Even the most prominent college football experts get most of their predictions wrong. However, I refuse to allow fear of verifiable evidence of being wrong prevent me from making predictions.
Therefore, for your mockery, here are some things I think heading into the college football season:
- I think Alabama will defend its national title by defeating Florida State in a not particularly close championship game.
- I think 2016 boasts an incredibly dominant class of defenders, including DE Myles Garrett (Texas A&M), S Derwin James (Florida State), LB/DB Jabrill Peppers (Michigan), DE Jonathan Allen (Alabama), LB Tim Williams (Alabama), LB Reuben Foster (Alabama), CB Adoree Jackson USC), and DE Carl Lawson (Auburn). This is a rare group, and, yes, I realize I listed three members of the Tide (see item 1).
- I think the University of Tennessee will be the team everyone hyped up only to be incredibly disappointed (and, yes, I know I hedged my bets by still including the talented team in my top 25).
- I also think Ole Miss will be affected by the distractions surrounding their program.
- I think Kevin Sumlin will be looking for another job, perhaps by midseason, unless the miraculous happens and he is saved from what has become a complete dumpster fire.
- I think you have caught on to the fact that I think it will largely be a down year for the SEC.
- I think QB Deondre Francois will be a star and will pull Heisman votes from fellow Seminole, RB Dalvin Cook.
- I think the Ohio State-Michigan game could determine a berth in the Playoff.
- I think the PAC 12 will miss the Playoff.
- I think Charlie Strong puts together a season strong enough to keep his job.
- I think Dan Mullen will wish he had ridden the Dak Prescott wave to find another job.
- I think Notre Dame fans will be frustrated by another very good, just not great team
- I think Baylor takes a huge step back—never to recover.
- I think Gus Malzahn has more to gain from going 8-4 than most coaches. A subpar season, he loses his job. Even barely surviving could mean a long tenure with the Tigers. The cupboard is pretty full, and Auburn may be the early leader for former Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham.
- I think I am really going to regret underestimating others in my fantasy league. I thought I could get new Virginia Tech QB Jerod Evans in a late round. Sadly, I was outsmarted.
- I think San Diego State is the most likely team in college football to go undefeated.
- I think that if fans have forgotten what Will Muschamp looked like as a head coach at Florida, they will soon remember why he no longer is in Gainesville.
- I think that Mark Richt will have Miami playing really good football again soon, just not this year.
- I think Jacob Eason will be Georgia’s starting QB by the end of the year and will be an early Heisman frontrunner in 2017.
- I think Leonard Fournette could remind some of Jadeveon Clowney this season—an exceptionally talented player who coasted in his final year while waiting for the big $$$ of the NFL.
- I think Tom Herman is already receiving love letters from athletic directors around the country.
- I think Jim Harbaugh, Bret Bielema, and Dabo Swinney are all in intense competition for the “Love Me or Hate Me Award.” None of these coaches seems to want anyone to feel neutral about them.
- I think QB Lamar Jackson (Louisville) and QB Kenny Hill (TCU) will be two of the more exciting players in college football but will have a bad game or moment that cost them serious Heisman consideration.
- I think Deshaun Watson, Christian McCaffrey, and Baker Mayfield will all be present for the Heisman presentation.
Tell us what you think you know about the 2016 college football season in the comments section.