At this point we’re starting to separate the contenders from the pretenders, especially in college. As conference games begin to dominate the schedule and divisional battles in the NFL heat up the bigger picture will come into focus. Having said that, it’s way too soon to get cocky if you’re favorite team(s) have gotten off to a hot start, and much too early to give up if they’ve stumbled a bit. Both of us were 5-2 last weekend, which is pretty great, but now the real fun begins.
My Season: 20-10
Zach’s Season: 18-12
Cincinnati at BYU (-2.5)
I had to double check to see if both teams had already joined the Big 12 or if that was happening next year. Conference realignment is such bullsquat. Anyway, both did join the conference this season, and right now the 3-1 Cougars have a slight edge over the 2-2 Bearcats. In general I feel like Cincy gets way too much credit for the one year they were really good and somehow snuck into the playoff before being owned by Alabama. Conversely, BYU has a much longer tradition of being a very solid high level program. This is a late Friday night kickoff on ESPN, and I think the home field holds serve, with the favorites covering in a tight contest. Zach foresees a high scoring affair with the home team scoring late to secure the victory.
My Pick: BYU
Zach’s Pick: BYU
Texas A&M (-6.5) vs. Arkansas
So far Jimbo Fisher’s team is on pace to vastly improve on last season’s horrific record, but the job is far from finished. This is a neutral site game at the Palace in Dallas, with a Noon kickoff on the SEC Network. The 2-2 Razorbacks have lost two consecutive games and would love to stop any potential free fall. They are the sort of team that wins 7-9 games in good years while never being in the conference title or CFP conversation, but seem to always play one really great game, upsetting an opponent they weren’t supposed to beat. Will that happen against A&M?? I don’t think so. Conversely, Zach believes Arkansas’ secret weapon is their strength & conditioning program and thinks that’ll be a factor in upsetting an A&M team that’s really not that good.
My Pick: Texas A&M
Zach’s Pick: Arkansas
Georgia (-14.5) at Auburn
Auburn hasn’t beaten Georgia since 2017 when the Bulldogs subsequently avenged that defeat by beating the Tigers in the SEC title game. The favorites are 4-0 and have scored 45+ points in three of those games. Meanwhile, the home team is 3-1 but just got shellacked at Texas A&M. I would love to see a really fun, competitive game Saturday afternoon, but I don’t think that’ll happen. Zach doesn’t believe Georgia is as dominant as they’ve been the last couple of years and thinks they’ll get off to a slow start. Ultimately though, he sees them pulling away late for a big win.
My Pick: Georgia
Zach’s Pick: Georgia
Pittsburgh (-3) at Houston
We normally don’t pick Steelers games because both Zach & I are honest about our bias. I’ve been cheering for the black & gold since the days of Terry Bradshaw & The Steel Curtain. Zach is much younger but grew up rooting for Hines Ward, Big Ben, & Troy Polamalu. We are well aware that our team is in a struggle phase at the moment and trust me…we have lots of opinions. Having said that, I’m confident the favorites will get the job done on the road. The Texans are trending upward and will be a legit playoff contender in a year or two, but I don’t believe they’re there quite yet. Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud looks like he’ll be good down the road, but this weekend I think the Steelers defense will eat him alive. Zach concurs.
My Pick: Pittsburgh
Zach’s Pick: Pittsburgh
Seattle at NY Giants (1.5)
I’m not sure what to make of this one. On one hand, it’s normal that the 1-2 Giants would get the home field bump, but it’s only half of what it would normally be, which is showing respect toward Seattle. However, the mere fact that the 2-1 Seahawks aren’t favored at all seems disrespectful to me. I’ve watched both teams play, and I think Seattle is flat out a better team. I believe they’ll win, and it won’t be particularly close. Zach has a very low opinion of the Giants and agrees that the visiting underdogs will win big on Monday night.
The only thing that could push Deion Sanders off the front page of sports news sites is a season ending injury to Aaron Rodgers. That’s the bad news. Good news?? Well, after a week long standoff Disney & Spectrum reached an agreement, so I got my ESPN back just in time to watch the entirety of Rodgers’ much anticipated Jets’ career, which lasted all of four plays. Perhaps karma is punishing New Yorkers for the absolute nut jobs they elect to positions of power. Anyway, I had a great week, going 4-1, while Zach slipped a little, going 1-4. That being said, we’re both off to solid, above .500 starts to the season, so we’ll see if we can keep that going.
My Season: 13-5
Zach’s Season: 10-8
Army at Texas-San Antonio (-9)
The Black Knights are 1-1 after mauling FCS Delaware St. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners are also 1-1, rebounding from a close season opening loss to get by in-state rival Texas St. last weekend. This is a Friday night game and I have plans, so I’m not sure how much of it I’ll get to see. UTSA won the matchup on the road in overtime a year ago, but with the home field I’m confident they’ll win much more comfortably. Zach doesn’t believe Army will win, but despite tweaking their offensive playbook from the traditional flexbone triple option to a more shotgun based attack he still thinks the visitors will control time of possession & slow the hand down. If UTSA’s offense isn’t on the field as much they’ll score less points & are less likely to cover. That’s the theory anyway…we’ll see how it pans out.
My Pick: UTSA
Zach’s Pick: Army
San Diego State at Oregon State (-24.5)
The Aztecs are 1-1 after losing big to UCLA. The 2-0 Beavers have barely broken a sweat thus far. The points are a bit much, but it’d be a huge statement victory for the home team to win by nearly four touchdowns. Conversely, the points are enough for Zach to go against the grain. He feels like the home team will win, but not by more than three TDs.
My Pick: Oregon St.
Zach’s Pick: San Diego St.
Tennessee (-6.5) at Florida
Before the season began I predicted success for the Vols, but had no expectations that they’d equal last year’s 11-2 record & Top 10 ranking. They’re 2-0 and haven’t allowed more than 13 points from an opponent, but now the real work begins. The Gators are 1-1, but feasted FCS McNeese St. a week ago. It’s a pretty big game because the winner can get on with SEC business and try to climb to the top of the standings, while the loser could be negatively impacted to the point that we look back & view this as the moment their season imploded. I’m far too lackadaisical to do actual research, but I will assume that being underdogs in The Swamp has been rare for the home team thru the years. I think Florida is a team in transition, and I don’t know how patient the folks in Gainesville will be with second year head coach Billy Napier. He could solidify some job security with a big upset, but I don’t believe that’ll happen. Zach agrees with me that Tennessee is good not great, but thinks they’ll win by a touchdown.
My Pick: Tennessee
Zach’s Pick: Tennessee
Washington at Denver (-3.5)
The Commanders (for now) got off to a good start with a victory over Arizona, while the Broncos fell to the Raiders. My lack of faith in Denver is reinforced, atleast for the moment, and Washington looks to be as tediously solid as I thought. You’re going to hear a lot about the challenges of playing in the higher elevation of the Rocky Mountains, but I’m not sure that’s really such a big deal. I don’t think we should read too much into Week 1, but I’ve seen enough to stick with my preseason expectations. Zach concurs.
My Pick: Washington
Zach’s Pick: Washington
NY Jets at Dallas (-7.5)
This game seemed a whole lot more interesting a few days ago, but that was before the Cowboys dominated their season opener & the Jets lost Aaron Rodgers four plays into theirs. My predictions that the Cowboys would have a losing record & head coach Mike McCarthy will lose his job look rather shaky at the moment, although I still believe Philadelphia wins the division. Injuries are always a factor in torpedoing preseason notions, but after all the hype & expectation it is mind boggling to see the Jets’ entire year implode so quickly & in such monumental fashion. Zach doesn’t think the Jets need to be all doom & gloom. He believes QB Zach Wilson will be okay and defense & special teams will win some games for them. He’s not all-in on the Cowboys & thinks their offense isn’t that good.
Y’all, the season hasn’t even begun yet and I’m already sick of hearing about conference realignment. Many years ago, when such insanity was a fairly new trend, I offered up my own thoughts about how I’d reorganize college football. Perhaps I’ll revisit the concept because I believe some of my ideas were rather solid.
Anyhow, that’s a discussion for another day, because no matter how irritated I become about the stupidity surrounding college athletics the truth is for the next few months I’ll be glued to my television every Saturday watching hours & hours of glorious gridiron action. I will not let university suits or TV execs steal my joy. So, per tradition that stretches back to atleast 2009, let’s see if we can forecast with any degree of reasonable accuracy how that final poll will look on January 9, 2024. This will be the final year for the four team playoff, as it expands to 12 teams next season. I’m still not sure how I feel about that, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
25 Fresno State
Last Season: 10-4
Key Games: 9/2 @ Purdue, 10/13 @ Utah St., 11/4 vs. Boise St.
The truth is all of the “big” teams in the “power” conferences will do their fair share of knocking each other out. That means that teams from the “other” conferences have an opportunity to sneak into the polls and receive some love if they have double digit wins and battle for their conference title. I’ve always been intrigued by Fresno and enjoy watching their late night games. I see no reason why they can’t match last year’s success, especially if they come out of the gate strong by going to West Lafayette and upsetting the Boilermakers.
24 Troy
Last Season: 12-2
Key Games: 9/9 @ Kansas St., 9/16 vs. James Madison, 11/2 vs. South Alabama
Most other polls will have Tulane in this spot, but I tend to go against the grain. The Trojans coasted to the Sun Belt title a year ago and return 13 starters from that team. I don’t believe they’ll go into Manhattan, KS and beat the Wildcats, but wouldn’t be shocked if they win every other game on the schedule.
23 Oregon State
Last Season: 10-3
Key Games: 9/29 vs. Utah, 10/14 vs. UCLA, 11/24 @ Oregon
It’s a damn shame that the PAC 12 is imploding, but the Beavers will land on their feet in the restructured league. For now though, the mission is to build on a ten win season, which concluded with beating the snot out of Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl. I foresee atleast one huge upset this year.
22 Tennessee
Last Season: 11-2
Key Games: 9/30 vs. South Carolina, 10/21 @ Alabama, 11/18 vs. Georgia
The Vols pose a lot of questions. They defeated LSU & Alabama last season, and pulverized Clemson in the Orange Bowl. However, they barely got by Pitt in overtime, lost at Georgia, and just didn’t show up in a 25 point loss at South Carolina in which the Gamecocks scored 63 points. Five Tennessee starters were chosen in the NFL Draft, including two wide receivers, a mammoth offensive tackle, and their starting quarterback. The QB situation shouldn’t be an issue though, as former starter Joe Milton received significant playing time a year ago and started the last few games due to injury. I think they’ll have a successful season, but it’ll be damn near impossible to equal the achievements of 2022.
21 Wisconsin
Last Season: 7-6
Key Games: 9/22 @ Purdue, 10/14 vs. Iowa, 10/28 vs. Ohio St.
This one is giving me a bit of anxiety. The Big Ten is deep & competitive, and the Badgers haven’t been all that impressive the past few years. That being said, I’ve always had a soft spot for the type of throwback smashmouth football played in Madison. I think they can get to nine wins and snag a spot on the back end of the rankings.
Atleast the PAC 12 might go out with a bang. No honest “expert” can accurately predict which one of a half dozen teams will emerge as the champion. That should provide plenty of late Saturday night entertainment in the next few months. QB Bo Nix could put himself in the Heisman conversation if the revamped offensive line protects him. A reconstructed defense via the transfer portal needs to kick it up a notch to get the Ducks back to ten win territory.
19 Texas A&M
Last Season: 5-7
Key Games: 10/7 vs. Alabama, 10/14 @ Tennessee, 10/28 vs. South Carolina
Is Jimbo Fisher on the hot seat?? After signing a ten year $75 million contract in 2018, A&M extended him in 2021. It’s a bold strategy that hasn’t paid dividends on the field, with Fisher having his worst year yet in College Station a season ago. The Aggies had a six game losing skid in October/November, but finished by upsetting LSU and likely costing them a playoff berth. Was 2022 an anomaly?? Can this team rebound in a big way and save their coach’s job, if it is indeed on shaky ground?? The talent is allegedly there, and now it’s time to see results. Jimbo hails from my hometown and we graduated from the same high school, so I’m rooting for him to succeed.
The Big Ten is tough. At first glance the Hawkeyes might only be the 6th or 7th best team, which could make it difficult for them to finish in the Top 25. Last season Iowa’s defense was stout, allowing only 13 points/game, but the offense struggled, scoring over 30 points just once. Enter Cade McNamara, a former Michigan QB. McNamara will be behind center in Iowa City with two seasons of eligibility. Is that enough to propel an anemic offense into conference title contention?? We’ll see.
In a world full of Tigers, Wildcats, Eagles, and Bulldogs one must give a tip of the cap to the Roadrunners. However, not only do they have a cool nickname, but UTSA is a pretty good football team. They are 23-5 in the past two seasons and have 16 returning starters on both sides of the ball, including quarterback & C-USA MVP Frank Harris. UTSA moves to the AAC this year, which puts them on a collision course with defending conference champion Tulane. That might be one of the better matchups on Thanksgiving Weekend.
16 Air Force
Last Season: 10-3
Key Games: 9/15 vs. Utah St., 10/21 @ Navy, 11/24 @ Boise St.
The Falcons won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy last season by defeating both Army & Navy, but didn’t fare as well in-conference after losing three Mountain West games. They have to remedy that in 2023 by winning games at Boise and at home against Utah St.
The ACC is probably the next domino to fall, but it will remain intact for another year and likely produce some rather decent football games. The Tar Heels fell short in both the conference title game & the Holiday Bowl a season ago, but with potential first round draft pick Drake Maye returning at quarterback there is reason to believe that they’ll be atleast as good, and potentially better if the defense rises to the occasion.
14 Texas
Last Season: 8-5
Key Games: 9/9 @ Alabama, 9/23 @ Baylor, 11/4 vs. Kansas St.
Who will start under center for the Longhorns?? Will sophomore Quinn Ewers hold onto the gig, or will much ballyhooed freshman Arch Manning overtake him at some point?? Either way there seems to be a level of legit optimism in the Lone Star State we haven’t seen for quite some time. This will be the final year in the Big 12 before moving to the SEC, so perhaps they’ll make hay while the sun shines. Don’t be shocked if the ‘Horns march into Tuscaloosa in early September and upset ‘Bama.
The Seminoles haven’t received this much preseason hype in several years. That’s what a ten win season will accomplish. Can they sustain that level of success?? The out-of-conference schedules looks a bit dicey, but they’ll be in the ACC title hunt. A late September battle in Death Valley looms large, although I’m not prepared to predict an upset.
12 Notre Dame
Last Season: 9-4
Key Games: 9/23 vs. Ohio St., 10/14 vs. USC, 11/4 @ Clemson
It’s standard operating procedure for the Irish to get preseason love, whether they deserve it or not. To achieve such a lofty ranking they absolutely must pull off an upset or two, which won’t be an easy task. Head coach Marcus Freeman didn’t have a bad first season at all, but nine wins & a Gator Bowl victory is far below the standard in South Bend. As much as I loved seeing my alma mater Marshall Thundering Herd venture into hostile territory and pull off one of the biggest upsets in college football history I understand it was a one in a million twist of fate. Add to that Notre Dame having the misfortune to play Ohio St. in the opener. They won’t begin the season 0-2 again, and will probably be 4-0 before hosting the Buckeyes in a possible revenge game.
The Utes will be vying for their third consecutive (and final, with a pending move to the Big 12 on the horizon) PAC 12 title, but hope that this time it lands them in the playoff or atleast ends with a bowl victory. They’ll need to score a big upset (or two) on the road, but that seems doable under the leadership of sixth year senior QB Cam Rising. I’m not sure another conference championship or a playoff berth is in the cards, but I’m confident this will be a really fun team to watch.
10 Ohio State
Last Season: 11-2
Key Games: 9/23 @ Notre Dame, 10/21 vs. Penn St., 11/25 @ Michigan
Most polls will have the Buckeyes ranked in the Top 5, but I can’t go there. After appearing in the playoff 3 out of the last 4 seasons I believe they’ll fall short in 2023. Road games at The Big House and in South Bend won’t be easy, and after beating Penn St. six straight times I’m not willing to bet there’ll be a seventh. The pendulum feels like it is swinging in the Big Ten ever so slightly, with a few other teams catching up to Ohio St.
9 Alabama
Last Season: 11-2
Key Games: 9/9 vs. Texas, 10/7 @ Texas A&M, 11/4 vs. LSU
I know, I know. Roll Tide. Nick Saban. They always seem to reload, no matter how much production they’ve lost. However, I think replacing three first round draft picks…a Heisman Trophy winning QB, a starting running back, and the best defensive player in college football…is alot to ask. Don’t be surprised if it’s another two loss season for ‘Bama.
8 Penn State
Last Season: 11-2
Key Games: 9/23 vs. Iowa, 10/21 @ Ohio St., 11/11 vs. Michigan
The Nittany Lions have been decidedly uneven in nine seasons under head coach James Franklin. He’s had four 10+ win seasons, but also had four years when they didn’t get past seven victories. This feels like a pivotal moment in the Franklin Era in Happy Valley, and I think they’ll come thru. Can they go into The Horseshoe in Columbus and leave with a win?? Maybe. Hosting the Veterans Day game against Michigan will be huge and could very well decide a spot in the conference title game.
7 Washington
Last Season: 11-2
Key Games: 10/14 vs. Oregon, 11/4 @ USC, 11/11 vs. Utah
Amongst the QBs receiving preseason hype Michael Penix tends to fly under the radar, even after leading the FBS in passing yards last season & becoming Washington’s single season passing leader. That being said, defense wins championships, and the Huskies lost twice last year, despite the offense scoring 30+ points both times. Those losses cost them a chance to compete for the conference title. Can they do just a little better in 2023?? I think it’s possible.
6 Clemson
Last Season: 11-3
Key Games: 9/23 vs. Florida St., 11/4 vs. Notre Dame, 11/18 vs. North Carolina
After six consecutive playoff appearances the Tigers fell short last year, with a surprising three TD loss at Notre Dame and a one point heartbreaker at home to in-state rival South Carolina to blame. It’s not a question of whether or not they’ll be in the hunt…they will. However, with the ACC not being as respected as other conferences it doesn’t take much to dissuade the powers-that-be from including them in the post-season party. Certainly no one from Clemson can complain about being left out one time, but the question is can they make a more convincing argument this season?? It’ll be close, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see atleast one loss before Thanksgiving.
Texas & Oklahoma have always gotten most of the accolades in the Big 12, which they have now used to finagle their way into the SEC. For anyone paying attention though the Big 12 has been much deeper than those two schools and will survive just fine without them. Manhattan, KS is only the 9th largest city in the 15th smallest state in the nation, but their football team looked pretty damn impressive last year. Most of the starting offense returns, while the defense will have several new faces. At the end of the day I don’t believe the money people will allow the Big 12 to invade their playoff party again, but I think another conference title for the Wildcats is a real possibility.
4 LSU
Last Season: 10-4
Key Games: 9/3 vs. Florida St., 11/4 @ Alabama, 11/25 vs. Texas A&M
The Bayou Bengals have been a model of inconsistency in recent years. After appearing in two national title games in 2007 & 2011 (winning one championship) they fired head coach Les Miles during the 2016 season. They won another national title in 2019 with Ed Orgeron at the helm, but fired him just two years later after a second consecutive losing season. Former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly apparently thought the heat would be more tolerable in Baton Rouge and led his team to ten wins & a Top 20 ranking a season ago. Now they have eight starters returning on offense but must rebuild a defense that lost seven starting players. To put themselves in this position LSU needs to win 2 out of the 3 games noted. Can they get past Alabama in their division?? If so, can they follow up by defeating Georgia in the SEC title game, or atleast make such a strong impression that they sneak into the playoff even with a loss?? I think there’s a legit chance things could go their way.
You’re going to hear the name Caleb Williams a lot in the next few months. The defending Heisman Trophy winner is the clear favorite once again and could become only the second player to win that award twice. Don’t get it twisted though…USC is much more than Williams. They return 14 starters across the offense & defense from a squad that was 11-3 & ranked #12 in the nation. Utah beat them twice last year, and there’s no way in hell that happens again. Anything less than being undefeated will be a huge disappointment for the Trojans.
2 Georgia
Last Season: 15-0
Key Games: 9/16 vs. South Carolina, 9/30 @ Auburn, 11/18 @ Tennessee
Alabama’s dominance had grown tedious, which might eventually happen with the Georgia, but we’re not there yet. Ten former Bulldogs were selected in the NFL Draft, and that’s after 15 were drafted in 2022. Clearly they’re doing something right in Athens. Junior QB Carson Beck looks like he’ll be the guy replacing the departed Stetson Bennett, and indications are he’s more athletically gifted than his predecessor. They return 70% of last year’s production of defense (I’ll spare you a boring explanation of that statistic), despite guys like Jalen Carter & Kelee Ringo going pro. The player getting the most love, oddly enough, seems to be tight end Brock Bowers, who has drawn comparisons to the 49ers’ George Kittle. There’s no reason to believe we won’t see Georgia in the playoff vying for a third straight title, which hasn’t been done since the Minnesota Golden Gophers did it in 1934-36.
1 Michigan
Last Season: 13-1
Key Games: 9/30 @ Nebraska, 11/11 @ Penn St., 11/25 vs. Ohio St.
Upon Jim Harbaugh’s hiring as Michigan’s 20th head coach in 2015 I predicted he’d have them in playoff contention within three years. I suppose we could debate the specific parameters of contention, but the Wolverines finally got invited to the party in 2021 then returned last season. Perhaps a little behind schedule, but that’s okay. The bigger issue is that they’ve fallen short twice, to Georgia & TCU. There’s no shame in the former, but the latter, wherein a solid second half wasn’t good enough to overcome a two TD first quarter deficit, has likely haunted the guys in Ann Arbor for the past several months. Can they get over the hump?? With 13 returning starters the expectations are thru the roof. It’s pretty simple…win the games they’re supposed to win, beat Ohio St. at The Big House, and don’t stumble in the Big Ten title game. Of course they’ve done those things then fell short in The Final Four. Will this year be different?? I think it just might.
