Tag: National Championship

2023 National Championship Preview and Prediction

After 66 games of a brilliant NCAA Tournament, we have reached college basketball’s biggest night. Let’s preview UConn vs. SDSU, and predict who will be cutting down the nets as the national champions.

Cover photo taken from Sporting News.

Welcome to Monday Night. After 17 days, 66 games, countless incredible moments, and perhaps the most bizarre NCAA Tournament of all time, we have reached the National Championship. Tonight, the #4 UConn Huskies take on the #5 San Diego State Aztecs for the title in Houston, Texas.

I gave a detailed rundown of both teams in Saturday’s Final Four preview, so I’ll spare you all of the nitty gritty stuff here. Still, let’s take a look at each of tonight’s contestants before picking the game itself:

#4 UConn Huskies

UConn is en route to rarified air, having won each of its first five NCAA Tournament games by double digit points with a total margin of victory of +103. That is one of the most staggering figures I’ve ever been tasked with comprehending. They are the sixth team to accomplish this feat, with four of the previous five capping off their journey with a national title. Considering how the Huskies continue to play on both sides of the ball, it almost feels impossible picking them to slow down. Their Final Four performance against Miami went almost exactly how I anticipated, but I figured most of their dominance would come in the second half. Instead, they led from beginning to end with equal levels of dominance in each 20-minute period. Adama Sanogo was his usual self with 21 points and 10 boards on 9/11 shooting, including two shocking first half threes. Alex Karaban poured in a solid 8 points and 9 rebounds, and Donovan Clingan came off the bench for an effective 4 and 6. Even when Sanogo isn’t on the floor, the Huskies are able to dominate the inside with their physicality. The backcourt did its usual thing with Jordan Hawkins leading the way with 13 points. Tristen Newton led the game in assists with 8 to go along with 7 points, and Andre Jackson Jr. put Miami’s guards in a straitjacket on the perimeter. But perhaps the most underrated piece to this backcourt is Nahiem Alleyne, who is averaging 7.4 points per game off the bench. UConn has been able to use its depth to its advantage, and all they do is rip you apart and wear you down over the course of 40 minutes. If there’s any team built to counter that playstyle, perhaps it’s San Diego State.

#5 San Diego State Aztecs

The Aztecs are lucky to be here after winning one of the most thrilling Final Four games I’ve ever seen at the buzzer on a beautiful baseline jumper by Lamont Butler. The game-winning shot has gotten all the attention, and seemingly everyone has forgotten that SDSU was down 14 to FAU early in the second half of that game. But they got their act together on both ends of the ball to mount an impressive comeback and reach Monday night. Butler’s shot was the highlight, but Matt Bradley had the best performance on Saturday evening, leading the team in scoring (21 points), rebounding (5 boards), field goals (5/12 shooting) made, threes made (4/8 shooting), and free throws made (7/9 shooting). He was huge to bookend the game with a blistering start and a huge presence down the stretch as the Aztecs got back in it. But that’s not to discredit the other performances on the team. Jaedon LeDee had a huge 12 points off the bench, Aguek Arop poured in 9 points, and Nathan Mensah had a huge 7 and 6. The thing that plagued SDSU was the shot-making of FAU. The Owls were shooting the lights out in the first 30 or so minutes of the game, and that got the Aztecs in the double digit hole. You can never control how well the other team is going to shoot, but that was the first time in this tournament that this great defense had gotten blitzed like that. If San Diego State plays up to its defensive par and continues to get huge offensive contributions from their star guards, they have a great shot at pulling off the upset and cutting down the nets on Monday night.

Key Matchups

If you wanna beat this UConn defense, you better pray that you hit your shots. Any time a team has made a game interesting against the Huskies in this tournament, it has been because they’ve hit enough shots to go on a run and make things uncomfortable. The problem is that once Dan Hurley calls a timeout and makes an adjustment, they’re right back to dominating you on both ends of the floor. So the question becomes this: does SDSU have the shooting to make UConn uncomfortable for a full 40 minutes? And can they keep the game close enough to pull off the upset in the end? I honestly don’t know. The Final Four game against FAU was the only game that was won more by the Aztecs offense than their defense. This is by far the toughest defense they’ve faced, as UConn has dismantled two of KenPom’s top six offensive teams (Gonzaga ranked first, Miami ranked sixth) while SDSU sits all the way down at 68th, so I don’t know how likely it is that they can replicate that performance.

SDSU’s defense won’t be easy to beat either. The best defense that UConn has faced in this tournament is Arkansas, who ranks 17th in efficiency on KenPom. The Aztecs rank fourth. If they can play similar to their performances against Creighton and Alabama, San Diego State can certainly hang around in this game. But I feel like so much more pressure is on their offense to slow down the juggernaut that is the UConn offense, which is so deep and physically imposing. The Huskies offense ranks third in KenPom, and they can beat you in every which way. I don’t know if the Aztecs elite defense has what it takes to stop UConn in the paint and on the perimeter all at once for a full game. No one else has come remotely close, and while SDSU probably has the best shot on paper, it still feels too unlikely.

My Pick

Time is a flat circle. The last time that UConn made a Final Four in Houston was in 2011, where they won it all to cap off a historic run for superstar Kemba Walker. Three years later, the Final Four was in Texas once again, this time in Arlington. Once more, a Huskies guard led the team to an improbable title run; this time it was Shabazz Napier. Now, UConn is back in Houston, one win away from a third national championship in 13 years. History and momentum are on their side, and I don’t see them being stopped.

UConn 74-58 San Diego State

Monday, 9:20 PM EST, CBS

The word I keep using is dominant, but I don’t know if that even scratches the surface of how the Huskies have played in this NCAA Tournament. They have played perhaps the best basketball I have ever seen on this stage. To win in the manner that they have against the caliber of teams that they’ve played is simply astounding. It rivals that of 2018 Villanova, who I currently have as the most impressive national champions I’ve ever watched. With this win, I think UConn can take that spot from their Big East rival. I just find it too unlikely that San Diego State will be able to keep up with them on either side of the ball. I find it much more probable that their defense slows down the Huskies offense, but how long can they keep that up for? As I said on Saturday, the second half has been where UConn has done the bulk of their damage in this tournament. Even if SDSU keeps this close in the first half with their defense, it feels inevitable that the Huskies go on a huge second half barrage to run away with it. In the unlikely event that the Aztecs take this thing down to the wire, they’d be the team I trust more, considering their late-game performances in each of their last three games. But I simply don’t see the game getting to that point. I think UConn is going to impose its will one last time in every aspect of the game en route to another double-digit victory to etch themselves as one of the greatest teams in college basketball history.

All stats taken from ESPN.

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.

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.

2022 National Championship Preview and Prediction

After 66 games of the NCAA Tournament, we have reached college basketball’s biggest night. Let’s preview Kansas vs. UNC, and predict who will be cutting down the nets as the national champions.

Cover photo taken from Sporting News.

Welcome to Monday Night. After 17 days, 66 games, countless incredible moments, the greatest Cinderella run in history, and perhaps the biggest college basketball game of all time, we have reached the National Championship. Tonight, the #1 Kansas Jayhawks take on the #8 North Carolina Tar Heels for the title.

I gave a detailed rundown of both teams in Saturday’s Final Four preview, so I’ll spare you all of the nitty gritty stuff here. Still, let’s take a look at each of tonight’s contestants before picking the game itself:

#1 Kansas Jayhawks

The top seed out of the Midwest continued their dominance on Saturday night against a hobbled Villanova team. A wire-to-wire destruction of the Wildcats thanks to red-hot shooting and physical dominance propelled Kansas to its first title game since 2012, where they will try to win their first championship since 2008. The Jayhawks shot 54% from the field and 53% from downtown and simply made Nova look like they didn’t belong on the same floor, which is saying something. Guard Ochai Agbaji had his first great game of the tournament, going off for 21 points, including 6 threes. David McCormack was an unstoppable force down low, tallying 25 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Kansas also got great performances from their key role players, like Jalen Wilson, Dajuan Harris Jr., and Christian Braun, who hit a couple of late threes to seal the deal. The usual spark-plug Remy Martin only scored 3 points and yet the Jayhawks still won by 16. Their dominance cannot be overstated. If they play at that level again tonight, then it’ll be another blowout victory, and Kansas will be back on top of the college basketball world.

#8 North Carolina Tar Heels

All UNC did on Saturday night was win what was billed as the greatest, biggest college basketball game of all time, defeating their bitter rival Duke in their first ever NCAA Tournament meeting to end Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching career and reach the national championship game as an 8 seed. So yeah, nothing major. The first instance of the Tobacco Road Rivalry in March Madness lived up to the hype, with a back-and-forth affair from tip to finish in a heart-stopper. It was college basketball at its finest on the biggest stage. All of Carolina’s stars shined bright, especially Caleb Love, who once again proved to be the key to victory for the Tar Heels. 28 points on 55% shooting, including the game-icing 3 with just over 30 seconds left in the game helped put UNC over the top. Armando Bacot was awesome once again, fighting through injury to put up 11 points and an insane 21 rebounds, 8 of those being offensive. Brady Manek continued his scoring ways with 14 points, R.J. Davis was as hot as ever with 18, and even Leaky Black proved to be an incredibly important piece with 8 points and 9 boards. The Heels have proven themselves as the most impossible-to-stop team when they are at their ceiling. Their offense continues to be blisteringly hot, and their athleticism continues to put them over the top in the clutch. They’ll have their hands full with the physicality of Kansas, but if they keep up their level of play from the previous five rounds of this tournament, it could very well be a fairytale finish to Hubert Davis’ first season as head coach in Chapel Hill.

Key Matchups

My biggest observation and the most indelible image from Saturday night’s Final Four games was Kansas simply being bigger, faster, and stronger than Villanova. I haven’t seen a team this physically dominant since, ironically enough, North Carolina back in 2017. So, in my opinion, tonight’s title game comes down to physicality in both the backcourt and the frontcourt. Behind the arc, the matchup to watch is Ochai Agbaji vs. Caleb Love. Agbaji is bigger and more athletic than Love, but nobody has been more explosive in this tournament than #2 in Carolina blue. If it comes down to shotmaking in the clutch, then it’s hard to pick against Caleb Love. However, if Ochai Agbaji and the Jayhawks are able to physically dominate the backcourt throughout the game, then this one shouldn’t be close late. However, perhaps even more important than the guards in this game are the guys in the paint, namely David McCormack and Armando Bacot. Both of these players have had their way with everyone they have faced so far in the tournament. Now, the two unstoppable forces collide down low. You can easily bank on both guys getting their points, but the key here isn’t scoring. It’s rebounding. Second chance points could prove to be a huge part of this game, seeing as though both teams grab a significant amount of offensive boards. Bacot has been the biggest monster on the glass I have ever seen, but his ankle injury could limit his dominance. If he can play up to his usual par, and the Heels turn those offensive rebounds into points, then I really like Carolina’s chances. However, if his injury holds him back and allows McCormack to be the more dominant force in the paint, then there will be no stopping the Jayhawks from cutting down the nets.

My Pick

I can’t remember the last title game that felt this blue bloody. Perhaps it was Kansas’ last trip to Game 67 back in 2012, where they lost to Kentucky. The Jayhawks are hoping for a better result this time around. Luckily for them, I think they’ll get just what they want.

Kansas 75-69 North Carolina

Monday, 9:20 PM EST, TBS

As I said before, this game comes down to physicality, and nobody is more physically imposing than Kansas. I was blown away by their performance on Saturday night, and while I think it will be hard to replicate, especially against a team as great as UNC, I know this team has what it takes. It feels like this is the Jayhawks team to make up for the lost tournament in 2020, where they would have been the title favorite. This team feels like it is destined to cut down the nets. I do believe Carolina will do their thing in this game, but I just don’t know if they have it in them to win. I wouldn’t put it past them considering the teams they had to beat to get to this point and how awesome Caleb Love has been in this tournament. It would be pretty incredible if they were to win. I just have to trust what my eyes have been telling me about Kansas and roll with them to win their first championship since 2008.

We should be in for a great one tonight in New Orleans. While this hasn’t been the best tournament ever, I’m hoping that it ends on a high note. Regardless, there truly isn’t anything in the world like March Madness, and I’m glad we got to experience it in full this year after three years of craziness. It was a pleasure, and an honor.

All stats taken from ESPN.