Hello College Football Fans, and welcome to the 2021 College Football Season! I am so excited to be back and writing for you all as we jump into (hopefully) a more normal year of football. For any new readers (or anyone who forgot), I do focus my blog on my beloved Huskers, but I always try to give my perspective and thoughts on the happenings from all of CFB around the nation. That is my mission as the College Football KnowItAll, so if there's ever a team or questions about the CFB landscape you'd like me to take a deep dive into, please leave a comment!
This post will focus on the Week 0 games and my preview of how I think things will shake out this season for the different conferences. This is a bit of a special post as I was able to visit the stadium of one of my new favorite teams in CFB this past week (check out the photos below), the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers! Last year the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina surprised everyone with an undefeated season out of the Sun belt, and are looking to repeat for a possible New Year's Six Bowl bid. Cincy took that spot last season and nearly upset Georgia in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. There's a lot of good football coming up this season, and with all the different conference shuffle talks and a 12-team playoff on the horizon, this is bound to be a wild year. So kick back, read on and let's get you ready for the 2021 college football season!
Sun Belt Conference
The power of this conference sits with 3 primary teams; Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State and Louisiana. Louisiana is heavily favored in the West, and will be looking for their shot against Coastal Carolina after the Conference Championship game was cancelled due to Covid-19 last year. The Chanticleers were CFB's Cinderella team last year, so we'll see if they can repeat in the Sun Belt and hold off the usual kings from App State.
East Division: Coastal Carolina West Division : Louisiana
Champion: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Conference USA
UAB is looking for their third conference title in 4 years, but UTSA nearly stole their West division crown last year and with Jeff Taylor in his second year at the helm, they are primed for a steal in 2021. In East Division, Marshall leads they way but FAU and WKU are looking for a boost from the transfer pool. I think the addition of N'Kosi Perry at QB will be a big help for the Owls. They have a tough schedule though, traveling to UAB and hosting both UTAP and Marshall on back to back weeks. The Heard have talent to replace, but should hold onto the top spot. This will be a fun battle to watch!
East Division: FAU West Division: UAB
Champion: UAB
Mid-American Conference
The East Division will be a blood bath in this conference. Ohio and Buffalo are my favorites to duke it out for the top spot, but Miami (OH) and Kent State aren't out of the mix. In the West, Northern Illinois is looking to get back to their old days of dominance, especially after a 0-6 display last season. Toledo and Ball State are the heavy favorites though, and the Cardinals are still red hot after upsetting Buffalo last year. Look for them to go back-to-back.
East Division: Ohio West Division: Ball State
Champion: Ball State
Mountain West Conference
It's always fun to watch these conference games mid week and late on Saturday nights, as the get pretty crazy. Boise State is always the dominant force in that conference, and looks to be once again as they break in a new head coach. Andy Avalos will get a harsh welcome home to Boise however as the Broncos face UCF, Oklahoma State and BYU for non-conference. Conference wise however, Wyoming looks to challenge them. The true threat lies in the West division however, as Nevada is a dark horse G6 Bowl Bid in my opinion. They have a lot of talent with the Wolfpack, led by Junior QB Carson Strong. Fresno State and San Jose State have had good runs recently, but I have the Wolfpack running wild this year.
Mountain Division: Boise State West Division: Nevada
Champion: Nevada
American Athletic Conference
The Cincy Bearcats are head and shoulders above the rest of the competition in this conference. Cincy lost a close game to Georgia in the Peach Bowl last season after earning the G5 New Year's Six Bowl Bid. They'll be looking to repeat as they return nearly everyone from last year's squad, including one of the nation's best defenses and star QB Desmond Ridder. UCF now has Gus Malzahn at the helm, which should give them a bit more boost. The Knights were close to knocking off Cincy last year. SMU and ?Houston are in the chase as well, but I don't foresee any team overtaking Cincy.
Champion: Cincinnati
Big XII Conference
Despite the impending implosion of this conference, they still have some football to play this year. Texas is looking to get back in the mix of conference championship talks as Steve Sarkisian takes the helm. He'll have a tough road to deal with as Oklahoma and Iowa State lead the charge of this conference with tremendous depth. The Cyclones are another dark horse for the Playoffs, and their showdown with the Sooners in Norman will be a big one. However, I think OU and ISU will meet again in the Big XII Championship, because no one else in the conference has enough firepower to keep pace. There may be some potential upsets here and there, but I like the Cyclones to come out on top and make a push late in the season.
Champion: Iowa State
Pac-12 Conference:
The Pac-12 is often forgot about midway through the season once their top teams beat up on each other, but you can never take your eyes off those Pac-12 after dark games. The Ducks are favored to win the North, but have some sneaky challengers with Washington in it's second year under Jimmy Lake and Cal who returns star QB Chase Garbers and a very talented defense. Stanford is on the rise again and the Ducks always have a difficult time with them. Looking to the South, UCLA is my dark horse to win this division. Chip Kelley's squad lost all four of their games last year by 6 points or less. They'll have to navigate around crosstown rival USC, but there's potential for the bruins. Arizona State is the heavy favorite and they avoid the Ducks in cross conference play while also hosting the Trojans. Utah could jump in the mix, but I think the Sun Devils are where the focus should be. Lots of talent down in the desert this year.
North Division: Oregon South Division: Arizona State
Champion: Oregon
ACC:
This conference prediction is really about who will lose to Clemson in the title game, but it's fun to look around at who gives potential for some upsets. Obviously the Tigers plan to run the table again, and with DJ Uiagalelei at QB they shouldn't lose too much of a step from the departure of Trevor Lawrence. Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division, NC State and Boston College are always looking for upsets, and both return QBs with experience. Over in the Coastal Division, the Tar Heels and Hurricanes stand the best chance of challenging the Tigers. Neither of them would face Clemson until the ACC title game, so the showdown in Chapel Hill on October 16th will likely decide which way they're going. The Hurricanes are looking to improve as star QB D'Eriq King is healthy again and their defense is getting better. However, I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sam Howell is a BALLER. He has a few holes to replace with some of his weapons going to the NFL, but UNC doesn't lack for talent.
Atlantic Division: Clemson Coastal Division: North Carolina
Champion: Clemson
SEC:
The regular powerhouses will be on full display in the SEC, but there are a couple other teams to watch who could make a run for the Playoffs. Starting in the East Division, it will likely be a battle between Florida and Georgia for the division crown. The Gators threw a shoe (literally) at their shot at the playoffs last season, but with so much talent to replace, Georgia is the heavy favorite. The Bulldogs look to make a Playoff push with JT Daniels running the offense and a dominate defense. Also watch out for their stud receiver Arian Smith, he's an absolute speedster. The rest of the East is a step down, so barring any upsets the Bulldogs should roll. Over in the West, Alabama could be challenged a bit. Texas A&M was 1 spot away from the playoffs last season, and with a formidable defense they will not be easy to beat. They have to replace a lot of talent on offense however, so they'll have a steep learning curve. The Tide will look to roll yet again, but do have to travel to both the Swamp and Aggieland. LSU comes to Tuscaloosa and the Tigers get Florida and A&M at home. These three have the best shot in the West, but it's impossible to go against Nick Saben. Watch out for the Aggies though, this could get interesting.
East Division: Georgia West Division: Alabama
Champion: Alabama
BIG 10:
Ohio State is far ahead of anyone else in the BIG 10, but much like the ACC, it's fun to think about who will lose to them in Indianapolis in December. Out East, Penn State and Michigan are looking to challenge the Buckeyes more, but I think their biggest challenger in that division will be the Hoosiers of Indiana. Tom Allen's squad nearly knocked off the Buckeyes last season in the Horseshoe, and I think they will be a team to watch. Hopefully IU's star QB Michael Penix Jr. can return from an ACL tear and the defense can keep up its dominance from a year ago. Penn State will look to bounce back from a disappointing year and Michigan will look to finally beat its rivals. In the West Division, my hope is that the Huskers can wake up and actually challenge for something, but Wisconsin and Iowa should be the focal points. Northwestern has won 2 out of the last 3 division titles, but have a lot of talent to replace. Iowa is always a consistent team, but do have some talent issues on offense. They'll rely heavily on their defense. Wisconsin struggled with Covid last season and should be a much stronger force in 2021.
East Division: Ohio State West Division: Wisconsin
Champion: Ohio State
Game Predictions
UConn at Fresno State - Bulldogs 30, Huskies 14
Hawai'i at UCLA - Bruins 37, Warriors 21
UTEP at New Mexico State - Miners 31, Aggies 24
