Sorry, I haven’t been able to do the Podcast for PSU Football because there hasn’t been much content going on around the program. Today however there is plenty of content involving College Football Predictions. I know I got burned by a few picks last year, but what will my fortunes be by this time?
SEC: The Top 2 Teams in this battleship of a conference are easy to identify. Alabama and Georgia, the 2 squads that made it to the National Championship Game, are once again loaded for a shot at another title. The Bulldogs did lose most of their defense to the NFL this offseason but if last year showed us anything it’s that their offense is good enough to carry the load. And that’s why they’ll be in it till the end. Bama on the other hand has a generational talent in Bryce Young along with a physical defense and talent everywhere even if Jameson Williams is gone. Outside of the 2 main powers there are still plenty of good teams especially in the West. Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher knocked off the Tide last year although they couldn’t make it to the SEC Championship. (Expect Nick Saban to get his revenge especially at Bryant-Denny) LSU under new coach Brian Kelly is also looking to make it back to the top although it may take a while for them. Auburn I don’t know what to think of them due to the departures of Bo Nix, plus several starters on defense, Arkansas at least has a stud at QB in KJ Jefferson. South Carolina has the former Oklahoma sensation in Spencer Rattler who should give them credibility. Enough talk, where does the prediction wheel land?
SEC East:
- Georgia
- Florida
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- Vanderbuilt
SEC West:
- Alabama
- Texas A&M
- LSU
- Arkansas
- Auburn
- Ole Miss
- Mississippi State
BIG10: The East Division is going to be much closer than many analysts believe. A majority of the pundits that I have followed have all but handed THE Ohio State University the BIG10 Title by default. I get why CJ Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and TreVeyon Henderson lead perhaps the most potent offense in the country. But the issue I have with them is their structure on defense. That’s why they lost to Michigan, and nearly lost the Rose Bowl against Utah last year. I’m not sold on them unless Ryan Day can beat Michigan and overcome the atmospheres of Penn State, and Michigan State which he has never seen at full capacity. Michigan lost Aidan Hutchinson, Daxton Hill, David Ojabo and DC Mike Macdonald (BIG TRUZZ!) but have 9 of 11 starters on offense returning. It doesn’t matter if they have a QB controversy like last year, Jim Harbaugh and his boys will be right near the top again. Penn State, like Michigan, is going through a transition on defense losing 7 starters and their DC, but thanks to an outstanding freshman class and the arrival of Manny Diaz, the Nittany Lions should be a defensive powerhouse. As long as Sean Clifford is healthy and Nick Singleton becomes the 1st legit back that PSU has had since Saquan they could be a dark horse to knock off Ohio State and Michigan. Same goes for Michigan State who gave the Wolverines their only loss of the regular season last year thanks to a wild comeback. Mel Tucker and his Spartans like James Franklin and Penn State have massive chips on their shoulders and are looking to play spoiler. Maryland has gotten better especially with Taulia Tagovailoa improving every year but once again it appears that they still won’t be ready for the big time despite major attempts to get over the hump. (I’d like to be wrong, but you never know) In the West it’s also complicated. Wisconsin again appears to be the favorite with an elite defense and a run game led by Braelon Allen. Minnesota is a mystery box. You don’t know what you’ll get from them. I feel like this year, they have a chance to surprise some of the experts if they dominate their early schedule. (The last few games on that schedule, URK!) Purdue is confusing. The only reason they will be in the race for the BIG10 West will be due to their tendency to dominate against stronger opponents. Yet for some strange reason they beat good teams yet lose to bad ones. I don’t get it. Iowa, I’m not sold on, not after they literally backed into the BIG10 West Championship only to get cracked by Michigan. Nebraska finally is once again being overhyped and will be revealed as a big ball of meh. Is there a bold pick? I wonder what the predictors have?
BIG10 East:
- Ohio State
- Michigan
- Penn State
- Michigan State
- Maryland
- Rutgers
- Indiana
BIG10 West:
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Purdue
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Illinois
- Northwestern
ACC: I want to know one thing. Why is Clemson ranked #4 in the country coming into the season when they came off a year where they weren’t ranked? Look I get Dabo Swinney’s reputation, plus an excellent freshman class but I would at least have them in the 15-20 range. They need to prove something to me. So does the U. Miami went through a massive culture change over the offseason and their fans and students believe it will lead to instant success. Like I said with Clemson, it needs time. As for the 2 Cinderella Stories of the ACC last year, Wake Forest and Pitt both lost many key players on offense, so the skeptics are out but they are each one good season away from being trusted as legit contenders going forward. NC State also had a miracle run but they were gashed by Pitt and now want payback. North Carolina still not sold. They teased everyone last year with Sam Howell and were revealed as mediocrity at best. Now that he’s gone, I see a potential dark road ahead. Will I be right, who knows. Prediction?
ACC Atlantic
- Clemson
- Wake Forest
- NC State
- Florida State
- Boston College
- Louisville
- Syracuse
ACC Coastal
- Pittsburgh
- Miami
- Virginia Tech
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- Duke
- Georgia Tech
PAC12: Out of all the conferences that will be ruined by the potential CFB Superleague, it’s the PAC12. USC and UCLA are moving to the BIG10 in a couple of years, and it looks like more squads could be heading to the BIG10 or SEC. Even Gavin Newsome is upset and demands that those 2 especially UCLA should just stay put. (California Government is hilarious isn’t it) As for those 2 teams themselves they should be in contention all year. The Trojans now with Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams could restore the pride of USC Football. Utah, the defending PAC12 Champs, have one goal. Make it to the College Football Playoff. And with most of the team returning they have a shot. (Despite losing Devin Lloyd and 2 starters on the O-Line) Oregon on the other hand is trying to not let the 2 disasters against the Utes happen again. Although with a tougher schedule it will be hard for them to get past the big boys. UCLA and Arizona State are hard to figure out. They have talent, and coaches that have been successful at the College level but when will these teams stop playing below their abilities. Pundits, what do we have?
PAC12:
- Utah
- USC
- Oregon
- UCLA
- Arizona State
- Oregon State
- Washington State
- Washington
- Stanford
- California
- Colorado
- Arizona
BIG12: The Sooners have had a rough offseason. Not only losing Lincoln Riley to USC but their starting and backup QBs left as well. Still Oklahoma should contend for the BIG12 Title, but they’ll have to go back to what they were in the Jason White years. Defense, and a balanced attack on Offense. Baylor, the feel good story of last year, is back and ready to make a push towards the playoff, but my concern with the Bears is was their run last year a fluke. The same goes for Oklahoma State, despite their epic win against the Sooners on the final week of the regular season, they were struck down at the goalline in the BIG12 Title game against the aforementioned Bears. Although Spencer Sanders is probably going to be in Heisman Contention all year long. TCU I don’t understand why they’re being slept on. The addition of new coach Sonny Dykes should give them instant credibility considering the type of culture he brought at SMU. (Sorry Mustang fans) Texas I’m not sure why everyone is on that bandwagon after the collapse they had last year which included a dud against lowly Kansas. Probably because of Bijan Robinson in the Heisman Running and Arch Manning is coming next year I’m guessing. (“Sark and the Drunken Offense” -UrinatingTree) Iowa State is confusing. When they have expectations they struggle, when they don’t have expectations they are a good team. Oh and by the way Cincinnati and Houston are coming next year, so if you’re Baylor and Oklahoma State take advantage of this shot now. Do the experts agree with them?
BIG12:
- Baylor
- Oklahoma State
- Oklahoma
- Iowa State
- TCU
- Texas
- Kansas State
- Texas Tech
- West Virginia
- Kansas
AAC: The soon to be headed towards the BIG12 teams in Cincinnati and Houston seem to be on a collision course towards the AAC Championship Game. The Bearcats may have lost Ridder, and Sauce Gardiner but the winning culture is still around. Houston, on the other hand, is ready to bust out. That win streak to end the regular season in some ways is only the beginning in the minds of the University. SMU is in a transition now that Sonny Dykes left for their arch rival in TCU but Rhett Lashee isn’t that big of a downgrade. At least they have 2 nice QB prospects to work with. UCF is trying not to have another season where they get struck down by the injury gods. If this crew is healthy they could surprise some experts. Speaking of the experts, where does the poll land?
AAC:
- Cincinnati
- Houston
- SMU
- Houston
- Memphis
- Tulsa
- East Carolina
- Tulane
- Navy
- Temple
- USF
Playoff Predictions:
- Alabama #
- Ohio State *
- Clemson
- Baylor
# = National Champion
* = Runner Up
Bragging Rights Sports 