No, who reads magazines anymore!
Ok fine, but have you looked at any preseason College Football predictions for the up and coming season?
Why do I need to read something that is going to tell me that Alabama is going to play either Ohio State, Georgia or Clemson in the championship?
At the end of every June, I would hurry over to Barnes and Noble and pick up my College Football publications and get a head start on next year’s best teams and players. While that may seem like a very old-timey sentence to read, it really became part of my summer tradition. Whether it was Athlon, Street & Smith, or my personal favorite Phil Steel’s College Football Preview, I always felt instantly smarter by going to the store and shelling out $10-20 bucks and absorbing as much information as possible for the up and coming season.
So you actually shelled out hard earned money for magazines…in the 21st century?
Yes, yes I did. I would scour through the pages, read up on the best matchups that season, who the surprise teams were going to be and look to see who the ‘experts’ were picking to play in the major bowl games. Then I would go to my Michigan team’s pages and read over who was coming back, how the depth charts were shaking out and to circle the must see games on the schedule and explain to my wife that on that particular Saturday night, we would have no plans.
As much as I love the summer, or certain parts of it, reading those College Football articles was as comforting as taking a dip in the ocean, the cool relief of a thunderstorm on a hot day, or stepping into your house with the AC thermostat set at 66 degrees. I hate the heat.
But over the last few years, this tradition has become tainted. Through no fault of the publications, their writers and editors, but reading a College Football prediction piece has become as predictable as predicting the weather at the North Pole. The fun has seriously dissipated because over the last several seasons College Football has become a 5-6 team sport (and that is being generous) with very little to be left to the imagination.
The biggest story of the offseason was the sport is becoming smaller in its scope with the emergence of super conferences taking over as soon as 2025. With Oklahoma and Texas set to join the ranks in the SEC, and UCLA and USC joining the Big 10, we can all expect the dominos to continue the fall over the next year. Will Clemson and Florida State join the SEC? Will Notre Dame finally commit to a conference? Will the New York Jets try to join the American East Conference? It may be the best chance to find some success.
But even with all of these conference changes, will anything really change? Will someone finally figure out how to beat Alabama consistently? Can the same be said for Ohio State? Who knows? Only time will tell. But if time has taught us anything, the past that is, is that we can never fully expect to know everything that is going to happen in a season and that surprises do happen.
Now I am not going to start off my ‘College Football Prediction Series’ by saying someone like Rutgers is going to surprise everyone and win the National Championship (no disrespect to the Scarlet Knights) but in this first part of my series I am going to share with you the Top 10 Games that will decide this year’s playoff. Alabama and Ohio State will much more than likely be two of the final four teams this year, but there are a number of games that could and will go a long way in deciding if that destiny is sealed or if fate has something else up its sleeve.
10) Texas A&M vs. Miami- September 17th
Like I said, Alabama is more than likely going to be going to another College Football Playoff. With Bryce Young returning, the Heisman favorite, along with one of Nick Saban’s most experienced rosters during his Bama tenure, Alabama is any gambler’s favorite to return to the playoff. However the one team that stands in their way in the SEC West are the Aggies.
I was very bullish on Texas A&M last season, and despite beating Alabama last year, Texas A&M finished only 8-4. But everyone around the country agrees that the Aggies are one of, if not the most talented team in the country, and they too have playoff ambitions.
We will know very early on just how real Texas A&M looks when they host Miami on September 17th. The Hurricanes and new coach Mario Cristobal will also have a talented team, and one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Tyler Van Dyck. It should be a great matchup of two high powered offenses, but if the Aggies have any hope of surviving in the SEC they are going to have to play some defense. If the Aggies are able to demonstrate against the Hurricanes offense some stability, and win the game, the Aggies should become a top 8 team heading into their matchup against Alabama.
But what if Miami won? If Miami was able to go into College Station and pull off the upset, it could possibly set off a ripple effect throughout the sport. The ACC has not exactly been a juggernaut of football excellence, and with Clemson’s abysmal 2021 season, the conference reached new lows. But, if Miami were able to win the game, it would be a great notch not only on Miami’s belt but the conference as a whole. Clemson does play Notre Dame later in the season (which we will see on this list) but if Miami were to win this one, and take care of the rest of their schedule, their matchup against Clemson would have major implications as well.
9) Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss- October 29th
The Aggies again yes. If you are going to threaten Alabama’s reign in the SEC West and be a contender for the playoff you have to be able to run the gauntlet and Ole Miss is one of the toughest matchups on the schedule. But this game is after the Aggies affair with Alabama so it sets up three possible scenarios…
Scenario 1: If Texas A&M loses to Alabama but beats Ole Miss
If A&M lost to Alabama in their matchup on October 8th, the game against Ole Miss may be their last chance to impress the playoff committee. Ole Miss could be the darkhorse in the SEC this season and there is a real possibility that Ole Miss will be undefeated heading into College Station on the 29th. If the Aggies were able to win that and the rest of their games, their one loss against Alabama may be enough to sway the playoff committee.
Scenario 2: if Texas A&M beats Alabama and then beats Ole Miss
If A&M were to beat Alabama and Ole Miss however, they would be unquestionably the best team in the country heading into November with a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way.
Scenario 3: Texas A&M loses/wins against Alabama but Ole Miss wins
Regardless of the outcome of A&M and Alabama, if the Runnin Rebs of Ole Miss are able to beat Texas A&M in College Station then they would be the surprise team in the nation with only three games remaining, one of which would be against…wait for it…Alabama.
8) Michigan vs. Penn State- October 15th
Is Penn State ever going to make the playoffs under James Franklin? Penn State got off to a terrible start last year, going 0-5, and once again Nittany Lions fans were left wondering if Penn State was ever going to get over that hump. Penn State should bounce back this season, but their matchup against Michigan on October 15th will reveal to the country how far they have come.
Michigan was finally able to do so a year ago after upsetting Ohio State and winning the Big 10 title. Michigan enters the 2022 season with virtually the same offense but have lost some serious firepower on the defensive side of the ball. But can Harbaugh reproduce the same magic from a year ago? Can the offense take a step forward and make up for the losses on defense?
This is a huge game for both teams, and the winner of the game will be the best chance to once again dethrone Ohio State as the best team in the Big 10.
7) Alabama vs. Texas A&M- October 8th
I can’t talk about Texas A&M or Alabama much more. But this is a very, very important game.
6) Georgia vs. Oregon- September 3rd
Did you know there were other teams in the SEC? One of them, Georgia, actually won the National Championship last year. But will the Dawgs have enough in them this year to repeat as champions? On September 3rd we will find out…
Over the last decade, the Georgia Bulldogs had been knocking on the door of the College Football elite. The Mark Richt Era brought in elite talent but disappointing results, and when Kirby Smart took over the Bulldogs were able to establish an identity, however the identity became good enough to lose to Alabama every year. But last year, they were finally able to overcome their Everest and win their first National Championship since 1980. What did it cost them? Well in the words over Thanos…everything.
Georgia lost six players to the first round of the NFL draft alone, leaving major holes, specifically on the defensive side of the ball that need to be filled. Teams like Bama, Clemson and Ohio State have proven to reload in these situations and not rebuild, but this is a big question mark for the Bulldogs. And they are going to have one tough test in week 1.
Oregon looked to finally be righting the ship with Mario Cristobal last year, and just like that, he got up and took his talents to Miami. Very LeBron-esque. Even though their coach is gone, the talent he left behind is still there, and Oregon promises to have an explosive offense that will test the newcomers that Georgia will be bringing in. Aside from the questions surrounding Georgia and Oregon however, there is much more at stake, with this game, in week 1.
If Georgia wins, as they are supposed to, this game could go a long way in solidifying Georgia’s playoff spot this season. This is by far their toughest game on the schedule with the rest of the SEC East still playing catch up. But if Georgia were to lose to Oregon, Georgia would have to win the SEC to have a chance to make the playoff. Remember a year ago they were blown out in the SEC title game, and they still were able to make the playoff.
And if Oregon were to win the game, not only would that be a major feather in their cap for their playoff chances, but the entirety of the PAC-12. USC and Utah promise to be extremely good this year (hint, hint) and if Oregon can beat an SEC super power it will finally give the conference some playoff legitimacy. Something they have not had for a few years.
5) Utah vs. USC- October 15th
And speaking of the PAC-12, no matchup will be bigger than the Utah-USC matchup on October 15th. Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma to take the job at So Cal and in doing so, is now manning the helm of one of the most explosive offenses in the country. He got to work quickly, but scooped up Jordan Addison in the transfer portal, which could make this USC offense, with Lincoln Riley’s elite offensive mind, one of the greatest USC offenses in history.
But despite all of the excitement that is happening at USC, Utah is still favored to win the PAC-12. They may not be the sexy pick, but Utah may have the most efficient offense and hands down the best defense in the conference. USC will have to travel to Salt Lake City to overcome the best in the west, and it may be a tall order in year one for Lincoln Riley and this explosive offense to overcome.
But consider this…
Utah opens up on the road against Florida, while all of the eyes will be on Georgia and Oregon that day, a Utah win against the Gators will also do not only Utah, but the rest of the conference well, and might be more realistic of a signature win, than the Ducks beating Georgia. If Utah is able to beat Florida then run the table against a better USC and then go into Oregon on November 19th to secure the PAC-12, the playoff committee may not be able to ignore Utah. It is not out of the question for Utah to be one of the last four this season.
But if USC is able to pull off the upset, if it is still considered an up set at the time, USC would have a path to the playoff themselves which would set up for a massive showdown at the end of the season versus rival Notre Dame.
4) Ohio State vs. Notre Dame- September 3rd
And speaking of the Irish, their season will get off with a bang against Ohio State. Now both could afford to lose this game and still make the College Football Playoff, but for whatever team did lose, it would mean they would have to be flawless in the remainder of their schedule to easily secure that spot. Which both teams are more than capable of doing…
Notre Dame was shocked when Brian Kelly decided to leave to make those awesome recruiting videos at LSU, but there is a lot of excitement around new head coach Marcus Freeman and what he will be able to do with the talent this year at South Bend. Notre Dame has an excellent offensive line and sneaky good playmakers on offense. The defense however will be the focal point at Notre Dame, and that should be on display against the high powered Buckeye offense.
And Ohio State is as high powered as they come. With Heisman favorite CJ Stroud at quarterback and the best wide receiving corps in the country to throw the ball too, Ohio State should be back for blood in 2022.
But if Notre Dame does end up winning this game, not only would that be great for Notre Dame, but teams like Clemson and USC, who also play the Irish and who are also title hopefuls. Both Clemson and USC need Notre Dame to be great in order to strengthen their strength of schedule and an Irish victory over Ohio State could set the wheels in motion.
Tired of seeing 2 SEC teams in the playoffs? Start rooting for Notre Dame this season.
3) Notre Dame vs. Clemson- November 5th
Speaking of one of those matchups, Notre Dame and Clemson on November 5th will have the highest of stakes for both of these programs.
Clemson had their worst season under Dabo Swinney, largely because of the instability at quarterback and lack of any kind of explosion on the offensive side of the ball. Reports out of Clemson is that the offense is now fixed, and Clemson should be back in the mix for the playoff. Clemson however does not play anyone near the caliber of Notre Dame until that decisive day on November 5th, so even if Clemson rolls in undefeated, as they should, their matchup against Notre Dame will go a long way in determining who is getting into the playoff.
It is hard to imagine Clemson, who has been so dominant over the last several seasons, would not be able to regroup and re-enter the fray. But they do seem to be the forgotten contender heading into 2022. A win over Notre Dame will remind everyone who used to be the ‘Tiger King’ of the sport.
2) Michigan vs. Ohio State- November 26th
But regardless of what happens in Week 1 for Ohio State it should all come down to their last game of the season against Michigan to decide their fate. Last year Michigan was able to slay their mighty dragon, and don’t think November 26th, 2022 hasn’t been circled on the calendar in Columbus since the final second ticked a year ago.
The Big 10 should once again come down to Michigan and Ohio State, unless Penn State is able to win in the Big House earlier in the season, but look for ‘the Game’ to have a lot on the line in 2022.
1) Notre Dame vs. USC- November 26th
But there is a world, a very real one, that the biggest game on the last weekend does not take place between Michigan and Ohio State, but another great pair of rivals, Notre Dame and USC.
It feels like forever ago when these two met up and had something real to play for. The last time both teams were ranked in their matchup was 2017! But this year, I am boldly predicting that not only will both teams be ranked on November 26th, both teams will be in the Top 10, and playoff berths will be on the line. Despite how talented Utah, Ohio State and Clemson are, I believe Notre Dame and USC will be able to navigate their schedule well enough to position themselves for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
What makes the matchup even more compelling, is that both teams should be playing their best brand of football at this point in the season, as both should acclimate to their new head coaches nicely. This could also set up the next great chapter of this historic rivalry, but give all college football fans something refreshing in a sport that has become a bit stale in the last couple of seasons.
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