College Football is back today ladies and gentlemen!! I'm so excited for the season to kickoff, but before it does, I need to make all my predictions for the upcoming season. This post will focus on my predictions for all the Power 5 Conferences along with my quick-hit Husker analysis and finally my Playoff & Heisman predictions. As always, please be sure to subscribe and comment about what other CFB topics you'd like me to cover. Now, onto the 2019 Power 5 Conference Predictions, enjoy!
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
2018 Winner: Clemson
I wanted to start with the ACC because it's going to be fairly short and sweet. Clemson is going to win again. Unless the Tigers royally screw everything up, they should have a fairly simple path toward another ACC title. Their offense is absolutely stacked with Trevor Lawrence at QB, Travis Etienne at RB and just absurd talent across the board at wide receiver. The defense loses talent, but with how Dabo Swinney and his staff recruit, I wouldn't expect too much of a drop off. Syracuse is probably the biggest threat in the Atlantic division, and hosting the Tigers in the dome could result in another upset like 2017. The Orange square off against the Tigers on September 14th, so we'll learn a lot about the ACC early on this year. QB Tommy DeVito is going to have to be near flawless to compete with Lawrence if the 'Cuse want to come out on top. The rest of the Atlantic should improve but won't be able to touch Clemson. FSU will look to get bowl eligible again after year one with Willie Taggart and NC State will be solid, but likely slower on offense after losing QB Ryan Finely (finally, I swear this dude is 30 by now). Wake Forest has some playmakers and will hang around for a bit in games, they should be bowling by the end of the year. Boston College will run well with AJ Dillon, but don't have much beyond that and Louisville is not going to do well, that's just a fact.
The Coastal division is where things can get a bit interesting as Virginia looks to climb out and lead the pack. Bronco Mendenhall's squad was tough last year, and return 14 players from the 2018 team, including 8 on a defense that ranked 20th in total defense. Bryce Perkins is back to lead the offense and he'll be looking to break the Commonwealth Cup Curse that plagues the Cavaliers. The Hokies of Virginia Tech have held onto the cup since 2003 and are the primary hurdle standing in UVA's way of a conference title game birth. Justin Fuente will look to keep his team steady this time around, and Ryan Willis at QB should help that. Willis took over for Josh Jackson last year and threw for over 2,700 yards with 24 TDs and 9 picks. Miami (FL) is another tempting pick in the ACC, but I'm not entirely convinced the U is back. They do have a favorable schedule though, catching VT and UVA at home. Pitt has to replace two 1,000+ yard backs and Duke lost just about everyone. Finally, UNC brings back experience, not just with 14 returning starters, but with veteran coach Mack Brown too! It would be hilarious if Mack took the Heels to the ACC title game right away, but I've got Virginia going to lost to Clemson. They have a tough defense and get the Hokies at home, I think this could be the year. Regardless, Clemson wins the ACC and wins big.
PAC-12
2018 Winner: Washington
The PAC-12 could be very entertaining to watch this year, especially up in the Pacific Northwest. Star QB Justin Herbert passed up being a 1st round draft pick for one more season with the Ducks, and Oregon could be the team to beat because of it. They return 16 starters in addition to Herbert, and that experience will be needed early on. They open the season in Cowboy Stadium against Auburn, but have to travel to Washington, Stanford and USC throughout the season. The trip against the Huskies will likely be the biggest as Washington will be looking to repeat. Georgia QB transfer Jacob Eason should give the offense some ease after Jake Browning's departure, but the big question is how quickly will the defense get into form after losing 9 starters from a squad that ranked 12th in total defense last year. Mike Leach and Wazzu are always fun to watch, but won't be quite as deadly as they have been in previous years. They do return 6 starters from a solid defense, but with a new QB and a road schedule that includes Utah, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal and Washington, I don't see them getting much farther than a bowl. Stanford is always a team to watch, even while in re-build mode. The Fightin' Trees only return 9 starters from a year ago, but David Shaw always gets his team to perform, and he still has QB KJ Costello to lean on with the offense. Won't be a title contender, but will be a headache. My dark horse last year was Cal, and I want to see them live up to that. Their defense returns 7 starters, but the offense has been a weak point under Justin Wilcox. Oregon State returns 16 starters, but they're Oregon State.
Down South, it's a tight race and could go a number of different directions. UCLA returns 19 starters for Chip Kelley's second year, so the Bruins will be on the rise. USC, Arizona State and Arizona are all close, but still need to grow before they're claiming conference titles. JT Daniels will lead the Trojans against a brutal schedule that includes trips to Washington, Notre Dame, Colorado, Arizona State and Cal. The Sun Devils have a favorable schedule, hosting most of their toughest games except for Utah, but they need to replace all-star wideout N'Keal Harry and QB Manny Wilkins. Arizona will look to improve in year two under Kevin Sumiln, and I expect Khalil Tate to be a big part of that. Colorado will be breaking in a new head coach, so that just leaves one team. The Utah Utes are the best pick for the south as they return 14 starters from last year, including the deadly QB-RB duo of Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss, who both missed the last half of the season with injuries. Their defense will be one of the best in the nation and I think they'll make a splash this year. I've got them squaring off against the Ducks in the PAC-12 Title game, and it's a tough pick after that. I'm going to go bold and say Utah. I think the Utes are prepared this year after falling short and they surprise everyone in the PAC-12!
Big XII Conference
2018 Winner: Oklahoma
After 4 straight Big XII Titles and back to back Hesiman/#1 overall draft picks, can the Sooners keep Booming? With the talent returning on Lincoln Riley's squad, it's definitely likely. Alabama transfer, Jalen Hurts, has now taken over the offense, which means the points should keep rolling for Oklahoma, who averaged 48.4 per game last year, best in the nation. Defense has been the issue in Norman over the past few seasons, but 8 returning starters on that side of the ball should help. Texas says they're back, and 2019 is their chance to prove it. The Horns only return 8 players total from 2018, but QB Sam Ehlinger along with wideouts Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay will give all defenses headaches. Outside of Texas and OU, the Big XII drops off a bit. Kansas State begins the post-Bill Snyder era while Kansas starts the Les Miles era. Oklahoma State loses a ton of talent and will need to rebuild. Baylor and TCU are trying to climb back from their own rebuilds. West Virginia is a project and a half with a new coach plus Will Grier and crew gone. That leaves Texas Tech and Iowa State. The Red Raiders have a lot of young talent, but learning Matt Wells' system is no easy task. He brings a very fast-paced, up-tempo offense to Lubbock, which they're used to. However, defense is the concern (as with every Big XII team) and I'm not sure they'll have enough to fool the Horns or Sooners. Iowa State sits in the number 3 spot in the conference, and returns 16 starters from last year's team. Matt Campbell is one of the hottest coaches in the nation, and this could be his last season in Ames. We'll see if he can make it count! I'd love to see Iowa State sneak into the Big XII title game, but I've got a repeat of Texas and Oklahoma. The winner will likely be the opposite of who wins the Red River Rivalry, but I like Oklahoma again. I think there's too much firepower with that offense and a new DC should help improve the defense enough to win the Big XII and probably earn another playoff spot.
South Eastern Conference (SEC)
2018 Winner: Alabama
We'll start in the West division because it's easy. Alabama will win the West because they're Alabama and everyone screws up all chances of winning against them. The Tide look to roll through their competition with one of the most high-octane offenses in the nation. Star QB Tua Tugovailoa has every weapon imaginable with a WR corps that will all be playing on Sundays very soon. As always, the Tide will rumble with a steady run game too, but there could be some growing pains with new signal caller, Steve Sarkisian. The defense loses a lot of key players, but I doubt Nick Saben will let that keep his team from being at the top again. As for everyone chasing the Elephant (figuratively and literally) in the West, LSU is almost always the number two choice. The Tigers are ranked 6th to start the season, but will their offense live up to the hype? Eight returning starters on defense for LSU should make them one of the best in the nation again, but most of the pressure lies on the shoulders of QB Joe Burrow and the Tiger offense. Their schedule is brutal (as most are in the SEC), so the Bayou Bengals need to find a way to score quick. Elsewhere in the division, Texas A&M and Auburn look to get back into conference title contention. Auburn has a new QB for Gus Malzahn to work with, and their defensive front four is one of the most formidable in the nation. It's always a toss up to see where these Tigers will end up, but I think this is one of Malzahn's 9-10 win seasons. The Aggies are on the rise, but they're about to smack into one of the toughest schedules out there for year two with Jimbo Fisher. Kellen Mond is going to play well, but he'll need help navigating road games against Clemson and back to back ones at Georgia and LSU late in the season. They can cause headaches, but no conference titles. Mississippi State will rebuild, but has talent, and the Rebels are still recovering from sanctions, but have depth.
Over on the East, there might be some competition for that top spot. Georgia is the heavy favorite and would like another shot at taking down Bama. But don't be sleeping on the Gators, Dan Mullen has them ready to chomp! The boys down in Gainesville return 13 starters, including 8 on defense. Their secondary will be one of the best in the nations and if Feleipe Franks can get some help with the ground game, they could really push the Bulldogs for that top spot. Unfortunately they do get Auburn and LSU in cross conference play in back to back weeks. Georgia has Auburn and A&M late in the year. The rest of the East shouldn't do too much, Kentucky will likely drop a bit after a stellar season last year, but South Carolina is a team on the rise, but their schedule doesn't open anything up. Vandy likes to hang tough for about 2-2.5 quarters. I still like Georgia to win the East, but Florida will take it with one slip. No matter what, the Tide Roll to another SEC title in 2019.
BIG 10 Conference
2018 Winner: Ohio State
The BIG 10 Conference is always fun to watch, and with a national best, seven teams, in the AP pre-season top 25, this will be an entertaining year for the conference. The East division is easier to break down, so we'll start there. The regular heavy hitters are still at the top, with THE (trademarked) Ohio State sitting on top. The Buckeyes have won three of the last five East titles, but the time of Urban Meyer is over. Ryan Day is in charge now, and has a team loaded with talent to work with. Georgia QB transfer Justin Fields is ready to roll and has some top notch receivers and JK Dobbins in the backfield to help him out. The defense should be improved from last year, so look for the Buckeyes to make a playoff push if they can get out of the BIG 10 with minimal scratches. Michigan is the heavy favorite in the East with Urban Meyer gone, can Jim Harbaugh finally beat Ohio State? I'm still not buying into the Wolverines, and I think we could see a similar result from last year with all the hype crumbling at the end of the year. Shae Patterson is back at QB for the maize and blue, but there are a lot of holes on defense to replace. Don't expect any big things from Michigan, you'll likely be disappointed. The next two teams in the East are Penn State and Michigan State. Both are always a force to be reckoned with and never a team to sleep on. I think Sparty has a bit more of an edge to compete this season as they return 17 players from a year ago including QB Brian Lewerke and 8 starters from a defense that gave up just 17.2 points per game. If they can get their offense clicking, the East division is more than within their reach. However, they have to survive road games to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan. The Nittany Lions have to replace star QB Trace McSorely, but James Franklin always seems to have something up his sleeve, so watch this team. Maryland and Indiana have talent, but won't be more than an occasional headache. Rutgers is a non-factor as usual.
The West division has been the talk of the nation, because apart from Illinois, just about everyone in the division has a shot at the crown. The traditional favorites are Iowa and Wisconsin of course, and they will do what they normally do. Run the ball, play solid defense and keep mistakes to a minimum. Wisconsin looks to improve from last year where the defense was sub-par and the offense under performed. Johnathan Taylor, arguably the best running back in the nation, should take most of the load. Iowa has to replace two first round Tight-end draft picks so Nate Stanley has someone to throw to. Their defense will be stout though and I doubt they'll give up much more than the 17.8 points per game they gave up last season. The 2018 division champs, Northwestern, have to replace 4-year starter, Clayton Thorson, at QB, but have a pesky defense to keep them in games while their offense finds their step. Minnesota is on the rise with PJ Fleck in his third season, and with a favorable schedule, their offense could pick up the pace on some other teams in the West. My dark horse for the division is the little team from West Lafayette, the Purdue Boilermakers. Their offense needs some retooling, but with 9 returning starters on defense, they could keep games close while they find someone to get the ball to Rondale Moore. Finally, we look at the team with all the hype, my very own Nebraska CornHuskers. Scott Frost year two is about all you need to know for the hype around this team. Everyone is waiting to see if he can mimic the success from UCF in year two with Nebraska, but this team has a ways to go. There are a lot of new faces and young talent eager to take the field for the Huskers, but winning the division is never an easy task. Luckily for the Big Red, they have most of their toughest games at home with Ohio State, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Iowa all coming to Lincoln. The team has the talent and the coach to get it done, but I'm not entirely sure it will all come together soon enough to get to Indianapolis. As mentioned earlier, the West is very crowded, but I like Wisconsin to come out on top. Iowa will be consistent, but usually has a random loss that screws up their chances, and Wisconsin's ground game with Taylor should be as formidable as ever. This side of the BIG 10 is a toss up though, tie breaker wins will be key at the end of the season. Overall, I've got the Buckeyes winning the BIG 10 yet again. I think Day will pick up fairly close to where Urban Meyer left off, and the stocks of talent they have will keep them from slipping up too much. Ohio State wins another BIG 10 Championship.
CFB Playoff Team Predictions
Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma & Ohio State
Heisman Watch Predictions
Trevor Lawrence (QB - Clemson)
Tua Tagovailoa (QB - Alabama)
Travis Etienne (RB - Clemson)
Jalen Hurts (QB - Oklahoma)
Justin Herbert (QB - Oregon)
Johnathan Taylor (RB - Wisconsin)
Arizona at Hawaii
Two high powered offensive attacks clash out in the Pacific as the Wildcats travel to Aloha Stadium to take on the Rainbow Warriors. I wouldn't expect too much defense in this one, so there should be a lot of points. This game features two dynamic QBs in Arizona's speedster, Kahlil Tate and Hawaii's gunslinger, Cole McDonald. The Rainbow Warriors like to air it out and that should work well as the Wildcats ranked 121st in the nation last year for pass defense, giving up an average of 270 yards per game. However, to flip the script, Hawaii's run defense was ranked 103rd last year, giving up just over 200 yards per game on the ground, which isn't good if you're playing a (healthy) Kahlil Tate. This could be back and forth for a while, but I think Tate and the Wildcat ground game will prevail. Arizona 37, Hawaii 24.
Miami vs. #8 Florida
The first game of our college football season features two long-time rivals in the Gators and Hurricanes from the state of Florida. UF and Miami square off in a battle for bragging rights in the sunshine state. The Gators are moving into year two of the Dan Mullen era after coming off a New Year's Six victory (complete beat down) against Michigan. The Canes are looking to build up momentum back in their program, but have a lot of question marks with a young team. Redshirt Freshman QB, Jarren Williams, beat out Ohio State transfer Tate Martell for the starting job, so all eyes will be on him as he leads the Miami offense into the teeth of the Gator's defense. Florida returns 8 starters from last year's defense and will likely bring a lot of pressure to keep Williams under stress. Offensively, look for the Gators to grind it out early as Feleipe Franks settles in for another season. He finished off 2018 on a hot streak, and I anticipate more of the same this year. Florida is one of my key teams to watch in 2019, and they're going to show you why early one. The Gators win this one 30-14.
Thank you for reading my Power 5 Conference Predictions along with some other quick hits on the Playoffs, Heisman hopefuls and the two games this week. Be sure to keep up with all of my game predictions and Husker reflection posts throughout the season and GO BIG RED! Football is back baby!!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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