Hello, once again. With the preseason Coaches Poll just released, and the AP due in about 2 weeks, I thought I'd start looking ahead to the 2017 season.
I'll make my conference championship and CFP/New Years Six predictions after the AP Poll comes out. But I will take a shot and predict the races and some matchups of significance.
Conference/Division Races
ACC:
- The Coastal Division will come down to the Virginia Tech - Miami matchup in November. UNC takes a step back, UVA still anchors, while GT, Duke and Pitt will form a solid "middle".
- The Atlantic Division will once again go to the winner of FSU and Clemson. NC State and Louisville fight it out for "best of the rest". BC, Syracuse, and Wake fight it out for bowl eligibility.
SEC
- It really does appear to be Alabama and then the rest for the west. LSU and Auburn figure to battle it out for an at-large New Year's Six spot. Texas A&M does just well enough for Kevin Sumlin to see 2018 as the head Aggie.
- In the East, Georgia is still a year away; Tennessee takes a step back. Florida's fate may actually lie in whether or not they can avoid upsets against up-trending Vandy/Kentucky and knock off West opponents LSU and Texas A&M.
- The "East vs West" argument gets muddier this year, as the two divisions are within two games of an even split.
BIG TEN
- Penn State overachieved last year and takes a step back in the East in 2017. Michigan loses a lot but still has a lot of raw talent. Look for a surprise team here to challenge the Buckeyes - perhaps the return of Michigan State?
- Wisconsin is in great position to play for a CFP spot, with a very manageable schedule. The Minnesota-Northwestern-Nebraska round robin winner, if one emerges, also figures to be a contender.
PAC-12
- In the South, it's USC and the rest. Colorado takes a step back. UCLA up to 6-6 or so. The Arizona schools take a step up, but not quite to 2014 levels.
- In the North, the Apple Cup will once again determine who goes to Santa Clara. This time, I think both teams take care of business beforehand (i.e. no losing to FCS teams, Cougars!!) and meet as 9-2 or better teams.
BIG 12
- Oklahoma State seems to have the best mix of returning talent and coaching, with Kansas State coming in second. Can both teams take advantage of the new coaching staffs and schemes at Texas/Oklahoma and finish 1-2 in the standings to earn their CCG slot? Or will UT and/or OU showcase just why the coaches got their jobs?
GROUP OF FIVE
- In the American, South Florida trades 2016 FSU for Illinois. If the Bulls can avoid the stumble against another contending conference foe, they could very well be Peach Bowl bound. The West Division could also produce a strong contender in the Memphis-Navy-Houston winner.
- Three of the five conferences have been in a New Year's Six bowl. Can the Sun Belt or Conference USA yield a contender? App State could help their cause with a big upset over Georgia; ditto for ODU and its pair of ACC teams.
INDEPENDENTS
- Notre Dame should have the opportunity to catch opponents by surprise, at least early. Look for the Irish to contend for a New Year's Six bowl (or at least an ACC top-level - i.e. Citrus/Camping World) once again.
- BYU intrigues me with their games against LSU, Utah, Wisconsin, Boise and Mississippi State. Can the Cougars become a surprise NY6 at-large contender with wins over a majority of these?
Games of the Year
We know what the most highly-anticipated games are (FSU-Bama, Ohio State-Oklahoma, Bedlam, FSU-Clemson, Michigan-Ohio State). Here's my prediction of 10 games that I expect to be among the best of the season:
- FSU vs Alabama (a high-ranked matchup can still be an awesome game)
- Georgia at Notre Dame
- Auburn at Clemson
- Texas at USC
- Clemson at Virginia Tech
- Texas A&M at Florida
- Kansas State at Texas
- Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
- Notre Dame at Miami
- Washington State at Washington
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