.

USC QB and defending Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is going to light up college football once again in 2023. (h/t USC Athletics)

Well, the Pac-12 is simply going to cannibalize itself as it has so often in the past. USC’s abhorrent, porous defense will be victimized all year long, and no amout of offense will be able to save them. The same can be said about Washington. Oregon is bound to have their hearts broken in typical Oregon fashion. Utah’s injury problems at QB could derail their season from the start. Oregon State simply lacks the big game experience to fully compete at the top.

All five of these teams — and maybe others like Cal and UCLA — will take turns beating each other to the point where nobody has the season they really want to have. Thus, the Pac-12 misses out on the Playoff for the seventh consecutive season. There would be no more symbolic way for the conference to go out.

Big 12

Winner: Texas Longhorns

Runner-Up: Kansas State Wildcats

Buckle up folks. The 2023 Big 12 is going to be hilarious.

This is the first season for newcomers UCF, Houston, BYU, and Cincinnati and the last season for Texas and Oklahoma before they depart for the SEC. So this is an extremely unique season where the conference has 14 teams and very different scheduling. It’s going to be strange from start to finish, but when is the Big 12 not strange?

As a whole, the conference should be as competitive as it was in 2022, if not more so. Last year’s top teams like TCU, Kansas State, and Texas should all stick around while others like Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and even Kansas should have vastly improved campaigns. It’s difficult to imagine a world where TCU replicates the success they saw last year, which means the conference should be wide open.

As always, all the eyes are on Texas. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but it really does feel like this is the year that the Longhorns figure it out. If there has ever been a season for Steve Sarkisian’s offense to finally get it done, it’s this one. Yes, Bijan Robinson is gone and Quinn Ewers hasn’t exactly lived up to his potential, but the ingredients are there for this unit to thrive. Ewers dealt with a shoulder problem for much of last year, and if he stays healthy, there’s no doubt that his talent can help this offense do big things. It helps that he’s throwing to one of the best WRs in the sport in Xavier Worthy and gets a huge lift with the arrival of Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell, who was absolutely nails last year against Ohio State and in the 2021 national championship against Alabama. Mitchell has also dealt with some injuries, but figures to be a massive part of this offense if he can stay on the field. We know the defense has the talent to be potentially dominant, but I just can’t put any faith in a Texas Longhorns defense in 2023. They haven’t earned my respect. Still, it feels like Texas has the most talent in the conference, and if they can channel that into actually good play on the field, the Big 12 should be theirs for the taking. I can’t wait to be wrong for the trillionth time.

Texas QB Quinn Ewers has what it takes to get the Longhorns to their first conference championship since 2009. (h/t San Antonio Express-News)

Kansas State might be the most overlooked defending conference champions ever, and I can’t exactly figure out why. Losing RB Deuce Vaughn certainly hurts, but they have a great, proven QB in Will Howard and return almost the entire offense that just won a conference title and went to a Sugar Bowl last season. The defense also features many of the same cast members as last year’s team, including one of the most experienced front sevens in all of football. By all means, Kansas State should be the favorites to run it back. Unfortunately, they just don’t have a Texas or Oklahoma logo on their helmet, so they don’t get the love they deserve. I was very close to picking them to win the conference, but for some reason I’m continuing to buy Texas’ stock. But it would not be a surprise at all if the Wildcats repeat.

Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and TCU figure to be the other teams to look out for. The Sooners enter year two under Brent Venables after a disastrous 2022 which included an all-time embarrassment at the State Fair with a 49-0 loss to Texas. It’s never good when your first season is remembered for one of the lowest moments in program history. But, like so many teams in the second year of a new regime, OU figures to be better this season. Eight or nine wins is certainly on the table. Texas Tech has been a trendy media darling in the last few months thanks to their extremely experienced offense led by QB Tyler Shough which returns each of its five top yardage leaders from 2022. But the story with the Red Raiders is whether or not their defense can bounce back from a dreadful season that saw them give up nearly 30 points per game. It’s another experienced unit that has what it takes to improve, but if they don’t, it’s hard to see Tech competing for a conference title. And TCU simply lost too many key players for me to have faith in them to do what they were able to last year. But Sonny Dykes is doing great things in Fort Worth, and I’m sure they will be very competitive, perhaps playing spoiler to some of the teams at the top.

ACC

Winner: Clemson Tigers

Runner-Up: Florida State Seminoles

Once again, the ACC is the worst Power Five conference in football. But I do think it’s improving. And I do think that it is much better at the top than it was last year. The ACC has two real playoff contenders, and all eyes will be on them from start to finish in 2023.

Clemson is coming off another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoff for the second consecutive season and suffer a tough Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee. But the Tigers have all the ingredients they need to return to form in 2023. They’ll get a full year out of sophomore QB Cade Klubnik, who has all the talent to be one of the top signal-callers in the sport. Junior RB Will Shipley enters his junior season coming off a tremendous 2022 where he made first-team All-ACC and was a first-team All-American. The offense has seen some struggles, but they should be infinitely better with the addition of OC Garrett Riley from TCU. Lincoln’s younger brother burst onto the scene last season and should help give this program the lift they so desperately need on that side of the ball. The defense needs no introduction, as is usually the case with this program. There are absolute dogs all over the field from Xavier Thomas up front to Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in the middle to Andrew Mukuba in the secondary. The Tigers could very well boast the best defense in college football, and that should help carry them to another ACC title and perhaps a return to the Playoff. But it won’t be easy. They have a tough matchup against Notre Dame late in the season, and a highly-anticipated game against a media favorite to open conference play.

Clemson QB Cade Klubnik has all the tools to become the next great Tigers signal-caller. (h/t The Athletic)

That media favorite is none other than Florida State, who admittedly had a great finish to their season last year and deserve at least some of the hype they’ve received this summer. Senior QB Jordan Travis is back as one of the premier dual-threat players in the sport, and he’ll be throwing to guys like Johnny Wilson and premier Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman. Defensively, the Seminoles are anchored by star edge rusher Jared Verse who shocked the world when he announced he would forgo the NFL Draft and return for one more year in Tallahassee. Verse will help elevate this defense to a level that can compete for a conference title and maybe even a playoff berth. They’ve got some other key players like Kalen DeLoach, Virginia transfer Fentrell Cypress, and Western Michigan transfer Braden Fiske. But FSU’s problem is their schedule. They open with a very tough game against a great LSU team and have to travel to Death Valley to take on Clemson in Week 4. There’s a pretty good chance that the Noles start 2-2 and have their season be over before we even reach October.

Florida State EDGE Jared Verse enters the 2023 season as college football’s premier edge rusher. (h/t ESPN)

The only other teams I like in the ACC would be North Carolina and Duke. The Tar Heels have one of the best QBs in football in Drake Maye, who will have eyes on him all year long as he figures to be a top 5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Duke could be a sleeper team to compete for a conference title as Mike Elko continues to build a very solid, experienced squad led by QB Riley Leonard. The Blue Devils have a real shot to knock off some top teams on their schedule, including Clemson in Week 1. If that happens, they could easily vie for an ACC title and/or a New Year’s Six berth.

Heisman Winner: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Here’s what I wrote about Marvin Harrison Jr. and his Heisman chances for the Student Media Poll Football Column:

At this point in his college career, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. needs no introduction. 

After breaking out for the Buckeyes in the 2022 Rose Bowl against Utah with three  touchdown receptions, the son of the NFL Hall of Famer had arguably the best season of any receiver in the nation last year with 77 catches, 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

The combination of his freakish six-foot-four, 205-pound frame, incredible hands, blazing speed,  precise route-running and lightning-fast athletic ability allows Harrison to make every  possible catch and play on the field, and even some seemingly impossible ones — look no further than his acrobatic sideline grabs against Michigan State and Indiana last season. 

Harrison enters 2023 as the top receiver in college football and would likely be the best player in the country if not for one reigning Heisman winner in Southern California. Although C.J. Stroud has departed for the NFL and Ohio State’s quarterback battle between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown hasn’t been settled, there should be no doubts about whether or not Harrison can replicate his success from 2022. 

Ohio State plays in arguably the biggest game of each month of the season with a trip to South Bend to take on Notre Dame in September, a home showdown against a loaded Penn State team in October, and a rivalry matchup with Michigan in November. Harrison Jr. played his best when it was needed against top teams last year, including a combined 12 catches, 226 yards, and 3 touchdowns against No. 3 Michigan and No. 1 Georgia in the final two games of the Buckeyes’ season. 

If he keeps that trend going in the national spotlight throughout the course of this season, there’s no doubt that he’ll be in the thick of the Heisman race down the stretch. And if the Buckeyes end up in the College Football Playoff over teams with Heisman contenders of their own, Harrison could be the first Heisman receiver since Devonta Smith broke records with Alabama in 2020.

College Football Playoff Prediction

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Penn State – Allstate Sugar Bowl

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Alabama – Rose Bowl Game

The College Football Playoff Committee is going to be in a very sticky situation in the final few weeks of the season. Three of these spots should be easy to fill: an undefeated SEC champion in either Georgia or Alabama, a one-loss SEC runner-up, and whichever team wins the Big Ten at 12-1. That leaves the fourth and final spot, which could be claimed by any number of teams. 11-1 Michigan and 11-1 Penn State would have great shouts, as could Clemson, Texas, Oregon, or any other team that finds themselves on a run late in the year like Washington, Notre Dame, Florida State, or even USC. I think the committee will be stuck with a dilemma — either put the best remaining conference champion in despite having more losses than Michigan and Penn State, or decide between one of those final two Big Ten teams. I think it’ll be the latter simply based on how dominant those teams will be down the stretch and the nature of this Big Ten merry-go-round will end up.

So, why am I giving Penn State the final slot over Michigan? There are two main reasons. The first of which is that the Nittany Lions will have a head-to-head victory over the Wolverines, which will likely end up being the top factor for this decision. The other is that Michigan will have lost later in the year (November 11) than Penn State (October 21), meaning the Nittany Lions will have more time to rise back up through the rankings and find themself with a wild, wacky playoff berth.

In the final four-team College Football Playoff, I like Georgia to beat Penn State in an old-school, physical Sugar Bowl and Ohio State to run past Alabama with their immense offensive talent to set up a rematch of last year’s Peach Bowl classic in the national championship game in Houston. Ohio State will no doubt have a massive chip on their shoulder after the way that game ended, but once again, I think the moment might prove too big for Ryan Day and company. I like the Georgia Bulldogs to once again emerge as college football’s national champion to complete the first three-peat of the 21st century and establish themselves as one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

All stats taken from ESPN. All roster information taken from OurLads.

2023 National Championship Preview and Prediction

After the best College Football Playoff semis of all time, it’s time to crown a national champion. Here’s my preview of the title game and my pick to hoist the trophy in Los Angeles.

Cover photo taken from Sports Illustrated.

After months of tremendous games, countless storylines, and the best College Football Playoff of all time, it’s time to crown a national champion. Tonight in Los Angeles, the top-seeded Georgia Bulldogs look to become the first back-to-back champs in over a decade as they take on the unlikely underdogs from Fort Worth: the 3rd ranked TCU Horned Frogs.

For UGA, this is just another game. They have only lost one game in the last two years, and despite having to pull off an improbable comeback against Ohio State in a 42-41 Peach Bowl win, there was little to no doubt that they would make it to the title game. Their typically elite defense struggled mightily with the star-studded Buckeyes offense, but QB Stetson Bennett and the Dawgs’ own offense went to work and were scorching hot in the passing game to help get them to this game. But that’s not a position that Georgia wants to be in. They pride themselves on their defensive greatness, and if they bend like that, they might just break. They got away with a lot last Saturday and could have lost the game by all means. Their offense bailed them out, but that’s not guaranteed to repeat itself, especially against a better TCU defense that excels at getting after the passer and forcing turnovers. It’s safe to say that Kirby Smart will have his guys ready to play a much sharper game on Monday night.

TCU, on the other hand, has had one of the more improbable runs to the title game. They weren’t even ranked to begin the season before going 12-0 in the regular season. Despite losing the Big 12 title game, they reached the Playoff and erased any and all doubt about their legitimacy as a contender by outlasting Michigan in an absolutely electrifying 51-48 Fiesta Bowl victory. The defense scored two touchdowns and forced plenty more turnovers to make life easy for Max Duggan and the offense, who did what they had to do as well. The performance helped bring light to the fact that TCU isn’t just any old underdog. They are a real team that can compete with, and perhaps beat, any team in the country on any given day. They have the grit and the identity that every college football program yearns for. The only question that remains is: can that get them on top of the mountain? TCU is still being disrespected by everyone; not many folks are giving them a chance in this game. The 12.5-point spread is the largest I think I’ve ever seen in a title game. This team deserves more respect than that. We’ll see if they can go out and take it.

My Pick

Georgia 38-27 TCU

Monday, 7:30 PM EST, ESPN

Some Davids aren’t meant to slay Goliath. While I think TCU has one of the best shots to become an underdog that wins a title, this feels like too steep of a mountain to climb. However, unlike many, I think they’ll be competitive from start to finish. They have the talent on both sides of the ball to compete with Georgia and their 5-star players. Their offense is operating at an extremely high level with their exquisite run game, and their defense swarms to the ball to force turnover after turnover. The Dawgs looked pretty vulnerable the last time we saw them, and I think Sonny Dykes and the Frogs can exploit a lot of the flaws in their game, especially attacking their defense. It wouldn’t shock me if we saw TCU control this game for a while. But the superior talent and coaching of Georgia will prevail in the end. They’ll likely have a similar 4th quarter to the one they had against Ohio State to pull out a late win. Maybe this is a bit too large of a point differential, but I can see UGA pulling away late to make it look more convincing than it actually was. To me, it’s a matter of attrition with these two defenses. If TCU’s defense can hold throughout the game, they’ll have a great chance to win it. But if they slowly fold like they did against Michigan, Georgia will take advantage. If the Dawgs defense plays like they did on New Year’s Eve, they will be in deep trouble. But if they return to their status quo, then Stetson Bennett and the offense can do their thing. I see the latter being much more likely, and I see Georgia lifting the trophy when it’s all said and done to become the first repeat champions since Alabama ten years ago to continue proving themselves as the new perennial power in college football.

All stats taken from ESPN.

2022 College Football Playoff Preview and Predictions

The 2022 College Football Playoff is finally here with four worthy participants and two fascinating matchups. Here’s my preview of the teams and games before tonight’s contests to decide next Monday’s title game.

Cover photo taken from NCAA.com.

An incredibly fun, wild, and unpredictable college football season filled with upsets and amazing storylines has led to this: a classic New Year’s Eve College Football Playoff slate on Saturday night. This year’s Playoff features some familiar faces, as well as one newcomer, but the outcome of these games is anything but a forgone conclusion. Anything can happen in these final few matchups as we inch closer to crowning a champion in Los Angeles next Monday night. Before I pick Saturday night’s Playoff games, let’s take a look back on each of our contestants and how they got to this point.

#1 Georgia Bulldogs (13-0)

The defending champions have not slowed down for a second and have been the best team in college football all season long. While there was some debate in the middle of the year, the Dawgs left no doubt that they are still the cream of the crop. They enter the Playoff at 13-0 with all but one win coming by double digits and as champions of the SEC, perhaps the best conference in the sport. They moonwalked through everyone they faced this year, bookending the season with massive wins in Atlanta against Oregon and LSU. It’s only fitting that their playoff game comes in the same stadium. Georgia’s formula is nearly identical to last year’s, but the main difference is that the offense is starting to pick up the slack. The defense is still elite, but maybe not as much as the legendary 2021 unit. The other side of the ball is vastly improved with QB Stetson Bennett putting together his best season yet in his final campaign in Athens with over 3,500 total yards and 27 total touchdowns: good enough to be a Heisman finalist. The running back committee of Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards, and Kendall Milton has done its thing while Brock Bowers, the best tight end in football, handles most of the pass-catching duties. The defense is still stacked with returning stars like Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith locking down the secondary while future top 5 pick Jalen Carter mauls offensive linemen up front. The Dawgs are simply better than everyone else and can beat you in every which way. It’s extremely difficult to see a world where they don’t repeat as champions and establish themselves as the next great power in college football.

#2 Michigan Wolverines (13-0)

Coming into the 2022 season, there were many questions about whether or not Michigan could live up to their incredible 2021 which featured their first real win over Ohio State and Big Ten title since the turn of the millennium as well as a trip to the Playoff. Many people, myself included, had a lot of doubts that the Wolverines could replicate such a great year, especially with so much talent leaving for the NFL. And all this team did was have an even better season with an even better team. Michigan has looked the part of not only a Playoff team, but a Playoff contender and a true blue blood in the sport all season long. A borderline embarrassing non-conference schedule clouded what was actually a fantastic team. After JJ McCarthy won the starting QB job over Cade McNamara, it took a while for the offense to get going. But a combination of McCarthy’s development and the greatness of the backfield duo of RBs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards helped propel this offense to be one of the best in the country. Corum was on a Heisman pace with a near-1,500 yard season with 18 rushing touchdowns, but a knee injury sustained in the second to last game of the regular season cut his campaign short. However, Edwards has picked up the slack with two massive games against Ohio State and Purdue. It helps that the defense didn’t lose a step after losing its stars to the draft. It’s now a more balanced, deeper unit that’s even better than its predecessor. The balance and slow burn nature of the Wolverines led them to victory in every game this season, capped off by yet another dominant win over the Buckeyes. Simply put, this team has everything it takes to win a national championship. It’s just a matter of them finally climbing that peak.

#3 TCU Horned Frogs (12-1)

This team did not begin the season in the AP Top 25. In fact, they didn’t begin the season with a single vote. Nobody believed in first-year head coach Sonny Dykes or QB Max Duggan, who had dealt with so many health problems in his career. Nobody thought they would be anything special. And here they are, the lone first-time contestants in the CFP. TCU has been one of the best stories of the year on so many fronts. Dykes has done a tremendous job with this program, and Duggan has been as incredible of a leader and player as any program could hope for, accounting for 36 total touchdowns en route to a second-place finish in the Heisman voting, the highest of any player in the Playoff. It helps that he has been throwing to future first-rounder Quentin Johnston. They also have a tremendous run game headlined by RB Kendre Miller, and Duggan provides plenty of support with his legs as well. The Frogs had a perfect regular season filled with dramatic, thrilling wins, but unfortunately weren’t able to capture the Big 12 title after a heartbreaking OT loss to Kansas State in the title game. However, it didn’t impact their playoff standing, and they now sit in the Playoff as the 3 seed. They have a tremendous opportunity to make up for the snubs and shortcomings of past TCU teams like the ones in 2011 and 2014, and they can do so with virtually no expectations or weight on their shoulders. If they can play their style of tough, physical football, and get the ball in Max Duggan’s hands to end a game, then they can truly emerge victorious on any given afternoon against any team in the country.

#4 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)

It has been an absolute roller coaster of a season in Columbus. As if I should have expected any different. Expectations were sky high all offseason long as the Bucks returned one of the best teams in the country on paper. I fully expected this team to be one of the best Ohio State squads of my life. The returning trio of CJ Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and TreVeyon Henderson was supposed to continue to tear college football to shreds while the vastly improved returning defense locked things down on the other side of the ball. Things ended up going a bit differently. The defense did get a huge boost as DC Jim Knowles was brought in and was able to make an immediate impact. It’s a much better unit than 2021’s, especially in the front seven, but the secondary is still a massive issue. The corners simply aren’t good enough for the scheme and make the defense worse as a whole. That really hurts, considering how great guys like Tommy Eichenberg and JT Tuimoluao have been up front. The other side of the ball has been much crazier. A hamstring injury sustained on his second catch of the year prematurely what could have been a legendary campaign for JSN. Injuries too plagued the season of Henderson, who will miss the CFP with a foot issue. CJ, however, has been just fine, throwing for 3,340 yards and 37 TDs, and that’s in large part to the weapons that have stepped up in JSN’s absence. No one has had a bigger impact than sophomore WR Marvin Harrison Jr., who replaced the consensus best WR in the sport by becoming the consensus best WR in the sport. I told everyone that Harrison would burst onto the scene in a huge way; it was pretty easy to anticipate that out of an incredible athlete like him. The Philly Freak tallied 72 catches for 1,157 yards and 12 TDs and proved to everyone just who WRU is. The other receiver who made a massive splash was fellow sophomore Emeka Egbuka, who also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark while hauling in 9 scores. Workhorse RB Miyan Williams has largely been able to make up for Henderson’s absence, and true freshman Dallan Hayden provides a great spark off the bench. The Buckeyes boast perhaps the best offense in the country despite the injuries, but the thing they can’t seem to avoid is their own mistakes. This team shoots themselves in the foot more times than I can fathom, and it’s largely due to head-scratching schemes and playcalling from head coach Ryan Day, who has had a puzzling season to say the least. It caused many games to be way closer than they should have been, and it caused the team to lose yet again to Michigan, this time in embarrassing fashion at home. But, they now get a “second lease on life” as the coach loves to say thanks to USC’s loss in the PAC-12 title game. I could write a whole nother piece on Day’s shortcomings in 2022, but I’ll save that for later. But it should not be ignored. It will be the deciding factor in what this team is capable of doing in this Playoff. If they can truly live up to their potential and limit their own mistakes, then nobody is capable of stopping them. But at this point, I just fail to see that happening. It would only be fitting for our season to end because we couldn’t get out of our own way.

These teams are genuinely so close to one another, and I think these matchups are going to be truly fantastic to watch on Saturday night. All that’s left is to to pick the games. Here’s how I see the CFP playing out.

Michigan 24-20 TCU

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl — Saturday, 4:00 PM EST, ESPN

Vegas seems to think that this game won’t be as close as the Peach Bowl. I can’t wrap my head around that. I don’t see how this game will be anything but physical, low-scoring, and close. These teams play nearly identical styles of football with both programs priding themselves on running the ball down the opponent’s throats and physically dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I think TCU has the personnel and the talent to compete with Michigan, which most seem to disagree with. But what I can’t argue with is the fact that Michigan’s talent is generally superior on both sides. They have the better athletes and they have the better players at almost every position. I would give TCU the edge at QB, and I know that Max Duggan will never go down without a fight. I trust in his ability to keep TCU in this game from start to finish, but at some point, the brakes are going to come off. Michigan will be able to establish the run with Donovan Edwards, and I think JJ McCarthy will make the necessary throws to allow the Wolverines to separate, similar to his performance in Columbus. Moreover, I trust Michigan’s defense more than TCU’s, which got gashed in the Big 12 title game against Kansas State. They also have what it takes to be the differentiating factor in this game. As much as I would love TCU to pull the upset and emerge victorious, it just feels to unlikely. But this team will not go gentle into that good night. They will rage against the dying of the light. I just don’t think it will be enough.

Georgia 38-24 Ohio State

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl — Saturday, 8:00 PM EST, ESPN

For four weeks, I have tried time and time again to convince myself that we can win this game. I just can’t bring myself to have that level of faith. In fact, I don’t even know if we can keep this close. This is simply a perfect storm for Georgia. This is their third game of the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta after having won the first two by a combined score of 99-33. This is practically another home game for them. They are coming into this game scorching while the Buckeyes fell backwards into the 4 seed after being thumped yet again by their bitter rivals. And they simply matchup up perfectly with Ohio State. The Bucks offense is certainly a juggernaut, but they will not be at full strength against a UGA defense that eats people alive. The Dawgs offense is more than capable of doing damage against a battered OSU defense which hasn’t strung together many great performances as of late. As I said before, if the Bucks come out and play a perfect game by limiting their own self-inflicted mistakes and executing their offense the way they want to, then no one can stop them. When they attack defenses, they emerge victorious every time. But this is just too tough of a test, and I don’t know if these guys are up for it. I want to win so badly, but I’m not going to let that blind me from the truth. This is a good Buckeyes team that refuses to live up to expectations and has simply gone soft as the season has progressed. Their reward for their continued shortcomings is going to be a Bulldogs beatdown on Saturday night in Atlanta. And my 2022 will end on the quietest of whimpers.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 10 CFP Rankings Reaction

The first CFP rankings of the 2022 season were unveiled on Tuesday night, and I have some thoughts about the actions of the committee as we head into a massive weekend in college football.

Cover photo taken from Tennessee Athletics.

We’ve reached November, which means college football is entering its home stretch, and the College Football Rankings will be released every Tuesday from now until Selection Sunday. The first iteration brought some storylines, both expected and unexpected, as we head into the biggest weekend of the season thus far. Here are some of my thoughts on Tuesday night’s rankings.

Expected Top 3, Unexpected Order

We all know that Tennessee, Ohio State, and Georgia are the top three teams in the country. The order of those three has been debated for several weeks now. A lot of people love Ohio State’s offensive talent and improved defense and have them on top. CJ Stroud is playing like a Heisman favorite and Marvin Harrison Jr. has emerged as perhaps the best WR in the nation. Many continue to ride Georgia’s excellence despite some struggles. They have played the best defense of anyone in college football and deserve their flowers on both sides of the ball. And Tennessee has taken the world by storm with their top ranked offense led by Heisman favorite QB Hendon Hooker. I personally think the balance of the Buckeyes makes them the #1 team, but the committee went Vols, Bucks, Dawgs, and I honestly understand. I’m not upset at all; the Volunteers have been incredible all year long and boast the country’s best win in their 52-49 thriller over Alabama, who clocked in tonight at #6 in the rankings. Georgia being ranked 3rd was a bit surprising, but felt warranted thanks to some unnecessary tough wins against Missouri and Kent State. Most of the debate over this top 3 is pointless, seeing as though Tennessee travels to Athens to take on Georgia this Saturday (3:30 PM EST, CBS), and the winner of that game will likely be ranked #1 until the SEC Championship Game. I think the loser of that game will still rest in the top 5 or so (if Tennessee loses I don’t see how they fall below Alabama) unless it’s a complete blowout, which itself feels unlikely. Ohio State needs to win out and they’ll be just fine, although I feel like them being ranked #1 at any point feels unlikely for the reason I just mentioned. We all know the game that matters the most for them.

Clemson vs. Michigan vs. TCU

The other three unbeatens have had very interesting seasons up to this point. Clemson has put together a solid resume over wins against currently ranked teams like Wake Forest, NC State, and Syracuse. But, they’ve also had a ton of offensive struggles and have a weird situation going on at QB right now with DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik. The committee is valuing their resume apparently and slotting them in the 4 spot, and considering how awful their remaining schedule is, it’s hard to see them missing out on the Playoff. Michigan has looked the part after a CFP appearance last year, running all over opponents with Heisman candidate RB Blake Corum, but have an incredibly weak strength of schedule weighed down by one of the worst non-conference schedules you’ll ever see. However, the committee thinks they pass the eye test, which is fair. Their offense has been great and their defense is somehow better than last year. They only have two real tests left with a home matchup against Illinois and The Game. Both of those matchups will tell us what we need to know about the Wolverines. TCU has emerged out of the blue with their incredible offense led by QB Max Duggan and boast perhaps the best overall resume in the sport with 4 wins over then-ranked teams and the 3rd ranked strength of record in football. But, they was ranked 7th behind Alabama, who has a loss and has struggled mightily against vastly inferior competition. I do have TCU ranked 6th out of the 6 unbeatens in football, but if I were on this committee, I might have put them at 4. Their resume is too strong to be ignored, and they certainly should not be behind a team with a loss, even if that team is Alabama. Based on this precedent, it’s hard to say that the Horned Frogs control their own destiny, even if they go unbeaten and win the Big 12 at 13-0.

A Flawed Logic

The committee has LSU ranked at #10, one spot above #11 Ole Miss, who they thrashed at home two weeks ago. I think ranking the Tigers above the Rebels is totally fair and believed AP voters should have done the same, but #10 feels a bit high. However, that is not my concern. My concern is that the committee is once again picking and choosing when and where to apply their alleged value for head-to-head wins. If you’re going to put 2-loss LSU above 1-loss Ole Miss because of how that game went, then why is 2-loss Utah five spots below 1-loss USC? Why is 2-loss Kansas State six spots ahead of 1-loss Tulane? That last one is a bit more acceptable, seeing as though the Wildcats have looked sensational since that game. But the other one, not so much. USC is vastly overrated in my opinion, which brings me to my next point.

Benefit Of The Doubt

USC is getting the benefit of the doubt from the committee simply because they’re USC. This is a great team, don’t get me wrong, but they do not belong in the top 10. They were in dogfights against Oregon State and Arizona and lost to Utah, who is inexplicably five spots below them. They have a great offense, but a very subpar defense who got gashed by the Utes and most recently the Wildcats in Tuscon. UCLA has certainly looked like the better team, but they’re ranked all the way down at #13. The only reason I can think of for that is the logo on the helmet. This also applies to Alabama, who has no business being ranked in the top six. If there are six unbeaten teams, each with solid resumes, then what is a 1-loss team doing in the top six? I know they’re the Crimson Tide and have two of the best players in the sport in Bryce Young and Will Anderson. But they lost to Tennessee fair and square and honestly should have lost to both Texas and Texas A&M. They realistically control their own destiny to get to the CFP, but that doesn’t mean they should be slotted so high right now. The other teams need to get their respect for what they’ve done (namely TCU). Saturday’s mammoth clash against #10 LSU (7:00 PM EST, ESPN) will show us just how deserving the Tide are of their ranking.

Big Brand Tax

Finally, we have to stop favoring the big brands simply because of who they are. I said it above with the likes of Alabama and USC being ranked above TCU, UCLA, Utah, and others, but it’s also apparent on the backend of the rankings. Are we sure Penn State should be above Illinois? And are we absolutely positively sure that Texas deserves to be ranked at all? The Longhorns have three close losses, but two of them are against okay to bad teams in Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Florida State is on the outside looking in despite their three close losses all coming against ranked opponents and having a win against a top 10 team in LSU. Feels a bit strange, don’t you think?

My Top 10

1 – Ohio State
2 – Georgia
3 – Tennessee
4 – Michigan
5 – Clemson
6 – TCU
7 – Alabama
8 – Oregon
9 – UCLA
10 – Utah

I update this every week as the season progresses. Georgia and Tennessee are so close in my mind, I just trust UGA’s defense infinitely more than the Vols’. I’ve advocated for TCU, and I think they could feasibly be above Clemson, but I’d love to see them play more complete games in the next couple of weeks. Oregon is a team to look out for as they continue to play like one of the best teams in the country after their Week 1 thrashing at the hands of Georgia. UCLA and Utah are being vastly underrated and undervalued by the committee and AP voters, and I would love to understand why.

It’s safe to say this weekend is going to bring about a lot of turmoil in next Tuesday’s rankings. I’ll be right back here to break that all down when they are unveiled. Until then.

All stats taken from ESPN.

2022 College Football Season Preview

After 9 long months of waiting, the best sport in the world is finally back. Here’s my preview of the season, from every Power 5 conference to the Heisman winner and the College Football Playoff.

Cover photo taken from Sports Illustrated.

The best sport in the world is finally back. College football has returned and is already in full swing as we dive into Week 1, which promises to be a fantastic opening weekend. If the small sample size of games that have already taken place are any indication, then we are in for another tremendous season of this beautiful game.

As always, a fresh season means a fresh set of predictions and picks for what the next few months hold in store for us. From conference picks to playoff predictions to award winners, there’s so much in this crystal ball to look into. I didn’t have as inaccurate of an outlook as I may have expected last season, but even if these don’t come to fruition, it does not matter. That’s the fun of it all. So, let’s get into it, starting with previewing the results of each Power 5 conference.

Big Ten

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes
Runner-Up: Iowa Hawkeyes

For all intents and purposes, 2022 will be a return to the norm in the Big Ten. Last season was filled with anomalies, the most notable of which was Michigan finally getting over the hump by beating their arch rivals in Ohio State, winning the conference and reaching the College Football Playoff. I hope that they enjoyed that brief success, because this year will belong to the Buckeyes once again.

Ohio State has a roster that’s as scary as it has ever been. It’s a squad that reminds me of the 2019 one so much, and many consider that to be one of the most talented Buckeyes teams ever. Returning the three-headed monster of CJ Stroud at QB, TreVeyon Henderson in the backfield, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba lining up outside is enough to make any and all opposing defenses lose sleep. Star wideouts like Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are being replaced by incredible talents like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. The offensive firepower speaks for itself in Columbus. The questions reside exactly where they did last season: with the defense that cost them a chance at a national championship. Getting absolutely ran over by Michigan lit a fire under the program that has led to a complete reworking of that side of the ball. HC Ryan Day brought in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to take over as defensive coordinator after leading the Pokes to a top 5 defense last season. He inherits an incredibly talented defense, many of which return after last season’s sour ending. The defensive line of Jack Sawyer, Zach Harrison, Tyleik Williams, and JT Tuimololau is bound to wreak havoc on offensive lines all year long. The secondary has some very promising pieces like Cam Brown and Denzel Burke, who emerged as the top corner on the team last year. Tanner McCallister is a grad transfer who followed his former DC from Stillwater who will make an instant impact in the secondary as well. If the Bucks can fix their defensive woes, there will be very little that can stop them from realizing their potential, exercising their demons from 2021, and hoisting the championship trophy once again.

The rest of the conference should be fascinating to monitor. I personally think Iowa will build off of a tremendous 2021 season and run it back as champions of the B1G West, but I wouldn’t sleep on Wisconsin, especially with Braelon Allen bulldozing defenses out of the backfield. Michigan will of course have plenty of eyes on them as well, but I just don’t think they can live up to last year’s achievements after losing so much incredible talent to the NFL this year. They have a very good roster despite that, but it’ll just be too hard to compete with Ohio State in the B1G East. Michigan State also saw themselves overachieve last season, winning a New Year’s 6 bowl game in Mel Tucker’s first real season in East Lansing, but like their counterparts in-state, they suffer from being in a one-horse race in their division. A team that I wouldn’t sleep on is Penn State, who should be just as good if not better than they were last year with a very promising young team, especially defensively. Look out for the Nittany Lions to potentially finish second in the East.

SEC

Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide
Runner-Up: Georgia Bulldogs

The 2021 season was perhaps the best the SEC has had in years. The conference truly flexed its colors and showed the country that it was by far the best league in the sport. The results spoke for themselves. And the end result was a delight to watch, with Georgia using their generational defense to mercifully end their title drought and finally eclipse Alabama to be this season’s defending champions, despite losing to them in the SEC Championship Game. Could the Dawgs possibly run it back this year? Well, like the Big Ten, I see more of a return to normalcy.

Alabama is the preseason #1 team in the country according to both the AP and Coaches Poll. And by every metric, they should be. This was the #1 team in last year’s CFP and came extremely close to winning yet another national title. All they’ve done this offseason is return the Heisman-winning Bryce Young at QB and the best player in the sport in edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. Not to mention a plethora of athletic freaks at every position on both sides of the field, like Jase McClellan, Dallas Turner, Henry To’oTo’o, Jordan Battle, and so many more. But where Bama shined brightest this offseason was in the transfer portal, bringing in WR Jermaine Burton from the title-winning Georgia Bulldogs and a lightning-quick RB in Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech. Losing Jameson Williams removes a level of explosiveness from this offense, but they will still be able to carve up any team on any given Saturday. And their defense is even better, so good luck scoring on them. This is a sensational team across the board, and I’d be shocked to see them lose a game, or the #1 spot, at any point this season.

The defending champs are nothing to scoff at though. They return their star QB in Stetson Bennett, college football’s best tight end in Brock Bowers, and a very good amount of their star-studded defensive players from last season, the most notable of which being Jalen Carter, perhaps the best defensive tackle in the sport. There’s plenty of young talent to go around on both sides of the ball, and unless they return to the choking form of years past, it’s safe to say Georgia will be a playoff contender, if not one of the four teams competing for a title in late December.

The rest of the league is really anyone’s guess, as it tends to be so often. Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ole Miss are teams who had sensational years in 2021, but running that back is so hard in the SEC. I do have high hopes for the Hogs and Wildcats, but less so for the Rebels after losing their star QB to the NFL. It’s also hard to envision the traditional powers like LSU not returning to form, especially as the Tigers begin a new era with Brian Kelly at the helm. Teams like Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee seem primed to make up for the past few seasons. Perhaps the biggest question mark of the entire conference is Texas A&M, who has dominated recruiting and NIL alike with absolutely no success to show for it. This is the year it has to come to fruition for the Aggies. All of the eyes will be on them from start to finish.

ACC

Winner: Clemson Tigers
Runner-Up: Miami Hurricanes

Are you sensing the trend yet? After years of dominating college football, Clemson was perhaps the sport’s biggest disappointment in 2021. It’s not easy to replace a generational QB like Trevor Lawrence, but the Tigers’ offense was genuinely unwatchable last season. It’s hard to imagine it will be that bad again. Despite a complete assistant overhaul with OC Tony Elliott leaving fort Virginia and acclaimed DC Brent Venables going to Oklahoma, Clemson should return to form in 2022 thanks to what is, in my opinion, the best defense in college football. The defensive line is one full of guys who would start in the NFL right now in Myles Murphy, Bryan Bresee, and Tyler Davis. Trenton Simpson is an absolute stud in the middle of the defense. The secondary is stacked with names like Andrew Mukuba and Fred Davis. The offense isn’t the scariest sight, but RB Will Shipley and WR EJ Williams are tremendous young pieces who can make any play on the field. If QB DJ Uiagalelei can return to his 2020-level of play, then this team will be frightening. And if he doesn’t, there’s a very talented freshman QB in Cade Klubnik lying in wait. We know how that went last time for this team.

The ACC outside of Clemson is an absolute mess. This statement has been true for quite some time now. So many teams are in the beginning of new eras; Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and several others are beginning brand new regimes. Who knows who could rise to the top amidst all the chaos? I’m betting on Miami, simply because I think they have the talent to overcome most of the teams in the Coastal. I really like Virginia Tech and the direction they’re going in, Virginia has one of the more prolific passing offenses in college football, Pitt is coming off the high of a season that is impossible to replicate, so why not throw it back and have the Canes back in the spotlight? I have high hopes for the Mario Cristobal era, and kicking it off with a division win would do tremendous things for the program, which is seemingly already back on the rise. They worked the transfer portal and seem to have a very solid lineup on both sides of the ball. If QB Tyler Van Dyke can live up to his potential, we might be talking about Miami as a top 15-20 team by season’s end.

Big 12

Winner: Baylor Bears
Runner-Up: Oklahoma Sooners

The Big 12 is perhaps the biggest mess of a conference in the Power 5. Last year was one of the weirdest in over a decade, with Oklahoma struggling to find its identity, leading to the rise of teams like Oklahoma State and Baylor. This led to a ton of turnover this offseason, and now we have one of the most fascinating seasons ahead of us in this already exciting league.

Lost in the sea of overachieving teams in 2021 were the Baylor Bears, who improbably won the Big 12 and the Sugar Bowl with one of the most stout defenses in all of college football. This season, they return almost all of that unit with almost entirely upperclassmen. The offense is a solid unit, but it will be that defense that wins Baylor games, just as it was last season. I’m not exaggerating when I say Baylor is a top 6-7 team in the country and will be a playoff contender. That’s how strong I feel about them.

Oklahoma was gouged harder than any program I have ever seen this offseason. HC Lincoln Riley left for USC and took the star QB Caleb Williams and so many recruits and other young players with him. The Sooners have brought in former Clemson DC Brent Venables to take over as head football coach, and while I think they will return to form, it’s hard to see them being as great as they were under Riley with all that tremendous QB talent they’ve had. The offense is still solid, led by transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, but don’t be shocked if it’s not even as good as it was in 2021. However, I still think Oklahoma is talented enough on both sides of the ball to bounce back from last year’s shortcomings and be a top 2 team in this league.

Two other teams with plenty of eyes on them will be Texas and Oklahoma State. The Longhorns are one of college football’s most promising teams, with Steve Sarkisian still at the helm, a shiny new QB in transfer Quinn Ewers, the best RB in the sport in Bijan Robinson, and a top 5 WR in Xavier Worthy. However, Texas has still not shown us that they can return to their glory days. If there’s any season to do it, it’s this one. The Pokes, on the other hand, were mere inches away from a Big 12 title and CFP berth last season, but a fateful goal line confrontation relegated them to a Fiesta Bowl win instead. They return a lot of talent, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to replicate that level of success again with the rest of the conference catching back up. However, I still like what’s going on in Stillwater, and I can easily see them returning to the title game.

PAC-12

Winner: Utah Utes
Runner-Up: Oregon Ducks

That’s right. The PAC-12 is the only Power 5 conference that is going to play out exactly like it did in 2021. Well, maybe not exactly.

Utah turned it on harder than almost any other team in the country towards the end of last year, absolutely dominating Oregon twice en route to a conference title and Rose Bowl berth. After a slow start to their season, they ended the year 9-1 in games started by QB Cameron Rising. Now, Rising and a promising young offense is back and primed to make a real playoff push. The defense lost some key pieces, but is still a very, very good unit. I don’t see them getting shredded like they did in the Rose Bowl in any of their games this season. All in all, the Utes should make light work of what is, in all likelihood, the worst Power 5 conference in college football.

Oregon has had a tumultuous offseason that saw its beloved head coach leave and several key pieces depart for the NFL. Still, they’re the beneficiary of playing in the absolutely dreadful PAC-12 North, and they have more than enough talent to breeze to another trip to Vegas. Bo Nix comes in from Auburn to take over at QB and inherits a very solid offense with guys like Dont’e Thornton and Troy Franklin catching the ball. And the defense still has studs like Noah Sewell and Justin Flower to lock things down. If the Ducks weren’t in the midst of so much turnover, they’d probably be my pick to win this conference. Alas, they’ll have to deal with a Rose Bowl trip instead (yes, the runner up to the Rose Bowl, more on that later).

Despite all of this, no team in the conference has more eyes on them or more anticipation for this season than the USC Trojans. The program is back in full force as they’ve brought in Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to right the ship. Riley has brought a wave of his OU recruits and players, most notably QB Caleb Williams. They’ve even added other stars from around the country via the transfer portal, such as former Oregon RB Travis Dye and last year’s Biletnikoff award winner Jordan Addison from Pitt. With so much talent and actually competent coaching, why wouldn’t USC splash in year 1 of the new era? Well, I think it’s just too soon. The Trojans will be a ton of fun this season, but not as successful as the media may think. Next year will be the one for this team to truly blossom in to the playoff contender that everyone expects them to be.

Heisman Winner: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes

It is a biased pick. It is a basic pick. There’s nothing fun or exciting about picking the betting favorite to win the Heisman. That is, unless he plays for your team. I went against CJ on the record early last season and he shut me up so badly that I almost never want to bad mouth him ever again. I cannot wait to see what he has in store after last year’s fireworks (4,435 yards, 44 TDs). Leading the nation’s best offense with the nation’s best weapons sounds like a very good formula for success. Other players I wouldn’t sleep on are the obvious ones: Will Anderson, Bijan Robinson, Bryce Young, and even Jalen Carter. Maybe this is the year a defensive player finally wins it again!

Playoff Prediction

(1) Alabama vs. (4) Utah – Chick Fil A Peach Bowl
(2) Ohio State vs. (3) Georgia – Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Similar to how it was for so much of last season, college football in 2022 really is just Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and then everyone else. The Tide and Buckeyes should run the table with ease, and I think Georgia still gets in with a loss in the SEC title game by virtue of not losing in the regular season, just like they did last season. The fourth spot in the field could go to any number of teams: Baylor, Clemson, Notre Dame, and maybe even the likes of Oregon or Oklahoma State. But, I’m choosing the Utah Utes based on how they ended last season. It’s just such a solid team with so much returning talent that is bound to do huge things this year. However, the room for error is so slim, as it is with all those teams I mentioned that will be vying for the last playoff spot. With Baylor in the Big 12 which is bound to cannibalizing itself, Clemson playing Notre Dame in South Bend late in the year, Notre Dame opening against Ohio State, and so many other teams’ circumstances, I believe Utah has the best shot to get in at either 13-0 or 12-1. They need to be cautious not to slip up in games against teams like Florida, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, and Oregon, but if this team is what I think they are, they’ll be just fine. If not, then we could be looking at our first Alabama-Ohio State-Georgia-Clemson playoff ever. Either way, I think we’re in for a dandy in late December.

When it comes down to these matchups, it’s hard not to foresee the inevitable Alabama-Ohio State national championship game. And in that scenario, I’d pray every second of every day that the Bucks find a way to pull it out. Of course I’d pick them to win, but this might just be one of those years where nobody stops Alabama. However, I refuse to admit that. I’ve got the Buckeyes over the Tide in an instant classic national title game between the sport’s two biggest brands on its biggest stage. CJ Stroud has a legendary homecoming in SoCal en route to winning the program’s first title in 8 years. And we all go home happy!

The best sport in the world is back and I could not be more excited to be spending my Saturdays with my absolute favorite thing once again. Regardless of how this season plays out, I know I’m going to have the time of my life, as I always do. I hope you do as well.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Raza’s Recap: Ohio State vs. Minnesota

It wasn’t easy, but the Ohio State Buckeyes kicked off their 2021 campaign with a hard fought victory against Minnesota on Thursday night.

Star WR Chris Olave started out his senior campaign with a fine performance to help lead the Buckeyes to victory on Thursday night in Minneapolis. (h/t Buckeyes Wire)

The Buckeyes are back. After 234 days, Ohio State returned to the football field to begin a brand new season filled with both expectations and uncertainty. The #4 team in America traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Golden Gophers of Minnesota in an unorthodox Thursday night conference game to open the season. It was a bit of a strange game from start to finish, but the Bucks were able to come away with a strong 45-31 victory to kick off 2021. Let’s recap what happened.

Coming off of a national championship appearance, Ohio State is still one of the best teams in the country with all the talent in the world, but Thursday night was all about seeing the new pieces in scarlet and gray. All eyes were on redshirt freshman QB C.J. Stroud. The 19-year old from California had never thrown a pass in a game before, but with the departure of former star QB Justin Fields, he now has the keys to the car. The expectations in Columbus for this kid are sky high, especially after winning the starting job in camp in one of Ohio State’s most stacked QB rooms to date. But as a teenager playing his first meaningful snaps, it wasn’t all peaches and cream.

Stroud got an early boost from his running game, as redshirt freshman RB Miyan Williams took an outside handoff all the way down the sideline untouched for a 71-yard touchdown on the 5th offensive play. Williams is anticipated to be a premier back in a loaded RB room for the Buckeyes offense, and this was the best possible way to start his season. The run came after a missed deep overthrow from Stroud to WR Garrett Wilson, which should have been a touchdown. It wouldn’t be the first early mistake for #7, as on Ohio State’s next offensive possession, he still looked very jittery and erratic, overthrowing his receivers or delivering simply inaccurate passes. The Bucks were still able to drive down and get a field goal to go up 10-0.

Miyan Williams scored for OSU, but not in the fourth quarter
RB Miyan Williams set the tone early with a long touchdown run to draw first blood. (h/t Kyle Robertson, Columbus Dispatch)

The Silver Bullets forced a subsequent 3-and-out, but already down 10 with no momentum, Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck opted to go for a 4th and 1 on his own 29. It was an extremely gutsy decision that paid off in a massive way, as Gophers star RB Mohamed Ibrahim broke through and cut outside for a massive 56-yard run. It sparked the team and the crowd at TCF Bank Stadium, and 2 plays later, QB Tanner Morgan delivered a dime to WR Dylan Wright, who made a very strong hands catch over DB Lejond Cavazos for a touchdown to put Minnesota on the board. All of a sudden, the momentum was completely swung to the team wearing all-black.

That momentum may have gotten to Stroud, as on the fourth play of the next possession, he threw way over and behind WR Chris Olave on a simple slant pattern, and was intercepted. Minnesota did not waste the opportunity, marching all the way down the now-short field for another impressive touchdown drive to take a 14-10 lead, capped off by a 1-yard score by Ibrahim. The Gophers forced a quick 3-and-out, and went into the locker room at halftime in prime position to pull a potential upset.

Unfortunately, every time this happens in a college football game, it never exactly pans out. Ohio State came out of the second half absolutely scorching, and Stroud seemed to have shaken off all the jitters he was so clearly affected by in the first half. The Buckeyes offense took the first possession of the half down the field with a balanced offensive attack, and on a rollout, Stroud delivered his best pass yet off of his back foot across the field to Chris Olave, who maneuvered his way into the endzone to retake the lead. It wouldn’t be the last major contribution from the senior, who continues to make a case for being the best pass-catcher in college football.

Minnesota still wasn’t fazed by the challenge, as they once again took it right to the Ohio State defense. Benefited by a pass interference call and a very questionable roughing the passer call (which brought back an interception by S Josh Proctor), Ibrahim once again punished the Buckeyes, sprinting through the hole for a 19-yard score to put the Gophers back on top. Their defense would force a subsequent 3-and-out, and all of a sudden, it really looked like Minnesota could pull off the gargantuan upset. That would change rather quickly.

Ohio State’s next offensive possession would be a rather short one, as its one play was an almost too easy touchdown pass from Stroud to Garrett Wilson, who was wide open after running an absolutely filthy route that left the safety looking for directions. Just like that, the Buckeyes were back on top. It was the first of many statement plays to come from Wilson this season, as many people think the junior from Texas might just be college football’s best receiver. Either way you look at it, C.J. Stroud must be happy that, even when the pressure is high, he can always count on his star wideouts to make plays to make his life easier.

From that point on, it was all scarlet and gray, as the next drive was punctuated by a scoop and score by DT Haskell Garrett following a strip sack by DE Zach Harrison. After a Minnesota field goal on their next possession to bring it back to a one possession game at 31-24, the Buckeyes got an early dagger thanks to true freshman RB TreVeyon Henderson. The former 5* recruit and #1 RB in the 2021 class caught a short screen pass and, with an incredible burst of speed, blew past the entire Minnesota defense for a 70 yard touchdown to seemingly slam the door shut. The kid has sky high expectations in Columbus, and so far, he is living up to those expectations. It reminded me a lot of JK Dobbins’ debut in 2017 against Indiana, which was poetically also on a Thursday night on the road against a B1G opponent to open the season.

True freshman RB TreVeyon Henderson began his college career with a bang, highlighted by an explosive 70 yard touchdown catch and run. (h/t Ohio State Athletics)

The Gophers still refused to say die, as they marched right back down the field for another score against the Buckeyes’ porous defense. Once again, it was just a 7 point game. Chris Olave made sure that was short-lived, as just 2 plays later, he caught a ball from Stroud, tiptoed down the sideline, and ran his way into the endzone for his second score of the game for the knockout punch. ‪CO₂‬ proved all night long that him coming back to school wasn’t for no reason, as he finished with 117 yards on 4 catches and those two trips to the endzone. After a fumble by Minnesota on a controversial non-targeting call (which I don’t believe was targeting at all), the game was over.

In my opinion, there are 3 major takeaways from this game. The first is obviously about C.J. Stroud. This was a difficult environment for a first start, and I had a feeling he would shake off his nerves, and while I’m glad he did, there is some cause for concern. It doesn’t get any easier, as next week is the toughest game on the Buckeyes’ schedule, as #11 Oregon comes into town. The Ducks have a great defense, headlined by star DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, and although the offensive line looked very impressive on Thursday night, this is a very tall task. I’m sure that the coaching staff will get Stroud ready for the challenge, and I have no doubt that he’ll be fine. His play wasn’t the sharpest of course, but he still ended up with great numbers: 13/22 for 294 yards and 4 TDs. YAC played a big role in that obviously, but I’m sure Stroud loves those numbers for a debut.

The second takeaway is the play of the defense. This was not a very strong unit last year, especially in the secondary, but they ended the year on a rather strong note (until running into the buzzsaw that was the 2020 Alabama offense). Despite getting themselves a touchdown, this was still a complete dud of a start to the season for a unit that should be much, much better. Minnesota’s offense had their way all game long, both on the ground and through the air. The main issue is that DC Kerry Coombs insists on playing a Cover 1 look all game long, which wouldn’t be a problem if the Buckeyes corners didn’t get burned consistently in man coverage, or if the defensive line could consistently get to the QB. Neither of those things happened in Thursday night’s game, and I fear it won’t happen consistently enough this season for the defense to be as strong as it needs to be. If any in-game adjustments were made, I’d feel a lot better. But Ohio State ran this same defense last year, and it didn’t do them many favors at many points. It could be another long season on that side of the ball.

The third and final takeaway is a very positive one, and it’s that Ohio State’s offensive talent is absolutely incredible. 201 rushing yards and 294 passing yards proves the balance and dominance of this unit, and they can beat you with any of their guys. Returning arguably the top 2 WRs in college football speaks for itself, but the incredible play of Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson coinciding with the dominance of the offensive line was truly a sight to behold. This could be the best OL in the country, and they were on full display last night, opening up holes that you could drive pickup trucks through, and giving C.J. Stroud enough time to make the throws he needed to. I can sleep easy at night knowing that this side of the ball will always be a delight to watch. I’m just hoping that the defense won’t let them down.

It wasn’t very pretty, but I never thought it would be. This always seemed like it would be a challenge for the Bucks, and I’m actually glad they faced some level of adversity this early in the season. It will help them next week as they welcome Oregon to The Shoe for both teams’ toughest game of the season, and a potential top 10 clash. It should be a very fun matchup, and I’m already both very nervous, but very excited for it. As always, I’ll be here to wrap that up next weekend.

All stats taken from ESPN.

2021 College Football Season Preview

Young star QBs Bryce Young (left), Spencer Rattler (middle), and D.J. Uiagalelei (right) are poised to lead their teams to championships this season. (h/t New York Post)

My favorite sport is finally back! After a long 8 month wait, college football has returned. Technically the season is already underway, after a few Week 0 games this past Saturday, but this week is when the real games begin. This first weekend has an absolutely loaded schedule, and if you want my thoughts on some of those games, I posted a video (which you can find here) in which I predicted them. Here, I just wanted to give brief predictions for each of the Power 5 conferences, as well as predicting this year’s Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Playoff. Let’s get into it.

Big Ten

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes

Runner-up: Wisconsin Badgers

The Buckeyes have had a chokehold on this conference for the last 4 years and counting, and that won’t change this season. One of the most talented teams in the whole country resides in Columbus, and there is simply too much to write home about (I discussed that in depth in the aforementioned video). Despite the dominance of Ohio State, there are still some very good teams in the B1G. Wisconsin seems to be the favorite in the West, which is warranted. The Badgers have been historically great in the West/East era of Big Ten football, and despite a down year last season, they figure to bounce back in a big way. They’re not alone in that division, however, as many are high on Iowa. I like what the Hawkeyes have going on, but I’ve simply seen too much from Wisconsin for me to pick against them in that division. The East isn’t as formidable as year’s past, but it’s not without its bright spots. The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to have another big season after last year’s historically great one, which was the best I’ve ever seen them have. QB Michael Penix Jr. figures to have another huge year surrounded by a very strong WR core. Penn State and Michigan certainly don’t have their strongest squads, but surely they can’t be as bad as last year! In any case, this conference belongs to the Buckeyes and no one else. It’s hard to foresee them losing a game en route to yet another CFP appearance.

SEC

Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide

Runner-up: Georgia Bulldogs

The SEC is just as wild of a ride as ever. Obviously the story of the offseason was the deal struck with Texas and Oklahoma for them to join the conference in a few years, but we’re still a few years away from that mattering. Even still, this conference is packed with storylines, as always. The two teams dominating the SEC are obviously Alabama and Georgia, with the Tide coming off another national championship, and the Dawgs loaded with returning talent looking to finally get over the hump. Bama has lost a ton of offensive talent, but with new QB Bryce Young at the helm, they are going to be just fine. Georgia is returning most of their starters from 2020, including star QB J.T. Daniels, who has the chance to establish himself as one of the top QB prospects heading into the 2022 Draft. These teams are on a collision course for the title game in Atlanta, but that doesn’t mean the SEC isn’t without its other notable teams. Texas A&M had a playoff-caliber season last year, and could definitely make some noise in the SEC West. Other perennial contenders such as LSU and Florida aren’t as formidable as they typically are, between losing talent to the NFL and injuries, but I think there’s enough talent to at least reach 8-9 wins. The bottom of this conference is still a complete dumpster fire, so teams at the top with any talent whatsoever will always thrive. The team with the most talent is Alabama, so it should be another SEC title, and perhaps another national title, on the way.

ACC

Winner: Clemson Tigers

Runner-up: Miami Hurricanes

I don’t even want to talk about the ACC. While I can recognize that it is certainly better this year than it has been in the last few seasons, especially in the Coastal, it’s still horrible. Teams like Miami and UNC just happen to be serviceable enough, at least on paper, for this conference to not be a complete wash. Despite the talent in those programs, the ACC is still just Clemson and everyone else. Even though this isn’t as good of a Tigers team as their past few squads, Clemson still has an abundance of talent at every position, especially defensively, and has no excuse to lose a single game this season (even their opener against Georgia). I’m very excited to watch D.J. Uiagalelei, who is taking over the QB position now that Trevor Lawrence is in the NFL. I think he can do massive things on a national level. Who knows, perhaps Clemson might finally get their elusive first Heisman winner. Only time will tell.

Big 12

Winner: Oklahoma Sooners

Runner-up: Iowa State Cyclones

The Big 12 is honestly very interesting to me. Obviously this was a very tumultuous offseason for the conference, as Texas and Oklahoma agreed to leave for the SEC in a few years, and several other teams are reaching out to try and leave as well. Who knows if the Big 12 even exists in 5 years time? In any case, that will be then, this is now. And now, like any other year, Oklahoma figures to bulldoze everyone in their path. It was a rough start last season in Norman, but you could argue that no other team finished as hot as the Sooners did. Led by QB Spencer Rattler, the runaway Heisman favorite, this offense will be as explosive as ever, and I can’t wait to watch it. Another team that had a strong season last year was Iowa State, who had arguably their best year ever. They’re always interesting under Matt Campbell, and with a guy like Breece Hall in the backfield, this will be one of the nation’s must-watch teams in 2021. Texas is also here, and while they’re not back, they seem to be on the precipice. Tom Herman is finally gone, and Steve Sarkisian has been handed the reins to try and return the Longhorns to glory. I think it was a great hire, and while this year will be sort of a “figure it out” type of season, I think the future is very bright in Austin. The rest of the Big 12 is nothing short of a dumpster fire, but these teams will be on everyone’s radar all season long.

PAC-12

Winner: Oregon Ducks

Runner-up: UCLA Bruins

The PAC-12 is still arguably the worst power conference in college football, but there is simply no way it is as bad as it was in 2020. The American was probably a better conference last year. It was embarrassing. Alas, things seem to be looking up this season, as certain teams are looking up. One team is looking way up: Oregon. This is easily the best team in this conference, and easily the only hope to get the PAC-12 into the Playoff. The QB room isn’t very strong in Eugene, but almost every other position is. Led by star DE and future top 10 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, this is a very balanced roster that seemingly does everything well. Unfortunately for the Ducks, they have to travel to Columbus in Week 2 and will get the doors blown off them, but I don’t see them losing a conference game. Their toughest opponent will be the team that I believe is the second best in this conference: UCLA. Yes, I know the Chip Kelly era has been a complete failure until now, but it finally looks like he has a team behind him that can actually make some noise. The PAC-12 South is also unbelievably bad, as even USC is an afterthought in every regard. The Bruins aren’t as strong as the Ducks and won’t be a playoff contender, but that October 23rd game, and a potential PAC-12 Championship Game matchup, could do wonders for the future in southern California.

Heisman Winner: Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma Sooners

Is this the most basic pick ever? Yes. Do I care? Kind of. Is it going to happen? Absolutely. Rattler showed us his promise last season as the full-time starting QB in Norman, and in a second year with Lincoln Riley, the sky isn’t even high enough to be the limit. As I mentioned before, this team is absolutely loaded with offensive talent, and Oklahoma’s schedule is disgustingly easy. The Sooners out of conference opponents are Tulane, Western Carolina, and Nebraska, which is somehow perhaps the worst team of those three. They only play 4 road games (in addition to playing Texas at the State Fair), and like I said above, this is not a good conference at all. It’s a statpadding heaven for Spencer Rattler and Oklahoma. Combine that with his talent and playmaking ability, and it makes for an easy Heisman campaign, and another one in the legacy of OU quarterbacks in the last 5 years.

I think the other biggest contenders are QB C.J. Stroud of Ohio State, QB D.J. Uiagalelei of Clemson, and RB Breece Hall of Iowa State. Stroud is immensely talented and just sat a year under Justin Fields in addition to being surrounded by the best WR talent in the country and a deep, physical RB room, and could easily put up the numbers to at least be a finalist. Uiagalelei showed us his promise last season, and with Clemson’s lack of formidable opponents, he’s bound to have a massive season. Breece Hall is the best RB in football, and last year showed us that you don’t have to be a QB to win this award. So hey, why not give him a shot?

Playoff Prediction:

(1) Alabama vs. (4) Oklahoma – Capital One Orange Bowl

(2) Clemson vs. (3) Ohio State – Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Yes, I know. Again, it’s the most basic prediction ever. But unless you can provide me with some other evidence, there is no way these aren’t your four playoff teams. The only other team I can see getting in is Georgia, but that requires beating Clemson in the opener or Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, and I have watched enough Georgia games to know that they fold in the biggest moments, so I simply cannot put them into the Playoff with confidence. The order of these teams is honestly up for debate, but just based on precedence, this is how I think it’ll play out. Alabama will be the most balanced team and win enough blowouts to stay at #1 for the whole year. Same story with Clemson, especially after beating Georgia in Week 1. The Buckeyes will be plenty good, but maybe not have the resume to be in the top 2. And OU will round things out with the weakest resume of the bunch, but still a wickedly talented squad.

In terms of predicting how these games go, I’d take Alabama in an easy one over Oklahoma, simply because we’ve seen this story way too often with the Sooners. I do believe that if there’s any year for them to end this drought, it’s this one. I just don’t see it happening. In the inevitable Clemson-Ohio State matchup, I’d roll with the Buckeyes. I think that Ohio State simply has more offensive firepower, and that makes a big difference in a game like this. That sets up for an Alabama-Ohio State rematch in the National Championship Game in Indy, which is honestly impossible for me to predict right now. Obviously my heart tell me to pick the Bucks, but Alabama is Alabama. I’ll save that pick for when the time comes.

This is going to be another great year of college football. It’s hard to remember how tumultuous last year was, between all the cancellations, delays, and problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But full schedules are back, fans and bands in the stands are back, and this beautiful sport is back in full throttle. I can’t wait to watch it all unfold.

2021 National Championship Preview and Prediction

#1 Alabama, led by Heisman-winning WR Devonta Smith, takes on QB Justin Fields and #3 Ohio State in the highly-anticipated national championship in Miami on Monday night. (h/t CBS Sports)

We finally made it. After months and months of ups and downs all over college football, only one game remains to be played. Monday night’s national championship features arguably the sport’s two most iconic programs as #1 Alabama and #3 Ohio State will fight for a title. Both of these teams have taken very different paths to get here, but their seasons unfolded fairly similarly. These are the last two unbeaten teams left in college football, and it only feels right that this is the matchup for the title. The Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes separated themselves from the rest of the country this season, and this matchup should be a blast.

In the College Football Playoff Semifinal games, both Alabama and Ohio State disposed of their opponents fairly easily. The Tide dispatched #4 Notre Dame in a very predictable outcome, and the Bucks dismantled #2 Clemson in every phase despite being big underdogs for a major upset to put the rest of the nation on notice. Ohio State QB Justin Fields was an absolute star on New Year’s Day, throwing for 6 touchdowns against the Tigers despite taking a brutal hit early in the game.

Everything since the semis has been a dream for Alabama, as they practically swept the national award scene, including an unprecedented Heisman Trophy for WR Devonta Smith, the first receiver to win the award since 1991. Smith has had a legendary season, catching 105 passes for 1,641 yards and 20 receiving touchdowns. The man throwing him the football, QB Mac Jones, was also a finalist for the Heisman, and for good reason. Jones threw for over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns thanks to some truly incredible play. He finally got his chance to prove his worth, and he has exceeded all expectations. The third head of the Tide monster offensive attack is RB Najee Harris, who has broken seemingly every Alabama record for a runningback in his time in Tuscaloosa. This year, Harris ran for 1387 yards and a whopping 24 touchdowns to cement himself as one of the best RBs in Alabama, and maybe even college football, history. This offense has been the story of the season all year long, and while their defense has been a bit suspect at times, this three-headed monster makes up for it all. But Alabama will have their hands full with the men on the other side of the field in scarlet and gray.

Ohio State has taken a very bumpy road to get to Miami, but they absolutely deserve to be in this spot. After hearing nothing but doubt after playing a 6-game season and being matched up with the mighty Clemson Tigers, the Buckeyes shut the world up and put everyone on notice with a massive 49-28 win in the Sugar Bowl 10 days ago. Now, they get one last shot to prove themselves. QB Justin Fields leads the charge, and while his regular season was very inconsistent at times, he is getting very hot at the perfect time. After throwing the aforementioned 6 TDs in his last game, with several of them being on tight, perfect passes, Fields quite literally has the hot hand. But he’s not the only story on offense. RB Trey Sermon has emerged as an elite threat out of the backfield, both running and receiving the ball. Sermon has 636 yards rushing in his last 3 games, seemingly channeling his inner 2014-15 Ezekiel Elliott for Ohio State. The offensive line has been dominating the trenches game after game, and if Sermon can get going on Monday night, it can do wonders for the passing game. WRs like Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson already get involved all the time, but if both the run and pass game are clicking, then this Ohio State offense is almost impossible to stop. Like Alabama, the Buckeyes defense can be a bit head-scratching at times, but in their last few games, they have been very sound. The secondary is a major question, but the front seven has been ferocious in getting after QBs and disrupting the run game. If the defense can do enough to affect Alabama’s potent offensive attack, then Ohio State’s offense will be put in a position to win this game. That is exactly what they need to happen.

I honestly think these teams match up perfectly with one another. Their offenses are built to bail out any mistakes their defenses might make, but their defenses still have enough talent to make plays to help their team win the game. It’s going to be an incredible sight to see. With that being said, it’s time to make my pick for this game.

Ohio State 42-38 Alabama

Monday, 8:00, ESPN

Before you start screaming about bias or anything like that, please allow me to explain myself. This is such a hard pick for me to make. Like I said before, I think these teams match up perfectly with one another. However, I think there are certain things that can help Ohio State separate themselves throughout this game. The biggest of those things is the defense. While it has been porous at times, it has also stepped up when it has needed to in the biggest moments of the season. That is an undeniable fact. Whether it has been turnovers, stops, or momentum shifts, this unit has done its job in the most important spots. They will likely be up to the challenge of stopping what might be the best offense in college football history, and I think they can make enough plays to put Fields and company in a position to go and win the game. If Justin Fields can play as lights out as he did in the Sugar Bowl, then there will be no stopping him. Another factor, which I don’t think is as important or even significant, is fatigue. I saw some people mention that Ohio State was more energized to beat Clemson because they had played 5 less games, which might be true, but is probably just another sorry excuses from the sore losers down in South Carolina. There is no doubt that Alabama’s offense will do big things in this game, as they always do. But that defense has looked very suspect all season long, especially when facing elite offenses. This is the best offense they will have played all season long, and I don’t know if they’ll be ready for it. I can totally see Ohio State dominating in the trenches and opening big lanes for their running game to flourish all night long. In any case, I can guarantee that points will be abundant in this game. The over is a charity for all my betting folks out there.

It would not shock me at all if Alabama wins this game. I mean, of course it wouldn’t. They’ve been the best team in football for almost the whole season, and they’re 8-point favorites in this game. They have the best offense in America led by the Heisman winner at WR. They have elite NFL talent all over the field. But so does Ohio State. And this team is playing some of the most inspired football I have ever seen before. This group has fought so hard to be in this position, and now that they’re here, I have no doubt in my mind that they will take full advantage of it. Justin Fields will leave Columbus as a Buckeye legend by bringing the 9th title to town.

I’m already as nervous as I’ve ever been for a football game in my life, but I’m more excited than anything else. This game will be extremely fun no matter what happens, and I’m just glad that I’ll be able to see it unfold. At the end of the day, it has been a great season, and I’m just happy to be here. There is nothing on this planet like college football. I hope you guys enjoy this game. I’ll see you on the other side.

All stats taken from ESPN.

2021 College Football Playoff Picks

#2 Clemson and #3 Ohio State will meet in a rematch of last year’s semifinal game at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. (h/t Christian Petersen, Getty Images)

Happy 2021. After the most tumultuous season in college football history, filled with all sorts of adversity, cancellations, postponements, and general chaos, the College Football Playoff is finally upon us. The field of 4 has been set for a couple of weeks now, and it’s finally time to play the games. People are still debating about the teams that got in and who got left out, but there is no doubt in my mind that these 4 teams are the ones who deserve to be here the most. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Notre Dame all had great seasons, and it should be very fun to see them all compete for a national championship. Without any further ado, let’s predict what will happen in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, and who will advance to the national championship game.

Alabama 42-28 Notre Dame

Rose Bowl Game – Friday, 4:00 PM, ESPN

This one is seemingly obvious, but I really don’t think Notre Dame has been getting a fair shake from both fans and the media. Yes, the Irish were absolutely wiped by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, but they still had a great season and absolutely deserve to be in the Playoff. Alabama is quite a daunting challenge, but something in me is convinced that the Irish can keep this game close. I just don’t see them having back-to-back lifeless performances, even against a team as powerful as the Tide.

While I think Notre Dame can hang around for a while, there is no doubt in my mind that Alabama will pull away and come out of this game with the win. The talent gap is simply too massive, which was already apparent with Notre Dame’s performance against Clemson in their last game. Alabama’s three-headed monster of QB Mac Jones, RB Najee Harris, and WR Devonta Smith is simply too much for anyone to overcome. Their remarkable performances in the SEC Championship Game against Florida were just a microcosm of their incredible seasons, and one of Jones or Smith will win a very deserved Heisman. The offense of the Tide is too much for any defense to overcome, even though I do think the Irish D is not bad at all. Them getting completely gashed by Clemson’s offense has simply sucked out all faith I have in them to put their offense in a position to win the game.

As I said before, I still expect Notre Dame to put up a much better fight in this game than they did against Clemson, and that is almost entirely due to the fact that Alabama’s defense looked absolutely invisible in the SEC Championship Game. Florida absolutely ripped them apart to the tune of 46 points on 462 total yards, and if it wasn’t for a fluke fumble on an INT, the Gators could have very well pulled off the upset. Bama’s offense more than made up for the shortcomings of their defense, but you cannot expect to play that way defensively if you want to win a national championship. If the Irish can exploit that defense and get their offense rolling, then it could make for some interesting developments in Arlington.

With all this being said, it’s still just too hard to see the Irish even coming close to pulling off the upset. There’s a reason they’re the biggest underdogs in CFP history coming into this game. For whatever reason, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt to stick around for a while, but I can totally see this game getting out of hand very quickly. In any case, it should be easy for Alabama to get this win under their belt with another huge offensive performance and advance to the national championship game.

Clemson 30-27 Ohio State

Allstate Sugar Bowl – Friday, 8:00 PM, ESPN

This is the big one. The third playoff matchup in three years between these two college football Goliaths. Of the two semifinals, this is undoubtedly the more interesting matchup for obvious reasons. It has been just over a year since Clemson ended Ohio State’s season in heartbreaking fashion in last year’s semifinal game at the Fiesta Bowl, and after a long offseason, it’s safe to say that neither the fans nor the Buckeyes themselves have forgotten about what happened. Many OSU fans still think about the first meeting between these teams in the CFP back in 2016, when the Tigers blanked the Bucks 31-0. It’s safe to say that Clemson has given Ohio State plenty of reason to hate them. Clemson HC Dabo Swinney has also given the Bucks plenty of bulletin board material, continuously criticizing them for only playing 6 games and even ranking them at 11th overall in his latest Coaches Poll ballot. There’s plenty of bad blood between these programs, and it’s safe to say that both teams will be very fired up heading into this game in New Orleans on Friday night.

Clemson has been here so many times that this is practically just another game for them. This is the 6th straight trip to the Playoff for the Tigers coming off of their 6th straight ACC championship. Of those 6 trips, this is now the 3rd time that they’ll face off with Ohio State in the semis, with all 3 being the 2v3 games. In fact, every time the Tigers haven’t been the #1 seed, they’ve had to face off with the Buckeyes. Ever since their lone loss to Notre Dame in early November, this team has been on fire, and they are easily playing their best football of the season right now. They put on a virtuoso on both sides of the football in the ACC Championship Game against the Irish, and they honestly look unstoppable. QB Trevor Lawrence, who is likely playing his final games in a Clemson uniform, still looks nothing short of generational in every game, and it will be a very tall task for the Buckeyes to stop him, which they’ve already struggled with before.

It’s been a bumpy road for Ohio State, who saw 3 of their 8 regular season games cancelled due to COVID-19 and needed help from the powers that be in the Big Ten to even compete for a conference title. They did, and they edged Northwestern thanks to an incredible running offense to win their 4th straight conference championship. Almost nobody is giving them a chance to win this game, which isn’t completely asinine given the way the Tigers have looked lately vs. the weird way that QB Justin Fields and the Ohio State offense has struggled. The Buckeyes defense has also been a bit of a question mark, giving up a lot of big plays, but they’ve only given up 10.5 PPG in their last 2 games, which inspires a decent amount of faith. Moreover, this is a playoff game, and I have no doubt that HC Ryan Day will do everything he can to get his team ready to compete and play a great game all across the board.

Fields’ struggles are undoubtedly an area of concern for this Buckeyes offense. His turnover problem has been egregiously bad, with every interception thrown being absolutely inexcusable. Now, Fields has to face off with a Tigers defense that picked him off twice in last year’s semifinal game. It’s a big ask for Fields, which is why the run game will be absolutely imperative. That run game has found new life with the late emergence of graduate transfer RB Trey Sermon, who set a program record with an unprecedented 331 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on 29 carries in the B1G title game. If Sermon, and fellow RB Master Teague III, can continue to put up huge numbers, it will help the passing offense tremendously by allowing Fields to operate with a bit of a cushion, where he has proven to be so dangerous. However, if Ohio State’s potent run game gets shut down by Clemson’s impressive front seven, then it could be a long day for the Bucks offense. This is 100% the biggest area in the game, and it’s where it will be either won or lost by one of these teams.

I certainly think this game will be close throughout, with it being a back-and-forth affair seeing both teams do incredible things. Both of these teams have so much talent on both sides of the football, and this game has all the ingredients to be even better than last year’s classic. It really wouldn’t shock me if this game goes either way. In a huge spot like this, I have to roll with the team that’s proven themselves time and time again, and that’s the Clemson Tigers. They have just been so dominant, and they’ve already shown what they can do in the CFP. I think Ohio State will give them a hell of a run on the back of their offense, but a combination of their defensive struggles and the talent of Clemson’s offense will be their downfall. Trevor Lawrence has been here before, and I expect him to lead his team to victory in the end once again. Again, it wouldn’t shock me as much as other people to see Ohio State come out of here with a win, and I would absolutely love to see it, but I just don’t have it in me to pick against Clemson. In any case, this game should be an absolute blast, and while I’m extremely nervous, I cannot wait to see it unfold in NOLA.

All stats taken from ESPN.

The Madness of the 2020-21 College Football Playoff: Picks, Chaos, and more

#2 Notre Dame and #3 Clemson face off in a rematch of a classic earlier this season for the ACC Championship in the biggest game of the 2020 college football season. (h/t Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports)

It’s finally that time of year. Championship Weekend is upon us in college football, and this year’s College Football Playoff has as much craziness in its selection as any season in its now-6 year history. Between COVID-19 cancellations, postponements, conference rule-bending, upsets, injuries, and everything 2020 had to offer, this season persevered, and now we’re just weeks away from another playoff. Some teams have seemingly already locked in their spot in the final four, but the other two are anyone’s game at this point. Let’s get into a preview of what could be a chaotic process for the Selection Committee, but should be a blast for us fans to watch.

The Committee’s job of getting the 4 teams right every single year is not an easy one. I can admit that. I’m almost always mad at the decisions they make, but if there’s one thing they’ve been able to do consistently, it’s get the 4 teams correct. This year, #1 Alabama and #2 Notre Dame have made 50% of that job extremely simple for them. With the two powerhouses sitting at 10-0 and already the top 2 teams in the country, they will be in the CFP no matter what the result of their respective conference championship games are on Saturday. However, from that point on, it gets just a tad bit tricky.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING: BetMGM has Alabama duo with top Heisman odds
Alabama has separated themselves from the rest of college football as the nation’s clear #1 team. (h/t Chris Graythen, Getty Images)

The current #3 team, Clemson, sits at 9-1, with their only loss being in the famous thriller against the aforementioned Fighting Irish in South Bend. For the Tigers, the outlook is very simple: win and you’re in. If Clemson is able to capture their 5th straight ACC title by avenging their loss and beating Notre Dame, then they will be one of the 4 teams playing for a national championship, as will their opponent.

The situation is very similar for the current #4 team: the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s been a very rough ride for the Bucks in 2020, thanks to a seemingly unavoidable virus and awful decision making by the powers that be in the Big Ten. After a 3-0 start with some suspect play, the Bucks had 3 of their final 5 games cancelled due to COVID concerns, 2 of which not being their fault. The B1G determined, before the season began, that if a team plays less than 6 games due to cancellations, they wouldn’t be able to play for a conference title. Thankfully, that decision was rescinded, and Ohio State will be making the trip to Indianapolis to take on Northwestern in pursuit of a 4th straight B1G championship. Like their enemies in South Carolina, if Ohio State takes care of business and handles the Wildcats, they will be in the playoff. However, if they suffer an all-time upset and lose, considering how the committee has viewed them due to lack of games and some loose performances on the field, it’s safe to say they won’t be playing for a national championship.

Clemson and Ohio State might be bound for another 2v3 playoff matchup in a few weeks. (h/t Christian Petersen, Getty Images)

The question with both Ohio State and Clemson is this: even with a loss or two, are they still two of the nation’s four best teams? I’d wager that most college football fans with IQs above their age would answer that question with a yes. You would think that in a season that has been so turbulent and filled with so much chaos, the committee would double down on their promise to put in the four best teams and throw away things like record. We’ve seen that plenty of times over the last few weeks with their weekly rankings, as SEC teams like Florida and Georgia have been given the benefit of the doubt over unbeatens from weaker conferences such as Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina. That very question and this very situation is what could potentially make the committee’s job difficult after Saturday.

There are 4 teams currently on the outside looking in that will have to either do their job, hope and pray, or both on Saturday: #5 Texas A&M, #6 Iowa State, #10 Oklahoma, and #13 USC. Intuitively, TAMU would definitely get into the top 4 in the case of a Clemson or OSU loss, but should they? Yes, the committee has been regarding them very highly since their upset win against Florida, and you could assume that if a team above them were to slip, they’d simply take their place. But there are 2 things I would take into account with the Aggies. The first is this: assuming Alabama beats Florida on Saturday night, do we really want to see TAMU play a Crimson Tide team that already beat them by 28 in the regular season? My answer is no. I’d hope yours is too. Here’s the second thing: even with the same amount or less losses, are we sure TAMU is better than Clemson or Ohio State? Again, my answer is no. Not even close. The current top 4 is the clear cut top 4 in America, but it cannot be that easy for the committee. They have set a precedent that values wins, conference championships, and quality of play. However, as I said before, if there’s any year to bend the rules a bit, it has to be this year.

The other 3 teams have much less hope than the Aggies do. ISU and OU will clash in Arlington for the Big 12 title, and the winner will likely be ranked no higher than 6th, barring total chaos in the other conference championship games. With both teams having 2 losses, it’s simply too hard to see them jumping the other teams above them, especially based on the precedent that the committee has set so far this season. Also, much like TAMU, they are certainly not better than the top 4 based on the eye test alone. I do believe that both teams are very good, but their slips earlier in the season have costed them a chance at the playoff.

Big 12 Championship Game: Oklahoma and Iowa State set for rematch in Arlington on Dec. 19 - CBSSports.com
Iowa State and Oklahoma will meet for the 2nd time this season for the Big 12 title, but both teams need more than that if they want to make the playoff. (h/t David Purdy, Getty Images)

All the way out west, USC sits at #13 despite being 5-0, like Ohio State is. The Trojans will play for a PAC-12 title on Friday night, and should get it easily against Oregon. If they sit at 6-0 as an undefeated Power 5 champion, then it would be hard for them to be completely disregarded, once again considering the precedent that the committee has set. However, when you take into account the way that the committee has valued the PAC-12 this season, it’s impossible to see an avenue for USC to jump all the way up into a playoff spot. It’s unfortunate for a team that has looked rather impressive in 2020, but it is warranted for a conference that put play on hold for so long.

All 4 of these teams need quite a bit of help if they want to get anywhere close to the playoff. Unfortunately for them, I don’t see it happening at all. Every year, I take the liberty of projecting what the top 6 will be for all outcomes of relevant conference championship games heading into the weekend. Every year I’ve done this (which is 2017-now), I’ve gotten the top 4 right, with the exception of a few seeds being flipped. The thing about this year is that I have to try and put myself in the committee’s shoes. They make some very questionable decisions, and based on what they’ve shown us this season, I had to go against common sense. Here’s how I see things playing out for every single scenario during championship weekend, not entirely based on how I feel, but based on what the committee is likely to do:

Potential playoff scenarios for every possible outcome of the 4 relevant conference championship games.

As you can see, Alabama and Notre Dame make it in 100% of the outcomes, and the 4 aforementioned teams on the outside looking in make it in 0. More notably, Texas A&M gets a bid in every case that saw either Clemson or Ohio State losing. However, if both Clemson and Ohio State win their respective games, then A&M will likely be kept out, regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship Game. Still, this means Texas A&M has a very good shot at making the playoff, which is just a sham. Clemson absolutely deserves it more than them, as they are clearly the better team, but it just seems unlikely based on this season’s weekly rankings. Again, I had to ask myself the vaunted question, “WWTCD?”: what would the committee do?

There isn’t a lot of chaos that can make the selection process very difficult this season. The way I see it, only 5 teams have real playoff hopes. If it was up to me, teams like Cincinnati, USC, and others would have better shots, but the selection committee isn’t a big fan of common sense, so that isn’t the case. There is obviously a dream scenario for the committee, which is one that sees the current top 4 getting in with a bit of shuffling with seeding. Based on my projections, there are 4 cases in which that can happen, with the biggest contingency being the ACC Championship Game. If Clemson defeats Notre Dame (and the other two games go to plan), then Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Ohio State will be your top 4 teams. It’s that simple. A lot of people see this being the case, but I’m not so sure. That being said, let’s get into my picks for Championship Weekend:

USC 31-20 Oregon

Friday, 8:00 EST, FOX

As I stated above, this one should be easy for the Trojans. Oregon doesn’t even deserve to be playing in this game, only getting the invite due to COVID problems within Washington’s program, preventing them from playing. Oregon has not been nearly as good as promised this season, and are clearly still trying to figure things out in the midst of tons of opt-outs. USC has been on fire all season, especially offensively, led by star QB Kedon Slovis and a plethora of WR talent. That offense should carry them to victory, and their first PAC-12 title in 3 years.

Ohio State 38-21 Northwestern

Saturday, 12:00, FOX

The Buckeyes must be one pissed off group. This is just their 3rd game in the last 6 weeks due to plenty of COVID problems both within the program and within opponents’ programs. The Game wasn’t played for the first time since 1917, and if it wasn’t for the B1G bending some rules, they almost didn’t get the chance to play in this game. Thankfully, the Bucks will be in Indy, and they will dominate. This group has been itching to play in recent weeks, and if their last game against Michigan State was any indication, this team is much improved and ready to play elite football again. Their defense finally seems to be figuring things out, and the offense has excelled all season long both passing and running the football. Northwestern has had a nice season of their own, riding an elite defense to their 2nd B1G West title in 3 years, but it won’t be enough to overcome Ohio State. Not only is the talent gap too big, but the Buckeyes are simply too inspired to be derailed just yet. They know they’re fighting for their season, and they will fight their way into the College Football Playoff.

Iowa State 30-27 Oklahoma

Saturday, 12:00, ABC

The #6 Cyclones have been one of the surprise teams of 2020, and a big part of that involved knocking off Oklahoma earlier this season. I’m always cautious of taking the team that won the first matchup in a second one, but I feel confident in ISU. They have played like a better team than OU has for the majority of this season. Both teams started their years slowly, but have picked up plenty of steam. My main reason for taking Iowa State in this game is the fact that their running game, led by star RB Breece Hall, and their defense, have been so instrumental to their success this year. A team that can run the ball and play defense really has a good shot to beat anyone. And in the Big 12, it means a whole lot more.

Notre Dame 34-31 Clemson

Saturday, 4:00, ABC

This is the big one. The November 7th game was the biggest game of the season, and this one is 10x more important. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Clemson is playing Trevor Lawrence unlike in the first game! The Tigers are 10.5 point favorites! They won’t lose a second time!” Trust me, I hear all of that. But it really doesn’t mean much to me. True freshman QB D.J. Uiagelelei did a more than fine job as the starter for Clemson in the first game between these teams, and it certainly wasn’t his fault that his defense was gashed for 47 points. So, what difference does Lawrence make in that regard? I understand that he’s incredible, but it’s their defense that needs to step up the most. Notre Dame’s offense is no joke, as many college football fans would have you believe. They can run the ball extremely well with RB Kyren Williams, and QB Ian Book has shown a lot of improvement as a passer. Their outside threats and TEs are very big physical and can easily win battles against Clemson’s very talented DBs. The Irish defense is equally physical, and although they gave up 40 the first time around, they should be much sharper in this game. Clemson’s defense will certainly be improved as well, as they’ll be much healthier, and DC Brent Venables will have a much better gameplan. However, in a huge spot like this, I have to take the team that’s proven themselves in 2020, and that is undoubtedly Notre Dame. They’ve proven that they can beat Clemson already, and the Tigers don’t have a win that comes even close to that. Say what you want, but I’ve held this opinion for almost a month now. Notre Dame will win this game, and in effect, end Clemson’s season.

Alabama 45-27 Florida

Saturday, 8:00, CBS

No need to overthink the room on this one. Alabama is the best team in America and it isn’t very close. Florida once had something to play for in this game, but last week, they quite literally threw their season away by losing to an LSU team that was starting future Panera workers at skill positions. The Gators will be much less inspired and the Tide will smack them in the mouth. Even if UF pulls off an incredibly unlikely upset, it won’t mean much. No matter what, Alabama will make the playoff, and Florida will not.

Given these picks, the playoff I believe we’ll see unveiled on Sunday afternoon is as follows: #1 Alabama vs. #4 Texas A&M and #2 Notre Dame vs. #3 Ohio State. As I said earlier, I do believe Clemson is a top 4 team, but I don’t think the committee would put them in with 2 losses. It’s a shame, but it’s the system we have in college football. Moreover, here are my predictions for the New Years Six bowl games:

This year’s NY6 bowl games could look very different based on what happens in the ACC Championship Game.

Regardless of what happens this weekend, the games, the selection, and the playoff itself should all be incredible. After all, this is college football. The best sport on the planet. I’ll be back when it’s time to predict the playoff itself. See you then.