In honor of Cinco de Mayo (May 5...or 5/5), I've come up with 5 quick lists (with 5 items each) of things to look forward to this upcoming college football season.
5 Must-See Non-Conference Games
1. Michigan State at Oregon (Top 10 clash, 2 of the last 3 Rose Bowl Champions, winner of this showdown gets a serious leg up in College Football Playoff contention)
2. LSU vs Wisconsin. This neutral-site game in Houston looks to give an old-school "power football" feel, with one of the Big Ten's best against one of the SEC's finest.
3. Notre Dame at Florida State. A great matchup that owes itself to Notre Dame's ACC scheduling agreement. If the Irish can get back on track, and the Seminoles stay on top, this could be a monster game in Tallahassee.
4. Boise State vs Ole Miss. The first part of the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game looks to be the more balanced of the two. Will Boise begin a return to glory, or will Ole Miss take its next steps forward?
5. Michigan at Notre Dame. Last year's game in the Big House got a lot of hype, but it's this game in South Bend that will see (at least for now) the last meeting between the Wolverines and the Irish.
5 Teams Looking for a Bounce-Back
1. Northwestern. After coming close to beating Ohio State in its Big Ten opener, the Wildcats went on to lose 7 straight games. They're better than that 5-7 mark, and with some luck, they could find themselves closer to Big Ten West contenders than cellar dwellars.
2. Arkansas. Bret Bielema went from taking Wisconsin to 3 straight Rose Bowls to failing to net Arkansas a single SEC win. Surely the Razorbacks can move back into bowl contender status this time around!
3. NC State. Along with UVA, the Wolfpack went winless in the ACC last year. And with a guy who took a MAC team to a BCS Bowl the previous year! Dave Dorean's a good coach...2014 should at least see a little improvement.
4. Nevada. Another Wolfpack that saw their fortunes drop steeply in 2013. With a more manageable schedule (Washington State, as opposed to Florida State), the boys from Reno should certainly make a push for a return to the post-season.
5. Wyoming. Another Mountain West team. With new head coach Craig Bohl (who led North Dakota State to 3 straight FCS titles, and took down a decent Kansas State last year), these Cowboys certainly have the potential to make a push for bowl eligibility (though it might still be asking a lot, given the presence of both Oregon and Michigan State in the non-conference).
5 Non-Power Conference Teams who could Bust the Big Bowls
1. Marshall. With such an easy schedule in a watered down Conference USA, the Herd could wind up undefeated! While the schedule strength may preclude them from the Top 4, a 13-0 run could be enough to make them the "Group of 5" representative.
2. Houston. The Cougars had a respectable run last year, coming up just short against UCF, Cincy, and Louisville (and also BYU out of conference). With the Cardinals gone, and a similar non-conference schedule, Houston could find themselves contending for a New Years Bowl spot with just one or two more plays.
3. Louisiana-Lafayette. A confident team that could have the Sun Belt in contention. The Cajuns have Ole Miss and Boise, and at great times (Ole Miss right after Boise and Vandy...Boise right after a trip to UConn). Win these, and then the games they're supposed to, and the sky (or at least a "Group of 5" spot) is the limit!
4. Boise State. Of course the Broncos will be in contention! The 3-way non-conference series between Boise, Ole Miss, and Louisiana-Lafayette could go a long way in determing which teams/conference are even in CFP contention by September's end!
5. Central Florida. If, for no other reason, than the fact that they took down Baylor last year. If the Knights can roll through the American again, they'll certainly be a contender - even with a loss to Missouri or Penn State.
5 Teams with "Bowl or Bust" Head Coaches
1. Virginia. That 2011 season seems to be fading ever-so-faster. With UVA having gone winless in the ACC last year, some are surprised to see Mike London back this year. Things have to improve in Charlottesville, particulary with QB play, or it'll be time for London Bridge to fall.
2. Florida. Though last year can be excused by a rash of injuries, Will Muschamp cannot afford another bad year. With the Gators playing at such extremes (6-6, 11-1, 4-8), they need to at least show improvement and provide hope for the future.
3. Indiana. Even a low-level team should at least be competing for bowl eligibility every few years. Kevin Wilson has had time to get his system into place, and came close with a 5-7 mark last year. One more win should keep the head Hoosier going.
4. Michigan. After back-to-back 7-6 seasons for the Wolverines, the status quo simply will not do. Brady Hoke needs to win, or at least compete against Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State. 9-3 should be a sign of improvement and hope. 7-5 or less...definitely not!
5. Rutgers. The Big Ten wil certainly be harder than the Big East/American. Even so, there's been some bad blood for the Scarlet Knights over the past year, and Kyle Flood has definitely felt some heat. Anything less than 6-6, and Rutgers may want to find a new direction for its new conference.
5 Pivotal Weekend of the Regular Season
1. Week 1 (Labor Day Weekend). With Florida State/Oklahoma State, Clemson/Georgia, Wisconsin/LSU leading the way, this weekend really sets the hierarchy of the conferences and can establish relative strength that lasts the entire season.
2. Week 2 (incl. Saturday Sept. 6). With the biggest early non-conference game of the season (Michigan State/Oregon), another that will catch much attention (Michigan/Notre Dame), and a pivotal conference game between USC and Stanford, the rankings should get nice and jumbled before the official start of Fall.
3. Week 4 (incl. Saturday Sept. 20). This is the apex of the non-conference season, with games such as Kansas State/Auburn and Utah/Michigan cementing the conferences' relative strength. Even if these teams aren't conference contenders, they can certainly help or hinder the teams that are. And don't forget another biggie - Florida State/Clemson - which should be a huge in-conference game for the ACC.
4. Week 11 (incl. Saturday November 8). This weekend features the Alabama/LSU game, along with the Ohio State/Michigan State and Baylor/Oklahoma games. Perhaps the game of the year for 3 power conferences. Add in Utah State/Wyoming and Northern Illinois/Ball State for some potential Group of 5 contenders, and we're looking at what could be this year's pivot-point weekend.
5. Week 15 (incl. Saturday December 6). Conference Championship Games, and regular season finales for the American and Big 12. Last year saw the BCS Bowls shift from Northern Illinois and Oklahoma State to Baylor and Oklahoma...and saw Ohio State go from Pasadena against the ACC Champ, to Miami Gardens against the ACC runner-up. I wonder what the CFP stakes will be...and how this final weekend will set the stage for the big reveal of who's in and who goes where!
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