Will Ohio State repeat as National Champions?
Brian
College football is finally back, and I, as most of you, are thrilled. For the second year in a row, the season begins without an SEC team previously winning the National Championship.
Some SEC fans are concerned about the league's status as the premiere conference in college football. Rest assured, the SEC is still the premier and deepest conference in the country. However, being the deepest conference means that the next National Champion may not be from the SEC again due to the grueling schedule most teams face.
The SEC West has 5 teams (minus the Mississippis) that could potentially make the CFB Playoff, and Georgia, as always, has the talent and ability if it doesn't stumble over itself.
Below I will list some of my predictions, on a conference and national scale:
Preseason Top 10
1. Ohio State - Give me one reason they shouldn't be #1? Urban Meyer. Cardale Barrett Miller, Ezekiel Elliott. You get the picture.
2. Auburn - Auburn has the least question marks in the SEC and should be the best team (adding Muschamp), but their schedule concerns me.
3. Michigan State - Mark Dantonio has really turned Michigan State into a very consistent power, especially defensively.
4. Alabama - I have a lot of questions about Alabama, notably replacing all starting receivers and settling on a new QB, but I do trust that Saban will field a very solid team.
5. TCU - Based on the way they finished last year and who they return, hard not to rank them in the top 5. Boykin should have a big year.
6. Baylor - Basically, see TCU description. Art Briles has done a wonderful job of turning Baylor into an offensive powerhouse. I give a slight nod to TCU, given Baylor and TCU have similar schedules and Baylor plays at TCU.
7. Notre Dame - Brian Kelly is a solid coach. With Malik Zaire at QB, Notre Dame has the potential to be a pretty dangerous team. Watch out.
8. Georgia - I hate to say it, but this is likely where Georgia will also finish the season. I wish something would change this year, but UGA has this insane ability to lay eggs. On paper, UGA has a great shot at the playoff: great offensive line, great RBs, and great defense. But, how is that different than most other years?
9. Clemson - Deshaun Watson was dangerous when he was healthy last year and made Clemson a dynamic team offensively. I would not be surprised if Watson leads Clemson to an ACC title.
10. Texas A&M- This may seem a little lofty, but did you watch QB Kyle Allen toward the end of last season? He was quite impressive. Further, A&M poached longtime successful defensive coordinator John Chavis from LSU (previously at Tennessee under Fulmer).
Teams to Keep an Eye on
1. Louisville - Often, good coaches really make their mark in year two at a program. I don't think there's much of a debate whether Petrino is a top tier coach or not. In year one at Louisville the first time around (2003), Petrino led the Cardinals to a 9-4 record. In year two (2004), they were 11-1. In year one at Arkansas (2008), the Razorbacks posted a 5-7 record under Petrino. In year two (2009), the Razorbacks finished 8-5. I'm sure Auburn won't take the Cardinals lightly in their opener on September 5th.
2. Florida - Over past few seasons, I know Florida hasn't played like the elite Florida most people became accustomed to seeing since 1990; however, despite posting mediocre records, Florida has still fielded very talented squads. Florida doesn't lack talent heading into 2015, but needs better coaching, notably on the offensive side of the ball. I fully expect Jim McElwain to make Florida into a dangerous team again over the next several seasons. I wouldn't pick them to win the SEC East, but they can certainly put up a fight.
Teams I Don't Know What to Think About
1. Tennessee - Butch Jones has put together several solid recruiting classes and has some legitimate play makers on both sides of the ball. Thus, the sky seems the limit for the Vols; however, it will take winning several big games to make players believe the program is better than the 8-5 type seasons Tennessee has shockingly grown accustomed to recently. If UT can beat Oklahoma and UGA, watch out.
2. Oklahoma - Bob Stoops is one of the most successful coaches in college football right now. But, Oklahoma teams have severely failed to meet expectations for a lot of the past few seasons. Will Oklahoma break through again and regain its status as an elite power? I don't know.
1. Louisville - Often, good coaches really make their mark in year two at a program. I don't think there's much of a debate whether Petrino is a top tier coach or not. In year one at Louisville the first time around (2003), Petrino led the Cardinals to a 9-4 record. In year two (2004), they were 11-1. In year one at Arkansas (2008), the Razorbacks posted a 5-7 record under Petrino. In year two (2009), the Razorbacks finished 8-5. I'm sure Auburn won't take the Cardinals lightly in their opener on September 5th.
2. Florida - Over past few seasons, I know Florida hasn't played like the elite Florida most people became accustomed to seeing since 1990; however, despite posting mediocre records, Florida has still fielded very talented squads. Florida doesn't lack talent heading into 2015, but needs better coaching, notably on the offensive side of the ball. I fully expect Jim McElwain to make Florida into a dangerous team again over the next several seasons. I wouldn't pick them to win the SEC East, but they can certainly put up a fight.
Teams I Don't Know What to Think About
1. Tennessee - Butch Jones has put together several solid recruiting classes and has some legitimate play makers on both sides of the ball. Thus, the sky seems the limit for the Vols; however, it will take winning several big games to make players believe the program is better than the 8-5 type seasons Tennessee has shockingly grown accustomed to recently. If UT can beat Oklahoma and UGA, watch out.
2. Oklahoma - Bob Stoops is one of the most successful coaches in college football right now. But, Oklahoma teams have severely failed to meet expectations for a lot of the past few seasons. Will Oklahoma break through again and regain its status as an elite power? I don't know.
Conference Winners
ACC- Clemson
BIG - Ohio State
Big 12 - TCU
PAC 12 - USC
SEC (East) - Georgia
SEC (West) - Auburn
SEC - Auburn
CFB Playoff and Champion
Ohio State, Michigan State, TCU, Notre Dame
Analysis on the SEC being left out: Auburn beats Alabama and wins the SEC, but with 2 losses. Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Arkansas, etc. also finish with 2-3 (or more) losses.
Ohio State repeats as National Champion.
Jeremy
Hard to believe we're less than two weeks away from meaningful football. Though we don't have the anticipation of A&M/Carolina premiering on the SEC Network, there are still some fun games on opening Thursday night. Then opening Saturday, as always has a few choice match-ups.
I think the big story heading into the season has got to be Ohio State. They return a boatload of talent after winning the inaugural CFB playoff last year. With a favorable schedule, I'm with Brian and think they have an excellent chance to repeat. However, if I recall, that was the same thing we all said about FSU last year. While they did make the playoffs (in part because of a favorable schedule), they were exposed in a match-up against Oregon. I wouldn't say Ohio State would be exposed if they were to reach the play-offs again, but I will say the step up in competition could be their biggest challenge.
Remember, we are talking about a team that hasn't named a starting QB yet. That doesn't mean both guys aren't proven as both have played well in big games. However, I've learned when you have two QB's, it can be a problem. Let's also not forget that this mega-talented team inexplicably lost to Virginia Tech last year. If they lost to that squad then they could certainly lose to a TCU, Baylor, Alabama, or Auburn.
Perhaps the biggest question going into the season is who else are the favorites to make the play-offs. The SEC is up for grabs as many of the teams who are supposed to be in contention have questions marks. Many of those concerns are with who will be the QB? As Marcus Mariota has graduated, who emerges as the front-runner in PAC-12? The Big 12 is stacked at the top again. And the ACC has question marks as well.
That's what makes CFB so great. Sure we have a front runner but you just never know. It's why we watch. The landscape changes from week to week. Maybe even more so with the play-off. We're looking forward to another great season here at GRH.
Pre-season Top 10
1. Ohio State - No surprise here. The Buckeyes are loaded and the weak Big 10 gives them a manageable path. Hard to not envision them making a run at the playoff.
2. TCU - These guys probably got screwed last year but when the Buckeyes ended up winning it all, everyone kind of forgot. They have a lot of talent coming back and I expect they will be in the mix for the CFB playoff.
3. Auburn - They get the nod over Bama because of the QB situation. That's not to say I am confident here. Auburn was not as good as many thought last year and though they hired Will Muschamp to coach the defense, I'm not sold. But from a talent standpoint, they are stacked.
4. Alabama - Questions at QB and a very tough schedule. I have the Tide high to start the season but I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up with 3 losses. Uncle Nick just seems to get the job done though.
5. Baylor - These guys didn't seem to miss Bryce Petty too much when he was hurt so my guess is the offense will keep rolling. However, the defense will again be the question. Don't sleep on Art Briles and the Bears.
6. Michigan State - The Spartans have become a pretty powerful team under the direction of Mark Dantonio. They play stout defense and are smart on offense. I don't think they have the talent of Ohio State, but they should be the Buckeyes toughest competition in the Big 10.
7. Notre Dame - I agree with Brian about Coach Kelly. He has these guys prepped to play. I'm concerned about their schedule though. If they can navigate some tough early games, I like their chances to have a stout year.
8. Georgia - Talent wise, I think Georgia is loaded again. While many people look at their skill positions, I think their lines are the key. If they can continue to open holes for Nick Chubb and company as well as give whoever is their QB some time, the offense will be dangerous. The defense should take another step and could be elite.
9. Oregon - These guys are the premier team in the PAC-12. However, they are replacing a Heisman winning QB. But the Ducks seem to just keep rolling. I expect them to come back to the rest of the conference some, but they'll still be really good.
10. USC - The Trojans are primed to be back. They have a lot of talent and I think will be a player again in the PAC-12. The road to the conference title still goes through Eugene, but the Men of Troy could break through this year.
Dark Horses
1. Georgia Tech - God, I hate to say this but if Tech can get some defense going, then they can be pretty good. Clemson will be solid as will FSU, but if the Jackets can get past an early test against Notre Dame, watch out. Paul Johnson finally has the QB he's wanted in that flexbone system.
2. Arizona- Rich Rodriguez has things working in the desert. This offense will be good. The question in the PAC-12 lies in defense. I just have a hunch that this could be a big year for the Wildcats. They have to travel to both Stanford and USC. The rest of the schedule is manageable as they don't draw Oregon from the North.
Questions
1. LSU - As talented as any team in the country, but yet I still have no idea what to expect from LSU. They play in arguably the toughest division in the country but should be able to compete. Perhaps finding a QB is key but Les Miles' team has me a little flummoxed this year.
2. Arkansas - I don't know whether to buy in or not. They are one of the few teams in the SEC who have a known commodity at QB. They are loaded at RB and have a solid offensive line. Why do I have such concerns? I think, again, it's because of the SEC West. But this team could be really special or 6-6.
Conference Champs
ACC - Georgia Tech
BIG 10 - Ohio State
BIG 12 - TCU
PAC 12 - Arizona
SEC - Georgia
CFB Playoff
Ok, going out on a limb here but I think the ACC is the conference with no play-off team. Here's my reasoning: Tech wins the ACC but has one loss in conference and losses to UGA and Notre Dame. 3 losses won't get you in the playoff.
Arizona wins the PAC 12 and draws Ohio State in one semi-final. Georgia and TCU in the other. I like the Buckeyes and Dawgs in the championship but I think the Buckeyes win title number 2 when all is said and done.
